Latest HIke & some added benefits from weight loss!

Fridays are my "day off" so I try and plan a hike for myself.  This past Friday I went up to Rocky Mountain National Park and did a waterfall hike.  Nothing hard, nothing long...just for a reward.  A beautiful hike....through a valley, trees, and ended at this gorgeous waterfall.  I hiked up the rock face to the tip top and saw a little creek and water cascade coming down.  I never want to redo hikes...until I did this one. Can you imagine it in the spring & summer with snow melt runoff??  This makes 189.5 miles hiked for the 2015 season.  I am SO CLOSE to 200 miles!!  Hoping the snow can hold off a couple weeks and I should be able to get it all in!  This week I have noticed two added benefits from my weight loss (41.5lbs so far).  Snoring....according to the husband I 'haven't snored in a long time'.  YAY!!  That means my sleep is better too!!  But my other added benefit...and it's my own belief...is my vision. I went in for an eye exam last night...I've improved my vision!!  Went from a -8.5 (yikes) to a -7.5!!  The DR also commented on my over all eye health (im not too nice to my eyes)...they're perfect!  And I know it's a stretch but I can only imagine my general health has contributed to that!! 

With fall here and the perfect temperature to be outside...I made sure to get in more outdoor exercise this weekend.  I went for a 30 mile bike ride Saturday...after the 6.5 mile hike Friday.  My body is recovering faster each time I workout so I am able to do more!  My knees were sore...like fatigue sore from the bike ride.  But i LOVED getting on the bike and riding all over town...we have GREAT trails here!!  This is the first year I have DISLIKED the arrival of fall.  I LOVE Fall...but it means winter is coming.  And that....I DO NOT LIKE!

First diet bet... I won!

The So sometimes I need a little more motivation to keep myself going with weight loss. I follow "Our Best Bites" for food ideas , etc.    Recently they started a diet bet. Buy in $35. If you lost 4% of your body weight in 4 weeks you split winnings!! So I bought in!! I really don't use the scale as a measure of health or success. But it helped keep me motivated for 4 weeks!! I didn't "diet" or change any habits. I just didn't stray. I pushed a little harder. Guess what!?! I won!! Turns out most people won so the pot was not as big as I hoped. But I won' $47.19!! I'm gonna leave it in the program and do another one for November. 

Here is my before and after. Which happened to be almost exactly a year apart!! (Within a week of each other) 

Don't mind my messy hair. I literally rolled out of bed and weighed!  I've lost 41.5 lbs!! The pants on right are a 2x in plus size, and top is a 4x!! I'm now in a 12/14 or size large!! 

My hugest accomplishment so far is two fold. 

I now weigh 197.5 lbs!! I am under 200!! I haven't been that for almost 15 years!!!   

And...I bought lulu lemon pants!! Size freaking 12!! 

I squealed when they fit. And damn sure bought them!! The nice gals working gave me high fives!! And they were so worth the effort!! 

Transformation Tuesday!!

This one is a good one for me!! On Saturday (9/19) I weighed in and had lost enough to put me at 40 lbs lost!! Since 12/25!! And that put me under 200lbs!! Unless you've weighed over 200 you won't get what a huge deal that is!! 

This photo is from October 2014! I was wearing 4x top and 2x bottoms.  You can see my tummy pushing on shirt, wrinkles of extra weight on face. 

This photo is from last week! I'm wearing XL bottoms from old navy (not plus size!) and size large top!!!! So excited and my neck is losing all its extra fullness!!

And the journey progress

Around March/April I went on a hike. It was super warm in the start of spring and I felt nature calling my name! 

This was the end of March (I didn't take pix of my first couple hikes apparently). 

I remember I bought this jacket and pull over at Sierra trading post and was so excited it "fit". Snugly but it fit!! So we went and hiked at seaman reservoir with my mom. This day I weighed 216 lbs. and was already feeling benefits of losing weight. 

I've also started watching my food intake.  And I had Jaime to thank for that. I bombarded her with questions about macros, fiber, plant based meals. 

I used (and still do) my fitness pal to track everything I eat. If I slip a day and don't, I'm guaranteed to make errors. It's helpful seeing what percentages and amounts I have eaten. Or what I need more of. One thing I have to say is don't skip fat and carbs!! I tried a few times to cut them and beat my body down. Simply need fat and carbs to fuel the body!! 

Hiking or simply being outdoors has always been something I needed. When we us the tanning salon I would need the sun in the winter to help recharge my body!  And being outside is so much more. The air, the sights, the sounds. 

Around this time I noticed that my fibromyalgia was lessening. Along with exercise (3-5 days a week at this point) I started taking magnesium to help with. Muscle repair and fatigue. Also added in chia seed and flax seed (already ground) to meals too. Both have huge health benefits that work well for me. 

On to the next post. 

Here we go...how I got started

I've been tossing around the idea of making a blog to document my progress. Also to inspire  and encourage others through theirs. For now I'll just write. When I find time I'll update blog to look pretty. Maybe. 

Here's my background:

-I'm almost 42 years old. 

- mother of two teenagers. 

-Married for 19 years in October. 

-Two dogs, one is a recent adopted rescue dog. We foster dogs for a rescue.

- i  from home. Caring for 6-8 little ones. Ages 6 months - 4 years old. 

-I've never been skinny. Or super fit. But always active. I've always had a few extra lbs. but recently it was more like 60 extra. 

-raised in Colorado with the great outdoors for my backyard 

-I have fibromyalgia (diagnosed 15 years ago)

-I am medicated for anxiety/depression since I was 18

About 9 months ago the daughter begged and begged for us to join a gym because her boyfriend wanted her to.  We finally caved and did it. Of course they broke up shortly after that. 

Great. Now we're paying $130 a month for nothing. And that sorta pissed me off. Figured I may as well go right?!?  That was November 1, 2014. 

I started visiting the gym. Doing basic cardio and some of the weight machines. Nothing serious. Made it through November and December (holidays, birthdays, vacation) without gaining any weight!! 

Hmm. So In January I started to pick up the pace. Attended a few classes (kickboxing!!) and did harder cardio, heavier weights.  After a couple months the lbs started to really drop. And more noticeable was my clothes. They were all too big!  So I started at 239 lbs in November. And by April I was down to 218. 

Mostly just exercise and movement. Kickboxing was burning around 1000 calories an hour for me!! So it was a big factor in the weight loss. 

Started adding in yoga and a centergy class at the gym. They definitely aides in my mobility. And muscle toning. 

Pretty much around March/April I felt that I was making a lifestyle change. Not just weight loss. But fitness and health. Also my attitude and emotional side was shifting. 

Saving the rest for another post....

Erica 

Starting weight 11/1 =239

Current weight 9/8 =201.2

Below is pic from October 2014