Motivating Monday

I'm 2 weeks into the "I am so done" weight loss effort and I am feeling really great.  Yay for no more junk food bloat!! (although don't ask me how much candy I consumed on that little friends get together)  The first week I lost 3.5 pounds but I never really count that first week because you're basically just losing the bloat that your body has been enduring up until that point, right?  This week I lost just 1 but it's enough to keep me going strong.  Hopefully by next week I'll feel a difference in my clothes.
I have to say it hasn't been all that difficult for me--I mean, I am the poster child for yo-yo dieting after all so I've been here before.  More times than I care to count.   And I know overeating gets me nowhere.  I cut out all snacking and work out 5 days a week.  Sure, some nights I am dying to mindlessly eat a bag of Doritos or make homemade chocolate chip cookies.  But again, I know it won't help me reach my goal, and it just makes me feel like crap physically and emotionally. That doesn't mean I don't look forward to my free day each week. :)
Lots of Easter candy and goodies are coming my way and hopefully I can handle it without downing an entire bag of mini Cadbury eggs.  Talk about bloat...and can I say bloat one more time?  That'd make a total of 4 bloats in one post (that makes 5!).  Yes!

One of my favorite workouts is the Banish Fat Boost Metabolism by Jillian Michaels.

If you're in the market for a new workout vid I highly recommend it.  I've been doing it almost a year and it's still hard for me.   You'll definitely have sweat beads dripping down your forehead after this one.  The music isn't the greatest and sometimes Jillian gets on my nerves, but I'm telling you, the moves work!  And it's only like $9 at Walmart or Amazon. (It is pretty high impact so if you have joint problems I'd try something else.)

Another thing that I do is track calories using the MyFitnessPal app on my iPod (there is also an online version).

If you're serious about losing weight I recommend it.  This really helped me to shed some pounds last summer.  I don't track as much as I should now but I feel a lot more aware about what is high calorie so I know how to eat.  The hard part is actually doing it.

One more recommendation: the Couch to 10k app.  I used this app last summer and I cannot wait to start up again this year.

It's a walk/run program that starts out with mostly walking, and eventually you are running a 10k distance.  Running has so many benefits, but overall it makes me feel soooo good (as long as no injuries) and I know it changes my body for the better.  You can sync this with your iTunes playlists and run to your own songs.  I have 12 running playlists because I like to change it up every time and they are really motivating.  One of my playlists is below if you need some ideas (I have to listen to up tempo music so don't make fun!):

The Naked and Famous: Young Blood
Benny Benassi Presents The Biz: Satisfaction
Ke$ha: Blow
Wolfmother: Pleased to Meet You
Britney Spears: I Wanna Go
Taio Cruz & Ludacris: Break Your Heart
Florence and the Machine:  Dogs Days Are Over
Usher: DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love
Hole: Celebrity Skin
Katy Perry: A Part of Me
Rihanna: We Found Love
Karmin: Brokenhearted
Flo Ride: Good Feeling

Cooldown:
Gotye: Somebody That I Used to Know
Mindy Gledhill: All About Your Heart

I also have a couple of "Run to Cadences" from the US Army/Air Force.  They are only 1-2 minutes but are SO motivating to me...maybe because I come from a military family.  My dad and brother are both currently in Afghanistan.  So I guess I feel like I am bringing them on my run with me. :)