Get Fit With Wii Fit Sunday January 30, 2011

I found a great link up over at Hazel Nut's blog, The Nut House.  Like our family she is using the Wii Fit.  She has a weekly post on Sundays called "Getting Fit With Wii Fit Sundays."  I thought it would be fun to post a more detailed account of my exercise routine each week.  I will still weigh in on Wednesdays, but on Sundays I am going to post how my weekly exercise specifically on the Wii Fit has gone.  I was going to use it as another weigh in day, but decided I would stick with once a week.  (Might have had something to do with a little girl's birthday cake/parties.)

Anyhow, the first picture below shows a typical workout morning time, if I don't use the Aerobic DVD (which I couldn't use this morning as it appears to be misplaced), I get over an hour of exercise in.

I need to reset my calorie burned goal.  It is actually lower than this and I always do more when I get to exercise.  It is a little disappointing that they do not count your outside exercise toward the calorie count as I burn a lot more when I do the DVD.

This past week's exercise credits:

What really stinks is that you don't get a stamp if you don't do the Body Test.  The blue stars mean I lost weight and had a good age.  

I weighed myself on the Wednesday. Love that it is slanted DOWN!

Here is the full week.

The following pictures show my routine:

Here is what I do most frequently:

Some of the other fun things I do each day I choose to do Wii Fit beyond my routine.  Love the boxing and stepping.  We all get frustrated by the obstacle course.  I decided today to add the Bird's Eye Bull's Eye to my daily routine. 

One of these days I will try these...

So, there you have it.  That is how I spend over an hour in the morning and then wonder why I feel like my whole day has gotten away from me.  When I am done the girls each get a turn and daddy and brother.  Luckily we have a rechargeable batteries and a battery charger.

Plus Sized Bloggers Tracking Challenge Introduction

I just wanted to share the upcoming challenge on Plus Sized Bloggers
Here is some of the information.

Our Plus Size Bloggers 4 Weeks To A Better YOU! Contest starts on Monday February 7th and will end Monday, February 28th

Your Goal: Lose 10 Pounds in 4 Weeks!

Check out the blog to find out all the detail/requirements.

They are also offering 3 different prizes

Biggest Loser Family Cookbook

Biggest Loser 30 Day Jump Start

A Free Blog Critique & 1 Hour Coaching Session to make the most of your weight loss blog from Vera Raposo ($150 Value) 

Head on over to Plus Sized Bloggers to read up on all the details.  You need to enter by February 6th, 6pm PST (9pm EST).

Weekly Weigh In- New You, Power of One (January 26, 2011)

Well this week went a whole lot better, on the scales, in the resisting temptation, in the measurements (well sort of), and in exercising.
I lost 3.3 pounds this week.  I am down to 246.7.  I have so many different starting weights with different challenges/support link-ups I am not sure how to record what my total is.  From the beginning of the Pound for Pound Challenge I have lost 8.2 pounds.  The goal is to lose 25 pounds, I think I am doing well.  My starting weight I recorded for the Power of One Challenge was 257.3 and my goal is to lose 10 pounds by February 23.  Well, I guess that goal was a little low.  Wonder if I can lose another 10 pounds by Feb 23.

Definitely limiting the sweets seems to have helped.  I was a little nervous because we just had Tabitha's birthday cake yesterday and I was snacking on cake and frosting Monday night plus nibbled on more cake than I should have yesterday.  I definitely can't have this stuff in my house.  I can't stop with one piece.  I tend to cut off a tiny piece figuring it's better than a whole piece.  Which it would be if I wouldn't go back for more and more little pieces or finger fulls of frosting.  If it hadn't been for that cake though, I had done really good limiting to only a couple of times a week at midday.  Now to re-commit to only 2 days of sweets this week.  One day is gone.  (What can I say, my son made a yummy cake.  If you want to see the cake I will be posting a picture of it in a couple of days with her birthday post over at Tots and Me)

Now, measurement wise I have not yet seen much improvement.  Everything except my legs have stayed the same.  There was a half inch loss in my thighs and a 1/4 inch loss in my calves.  Hoping to see some more improvement soon.

Exercising has been going well.  I have stuck to the WiiFit in the mornings.  I always do my routine, which includes Yoga and Strength.  Then some days I have also done some other aerobic activities or my DVD.  I haven't exercised in the afternoon every day. That is one thing I would like to improve.  Lately Miss Hannah hasn't been taking her afternoon nap at the same time as the girls, making it hard to get anything done.

So this week, I plan to

• stay away from the sweets except for one more day.
• exercise every day except Sunday.
• exercise at least three afternoons (DVD or Biggest Loser).
• start implementing some of the things I learned in the book I reviewed, Alpine Weight Loss Secrets by Stefan Aschan.  (Stefan grew up in an Alpine environment and has shared some of the knowledge he gained growing up in this area where people are fit because of their every day life style.  As he states over on the website, he grew up "where the folks in their 40’s, 50’s and 60’s look and move like people in their late 30’s."  If you would like to learn more about this book head on over to Alpine Weight Loss Secrets website.  You could also check out my review over at Tots and Me and enter the giveaway.  There are multiple chances to enter)

Hoping to see continued improvement.  If you are here from one of the link-ups please leave a comment. I will head on over to your blog as soon as I can and follow you.

From New You 2011
- Weight Goal: 160
- Last week's weight: 250
- This week's weight: 246.7
- And tell us about what you are doing to reach your goals/how your week has been/ any setbacks, etc?! See above


Also we've decided to do a question of the week!! This week is:


What's your favorite healthy food/snack? 
My son and I love when we can make a big salad for lunch.  Romaine and spinach, lots of veges (broccoli, cauliflower, onion, green pepper, avocado, raisins, a little chicken or beef, or tuna (we love sprouts too when we can get them and raw corn)

Weekly Weigh In- New You, Power of One (January 22, 2011)

I postponed posting this week because I was a little disappointed on Wednesday when my weight showed I had only lost .9 pounds. I had thought I was doing pretty good.  I had added to my exercise routine.  I had reached my intermediate goal on WiiFit early.  But then my weight crept up a little each day.  I was getting a bit depressed because I had set a 10 pound loss for the next month as my goal and when I got on the balance board to weigh in I was more than I was when setting said goal, though less than the week before.  And when I measured myself I could NOT believe that I lost only 1/4 inch in certain areas but gained in others.  How, I asked myself, did I gain over an inch in my waist when I have been exercising over an hour each morning.

I have decided to weigh myself only once a week like I used to.  That way I am not depressed each day if I gained weight, because I know weight does fluctuate.  And, I know almost one pound loss in one week is better than nothing.  Guess it was a mistake to make such a big goal for this month.  I also realized some of the weight problem was probably due to the fact that we had made yummy Melted Snowman Cookies to go with our Snowman lessons.  And while we were making the cookies I gave into the temptation of cookie dough and a cookie after they came out of the oven, all in the name of making sure they tasted good of course.  (oops).  There went my goal of not eating after dinner.   

I have decided to go with out sweets again this week to see if it will help.  Except I allowed myself two days of something sweet.  The first day is long gone and today we had toaster strudels with lunch (we did a "Breakfast for Lunch Muffin Tin").  So, technically my two days are done, but Tabitha's birthday party is next Tuesday and Steven is planning on making a cake.  I do plan on having some, I just have to stay strong and not nibble while it is being made.  

So I lost .9 pounds this week which brought me down to 250.

Obviously my food weakness is sweets and nibbling.  Muenster cheese is  a bad one too.

I am going to try to do my yoga and strength on Wii Fit everyday, alternating between WiiFit aerobic and my Aerobic DVD.  While the children are napping we are also taking turns stepping or doing our Biggest Loser Wii Fit "game."  I am hoping to see a bigger change by next Wednesday.  I am also starting to implement some of the tips I learned from a book I am reviewing, called Alpine Weight Loss Secrets by Stephan Aschan.  I have been given the opportunity of receiving another copy or using it to give away.  I will be hosting a giveaway for this book starting tomorrow over on my main blog, Tots and Me.  Head on over for my review and for your chance to enter the giveaway.  There will be multiple entry chances.

Weekly Weigh In- New You, Power of One

This week was a pretty good week for me.  I got up every morning to exercise.  Even though some of those days were frustrating because Hannah wouldn't go back to sleep after she nursed, so I had to bring her downstairs with me and couldn't work out as long as I would have liked.  

Until Saturday I was still abstaining from sweets.  This week I have tried to limit myself to one sweet a day at dinner time.  The other day I had to take Tabitha to the doctor because of an ear infection.  We didn't get home til late so I did end up having some gummies.  And dinner was late.  We've been trying to eat by 6:00 at the latest and that day the schedule was really messed up.  But it seems that the exercising has been helping me greatly, as has eating salad (though not the one salad a day as planned), because I still lost weight this week.  I had two days of no loss, but for the week I lost 3.3 lbs.  I am down to 250.9!

Some of my other goals have been harder to keep.  When Hannah stays up in the morning I don't get my Bible read.  There were other days when I felt rushed through my Bible reading.  And as of right now the Blogging to Bible Study adult version is on hold I guess.  As you can see by the post time, I also have been having trouble getting to bed by 11:00.  It has been 1:00 at times.  Which is still better than 3:00 or 4:00 which is about what time I was getting to bed a while back.  Tonight I am aiming for midnight.  

Letter to myself

Okay, the assignment over at Sisterhood of the Shrinking Pants is to write a letter from my 2012 self to my 2011 self, looking back on my accomplishments of this year.  I am going to attempt this.

Hey Karen,
I know you are really into this time travel thing, so I decided I needed to write you a letter to let you know how you have done this year.  Don't worry about the Temporal Prime Directive.  I want to encourage you.  So here goes.
You did such a great job starting the year.  The Week of Prayer fast really helped to decrease your desire for sweets.  Yes, you gave in to a few sweets a week, but nothing like you have in the past.  Moderation is the key and you have learned it, finally.  Your goal to eat at least one salad a day was almost successful.. There were just some days that you weren't interested in a salad.  But you did make sure to at least eat a vegetable with your lunch and dinners.  It got a little boring during the winter, but summer brought that wide variety again, and boy did you enjoy your salads and veges.  And those summer fruits were delicious.  You were really excited to try out the new food program you read about.  Unfortunately you weren't able to implement everything, but you gave what you could a try.

You did a great job keeping up with your exercise routine. You continued to add exercises to your routine.  Hannah did make things a little difficult at times, but you didn't let yourself get discouraged.  You remembered that you CAN exercise during naptime.  (And you can read your Bible at naptime too.)  You were so excited when you got your step DVD.  It gave you some more variety.  You're looking forward to trying out the advanced DVDs you have sometime this year.  When the weather got warmer you added walks to your days.  The girls really enjoyed being able to walk.  Unfortunately we couldn't walk all the way around the entire year.  They finally decided to work on that bridge.  But the girls had a lot of fun watching as they worked.  So did daddy of course.

You fell behind on your Bible reading, but you didn't give up.  Good for you.  You started doing your devotions again which has really been inspiring.  Don't worry if you can't read it in the morning, you tried, but it didn't always happen.  You started writing down your prayer time again.  What an inspiration that was.  You remembered to give Christ first place and boy did He work in your life.  Praise God!!

Now, what you really want to know.  Did you lose weight?  Yes, and how! You blew by your 60 pound goal.  You are back in the 100's and you have energy again.  You are fitting in the clothes that were in the back of your closet.  Of course it meant getting rid of the bigger clothes.  Don't worry, good riddance.  Now that you are going to be weighing  a decent weight you can find clothes a lot easier.

So keep up the good work!  Get up and exercise.  Get the girls to exercise with you, they will continue to love it.  Remember that you don't need that cookie or ice cream.  And don't beat yourself up about the few you eat.  You will not get through this if you give them up completely because you will gorge on them when you get the desire for them.  Remember all the live, tasty foods that God provides.  Yum yum.  You can do this, I am proof.

New You 2011

Hi, my name is Karen.  This is not the first time I have tried to lose weight.  I was never skinny by any stretch of the imagination growing up.  However, after having six babies I made it to my heaviest weight @ 261.9 on Dec 13th 2010.  Ironically, this was after I started this blog and planned on losing weight.  As I look back on my Wii Fit data, I just realized that was the exact weight I was right before the baby was born in April!  That was the heaviest I have ever been and I hope to not ever see that weight again.  Since getting serious about exercising I have made it down to 254.2 as of today.  At first I was still roller coastering.  But I now seem to be on a steady (though sort of slow) decline.  

I have been exercising every morning, though today I was unable to finish my aerobics because the baby woke up.  I have decided the aerobic activities on the Wii Fit are poorly labeled.  After starting to use my Moving to the Word Aerobic Workout DVD that I got from First Place quite a few years ago I realized that I was definitely not getting a real workout with the WiiFit.  The Wii Fit does not allow you to keep on moving to keep your heart rate up.  I love the Step and Rhythm Boxing, and had added the Rhythm Parade, Kung Fu, Jogging and Obstacle Course to my work out (which starts with the Yoga and Strength exercises I chose to put on My Routine), but it was not giving me the same intensity of a work out as the DVD is.  

I weight myself when I start and then I weigh myself when I am done, using the after-exercise weight as the one to keep for the day and to share.  It is amazing how much weight difference there is after exercising.  Usually like 1.3 pounds.  The only downfall of this method, I found out this morning, is when I can't finish my routine because the baby wakes up my weight loss during exercise is not as much and I am left with a higher weight as my daily weight.  Oh, well.

This week has also been a success because I have not had any candy or cookies or ice cream or donuts. You get the idea.  I don't think I could have accomplished this if I had not decided I would give up these sweets as part of our church's Week of Prayer. Fasting was recommended, but as I am nursing I decided to give up the above listed foods.  God is good!  I have not even been tempted when the children are eating these foods.

I am hoping to stay motivated this time. With the different blogs I have found and challenges I feel I will accomplish some great weight loss.

I have decided to participate in the following:

The Pound for Pound Challenge

The Power of One

over at Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans

at Plus Size Bloggers

( I just can't get their button to work)

 and now

You can check out my New Year, New Start 2011 post to check out my goals.

One Thousand Gifts: January 3, 2010

I discovered a new linky that I thought would be perfect to link up to with this new year and my new commitment to renew my spiritual journey.  I found it over at Butterfly Wishes and Wonderland Dreams.  

One of our verses on our wall is "Rejoice in the Lord always." Philippians 4:4.  I am ashamed to admit I rarely take the time to rejoice in the Lord and in His many blessings.  I am so much more apt to find something to complain about or worry about.  I want to change that so badly.  I want to be thankful and have a grateful heart. So I am starting this new year with my new Bible Study, my renewed commitment to my Lord and Savior, and this weekly post linked at A Holy Experience.  

This new year brings so much to be thankful for

1. I am so thankful for my Lord and Savior, that I have a Lord who is forgiving and loves me through my struggles.
2. I am thankful for a loving husband who helps with the children and around the house.
3. I am thankful for the fact that the Wii is again working so I can exercise.
4. I am thankful I also found my Aerobic DVD so I can have some variety in my workouts.
5. I am thankful for the Blogging to Bible Study challenge.
6. I am thankful that our church made available the NIV Daily Bible to help me stay on track with my Bible reading this year.
7. I am thankful for my girls and the way they enjoy exercising along side mommy.
8. I am thankful for the developmental milestones that Hannah is reaching (may I remember this as she continues to get into more and more things as crawling is coming soon.)
9. I am thankful for fellow bloggers who share such great, inspirational linkys.
10. I am thankful for my camera and the ability to record memories.

And that is my list for now because I still have two posts to finish over at my main blog and work on my Bible Study and lesson prep.

New Year, New Start 2011 Here I GO!!!

Okay, I am really excited about this coming year.  I have been down in a slump because of the weight gain, knowing it is all my fault.  Laziness and over eating have done me in.  But it is not just that.  I have lost my focus on what is the most important thing.  My relationship with Christ.  I had to ask myself, "When was I doing my best at weight loss and feeling good about myself?"  I know the answer is that I was doing best when I was involved in my Bible Study/Weight Loss group.  Yes, accountability was a big factor.  But when I started the group it was because they were doing a study from First Place, which is a "program" I had tried on my own several years earlier with some success.  I had read the book, and even though Carole Lewis, the author encouraged becoming part of a group, I was unable to where I live (small town, nowheresville).  When I realized a group at a local church was starting a Bible Study from the First Place group I jumped at the chance.  And though we did do other studies, they were always Bible based.

So...2011 is not just a new start on the weight loss story for me.  I am recommitting my life to Christ, my Lord and my Saviour.  In addition to my two weight loss challenges (one of which I am still researching) I am also participating in Blogging to Bible Study.  The button is on my right sidebar if you are interested in learning more.  This blog will not only track my weight loss, but also my spiritual growth.  I will be posting my challenges for Blogging to Bible study here every week in addition to my weight (hopefully losses).

The plan this year is to:

• Go to bed by 11pm
• Wake up and read the Old Testament reading from The NIV Daily Bible
• Use the Wii Fit Plus (my routine is currently 20 minutes of Yoga and Strength and 30-40 minutes of Aerobics, depending upon the children of course)
• Be more active with the children (dancing, chasing around, park in the spring, walks when it warms up)
• Read my New Testament and Psalms/Proverbs readings from The NIV Daily Bible at nap time, plus my Blogging to Bible Study challenge.
• Possibly get some exercise in during nap time (but I will use this time for blogging too). Probably my Aerobics DVD, or a walk in good weather.  Hoping to get a Step DVD with taxes.
• Eat at least one salad a day.
• Cut way back on sweets (this week I am abstaining completely for our church's fast during the Week of Prayer, seeing as I can't fast because I am nursing).
• Get up and clean or walk or something while I wait for the slow computer to load, instead of twiddling my thumbs.
• I am looking into the 16 Week Challenge in my book by the First Place author Carole Lewis titled Back on Track. 
• No food after dinner, I will allow myself a dessert occasionally, but it has to by at dinner time.
• No late night snacking.
• Drink lots of water, including 2 glasses full before each meal.

My goal is to lose at least 60 pounds by the end of 2011.

My short term goal is to lose 10 pounds by the end of the Power of One Challenge on February 23rd.