Jack it up!

Okay...get ready for it.....ready.....I'VE LOST 13 POUNDS! Oh, yeah, that's right, 13 down!!! I am almost half way to my goal of losing 30 pounds. I could hardly believe it this morning, mostly because I have been sick over the past few days and haven't really worked out since early last week. But I have been very careful about what I eaten the past few weeks and I think that is the biggest difference. I cannot tell you how nervous I was to weigh-in this morning; all I could think was "please don't let me gain any back." It felt GREAT...and it feel really great when other people comment that "You look like you've lost weight." I wanna shout "HELL, YEAH I'VE LOST WEIGHT....WOO HOO" and maybe dance around in a circle while I smack my ass. That's I feel like doing.

However, I must admit that I worry about the dreaded "plateau"- you know, when your body adjusts to what you are doing and stop LOSING and start MAINTAINING the weight...so, how can we keep dropping the LBs without starving yourself or having a stroke at the gym...

Here are my suggestions for pumping up the volume:
1. Increase your gym intensity. Did you know that toned muscles burn 50 more calories per HOUR? So start throwing in a little more weight training. You can find really good workouts online...and they even have those "dummy-proof" ones with pictures if you are like me and will literally hurt yourself unless you have a picture.

2. Start a food journal to make sure you are cutting out anything unnecessary OR if you can go to a healthier version: cut the whip cream on the latte, switch to the fat free salad dressing, put the salt DOWN!

3. Buy Spanx (that's on my to-do list also)

4. Uhhh...let me think...there was something else...Oh yeah! Stretch regularly to help relieve body stress. When we are stressed, our body produces excess Cortisol which triggers our bodies to store and hold onto fat...think survival mode.

So there are a few ways I avoid the plateau. Of course, sometimes you need a splurge- go ahead and treat yourself, but remember that means you will have to work a little harder at the gym....with the skinny blond girls...sucking your IQ down....sorry if you are skinny and blond. My favorite splurge of the week- fat free Klondike bars. Holy COW did it taste DELISH and I promise it tasted better because I felt like I really earned it!!

I think maybe I might earn that treat again in a few days!

Signing off,
Miss Mad