Medicine ball week 1

I just got my medicine ball last week. I tried out a few things, but with being out of town and putting up a new closet system and some shelves, this will be my first real week. My aim this week is my core and triceps. I am doing 3 sets of 10 reps. This is the only thing that I have done that actually makes my abs feel it the next day. I might just have to keep doing these and add some more next week!

Week 1 exercises: 
Reverse wood chop ...found here
Single arm lunge ...found there^
Single arm bent-over row ...found there^
Seat overhead tricep extension ...found here
Side pushup ...found there^

the scale

Even with my refreshed mind set of enjoying feeling stronger and more active during my day to day living, I have enough weight to loose that keeping track of weight loss is still profitable and motivating for me. I have had only 7 weigh ins and it seems like I have done everything under the sun. I have gained 3 pounds and I have lost 6 lbs! I have lost just 1 pound and I have stayed the same. I am aiming for an average of 2 pounds lost each week. The old me would worry because I am behind. I am down only 11 pounds when I am hoping for 14. 

My refreshed mindset has reminded that I am already down a pants size and I have made a significant leap in strengthening my abs! After all, would I rather the scale say I weigh less or have people look at me and know I look better? 

Because the scale is one tool I utilize to help myself, not just torture myself, I (loosely) analyze my week when there is no loss. Did I have a sugary treat or eat more bread items? Even if I use my correct amount of points for the day, extra treats can mess things up. Then I think about my activities.  How about my step count? Did I walk around during the day or just sit and play with the kids? Did I push myself during workouts or just go with the motions? Keep in mind that the week I pushed myself really hard was actually a no gain week. It is possible that I gain as much muscle as fat I lost. It all circle back around to my refreshed mindset. 

How I got here

I have spent most of my adult life trying to loose weight. I knew strategies, recipes and ways to shed the pounds, but it was always so much work to exercise and eat well at the same time. As most dieters can agree to, it just was not fun. I can go on and on about why it did not work each time I tired to lose weight, but the fact of the matter is, is was all in my head.

I lost 30 lbs after baby #3 and was doing great until the point where we started supplementing breast milk with formula and I slowly dried up. I had yet to really diet, just eat foods I knew were great for creating breastmilk. A few months later when we had to switch over to formula, I slowly started to gain weight. I was up 10 lbs by February of this year. I had the goal of loosing much more weight than this before having our next child so I might get to take cute belly bump pictures that I missed out of taking with my boys because there always had been a big belly there.

It was at this point when I knew I needed a refresh; to forget everything I thought I knew and start over. 

First I join weight watchers. I learned so much about my eating (or lack there of) habits and adjusted. I finally could go out to eat and limit myself while enjoying some favorite meals. Next a friend invited me to water aerobics. At this point I was so excited about feeling stronger, I looked into other ways of increasing my muscle. Just this week I received my first medicine ball and look forward to trying out different workouts!

This time around I can really see it working because I am enjoying it! I try to eat healthy and enjoy the benefits of clean eating, but if the boys end up eating all the lunch I made, it wont kill me to pop in a 7 or 8 point frozen meal. In time I hope to make my own low point single served frozen meals, but for now it works. I dont kill myself trying to make myself another meal nor do I starve myself because I skip eating altogether.  

It also works because I have fun workouts! Twice a week I go to a water aerobics class. I am motivated to go because I have already paid for it and because I have friends expecting me. I have never been one to enjoy working out with other people around, but since the water hides the majority of your movements so no one can see! Plus, as it turns out, at least once per class, someone admits that they missed hearing an instruction and had been doing the wrong thing! (we are a chatty group!)

The next class I am going to try is Zumba. I am not coordinated, nor a dancer, but I have found a couple friends who are willing to let their fat jiggle and look silly next to me as we learn what we are doing!