My Weight Loss Journey

About Me

Hi, thanks for stopping by!  I'm Jill, I was the original creator (and one of six original team members) of Win, Lose, or Blog.  You may or may not have noticed that Win, Lose, or Blog has been inactive for awhile now.  Well I recently decided to take it over and continue with the weight loss and health motivation in the form of my own story.  I hope you'll follow along and share my journey with me.  

I was born and raised in the gorgeous Pacific Northwest but have since relocated to upstate New York.  I am a photographer, fitness enthusiast, and mom to two cute boys.  My youngest little guy has apraxia of speech, which is a fairly uncommon disability so it's not well known, but it adds some extra challenges to our days.  Somehow in between working, breaking up fights between my loving but typical little boys, speech therapy and sign language sessions for my son, and all the rest of life's craziness, I manage to squeeze in some meal planning/prep and a workout 6 days a week.  

Follow my on instagram for daily motivation and healthy lifestyle tips!  @jill_getsfit

My Weight Loss Journey

I was already at an unhealthy weight before having kids, but after having two babies 15 months apart the stress was my perfect excuse to turn my habits from bad to worse.  In the picture on the left above, my youngest was already over a year old and I was just continuing to put on the pounds.  I got virtually no physical activity and ate crap all day long.  Then after the kids went to bed I would top it off with "second dinner" that usually consisted of pizza or something similarly unhealthy.  

Finally one day I got sick of feeling bad about myself, not just about how I looked, but about my lack of self control.  I decided to start working out and eating healthy, portion controlled meals.  I started by doing Jillian Micheal's 30 Day Shred and counting calories using my fitness pal.  Those two were a great combination for helping me form a habit of making healthy choices.  

Since then I have tried countless diets and exercise programs, mostly because I like trying new things so I don't get bored.  I have found the ones I am successful at are the ones that help you make a sustainable lifestyle change.  The ones that are too restrictive usually end up back-lashing, at least for me.  

I started my weight loss journey two and a half years ago and I'm down 45 pounds.  I have had my ups and downs along the way, and I still have 10 pounds to go, but I've found I'm at my happiest when I focus on being proud of my self control and healthy choices rather than the number on the scale.

Know What Youre Drinking & a Sunday Funny!

What we drink can really pack a punch of extra calories, fat, & sugar- dont let those sneak up on you! Heres some info that can help keep us in the know and help us limit those liquid calories!

I found both of these images on Pinterest.....heres a funny for your Sunday

Sugar Content in Fruit & a Sunday Funny!

Workout Wednesday: Treadmill Butt Blaster

This week I am featuring one of my favorite walking workouts to help tone up your tushy!!!  This is an awesome 34 minute workout that will leave your gluteus maximus aching!  To increase the length of the workout just repeat the 12 minute circuit to your desired time frame.

This is a great workout to get you through the mid-week slump!!!!

Workout Wednesday Cardio Blast

This is a great cardio workout that you can do anywhere!!!!  This workout does not require any equipment or a large amount of space so there is no reason why you can't give it a try.  This is a great workout to perform while traveling when space and equipment is lacking but you want a super intense cardio burn.  If you are short on time reduce the warm-up/cool down to 2.5 minutes and repeat the circuit twice for an awesome workout that takes less than 20 minutes to complete.

26 Low Calorie Snack Ideas & a Sunday Funny!

Workout Wednesday-Upper Body and Ab Circuit

Injuries happen and we can either let them be an excuse not to workout or we can work out the part of our bodies that are not affected by the injury.  You can always find a way to keep active even with an injury.

This week's workout was actually inspired but a recent injury to my shin which is preventing me from any lower body exercise.  Since I cannot workout my lower body or do any cardio for at least a week I decided to focus on my upper body and abs.

 

How do you stay active when dealing with an injury?

USA Today's Top 25 Weight Loss Tips & a Sunday Funny!

USA Today's Top 25 Weight Loss Tips

1. Set a realistic weight-loss goal. Most experts recommend aiming for half a pound to 2 pounds a week.

2. Keep track. Dieters who keep track of everything they eat lose twice as much weight as those who don't, research shows.

3. Motivate yourself. Get a pair of jeans or pants that are too tight and hang them in the kitchen instead of the closet to keep yourself inspired.

4. Get help from family and friends. Dieters who have support from a partner at home lose more weight than those who don't, studies show.

WEIGHT-LOSS CHALLENGE: Lose the excuses to get in shape

SUCCESS STORY: Tom Slater lost more than 100 pounds

5. Move it to lose it. Research shows that people who do physical activities such as walking or biking for two to four hours a week during weight-loss efforts lose an extra 3 to 5 pounds over a year.

6. Pay attention to portions. A 3-ounce portion of meat, poultry or fish is about the size of the palm of your hand or a deck of cards; 1 teaspoon of butter or margarine, a standard postage stamp; a cup of cold cereal, berries or popcorn, a baseball; 4-inch pancake or waffle, the diameter of a CD.

7. Clean out your pantry and refrigerator. Get rid of the foods that sabotage your weight loss.

8. Create "a dinner deck." This would include 10 favorite quick and healthful dinners written on index cards. Each card should list the ingredients for the recipe on one side and directions for making it on the other.

9. Avoid hunger. Eat regular meals and snacks. Make sure you have some protein foods such as yogurt, tuna, beans or chicken for most meals. Some research suggests that protein helps you feel full longer.

10. Keep produce on hand. Place a bowl of vegetables such as broccoli, snap peas, cucumbers or carrot sticks in the refrigerator. You can eat them as a snack or when preparing meals to take the edge off your hunger.

11. Stock up on "impulse fruits." Keep things like grapes, clementines, small apples, small bananas and pears around the house. These foods are easy to eat without having to do much cutting and slicing.

12. Make some stealth changes. That will get everyone in the family eating healthier. Buy low-fat 1% or skim milk, low-fat cream cheese and reduced-fat cheese instead of the full-fat versions. Use them in recipes to cut the fat and calories.

13. Cut out liquid calories. Eliminate soda and sugary drinks such as sweetened iced tea, sports drinks and alcoholic beverages. Liven up the taste of water by adding lemon, lime, cucumber or mint. Choose skim and 1% milk.

14. Practice the "Rule of One." When it comes to high-calorie foods, you won't go wrong if you allow one small treat a day. That might be one cookie or a fun-sized candy bar.

15. Pace, don't race. Force yourself to eat more slowly and savor each bite.

MORE TIPS:Weight-Loss Challenge

16. Hydrate before meals. Drinking 16 ounces, or two glasses, of water before meals may help you eat less.

17. Downsize plates, bowls, glasses, silverware. Using smaller versions of your serving ware will help you eat less food naturally.

18. Adopt the motto "after 8 is too late" for snacks after dinner.

19. Buy a pedometer. Health experts recommend taking at least 10,000 steps a day, which is roughly 4 to 5 miles, depending on your stride length.

20. Treat yourself occasionally. If your chocolate craving is getting to you, try diet hot-chocolate packets. If you need a treat, go out for it or buy small prepackaged portions of ice cream bars. If you love chocolate, consider keeping bite-size pieces in the freezer.

21. Dine at a table. Eat from a plate while seated at a table. Don't eat while driving, lounging on the couch or standing at the fridge.

22. Dine out without pigging out. Figure out what you are going to eat in advance. Get salad dressing on the side. Restaurants usually put about one-quarter cup (4 tablespoons) of dressing on a salad, which is often too many calories. Best to stick with 1 to 2 tablespoons. Dip your fork into the dressing and then into the salad.

23. Get plenty of sleep. Scientists have found that sleep deprivation increases levels of a hunger hormone and decreases levels of a hormone that makes you feel full. The effects may lead to overeating and weight gain.

24. Weigh yourself regularly. That's what successful dieters and those who manage to maintain weight loss do. Some step on the scales once a week. Others do so daily.

25. Reward yourself. When you meet your incremental weight loss goals, say losing 5 pounds, treat yourself to something — but not food. Buy a CD or DVD you've been wanting or go out to a movie with a friend.

Read more on the USA Today website.

Get the Health 411 on Salad Greens & a Sunday Funny!

Workout Wednesday-20 minute Tabata

I love Tabata workouts because they are high intensity, can be done in a short period of time and can be done anywhere.  These workouts are great for at home, at the gym or on vacation which essentially leaves no excuses to workout.

I use my GymBoss Interval Timer for these workouts but if you don't have one any timer works.

The following workout is 20 minutes long but if you are feeling really good then repeat all the rounds a second time for an awesome 40 minute workout!!!

Have a great workout!!!!