Week One Down!

Yay! However, I didn't follow NutriSystem yesterday. My birthday is on Thursday, Ricky and I both have to work so we celebrated yesterday! Which means I was spoiled with lululemon and tasty food! 

We went to a place called Duke's chowder house because I am a seafood junky! I had crab stuffed prawns with red potatoes and zucchini. I also their famous clam chowder which was AMAZING. I fully understand what people mean when they say after a cheat meal they are energized because I freaking was. Reloading is a great feeling however, since I have been tracking all of my NutriSystem food I was very conscious about my portion size and how much I was eating. When we left I didn't feel painfully full, I didn't leave beating myself up. I felt satisfied and I was proud of myself for not over indulging. I also ate a cupcake because Ricky made them and it was adorable.

This morning when I woke up I was pretty much like well, moment of truth. I weighed in at 188.8. Which means even after a cheat meal, I lost weight. My mind was blown too. It just shows if you are aware of how much you are putting into your body you will still be okay. I know I will have a day where I am like "eff it!" and eat an entire bacon cheeseburger, fries, a soda and want more. (I clearly am still craving five guys....) Why? Because I'm a human and on top of that I am a woman and PMS is a bitch. For now, I am doing SO much better than I expected! Could I have lost more weight? Duh. However, I am moving on to the next phase of NutriSystem and I am working on a consistent gym schedule. 

Also, in just the past week Ricky said he can tell a difference in my mood. I have been sleeping better, WAY less headaches. I feel better all around. 

All my best, 

JT

I think I can, I think I can.

193.4

 

September 24- That is what I weighed in at on Tuesday morning. I have said before I am not in denial about my weight. I just don't feel like I weigh 193.4 Well, I am about to say GOODBYE to the 190 club FOREVER. This morning I weighed in at 190.4 pounds. I am consistently going down, down, down from here. It is such a good feeling. 

Please, make no mistake the past few days have not been easy. Last night at work we sat and talked about how Five guys is better than In n Out (it seriously is) and how Chick Fil A is in the PNW now and how we need a white castle. We went on for like 20 minutes about food. I was like OMG I will give you my left arm for a cheeseburger! 

Anyways, the first week is 3 main meals and as many vegetables as you want. Plus a metabolism boost shake and a cravings shake. The shakes actually were REALLY good. I was incredibly shocked. The food has not been bad either. I did not like the broccoli cheddar rice very much, the texture was kind of odd. I think I may have prepared it incorrectly. 

I have been using MyFitnessPal to track all of my food and my calories. It is also linked to my FitBit so my steps and exercise are all calculated and accounted for. 

This is a sample day. Not all of my food was captured in the screenshot.

 

September 25- 189.6! I am starting day 4 today. The only time I have struggled really badly is after work. I am used to snacking or binge eating while I watch Big Brother or whatever else I need to catch up on. I could be eating more vegetables - I'm doing a pretty good job I think. This morning after my nail appointment I went to a local whole foods kind of store and made a nice vegetable full salad, some raw vegetables I can just grab and go as well as a stir fry mix. 

I have also discovered I HATE making vegetables in coconut oil. After it is refrigerated it makes this nasty coconut oil film and I just can't do it. It grosses me out just thinking about it. Ew. 

The portions have given me an understanding of how much you need to eat. I'm sure some people are like, "You're an idiot. How do you not know the correct portions." Well, I've never really paid that much attention, I guess. I was always active so I wasn't all that concerned with it. Now I am not eating until I am uncomfortably full I am eating until I am fulfilled. Which makes work and life a lot better. I'm not so full that I am tired or uncomfortable in my uniform. #winning

Anyways, I am at the halfway point right now. After this week is over I get to incorporate snacks and a little bit more food.

I have lost this weight so far from just eating correctly. I have taken Capone on walks and been active at work but that is about the extent of my working out. I did not want to be like BAM! Change all of my eating habits. BAM! Workout like a crazy person. BAM! That bam was unnecessary I was just on a role. So, next week I will probably start working out a few days a week. 

I feel... calm. That is probably an odd way to feel. However, I feel like a lot of people doing diets or making changes are stressed out a lot. I know I have been previously. I'm not stressed right now though. I know I am eating food that tastes pretty good and its fueling my body rather than just tasting good. I am really happy with how things are going. 

I would like to formally say GOODBYE to the 190 pound club. I am out! Now, Hello 180 pound club. I do not plan to be here for very long!

All my best,

JT

 

It's the final countdown!

Tomorrow is the beginning of the weight loss! The first week you eat the NutriSystem breakfast, lunch and dinner. You have 2 different shakes one is a metabolism booster the other is a crave kicker. You also are expected to eat 4 servings of vegetables (non-starchy) and 64 ounces of water. Finally, you are allowed diet soda, crystal light, black coffee, sparkling water and black or green tea. I did purchase crystal light just so I have something other than water. I am a big soda drinker, so I don't see that being an issue.

I went and stocked up on vegetables, which is deceiving because you think you have brought home a ton of produce then you cut it up and prepped and its like damn, this doesn't seem like that much. 

Brussel Sprouts, Asparagus, Carrots, Green and Yellow Bell Peppers, Broccoli Slaw, Cucumber, Snow Peas, Green Beans, Bagged Salad and Jalapenos! Tonight I sauteed Brussel Sprouts and then Green Beans. 

I am anxious to start! I know it is going to be difficult but I can do this, I am prepared and freaking motivated! 

To answer the question I have been asked a few times; Ricky is not doing NutriSystem with me. He has been incredibly supportive of my decision and said it motivates him to keep his eating in check and try to keep from tempting me to eat bad food and not stick to my plan. 

We both plan to workout in the mornings or at the very least take Capone for a walk which is usually a mile or more. Honestly, I am sore for playing 3 games yesterday. You start to forget how many muscles are engaged when you are playing Soccer. 

All my best,

JT 

My Happy Place

One of the biggest luxuries of the schedule I have right now is the fact that I am off Sunday/Monday. I get to watch football, have a weekend day off, a day off with Ricky AND I get to play indoor soccer to my hearts content! 

It is difficult for me to put into words what Soccer has done for me. It has always been consistent in my life for the last 20 years. I can feel myself start to struggle when I haven't played for a while. Soccer is like my drug. It takes the edge off, relieves my stress, clears my mind. I also play with a group of fantastic people. I can be on the field when my world is falling apart and it feels like nothing can touch me. I just love it. 

It is no secret. I HATE CARDIO. So, today this is what I did.

I had the privilege to play 3 indoor games today. I had an arsenal of Spark and BCAA's to get me through. I used to play 3 games like it was nothing. During the second game I was like, "Sweet lord, I have another game to go..." but I never felt like I was just done. In the third game, I started to feel tired but again, I was never like I am done, see ya later. I felt it the most after I was on hard tackles. 

Moral to the story, I am still capable of playing as many games as I want because tired is a state of mind when it comes to running to me. Plus, I'd play all day if I was allowed. Its been a long time since everything on my FitBit screen has been all green! 

All my best, 

JT

Okay, now when?!

Guess what arrived on my doorstep Friday afternoon! 

Just my entire NutriSystem order! I can honestly say, I was completely overwhelmed. There is an insane amount of food. They also sent a ton of information I am so happy to have. I felt like with AdvoCare I didn't have enough information to actually have a complete grasp on what I was supposed to do, what to expect, etc. 

Tomorrow I am going to completely look through things and make sure I feel as confident as I can going forward with this. I already know there is one meal I am going to hate, it is in like a pouch thing and I am just not looking forward to it. 

Tuesday I am diving head first into my NutriSystem journey! Tuesday probably seems like a random day but, Tuesday is my Monday. I really didn't want to start on my day off. I felt like I was setting myself up to fail. I have heard the first week is hell but is incredibly rewarding results wise. 

I asked myself, "Why is this time different than every other time you have tried a diet like this?" Well, I spent $300 for this one. I can't really see wasting it. I also have a huge end goal that isn't just lose weight. I feel like I have so much riding on getting back into shape.

All my best,

JT

Alright, now tell me how?

I previously stated I have gained about 35 pounds since I started at the jail 2 years ago. I have always had that extra "fluff" if you will. Later, I will post all of my specifics. Anyways, I was a competitive soccer player for the better part of my life. In that time we did some insane training and conditioning. However, the only "competitive event" I have participated in after all of that was when I ran a half marathon. If that teaches you ANYTHING it is straight up mental toughness. 

Anyways, back to the point. When I went on the ride along a few days ago, the Officer I was riding with was talking about this diet he was doing. *DISCLAIMER* Almost every time someone tells me about their new "diet" I am like yeah, shut up no one cares. I'm sure it sucks. However, I took the bait and asked what it was. He went on to tell me about NutriSystem - preplanned meals, can still workout, still drink coffee, etc. Fall back it is expensive. He also dropped a bomb that he lost 27 pounds in like 5 weeks... Intrigued. So, while he was writing reports I started to look into it. 

The selling point for NutriSystem for me - almost all of your food is already made. You can add in your own touches but essentially it is all done for you. I already said, food is my weakness. If I am not on it that week, it is a free for all and I will eat what I want and however much I want to eat. My inner incredibly lazy girl was like hell yes. So, I took the plunge. 

I have looked at other diets such as Ideal Protein - not happening. Weekly weigh ins, measurements, and they have a great system. The supplement somethings and I believe you have a coach. However, meal prep. Also, costs around $100 a week. 

I have actually tried AdvoCare 24 Day Challenge - the first 10 days is the detox/cleanse and the fiber is just WRONG. I literally could not do it. I had to make a Spark/Fiber icee and use a spoon to eat it, even then I couldn't eat the whole thing. Plus you take what seems like 750 pills. The other fall back I seemed to encounter was how much water you have to drink - that is fine and all but how am I supposed to eat anything after I just drank 24+ oz of water for all of these supplements?! In the end, I made it a few days into the reset phase and was just bored. I can cook and I enjoy cooking but it just gets old trying to follow that schedule. So now, I have a whole box of meal replacement shakes and the pills that come with it. I was also out around $160. 

I came home and plugged my numbers into NutriSystem. They were like Oh, Hi those numbers put you in the obese range... FML. In the end, the numbers did not matter. I knew well before anyone I was overweight, it is what it is. I did the "pick your own" plan, everything that will be delivered to my house I selected. Why spend all that money and get things you may not like? All together, I spent $319. I intend on adding a lot of veggies to my meals as well, I struggle with my vegetable intake. Also, I still plan on having one cheat day a week. 

NOW FOR THE NUMBERS! :) 

Heaviest Weight: 198 pounds
Lowest Weight: 163 pounds
Current Weight: 188-193 pounds (depending on the day)
BMI: 33.1 

On the left was about 2 years ago, I weighed about 163 in that photo. I played soccer like 4 times a week. I also lifted and did cardio. On the right was about a month ago, hiking in Oregon. I am sitting at about 190. The part that is crazy? I don't feel THAT big, but hey this is my starting point! I have a physical test I am going to crush and never go back to feeling this way again. 

Too late to leave these walls
This castle's been surrounded
Won't stay to watch it fall around us

All the best,

JT 

So, why the change?

A couple of months ago, I applied and interviewed for a Warrant Officer position, I placed second on the hire list. Awesome right? Well, what is even better is the next conversation that happened. I was encouraged by the department to look at the testing process and apply as a Police Officer. Whirlwind right? I was apprehensive to say the least, being in the jail is completely different. Well, fast forward to about 3 days ago when I went on a ride along... WHAT A FREAKING ADRENALINE HIGH! If that is even a real thing - whatever I just made it one. Anyways, I am sold. I came home and scheduled my written and physical test almost immediately. 

Is it starting to fall into place as to why I am dead set on getting back into shape? Well, here is an idea. 200 Points maximum, 160 points minimum to pass, in 4 different events. So, here is a scoring matrix of maximum and minimum points.

300 Meter Run 
Max 56 seconds
Min 71 seconds 

1.5 Mile Run
Max 13:35 
Min: 14:31

Push Ups (unlimited time/perfect form to a 4" block)
Max 35
Min 21

Sit Ups (1 minute time limit)
Max 38
Minimum 30

There is scoring for every rep that you do, so basically sure do the minimum - you failed see you in the next 90 days. I am annoyed that I even have to be stressed out about passing it but, when I was in great shape I still got my ass kicked by push ups - I still passed but I hated it. It just isn't one of my strengths. So, here is the plan: I am literally going to do nothing but cardio, push ups, sit ups and stretch until I test. There will be ZERO question in my mind if I can pass this or not. 

All my best,

JT