Just saying a quick "hi!"

Hello out there to you people who found me through Huffington Post!!  Welcome to my humble little corner of cyberspace where I share my dreams, aspirations, successes and failures (thankfully more successes than failures...).

Feel free to take a look around and I hope you'll stick with me through this next, and possibly last, phase of this weigh loss journey.

As you can see from my last weigh in I've gained a few pounds back from the time that I wrote that Huffington Post piece, but I'm back on the wagon (I took a breather for various reasons) but I always come back stronger and ready to concur the world.  I will admit I've peeked at the scale and you'll be happy to know it's going back in the right direction...

Anyway, I hope that you pop back in and visit my little blog from time to time!

Have a good night and see you on Wednesday for my weigh in!!

Weigh In Wednesday is back - The Oopsie Daisy edition

Current Weight:                                                   228.2
Last Weight:                                                        223.3

Weight Gained:                                                       4.9

Okay, I'm back in this thing.  Obviously I've been off the wagon for a while, as you can see from the weight that I've gained in the last few weeks.  But I'm ready to shed this current gain and hopefully even more.

As I mentioned in my last post, I joined another Diet Bet, but this one is slightly different.  It's a six month long bet, and I am betting that I will lose 10% of my starting weight rather than the 4% in a month.  I like that it's a slow and steady kind of race, rather than the extreme of the other one.  Each month has weight loss goals and each month you place money on making it.  Like for instance, this first month's goal is to lose 3% of my starting weight, and I bet $25.  If I don't make it, the goal for the second month is another 3% (for a total of 6% of my starting weight).  If I don't make the first month's weight goal, the weight goal for the second month doesn't change, it just means I have to play catch up.  At the end of each month, if you make your goal weight, you can win money but if you don't make it you are still eligible for the next month's bet as well as the grand prize pot at the end.

My weight goal for this first month is 221.9,  and the weigh in days are October 3rd and 4th.  I'm obviously not going to make that weight, but I'm okay because I'm doing this for the motivation and to have set goals to strive towards.  I was late joining the game, and I really only found my stride and motivation this week.  My eating is pretty much back on track (no really!  We have kitchens in our hotel this week and I've been tracking everything I eat!  Yay!) and I've been really good about exercising.  So, while I might not be able to drop 6 pounds in a week and a half, but I might get pretty darn close.  The bonus is if I make my 10% goal, I will be at 205.  That's a great number to see on the scale in March when this thing ends.  I really can't wait to see that number on the scale!

Other than this Diet Bet, I've just been adjusting to life back on the road.  For this week and next week I'm in Washington DC, and my show is playing at the Kennedy Center.  It's gorgeous weather and I'm really enjoying being here.  I can't wait to see some of the sites I've never seen before and to just enjoy my time here.  After this we head to Boston, another city that I'm REALLY looking forward to.  I've only been to Boston one other time in my life and that was for a long weekend.

Alright my friends its time for me to get ready for my day.  Have a good one!

Oops I forgot!!

Sorry for no weigh in yesterday!  I have been a bit busy with work and preparing to leave NYC to hit the road and I honestly just plain forgot!!

To be honest, I'm okay with forgetting.  I'm feeling really gross right now.  I just feel puffy and disgusting and I think it's because my diet has been sub-par and my exercise almost non-existent.  I'm ready to get back out on the road and back into my routine.  I've enjoyed being in NYC but I've allowed myself to cross that line of "relaxing and enjoying myself" over to "giving myself excuses to eat poorly at every turn."  I think I needed to finally cross that line so that I could mentally be ready to get back on the bandwagon.  I was burned out before and needed to hit the point that I'm at now.

Which brings me to my next point...

I know you're probably all wondering why I'm doing this, but I've decided to do another Diet Bet.  This one is different than the others though.  The website has set up a beta version (by invite only actually) of a 6 month version.  In this 6 month version you are betting that you will lose 10% of your starting weight.  You are actually betting every month and you are actually held accountable each month (and have to pay additional money to the pot each month) and still have goals that you need to meet each month in order to continue on with the bet (this way you aren't crash dieting at the last minute.)  This first month I need to lose 3% of my body weight, or about 7 pounds.  I don't honestly care if I win this bet or not, but I would like to have this bet to keep me accountable and on track so that I don't allow myself to completely let go this next year.  Plus, if I win this bet I will be at my goal weight.  I would LOVE to be at 200 pounds 6 months from now.  I would actually LOVE to see a 1 at the beginning of my weight, but I'm getting ahead of myself there.

We'll see how I do with this one.  I may end up hating this bet and getting burned out and quitting.  Or, I could end up loving the different structure and killing it on the scale.  Only time will tell.

I do know that I will be changing up my workout routine for sure this year.  I'm going to only run AT MOST 3 times a week.  I want to try and find Zumba classes while out on the road (whenever that's possible at least...)  I want to continue using my Jillian Michaels' DVDs.  I want to crosstrain and lift weights.  I want to start toning up my weaker muscles.  I know how to do cardio, but I don't really know how to get fit.  It's time to get fit.

Alright, that's the current game plan guys!  I'll post my official starting weight for the Diet bet tomorrow.  I might even post my official weigh in photos - we'll see how I feel.

I'm ready to start feeling better again.

Three Year Fativersary (and Weigh in!)

Starting Weight 9/4/10:                                     310.0
Current Weight 9/4/13:                                     223.3

Total Weight Lost in Three Years:                      86.7 (gained 1.5 since last week)

Total Weight Left to Lose for Goal (200):          23.3

Well here it is folks!  Today is the third anniversary of having an epiphany and deciding to take control of my life.  I really can't believe that it's already been three years!  Time really has flown by!

I look back at my old self and I don't even recognize her.  I never even could have imagined what my life would be like now.  I know I say this every year, but I'm really proud of myself for having recognized that I wasn't happy and changing my ENTIRE LIFE.  I really think that almost nothing is the same as it was then. (Well, except maybe my shoe size...)  I have completely transformed into a different person and I have to say that I'm quite fond of this new Maia.

Maia circa 2013 is a strong, healthy and (most importantly) happy person.  I struggled a bit this last year, not with the health and weight loss portion of this journey but with the happiness aspect.  I found myself getting angry and frustrated all the time and I started to not like myself.  So what did I do?  Basically the same thing that I did before!  I told myself that I was going to change it, and I did!  I feel like I'm looking at things in a brighter light.  I find myself smiling more.  I find myself laughing more and honestly, I'm just enjoying life more!

I'm hoping to take this new perspective back out on the road with me when I leave NYC for tour once again. (I depart September 17th!  I can't believe it's right around the corner!)  I still have this last bit of weight that I want to lose and I'm determined to lose it, but I also want to enjoy myself a bit more this next year.  I was so gung ho this last year that I actually very rarely went out and enjoyed myself in the various cities we visited.  I'm going to allow myself a few more indulgences this year and not let them stress me out like they did last year.  Last year, if I had a popcorn at the movies I was beating myself up for days!  That's no way to live life...  We'll see how it goes!

I can't wait for this next year of this journey.  I'm sure that so much will change and I'm ready for the new adventures that life will bring my way.

Life is good.

I'm happy.

And that's awesome.

Sharing my happiness with Mr. Darcy

Weigh In Wednesday: 8/28/13 Taking a Breather Edition

Last Week's Weight:                                           220.2
Current Week's Weight:                                      221.8

Current Weight Gain:                                             1.6

Total Weight Lost:                                              88.2

So, after last week's realization that I needed to take a break from the Diet Bets, I decided that it was time for me to take a breather and my body is thanking me for it.  I'm watching what I eat for the most part, but I'm not going overboard.  I've exercised a bit, but not as much as I had been the rest of this summer.  Basically, I'm hitting the reset button.

I've done this several times through my process.  Whenever I get exhausted by everything (both mentally and physically!) I've taken a step back.  I don't go to any sort of extreme, I just kind of stop letting it rule my life.  I stop thinking about every single thing that goes into my mouth.  I stop counting every single calorie.  I stop exercising ALL THE TIME.  Whenever I take these breathers, I come back even stronger and am able to lose even more weight than if I had plowed through.

I'm actually happy that I only gained a pound and a half, because I really think I ate enough calories to warrant a larger gain.  It tells me that my body is comfortable with kind of staying at this weigh if need be.  I'm debating how long I want to take this break.  Maybe I'll just take a week, maybe I'll take a couple more.  Maybe I'll come back from the holiday weekend and hit the ground running (literally!).  We shall see.

In other news, I'm back at work now.  No more carefree summer days!  I'm back to the real world of preplanning meals and scheduling time for my workouts.  No more flying by the seat of my pants.  I'm still in NYC and will be for a couple more weeks and then I head off to the mystical land of York, PA with the show.  

All I gotta say is... Working is hard y'all! :)

Weigh In Wednesday: 8/21/12 - The Epiphany Edition

Last Week's Weight:                                       222.7
Current Week's Weight:                                  220.2

Current Weight Lost:                                         2.5

Total Weight Lost:                                           89.8

I'm glad to be back at 220.  It's a good place for me right now, and it's a place I feel comfortable sitting at when I go back out on the road.  My clothes fit me well (even a tad on the loose side) and I just feel good in my skin.  It's a place I think I can maintain if it comes to that.

Here's why I'm talking about maintaining weight at the moment, rather that losing it: I had an epiphany this week with regards to Diet Bets and how they pertain to me.  I realized that in order for me to win them, I was going completely against my philosophy that I had developed about weight loss and the ability to maintain it.  Over the course of the past three years I've realized that the only way for me to lose weight and keep it off is to not deprive myself.  If I wanted to splurge on french fries, then I splurge!  But, I don't go overboard with it.  I get a small fry and move on.  If I wanted a slice of pizza, I got a slice of pizza!  I did this because I knew that if I didn't I would be depriving myself which would result in me going overboard to compensate. Tame the beast!  It's all about BALANCE! (see how it always comes back to balance?)

In order for me to win these Diet Bets I've been super strict with my eating, not allowing myself even the slightest indulgence and it worked in order to achieve the large weight loss numbers you need in order to win.  But, then as soon as the bet was over, I was going overboard with "rewards."  Ice cream, fast food, you name it!  I wanted it because they weren't even options when I was on the bet.  Even stuff that I never crave, I craved once that bet was over and that is why my weight ballooned back up to 228!  I binged, and I have never been a binge eater.  The small amount of money that I was winning on these bets weren't worth the deprivation and mental toll it was wreaking on me.

I realized that with me being as close to my goal weight as I am right now, my body just doesn't need to be losing 10 pounds a month.  I only have 20 more pounds to lose!  I need to go back to losing weight my way, because that is the way that I've managed to keep it off for three years.  It could take me three months, or it could take me a year!  I have no clue when I will finally see the magical 200 on the scale.  But, I know that I will eventually see it and that's the only thing that's important.

Also, I'm in New York City for just another three and a half weeks.  I'm going to want to go out with my friends to dinner and brunch and drinks.  I don't want to not enjoy what this city has to offer, because I honestly don't know when I will be back.

So, basically... I think Diet Bets are a good idea.  I think they are great for people who need motivation to start losing weight, or who need a kick in the pants because their weight loss has stalled.  I think it's a very supportive environment (at least the bets I've joined have been) and I really liked that you can talk with other people and make friends with people who struggle with the same things you are struggling with.  Unfortunately, Diet Bets just aren't what I need right now.  I don't need the pressure to lose a certain amount of weight by a certain amount of time.

In other news, I've moved to my new sublet about a block from Central Park and I couldn't be happier.  I've gone on three runs and have taken numerous walks just around the neighborhood and in the park as well.  I love it.  I love having such easy access to something as wonderful as Central Park.  It's made me realize that when I eventually move back to NYC on a more permanent basis that I will be doing everything in my power to make sure that I am able to move back to this neighborhood.  I miss it.

Well, that's all from me this week!  Next Monday I start back to work, so it should be interesting!!

Zumba-tastic!

Yesterday, a friend and I decided to both try our very first Zumba class together.  For those who don't know (and if you don't, I think you might have been living under a rock) Zumba is a fitness class that combines latin and hip hop type dance moves for a big calories burn.

I've heard lots of people rave about how much fun it is, and how effective its been in their weight loss.  It was something that I always wanted to try, but just never really got around to finding a studio in whatever city I was in.  Well, being in NYC for a while it just made sense for me to take advantage!

My friend said that she had attempted to take a class at the Alvin Ailey Extension but it had filled up, so we decided to give it another try.

They offer two Zumba classes back to back on Sunday mornings, so we decided to go ahead and try for the early class in the hopes that if we couldn't get in the first one, we could take the second class.  There was a substitute instructor, so it wasn't as packed as it normally is.  We had no problem getting into the first class.  I bought an introductory 2 class package for $25 since it was my first time at the studio.  I think they are normally around $20/class (although you can buy multi class packages and it makes it cheaper).

I wore my heart rate monitor during the class and I'm so glad I did!  Holy.  Crap.  I BURNED SOME CALORIES!  The class was about an hour with a 5-10 minute cool down.  In the hour class, I burned almost 800 calories!  My heart rate hit levels that it only ever hits when I'm running!  I got my ass handed to me!  I dripped in sweat (tip: bright a hand towel to wipe down quickly between songs.  I sweated so much it stung my eyes.) I can safely say, it's a great work out!

The instructor was pretty good, but I can see how if you got a not-so-great instructor, how it wouldn't be a good experience.  Our instructor had a few combinations that were a bit overly complicated, and she didn't ever really say what she was doing.  Those are my only two complaints.  But, I think that she did a good job of trying to walk the room and correct people if they weren't doing particular moves correctly (so that the right muscles were being worked).  But, it's a great judgment free zone.  If you aren't a great dancer?  So what!  Not a skinny minny?  So what!  You can still get a great workout.  Also, it's for people of all ages.  We were probably the same age of the vast majority of the people in there, but there were quite a few people significantly old.

I am definitely going to try Zumba again! (I have that second class I have to use before I leave NYC!)  I think I might try and do it whenever I can on the road.  It might be a good addition to my running.  It will change up my routine, give me a great workout, and it definitely worked some muscles that I don't use all the time.

I personally loved going with a friend.  It was fun to be able to look over at someone I knew and be able to laugh when I felt silly, mostly because I couldn't get a particular combination correct.

If you are looking for a great workout and to have some fun, you should definitely find a Zumba class near you!