Dropping the Double X

Wanna read my new blog?

2009-07-22T08:18:00.004-04:00

Even though I havent update this blog in a year, I keep receiving visitors, so I wanted to let you out there know that I have a new "Health and Weight Loss Blog"... It is private, however, if you want access to it, you just need to leave me a comment here with the email where I can send you the invitation... I will delete all the comments with emails to protect the privacy of those who made the comment....

Just to give you guys a quick update, I have lost almost 30 pounds in the last couple of months and it is GREAT!

Crazy hormones

2008-07-01T10:09:00.002-04:00

I weighted myself the other day that I said I was going to, and I was 189 pounds. After that day I have been misbehaving with Coke as I have been having really bad migraines and honestly, Coke is the only thing that take it away.

So, after all my cokes, I weight myself to see if I gain any weight, and not only I didnt gain any weight, but I lost 2 pounds!!!

I know, it's a good thing to lose 2 pounds, but how crazy my hormones are???????????????

Thanks....

2008-06-25T23:24:00.000-04:00

Thanks to all of you that have keep coming even with my lack of updating.... We will weight in tomorrow, set new goals, start a new plan.... I feel like I weight more than the last time I weight in, but I feel that I have lost pounds in the last few days....

We will know tomorrow when we weight in.

This week

2008-06-07T07:52:00.000-04:00

This has been a nice week for us, even though we havent even weight in... We promise to weight in tomorrow and see where we stand.

I know for sure that I wont be eating good today, as we have three events for my girls (Moving Up ceremony for my DD in Pre-K, Baptism for my youngest and birthday party for my youngest), and as we will be in event after after all day long, I really cant afford mentally to be worrying about anything else...

Overall, Im happy with my week, and I cant wait to get my ultrasound done.

PCOS?

2008-06-02T10:26:00.000-04:00

The more I read about PCOS, the more Im sure that I have it.

Going over the symptoms from Medline Plus, here is what I have and what I dont have:

* Abnormal, irregular, or very light or infrequent menstrual periods
Mine are abnormal, irregular and infrequent, even though they are not light.

* Absent periods, usually (but not always) after having one or more normal menstrual periods during puberty (secondary amenorrhea)
I do have absent periods, but they have always been like that, and I started my period when I was 8.

* Acne that gets worse
Nope, not me.

* Decreased breast size
Nope!! I wish though.

* Development of male sex characteristics (virilization), such as increased body hair, facial hair, a deepening of the voice, male-pattern baldness, and enlargement of the clitorus.
From all, I have serious facil hair... Always have, but it is getting worse and worse... I need to get rid of it every 3 to 4 days.

* Diabetes
Not at all... Just did another Glucouse test, and I have it in 80 something.

* Increased hair growth; body hair may be in a male pattern
My hair does grow a lot, and my body have gotten so weird, that you can say that I have a male pattern.

* Infertility
I do, but because I have a tubal.... LOL... this question doesnt apply to me as I have three kids. It did took me 21 months to conceive my second daughter, though.

* Poor response to the hormone, insulin (insulin resistance), leading to a build-up of insulin in the blood
I have no idea.

* Weight gain, or obesity
BADLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now or Now!

2008-06-01T09:54:00.001-04:00

What have we done since out last post: NOTHING.... Well, nothing will be actually a lie depending on your side of view... We have done NOTHING in order to lose weight, but we have done A LOT of stuff that we are not suppose to.

To start we have been drinking coke just TOO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!! I wont buy another soda anymore. Today, I found myself with a "hole" in my blouse between two buttons, because the breasts are just too BIG.......... AF is not due any time soon, so it is not because of that.

Hubby is also in the same path, and I speak from both when I say: NO MORE.

I have been going to the OB to check WHY Im still leaking milk (gross, I know) after 8 months of weaning my youngter, why I havent been able to lose weight when I was fully committed, and why Im sweating so much. I know that any person that reads all this will say: "You have an hormonal problem". Well, I know that for sure, and my OB thinks the same thing, but we are doing our last try with an ultrasound. Prolactine came back low (which is the normal value) so it is not there the problem. If nothing is found in the ultraound, meaning that I dont have PCOS anymore, he will refer me to an specialist.

My last ultrasound was a couple of months after my youngter's birth, and it showed that I had PCOS. It is pretty funny how I got pregnant so fast with PCOS and birth control, but when I child is meant to be, it will come over any obstacles.

Here is a picture of my FAT-self from last week (BTW, Im wearing a maternity jeans... Shame on me!!)

Day 104 = We can do it!

2008-04-25T12:30:00.000-04:00

That's it... Im so sick of not doing anything.... Im so sick of not finding the time to exercise, or that actually giving excuses when I know this is important for us...

Tomorrow we will sit down and talk about this seriously... We will make a schedule and we will follow it no matter what.. We will wait ourselves tomorrow, and we will get this GOING!

WE CAN DO IT!! WE CAN DO IT!!

Day 95 = What's wrong?

2008-04-16T08:14:00.002-04:00

Our down and low moment was suppose to be a momentary thing but I dont what what is happening but I just cant find the time to exercise anymore...

Im not working outside of my house, plus my personal business, plus the house, the girls, my husband, 3 preschools, and I hardly have time to do ANYTHING...

We REALLY need to do something ASAP!!!!!!! It's mid April and we have hardly lost any weight... Buying cloth for my new job is a nightmare, because nothing fits!!!!! 1x is tight and 2x is huge.... There are some 1x that fits, but nothing appropriate for work!! It will be easier if I just loose this weight and start buying cloth in NORMAL sizes!!!!!!!

Day 81 = Down and low

2008-04-02T13:59:00.002-04:00

After having a friend from overseas in my house for a week, I imagine we have gain a couple of pounds.... We were out and about so we were eating out and not the best things to eat... Also, I had one of my daughter's birthday party, and I also ate a lot..... Actually WE ate a lot because Ernesto was pigging out!!! Another thing we didnt do was exercise, and we still havent get back to our routine....

People keep telling us that we look skinier BUT I still feel the same.....

We are now back to the real life!!!!

Day 68 = GREAT NEWS!!

2008-03-20T17:16:00.002-04:00

No, we havent lost 5 pounds each, and no, a millionarie didnt built a gym outside of my house, but THE TECH DID BRING MY FRIDGE BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You guys have no idea how happy we are!!! After 2 months of using a mini fridge where nothing was fitting we finally have our fridge working in our kitchen!!! I will love to go food shopping today, but we are in the Holly Week in this country, and mostly everything will be closed until Sunday... But, Monday or Tuesday we will be filling out our fridge with HEALTHY FOOD!!!! We cant wait!!!!

Day 66 = Back when everything started

2008-03-18T13:20:00.003-04:00

I was looking around for some pictures and I came across a picture of hubby and I in the moment when our "Weight Gain" journey started.... I was already 3 months pregnant with my first child... In 10 days this picture is going to be 5 years old.

We were already with some extra pounds, but we didnt had X's back them... I was still medium, and pants 5 or 6, and he was still Large.

Day 65 = Checking in

2008-03-17T08:48:00.000-04:00

Im really sorry that I havent been updating my blog as I suppose to, but it gets discouraging when doesnt matter how much exercise you do, you still arent losing weight.

I know food plays a BIG factor and we havent been able to eat as good as we want because of the fridge, but the tech called me yesterday to let me know that they finally got the piece that they were needing (they had to order it from overseas) and he thinks the fridge may be fixed by tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That is a big thing for us, and I just hope start seeing as we drop the X's!!!!! and thank you BB for motivate me to post!!!!

Day 44 = My latina buddies

2008-02-25T08:22:00.005-05:00

Today starts the third week of a "buddy challenge" that I started with a few online friends. We are paired two by two, and every day we make points to see who gets the more points by the end of the week.

The Points are earned by:
2 points for each healthy meal (snacks not included). A healthy meal consists of no fried food and must include a fruit or a vegetable.
2 points for drinking a minimum of 64oz of water
2 points for each 25 minutes of exercise
2 points for each pound lost.

There is also a weekly challenge to earn 5 points. Here is the week challenge that finished last night:

(The challenge was posted by my friend Gus, so Im quoting her)

BICYCLE CRUNCHES! Start counting with the right leg and do as much as you can. One shot! Don't try to do it several times a day. You MUST bring those legs high.. otherwise do not think that you worked your abs and midsection. IF you put your feet on the floor, then stop counting and the challenge is done. So keep those feet up!
Please find bellow the instructions (thanks to sparkpeople). Enjoy!!!

Starting position
Begin by lying on your back, placing your hands behind your ears. Do not put your hands clasped behind your head. Lift your legs in the air and bend your knees so that your legs form a 90 degree angle.

Action
Move your legs in a bicycle motion. When your left knee is closer to your body, reach your right your elbow to it. When your right knee is closer to your body, reach your left elbow to it. Try performing the exercise for 60 seconds in 2 sets.

Muscles Worked:
Abs, Obliques

I couldnt do the challenge on time, so I was suppose to did it for ME today: Yeah right!! that is not going to happen!!! After I counted 7, I started feeling this AWFUL pain in my c-section incision... I had a vaginal birth with my first daughter in 2003, but I had a c-section in 2006 and another one in 2007. The one of 2007 was accompanied by a Tubal sterilization (cutting my tubes, not tying them)... Sometimes, I feel a bit of pain there, but today was awful!!! I certainly won't be trying that excercise soon.

If somebody that is reading, try to do it, please post a comment with how many you were able to do!!!

Day 36 = Weight in day!

2008-02-17T20:13:00.002-05:00

Hubby didnt want to weight in this week, so, I will just be posting my weight in.

Me:

Starting weight: 189 pounds (85.9 kg)

Last weight in: 188 pounds (85.5 kg)

Today's weight: 185 pounds (84 kg)

Total lost so far: 4 pounds (1.81 kg)

Im VERY proud of ME!! lol

Day 31 = Still on track!!

2008-02-12T23:00:00.000-05:00

Dont you guys dare to think that I forgot about this blog!!! We are still on track, but we are SUPER busy!!!

We didnt weight in on Sunday... we will do it next Sunday!!!

Day 24 = Music to keep us moving!

2008-02-05T23:08:00.000-05:00

Our elliptical is still in the living room because there are some major rearrangements that I want to do in my bedroom before getting it in here. Since the very first day I have been having trouble getting a music that actually helps me to keep moving. I keep telling myself that "The wheels on the bus", or "Old McDonald" wont help me to excercise, and as lame as it sounds that's the only kind of music that you can find easily in this house.

I have been excersising with whatever is on the radio. As Im normally excersising close to noon, it does get difficult when at noon the National Hymn starts to sound (yes, mostly every radio station plays the National Hymn at 12 noon everyday).

Since yesterday, my friend Gus have been sending me some music and now Im putting that music even to work!! I cant stop moving and I will be burning it in a CD so I can play it downstairs... Here are the titles of what I will be burning:

- Africanism Allstar - Summer Moon
- Benny Benassi - Sweet Dreams Remix
- Bob Sinclar - World Hold on
- David Guetta - The world is mine
- Jennifer Lopez - Waiting for tonite Techno Remix
- Kevin Little - Tempted to touch
- Madonna - Sorry
- Nelly Furtado - Promiscuous Girl
- Shakira - Hips Dont lie
- Stonebridge - Put 'Em High

The all get me moving, a few more than others, but all of them in general.

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Steps:

Me: 11066 (my best day so far)

Hubby: 12117

Day 24 = The DVD's are here!!

2008-02-04T23:03:00.000-05:00

Yes, the DVD's that we ordered finally are here!!! I still havent been able to check them out, but I just wanted to share!!! I will incorporate them to my rountine, and I will find out where to incorporate hubby!! There are 5 DVD's and I still need to learn each one, so it may take me a couple of days....

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Steps:

Me: 7379

Hubby: 11163

Update from Day 23

2008-02-03T22:00:00.000-05:00

Everything has a good reason.... Of course I wasnt going to lose more weight cause AUNT FLO is in town!!! She came to visit on my weight in day!! How inappropriate and rude of her!! LOL

Oh well.... Im sure I will do better next week after she is gone!!!

On a good note, according to my schedule (today is day 11) Im suppose to have done today 14 minutes in the morning and 6 minutes at night..... So, I couldnt excersice in the morning and I manage to make 21 STRAIGHT minutes!!! Im sooooooo proud of me!!! Also means that I already beat hubby's record of 20 minutes straight from the other day. I wont go back... I will have to start working out with a new schedule.... When I do it, I will be posting the calories burned with the Elliptical and the pedometer

Steps from today:
Me: 9580
Hubby: 13187

Day 23 = Weight in day #3

2008-02-03T08:29:00.000-05:00

The day of the truth. Here are the stats:

Me:
Starting weight: 189 pounds (85.9 kg)
Last week weight: 187 pounds (85 kg)
Today's weight: 188 pounds (85.5 kg)
Total lost so far: 1 pound (0.45 kg)

Hubby:
Starting weight: 233 pounds (106 kg)
Today's weight: 226 pounds (102.8 kg)
Total lost so far: 7 pounds (3.17 kg)

Yes, you read right!!! I went up 1 POUND, while hubby who is eating way more than me keeps losing weight!! Yes, I know it have been proven that men can lose weight more rapidly, but I guess this is part of the fun, right? I also know that he has been doing a few more minutes than me in the Elliptical and also normally have more steps... So, WAY TO GO HUBBY!!!

I wont get discouraged and I will keep working!! I will work harder this week!!

Day 22 = Steps

2008-02-02T23:09:00.000-05:00

Steps from today:

Me: 9032
Hubby: 9592

We havent done much changes in order to have more steps.... We are just trying to keep on with our days!! Funny how we are almost 10,000 steps each day!! We really need more, but it's great to know that we werent as sedentary as we thought.

Day 21 = Low day!

2008-02-01T23:05:00.000-05:00

Today was a good or a bad day depending from what side you are looking at it. My two youngest were angels (ok, they were not, but you guys know what I mean), and they actually let me work with three card orders that I had. So, the good side is that my day was pretty productive and I made MONEY!! BUT, as I work designing cards SITTING down in the computer, it also means that I hardly walked!!

I didnt even do laundry today (which I normally do everyday), and that takes away lots of steps from me!! Hubby also had a quiet day at work today, and even tho it was a tiring day for his brain (he was working with ONE computer that was driving him crazy), it also meant that his steps count went low....

So, the counts from today are:

Me: 4044
Hubby: 7594

Shame on us!!!!!!!!!

Day 20 = Take Pictures

2008-01-31T06:58:00.000-05:00

I know it's not a nice thing to do, but taking before and after pictures it's a "must do". Our goal is to take a picture every 4 weeks. Sometimes the scale doesnt move much, and even though it can be frustrating, sometimes we are just losing belly fat.

How do you know if you are really losing weight if the scale doesnt move: looking at yourself!! Not just going to be mirror and looking, but looking at pictures (front and side pictures) from before and after. As I said before, we will be taking pictures every 4 weeks, and even though we will be posting pictures with cloth, we will be taking pictures in underwear, just to REALLY see how we were and how we are getting....

So, dont get excuses and take pictures... If nobody can take a picture, just place yourself in front of a mirror and shoot!!

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Steps:
Me: 10002

Hubby: 9391

Day 19 = Counting the steps!

2008-01-30T23:10:00.000-05:00

Today was our first full day with the pedometer.... I didnt do anything different because I wanted to see how sedentary I was, and it turns out that those up and down the stairs, and taking care of the girls are more active that what I though. I did 8146 steps which I think is great for a person who spend so many hours working on a computer.

Hubby moves way more than me, because as he has to give tech support to the whole school were he works so he has to go from here to there and from there to here. Anyway, he told me that today he walked more than normal and that gave him 13559 steps!!!!!!!!!!

Way to go hubby!!!

On a bad note, we didnt do the elliptical today! Shame on us!!!

Day 18 = They are here!!!

2008-01-29T23:34:00.000-05:00

The pedometers finally got here yesterday, and we went to pick them up today. We were excited but after trying them up, I got a bit disappointed. I mean, I wasnt expecting it to be 100% accurate, but I couldnt get a close cound either.

It says that sensitivity should be adjusted. So, in the instructions says that you need to walk 100 steps and count them. If it was over 105 to put it to the right, and if it was less than 95 to put it on the left... But I was getting reading as low as 43, and I was getting frustrated. After trying 10 thousand times, I could get 2 readings of 80, so I leave it like it.

Hubby's pedometer was reading way too many steps, even while driving!!! That one was pretty funny.: 412 steps while driving!!!

We have been very good with the elliptical and I reached 11.5 minutes today, while hubby is doing 15.

Day 17 = Weight in #2

2008-01-28T00:12:00.000-05:00

With our broken scale we havent been able to weight in for the last two Fridays, but today I got a new scale for my birthday!!!! I got it from my mom and we are so happy!!

As we just started exercising, I knew I couldnt expect much change so here are the stats... Hubby beat me by one pound!! I think we did a great job!!

Me:
Starting weight: 189 pounds (85.9 kg)
Today's weight: 187 pounds (85 kg)
Total lost so far: 2 pounds (0.91 kg)

Hubby:
Starting weight: 233 pounds (106 kg)
Today's weight: 230 pounds (104.5 kg)
Total lost so far: 3 pounds (1.5 kg)

Day 16 = Still on

2008-01-26T09:42:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to write quick so you guys can know that we are working on getting use to the elliptical. It's incredible how many changes and adjustments a parent of young kids have to do in order to incorporate anything new to their daily routine, but we are getting there!!!

We are feeling great, and I just cant wait to be able to last longer on the Elliptical!!

Day 15 = Ideas for a perfect workout

2008-01-25T08:20:00.000-05:00

Here are 7 ideas for a perfect workout written by Sayush on Sept. 22, 2007

Your new elliptical training machine is waiting for you in your exercise room, and you're ready to begin. Your workout should be a fun and relaxing part of your day: beneficial for your body and your mind. But, if you find working out to be uncomfortable or bothersome, you're less likely to continue it regularly. If you want to make your workout most effective and enjoyable, it's best to be ready. So, try preparing these seven items before you begin.

1. Comfortable Clothing - Wear something loose and comfortable, preferably in cotton, so that it will wick the sweat away from your body. Make sure that it's not too loose, though. It's important to ensure that your clothing can't get caught in any moving parts on your elliptical machine.

2. Appropriate Shoes - Even though an elliptical trainer workout provides a very low impact workout, it's important to wear good shoes. Be certain they have a proper fit, and are designed for exercise. Running shoes or cross trainers are probably your best bet.

3. Water - Keep a bottle of water handy. Drinking plenty of water is critical during your workout. As your body temperature rises during exercise, you sweat to keep your body cool. Sweating dehydrates your body, so you must replenish these fluids by drinking water. Experts recommend one glass of water every fifteen minutes. Many elliptical trainers have a built in spot for your water bottle.

4. A Towel - All that sweating will get pretty annoying if you don't have a towel handy. A small hand towel is just the right size to wipe your brow without getting in the way.

5. Upbeat Music - Music can be a great enhancement to your workout. Your elliptical machine is likely equipped with many gadgets to keep up with your pace, but fast-paced music can ensure that you keep moving at the right pace, too. Rather than having to monitor your pace, just keep to the beat! Then, when it's time to cool down, put on something slower and your body will slow down naturally.

6. A Comfortable Room Temperature - Make sure the room you're exercising in is comfortable. Too hot and you'll sweat more than necessary, and too cold and you'll feel chilled when you start to sweat. Around 74?F is comfortable for most people.

7. A Clear Mind - Relax and enjoy your workout. Use this time on your elliptical trainer to de-stress mentally, rather than dwelling on bothersome issues. A few minutes out of your day to work your body and clear your mind can work wonders. When you're finished, you will feel refreshed and ready to take on all your challenges, both mental and physical.

Your new elliptical trainer is a great investment in your fit and healthy future. Assembling everything you need to have a great workout in advance will keep you ready to go whenever your workout time comes. Being prepared will make you less likely to skip your workout, and make it more fun.

Working out with the Elliptical

2008-01-24T20:33:00.000-05:00

I was browsing around for ideas to work out on the Elliptical machine. I notice that most of the sites actually gives the same suggestions about time and intensity.

One of the common advices was already given by my mom (ex exercise junkie) was that for 2 weeks just to try it for 5 minutes at the time with no intervals. For somebody with our exercise level, I think that was very reasonable suggestion, so we decided to try it out. So, I did my 5 minutes and I can say that it wasnt easy. It did let me full of energy, but reaching those 5 minutes were not easy. Then, hubby went ahead for his 5 minutes, and when he was done he realized that he was able to do more, so he went up to 10 minutes!!! we both felt great, and the girls took advantange of the music we put on to made us dance for a bit. Curious how one of my comments the other day from my friend Gus was to dance with them, because we do that a lot.

As hubby and I are trying to lose A LOT of money mostly relying on the Elliptical, we can just let it away with 5 or 10 minutes for 2 weeks. We are young, and even though we are overweight, we know our bodies can do more than that. So, we will be increasing the time each day, and we will be doing it two times a day.

Here are the schedules that I made for the first two weeks. Ernesto will have every day just 5 minutes in the morning because he has to leave the house for work at 7:00am, and after sleepless nights with the girls sometimes things get difficult, so for now, he will just do 5 minutes before taking a shower.... As I stay home, my schedule will be mostly the same at both times, even though my goal is just to do it in the morning, so, as Im going reaching 20 minutes, I started to decrease the amount at night).

Day 14 = Wordless

2008-01-24T13:18:00.000-05:00

This picture of my living room worth more than whatever I was going to write today:

Day 13 = We need to exercise!!

2008-01-23T23:50:00.000-05:00

This is getting old already!!! For some reason my elliptica is always coming "tomorrow" but the tomorrow never is the next day!!!! I wish I could just shrink it and put it in my car and bring it home!!!

Following the calories as they are is pretty hard. I never imagine it was going to be so difficult!!! Especially since it's so long because we are not exercising yet. I mean, I do go up and down the stairs at least 3 times in one hour, sometimes more, but I need more!! Plus hubby, doesnt go up and down the stairs much because he works as a computer teacher from 8am to 3pm, so he is mostly in his computer lab.

I also received a notification from Amazon, and the "Biggest Winner" it's on the way already!! Im so happy because it said that is was going to be from 1 to 3 weeks to leave the wearhouse, and it took it 10 days (at least it wasnt the 3 weeks, right?).... Also, I cant wait to pick up the pedometers!! Im sooo excited!!! Im sure with the pedometers the real competition between hubby and I will start!!!

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With the help of the Calorie calculator:

Me:
Calories allowed: 1600
Calories from today: 1915

Hubby:
Calories allowed: 1900
Calories from today: 1915

Day 12 = Knowing your daily calorie limit

2008-01-22T19:14:00.000-05:00

I knew there was something weird about the calories allowed from the calorie calculator.... Browsing around I realized I have BOTH calories counter with a wrong limit. I think that it doesnt matter what kind of method you are using to lose weight, we all need to watch our calories.

I received one of the daily newsletter that I get from SparkPeople, and it says that I need to consume between 1330 and 1680 calories per day, not up to 1981 as I had before. This now makes sense. It was being so easy to stay under 1981, and I know that now it's going to be way more difficult to keep it lower.

After googling around a lot, I reach to the conclusion that my calorie intake each day have to be less than 1600 (hubby should be less than 1900)... Now this make sense!!!! From all the tools that I found online, I think the most accurate one is at Free Dieting (click here for the calculator).

And just for fun, here is a tool that gives you an estimate of how many calories you burn with several activities and exercises, including sex. Have fun!

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From the Calorie calculator:
Me:
Calories allowed: 1600
Calories from today: 1915

Hubby:
Calories allowed: 1900
Calories from today: 2150

Smart Scale Contest!

2008-01-22T18:22:00.000-05:00

Check out Roni’s new contest! I can win a Nutrition Smart Scale from Eat Smart and so can you! Click here for details!

Day 11 = Tell everybody

2008-01-21T23:38:00.000-05:00

I think a good step to take is to inform all the people that you can that you are changing your eating habits. If you dont tell people, your family and friends, will sabotage your efforts without knowing. I mean, last Sunday, my mom came with Pizza. Yesterday, my uncle came with chinesse food and ice cream, and today my mom came with pizza again!! I mean, she knows we are trying to lose weight, but she called and asked if we had dinner, we said no, and she offered herself to invite us food. The easiest and fastest thing to order is pizza, so pizza it was.

So, I ate two slices and hubby ate three. I didnt even enjoy it because it makes me feel guilty. From now on, we are going to try to TELL PEOPLE, to TELL EVERYBODY, and to try to get them to respect what we are doing. During dinner, and yesterday during lunch with my uncle, we talked about how we are trying to eat healthier, so it may work.

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From the Calorie calculator:
Me:
Calories allowed: 1981
Calories from today: 1905

Hubby:
Calories allowed: 2621
Calories from today: 2350

Day 10 = More tentations

2008-01-20T23:18:00.000-05:00

Tentations are everywhere. Today, one of my uncles, came to my house with chinesse food and ice cream. It was a really sweet gesture of him, so we were not going to make him feel bad. I didnt eat much, but hubby did. I just taste the ice cream, and hubby was pretty good not even tasting it. I have never been crazy about sweets, but sometimes I eat the girls leftovers, which I know I should stop.

I just found out that the pedometers will be ready to pick up Tuesday or Wednesday!! I cant wait!!!!

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From the Calorie calculator:

Me:
Calories allowed: 1981
Calories from today: 2121

Hubby:
Calories allowed: 2621
Calories from today: 2450

Day 9 = More than a diet

2008-01-19T23:20:00.000-05:00

The first time I lost weight with South Beach was after developing pre-eclampsia with my second pregnacy. We got the big scare of our lives, and even though pre-eclampsia doesnt mean that I will have high blood pressure after pregnancy, I do know that being overweight makes me high risk. Hubby has also had a few scares with blood pressure and we both know it's because of his weight.

When I lost weight, I did it because I realized that I needed to change my lifestyle. It was not just a matter of doing a diet to lose weight; it was to make the commitment of being healthier, and the weight lost was just a consecuence of that. I know a couple who is overweight, and they lost a lot of pounds with a "Everything Fried" diet. I couldnt find a link for it, but what's the deal with losing weight, but not being healthy?? I love them both to pieces, but I think that weight lost and healthy eating should be together.

The tech came a couple of days ago and checked my fridge. He needs to take it to his place, so he will come back next Tuesday for that. We have been surviving with our micro-freezer, but the girls stuff take a lot of the little space it has.

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From the Calorie calculator:

Me:
Calories allowed: 1981
Calories from today: 1615

Hubby:
Calories allowed: 2621
Calories from today: 2150

Day 8 = Weighting ourselves

2008-01-18T22:42:00.000-05:00

Today is suppose to be weight in day. We havent been able to go scale shopping after my oldest daughter broke our new scale last week, but we will try to do it this weekend. As we want to be strict with our weight-in day AND time, we wont be weighting ourselves until next Friday.

This weekend we are finally going to pick up my elliptical machine at my mom's house, and we will be exercising hard everyday!!!

Next Friday (together with weight in day), we will start measuring ourselves too.

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From the Calorie calculator:

Me:
Calories allowed: 1981
Calories from today: 1998

Hubby:
Calories allowed: 2621
Calories from today: 1998

Day 7 = Meet our best friend: Mr. Water

2008-01-17T12:02:00.000-05:00

Water, water and water, is the three things that we are drinking in this house. No juice, no sodas, no alcoholic beverages, nada. Just plain water.

As I mentioned I have been addicted to Coke since the last few months, and I just found out today the reason. I have been having these horrible headaches with nausea, and it never occurred to me that maybe I just suffer from migraine. A friend of mine was telling me how she takes caffeine for it, and everything felt into place. The reason why I have been drinking coke, is because as soon as I take an extra cold glass of coke, my headache goes away! This may sound silly for some, but that never went through my mind.

As Im just taking water, my days have been miserable with the pain, so we will have to find another way to consume caffeine. I will make an appointment for the doctor next week, and I will try to find healthy solutions for my problem.

The truth is that we NEED water. Every living creature needs water. Every single system in our body depends on water. This means that when you don’t get enough water, your body cant function properly. The question is: How much water do I need? There is no a general answer for that question. Every person needs a different amount of water depending in lots of factors.

I was browsing around to find out how much water do we need and I found out that an adult urine around 1.5 liters a day, and lose around 1 liter through breathing, sweating and bowel movements. In order to replace those lost fluids, an adult need to take around 8.5 glasses of water, together with a good balanced food. In addittion to this as we are excersising (and will be doing more starting next week), we need to take around 3 extra cups or water. Another factor is that we live in the Caribbean with hot temperature all year long. So, we need an extra water for that (hubby needs a bit more because she spents more time on the sun).

Conclusion:
- Me: 2.5 liters equivalent to 10.5 glasses of water

- Hubby: 3.5 liters equivalent to almost 15 glasses of water

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From the Calorie calculator:

Me:
Calories allowed: 1981
Calories from today: 2101

Hubby:
Calories allowed: 2621
Calories from today: 2512

Calories from Day 6

2008-01-16T23:26:00.000-05:00

From the Calorie calculator:

Me:
Calories allowed: 1981
Calories from today: 1898

Hubby:
Calories allowed: 2621
Calories from today: 1898

Day 6 = A banana a day keeps the doctor away

2008-01-16T07:27:00.000-05:00

I got an eamil about all the good things about bananas.... I couldnt just ignore it, so Im passing it along. It's a long one, but it's worth the reading. A professor at CCNY for a physiological psych class told his class about bananas. He said the expression 'going bananas' is from the effects of bananas on the brain. Read on:

Never, put your banana in the refrigerator!!!

This is interesting!! After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same way again.
Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.

Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes. But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school (England ) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a 'cooling' fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking &Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes: According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, 'A banana a day keeps the doctor away!'

Note: Bananas must be the reason monkeys are so happy all the time! And dirty shoes? want a quick shine on our shoes?? Take the INSIDE of the banana skin, and rub directly on the shoe...polish with dry cloth. Amazing fruit !!!

Calorie count from day 5

2008-01-15T22:21:00.000-05:00

From the Calorie calculator:

Me:
Calories allowed: 1981
Calories from today: 2104

Hubby:
Calories allowed: 2621
Calories from today: 1914

Im really sad that I ate over my calories, but it is really difficult to eat healthy when your fridge is broken.. The tech is suppose to come tomorrow!! Let's hope!!

Day 5 = Welcome new readers!!

2008-01-15T13:10:00.000-05:00

I was just looking at my counter and I got 57 visitors today! I was surprised and then I notice they all came from another blog who posted out story!! We are thankful that somebody out there is thinking about us.

If you are out there reading, please post a comment. Maybe all hubby and I need is to have "one" people telling us everyday that we can do it. I had some leftover Soda from yesterday's free pizza, and I was just about to drink it when I saw that all those people were reading our story. Now I just dont want to let you guys down. I WONT drink it!!

We are set to lose weight, and we will do it!!! Thank you for the support!!

Day 4 = More activity!

2008-01-14T23:35:00.000-05:00

So we ate Pizza again!! The good thing is that I have been moving a bit more these days. I just want to be more active for when the pedometer gets here. Im scared to have a little machine telling me that I hardly walk!!!

I have been going downstairs for water instead of asking hubby when he is downstairs. Im also moving my feet every time Im standing up. I asked hubby to do the same, but I know it will be easier for him when he actually gets the pedometer and we can challenge each other every day.

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From the Calorie calculator:

Me:
Calories allowed: 1981
Calories from today: 1384

Hubby:
Calories allowed: 2621
Calories from today: 1864

Day 3 = Double Pizza!

2008-01-13T22:41:00.000-05:00

One of the things that we love the most is Pizza... We seriosly love it, and we decided not to eat pizza anymore. Maybe just one in a blue moon and mostly for the girls.
So, my mom calls us and tell us that she is on her way, and so is the delivery pizza boy!!! She wanted to spend a bit with the girls, and she though about bringing us one thing that she knows we all love! So, Pizza it is!
But it doesnt end there. They promise that the pizza was going to be there 30 minutes later, and it was taking forever. When I call they told me that the it's really 80 minutes not 30!! I was like WTF?? Are you guys nuts?? After fighting for a few minutes over the phone they guy says: "Well, as you paid with credit card, we wont be able to make your order for free, but Im putting a note on your account, and tomorrow between 4pm and 9pm you will be able to call and get a free large pizza!!!"
What a week!! The pedometer havent got here, my fridge is broken so I cant buy veggies, we havent been able to pick up our Elliptical Machine from out mom's house, my oldest broke the scale... The list goes and goes and goes. Oh well!! The fight against this weight most go on no matter what!!!

Day 2 = Going to the right path

2008-01-12T15:45:00.000-05:00

What happened to my scale? My 4yo found the new scale, and found pretty fun to play with the little thingy that lets you adjust the starting weight (to put it on zero). So, Apparently she did it so hard and for so long, that it doest work anymore!!!!!!!!!! Now, I have to buy a new one before next weight in day!!

On a brighter note, I did some shopping today. My friend Gus suggested on her b log to buy a pedometer, so I got two. I got the exact same one that she has. It's an Omron (same brand as my blood pressure monitor that I love) HJ-105 with Calorie Counter.

I also has been looking for some DVD program and I got this 5 DVD's set that has excelent reviews and a great sale price. It's called: The biggest winner.

Day 1 = The story begins!

2008-01-11T22:29:00.000-05:00

Today is the first day, so it's weight in day... We will weight in every Friday.

Anelys' weight: 189 pounds (84.5 kg)
Total lost so far: 0 pounds

Ernesto's weight: 233 pounds (106kg)
Total lost so far: 0 pounds

Stats and goals

2008-01-10T22:42:00.000-05:00

Why dropping the double X? Because we are both size 2X, and we dont want more X's in our cloth!!!

Anelys

Age : 26
Height : 5'3"
Weight : 189 pounds.
Goal weight for Dec 31 2008: 139 pounds
Total weight loss goal: 50 pounds

Ernesto

Age : 28
Height : 5'7"
Weight : 233 pounds.
Goal weight for Dec 31 2008: 163 pounds
Total weight loss goal: 70 pounds

Both

Short term goal: To feel THAT energy again!!!
Long term goal: To be and feel healthy!! I want to feel like Im 26, not 50.
Weight loss strategy:
- To do the elliptical at home every day after Gaby goes to school and Ernesto after he gets home from work
- As this month we wont be able to eat as healthy (because my fridge is broken) to at least try to eat less.
- To stick to the South Beach diet strictly for one month (February), and then to keep the style.
- Drink 10 glasses of water for now (ended up with 16 glasses a day by Dec. 08)
We are finally ready to become healthy because....We need to be able to feel our age and to enjoy being the parents of 3 little gilrs that needs a mom and dad full of energy. (Anelys:) Also because I deserve some ME time and as this is going to be the first year since Jan. 2003 that Im not preggo or in postpastum!!
Dates to work for:
- Our middle daughter's POOL birthday party on March 29th
- Our youngster's birthday party on May 31st
- Summer family pictures in July on vacations
- Our oldest daughter birthday party sometime in October.
- December 31. 2008 - Our goal day!!

Our weight gain story!

2008-01-09T14:19:00.000-05:00

We are a couple who met back in 1997. Hubby used to be on a swim team, soccer team, and also a swimming instructor. He was around 160 pounds. I was still in high school and I was first runner up for Best Female Player of the year of the whole school (which goes from Preschool to High School). I used to play soccer, softball, basket, volley, tracks, and I was one of the best players of each sport. We were young, we were healthy, we were happy.

5 years later, we decided to joined our lives forever and even though we were not as fit as we used to be, we were still fine. I needed to loose 5 pounds and he needed to loose 10 pounds.

I few months later I got pregnant with my first child. I wasnt letting myself out, but I wasnt on veggies all day long. I was eating like a normal pregnant woman, without over doing it. Hubby on the other hand started eating and eating and eating. He had a symphaty pregnancy, with nausea, headaches, and of course CRAVINGS! I started retaining liquids and he kept eating. I went from 128 pounds to 188 pounds! We never knew exactly how much he gained but it was probably around 60 pounds too.

We never lost what we gained with that pregnancy! After we moved to Dominican Republic we started a few diets programs and nothing happened. I was still retaining liquids, and I manage to loose 10 pounds for the first time around 1 year and a half later. The following month I found out I was pregnant again!! I manage to only gain 29 pounds this time, and 4 weeks after giving birth I lost 34 pounds with the South Beach diet. Hubby also lost around 20 pounds.

5 months later I got pregnant AGAIN!! This time I managed to gain around 17 pounds (cant remember exactly but I remember it was more than 15 but less than 20). After giving birth, I lost those pounds, and I was steady in 175 pounds.
In the last few months we have been eating and eating like crazy. I have never been addicted to sweets, but I have been wanting sweets, especially vanilla crackers. Also we have been drinking too much coke!!
As I had a tubal, I wont get pregnant again, so this is OUR YEAR, to become healthier parents, and healthier couple.