Measurement Update and Plus-Size Workout Clothes.

Yesterday marked one month that I started to work with my trainer again. Which meant time to check my progress. Both my trainer Caleb and I were very happy with the numbers! In one month I am down 11.2 lbs! Whoop Whoop!!!! My measurements are also pretty impressive! 

                         5/17 measurements          6/20 Measurements  

Neck:                         16                                            16  

Chest:                       48                                             47.5

Shoulders:               52                                              53

Waist:                       60                                              56.5

Hips:                         60+                                          *60+
                               (*Tape measure was so close to being able to measure me *) 

Bicep:                         17                                                  17

Thigh:                        27                                                  24

Calf:                           17                                                  16
                     *All measurements in inches


Look at all those inches lost in one month!! 9+ inches in one month is awesome! I put the plus because the hips are smaller just not sure by how much. If I keep this up, I will surpass my Arnold goal of 50 lbs lost by March. 



Good Plus size workout clothes are so hard to come by....well along with nice looking workout clothes OR ones that aren't expensive and don't get me started on plus-sized sports bras. I am very blessed on top and trying to find a good supportive sports bra is impossible. To hold my H cup girls takes 2 sports bras. The only company that I've found that carries my size is Lane Bryant. However, I still have to throw a no-wire sports bra on top for a little extra support.

So where is a plus-sized girl to get nice workout clothes? I've found that my best options have been Old Navy and Kohl's. I love Old Navy's compression leggings and workout shirts! They always have sales online and their sizing goes up to 4X. I have found that a few of their sizing do run a little big. With Kohl's it can be hit or miss. However, 2 of my favorite capri leggings I got from their discount rack for 7.00!  Now, as much as I love Lane Bryant for their sports bras and everyday wear, I am not a fan of their activewear line. I find them expensive for their quality. I bought a pair their capris leggings and wore them 4 times before they started getting the wonderful pilling between the thighs. Their workout shirts I find run small and when you wear their largest size in tops thanks to your girls, this makes it difficult to find shirts to wear. I think once I get all my workout clothes washed I'll post a few of the outfits I like to wear.        

Wednesday Weigh In and What's in My Gym Bag

Well I thought I set my post to go live for last week's weigh in. I guess my account knew something I didn't know, lol. Because when I stepped on the scale this week the same number flashed back at me. Part of me thinks I should be ashamed that there was no change in the number from last week to this week, but I'm not. The scale is just a number and the fact that my shorts are falling off me is a more realistic indicator. With weight training, I know that my numbers will be going up and down as I lose fat and gain muscle. 

 I know the picture still says week 6, lol. I just used the one that was supposed to post last week. This is actually week 7. I was doing a little happy dance when this number popped up. That's 4lbs in one week!!!!!!  


I thought I would do a blog that I see that is common on blogs and vlogs. I see a lot of competitors do this post and I thought hey, why not?  

  From left to right.... (1)Nathan water bottles, (2) my workout log from my gym, (3) NLA for Woman Uplift, (4) 1UP BCAA's, (5) Versa Gripps, (6) Sweet Sweat, (7)Bath and Body Works hand cream, (8) Lip Freak lip balm, and (9) my ear buds. The Sweet Sweat bag in the back I got from The Arnold at the booth.

1) These are my FAVORITE water bottles! I bought these from TJ MAXX and I love how easy they are to clean. I also like that they have two lids on them. Not only making it easy to wash them but to fill with ice. I hate when a bottle has a big mouth on it and you try to take a drink while doing cardio and you get splashed in the face. The smaller opening prevents that from happening. 

2) This is just a simple log I got from the gym. I don't actually write in it. My trainer however does. He writes down what we did during workouts so I can look back and also records my measurements in it. 

3) This is my favorite pre-workout! I currently have the raspberry lemonade flavor. I really like this blend because it doesn't cause my heart to race. (* I am not sensitive to caffeine and this product can have a different effect on each person) It also gives me just that little bit of energy to get my through a tough set or get in all my cardio. 

4) I love my BCAA's! This is that watermelon flavor and it's one of the best tasting. I hate drinks that have a strong sweetness to them when I workout because it causes my stomach to get upset. This product also includes glutamine and L-carnitine in the blend so I don't have to include them as a separate supplement. When I add this to my water during my workouts, it cuts muscle recovery time in half for me. 

5) I have weak wrist when it comes to doing heavy weighted back and leg workouts. These grips help me to pull more weight during deadlift and even lat pull downs. I haven't used them much so the leather is still a little stiff but with more use it'll soften up. 

6) Wanna sweat? Then let me introduce you to my little friend. Not only does this work to increase sweat and reduce water weight but it also smells soooooo good! It comes in a regular scent and coconut. The regular scent has a nice clean smell to it and comes in a jar like this one or a stick. Right now the coconut only comes in a jar. However, at The Arnold they were hinting that they are working on getting this in a stick form as well. I love rubbing this stuff on before my workout. I someone who loves to feel the sweat drip down my body. I know sweat isn't a true indicator of how hard you are working but for me it makes me feel like a beast when I sweat through a shirt. 

7) This is my favorite summer scent! It's the Bath and Body Works Sweet Strawberries and Cream. I throw this in my bag for when I'm done working out. It not only helps soften those wonderful callouses from weight training but also makes you smell nice after all that sweating. 

8) I carry chapstick or lip balm with me wherever I go and this is my favorite. I used to love Burt's Bees in the 90's. Remember how it would make your lips tingle? It seems like that tingle isn't as strong as it once was and well I really liked that feeling. This stuff is that tingle and plus some! The tingle comes from the cinnamon oil that they put in the product. I use the shade Berry Sinister. 

9) These a just simple ear buds that I picked up at TJ MAXX when my son broke my last pair. I pretty much only buy cheap pairs because I either lose them or they get broken. 

So there we have it Iron Family, that's my gym bag for you. 

Until next time Stay Strong Iron Family.      

I DID IT!!!! Late Wednesday weigh in post

My first goal on this journey was to get below 300 lbs again ...aaaaannnnnddddddd

 I DID IT!!!! HAPPY DANCE BREAK!!!

I am soooooo happy that I will never see a 300 number again. So in total from the very beginning I am down 16 lbs.  My next goal is to hit 20 lbs down.

This week has been very hit and miss with the gym. All three of my boys suffer from outdoor seasonal allergies. It makes it rough to take them out this time of year when the cottonwood trees let loose. In some areas it gets so thick that it looks like snow on the ground. Next week will be easier since my hubby doesn't have mandatory overtime and he'll be home with the boys. 

Last week's training with Caleb was an eye opener. I consider myself strong and love to lift heavy. Well, he showed me some techniques that you use lighter weights for the movements and isolate the muscle. OH MY GOSH! That 5lb weight felt like 50! I also learned that I hate burpees after the first 50 of the 100 that he had me do. LoL

 I was also introduced to this yummy goodness this week......

 This stuff is A-MAZ-ING! I've had other protein ice creams before but they don't even compare to this one. So creamy and the taste is like eating cake batter. I can't wait to try the other flavors! I'm not ashamed to admit that I ate the whole pint. It was so easy to fit into my macros. 

My goal this week is to start writing more on here. I know I've been slacking. 

Until next time, Stay Strong Iron Family!  

Week 4 Wednesday Weigh in and the beginning of summer!

My trainer will not be happy that I'm still doing Wednesday Weigh ins. He told me I needed to throw the scale away,  pay more attention to how I'm feeling, and how my clothes are fitting. He says the scale has too much power over people and that, that number can dictate how you feel the whole day. Have a great number in the morning and you're in a great mood and if you have a bad number it can ruin your mood for the day. I get where he is coming from, but I'm not the type of person that really cares about the number. I just like having it to keep me in check. I know that my weight can bounce around 5 to 7 lbs in one day. Not to get tooooooooo personal but I also know that lost more than the scale is saying this week because a little visitor came to visit for 3 to 5 days this week, if ya know what I mean, lol.  So this is my week 4 weigh in 

WHOOOHOOOO Down 1 lbs this week!!! Like I said though I think it could be a little more because I always weigh 2 to 3 more pounds around this time of the month. 

This past week has been super crazy for our family. Not only was it my husband's 34th birthday, but also our oldest son's last week of school. My little man is now a 3rd grader! 

I was really proud of myself this week! I went to the gym everyday (But Sunday, Sundays are my rest day), logged everyday in Myfitnesspal, and did intermediate fasting 100%. Iron Family, this is the longest I've been 100% with myself! In addition to the gym we've also gone on family walks to different area parks. I tried my hand at jogging, something I haven't done in a loooooong time. I was slow but it felt amazing to do it again. My husband was sneaky and took a photo of me while I was jogging. He had the two babies in the stroller behind me.  I really like the photo and wanted to put an inspirational saying on it. This is what I came up with. 

I will be writing more frequently now that school is out for all of us and I will have more time. 

Until next time, Stay strong Iron Family 

Wednesday Weigh in and a Hard Look at Reality.

       This week was my first week back with my trainer and I got a real big dose of a reality pill. He took my weight, body fat, and measurements, it wasn't pretty at all. The gym scale said I weighed 6 lbs more than my home scale. However, I know your weight can shift around 5 lbs in a given day. So I didn't let that get me down too much. It was the measurements that caused me to cringed. Sure you see that weight when you look in the mirror, but when you see it paired with a number it somehow makes it more real. The one thing I really like about my trainer is, he doesn't make you feel horrible about those numbers but he is also honest with you. He doesn't promise you a quick fix with his program and he reminds you what you put in, is what you get out of it. So we sat down for an hour to talk about my numbers, my macros, and eating plan along with my training plan. We decided to give intermediate fasting a try along with 20 minutes of fasted cardio in the morning on top of my regular 40 minutes of cardio during my regular workout. We are going to try that for 2 weeks and see what happens. 

       I will post my measurements for yesterday but not my macros. The marcos my trainer did for me are just that for me. He factors my body fat, lean body mass, and my goals to tailor the macros to each person.

        So according to the gym scale I am 307 (I will still be using my scale for official Wednesday Weigh Ins)

    Gym scale: 307

    Height: 5' 4"

    Body Fat %: 50% (Ugh....50% of me jiggles) 

    Neck: 16 inches

    Chest: 48 Inches

    Shoulders: 52 Inches

    Waist: 60 Inches

    Hips: 60+ Inches (First mini goal, is to lose enough inches to get this measurement)  

     Bicep: 17 Inches

     Thigh: 27 Inches

     Calf: 17 Inches

   According to my scale I had a .6 weight loss :-)


       This morning I did my first fasted cardio. It was a beautiful morning, even though it was a little chilly, for a walk/jog. 

  It was nice getting out and enjoying a little quiet mommy time. With 3 boys, I don't get much alone time, lol.


Until Next Time, Stay Strong Iron Family!  

Getting out of your comfort zone and social anxiety

      I seen a photo a while ago online that read,  "Life begins at the end of your comfort zone." As someone who suffers from social anxiety, sometimes that first step out can be scary. I'm fine when I have people I know around me, but I get attacks when I go out alone to do unfamiliar things. I didn't always have these attacks and they increased along with my waistline. The more uncomfortable I became with myself, the more uncomfortable I became in social situations. A lot of it stems down to me feeling like every person I come across is judging me for my size. I know it sounds silly and most strangers could care less about what I look like. I think it comes down to that bullied little girl that still lives within me. 

     So in conjunction with losing weight, I'm also trying to push barriers and live more outside of my comfort zone. Last night was my first test. My trainer told me last week that he was competing and that I should go to the show to help get inspired again. I really wanted to go but knew that if none of my friends wanted to go (my husband had to stay home with the boys), I'd have to go alone. Well, Saturday had come and everyone had plans. I knew I wanted to go and had posted to my trainer that I would be at the night show. Thankfully I have a husband that understands that sometimes I need pushed out of that comfort zone and so lovingly does. Sometimes I just need to talk things through with him to give me the confidence I need. So I got myself ready and kissed the family as I walked out the door. 

     Now onto the fun part.......

    It seemed like there were anxiety triggers all around me not wanting me to go to the show, lol. The show was only 25 minutes away and I left with plenty of time. So I get there and I miss my turn, no big deal, I know this town and know of other areas I can park. So I park 3 blocks away not thinking anything of it. The shoes I wore are a little big on me......you see where this is going don't you.......and start rubbing my heel......hello blisters. I get there and something told me on the way I should have stopped by the ATM to get money out. Did I listen to my instinct, of course not, lol. I get there and it's cash only. No big deal, my bank has a branch just a block down. I'll walk down there and get cash out. So I walk, hobble, down to the bank. I get to the ATM.....it's not working. Someone jammed the ATM. At this point I call my husband almost in tears.....It starts to drizzle. Really I mean REALLY!?!?!?! I told him the situation. Him being the calm and rational one, calmly tells me that it's okay for me to use another banks ATM even though there's a fee. So luckily there's another bank across the street. So I hobble, gimp across the street and use that ATM. By the time I make it to the show and sit in my seat it's 5:05. WHEW! Thankfully the show is a local and laid-back show and it didn't start on time. 


You wanna know something.....even through all the barriers I went through to get to the show, I had a blast. Who knew you could go to something alone and still have a good time!  It was so motivating seeing all those people on stage and cheering for my trainer and his girlfriend. There was a womens figure competitor there that was 57 years old! She did outstanding! My trainer's girlfriend did amazing in the bikini round and placed 2nd. My trainer was awesome and placed 3rd in a large group of qualifiers. 

  

My trainer's girlfriend is on the right. She placed  2nd!

 Figure round (This is what class I want to compete in)

 This woman is 57!!!!!

My trainer is in the red shorts

Caleb (My trainer) placing 3rd

My trainer and his girlfriend Amanda (photo taken by his mom)

      Oh, I forgot to add, on top of everything, my nice expensive DSL camera decided not to work and I had to use my cell phone. 

       I learned a lot about myself last night. I can do these things! Even with all the obstacles in my way, I did it. I only had a slight moment when I wanted to turn around and go back home. I'm glad I didn't and was able to experience this and support my trainer and his girlfriend.  

Until next time, Stay Strong Iron Family.   

Wednesday Weigh in Week 2

       Welcome to week 2 of Wednesday Weigh In.  The first week back on track has been pretty good. There has been a few slip ups when it came to food choices. However, right now my goal is to eat on track 80% of the time. I am human and I know there will be errors. I have been staying active in either taking the boys for walks or hitting the gym. There were only 2 days in the past week that I didn't get some sort of activity in.  With that being said here is this weeks results.......

WHOOOHOOOO!!!! Down 4 lbs and sooo close to being out of the 300's



       Next week, I  start back with a trainer. Caleb was my trainer before I went on this downward spinal. He is an awesome trainer and makes me realize that I am so much stronger than I give myself credit for. He pushes me past my comfort zone and that's where amazing things happen. 


                


      I am stepping out of my comfort zone on my blog as well. In most cases, I refused to have my photo taken from below my chest. I have decided to post some before photos on here.

The first two photos are me at my heaviest weight. I was anywhere from 315 to 320 at my heaviest. 

I never noticed back then how large my arms where. They are larger than a 4 year old's waist! 

 This was taken at a good friend's wedding. I thought looked "thin." Wow can the eyes play tricks on us!  I remember being so hot and uncomfortable in this dress.  It was a hot muggy day and underneath this dress I have on a spanx tank and shorts. I did everything I could to look thinner. 

This last set of photos I just took yesterday in my gym's bathroom of all places, lol.  This is where I am as of right now. I think I may start taking monthly progress photos. I know it's hard to see your own body's progress and I like the idea of being able to document changes. 

    

I promise next month's photo will be better. This was a spur of the moment idea while I was doing cardio. 

Until next time, Stay strong Iron Family!