[020] MUSIC.

It is no secret to anyone who knows me that I love music. I may not be a rabid fan of a band or two, but I do love music: listening to it, learning how a song comes to be, watching my favorite performers do what they do best, I love it.

Thus, it would only make sense that when I'm working out, I need a great playlist to help keep me motivated. While some may need guitar-driven, loud music, I prefer songs that make me want to dance. If I feel like I can dance to it on the dance floor, I want to exercise to it.

Below is my current playlist; as you can tell, I'm a sucker for pop:

1. "Blow" by Ke$ha
2. "Grow a Pear" by Ke$ha
3. "Crazy Beautiful Life" by Ke$ha
4. "Give Me Everything (Tonight)" by Pitbull f. Ne-Yo, Afrojack & Nayer
5. "Gasoline" by Britney Spears
6. "(Drop Dead) Beautiful" by Britney Spears f. Sabi
7. "Till The World Ends" by Britney Spears
8. "I Wanna Go" by Britney Spears
9. "On the Floor" by J. Lo f. Pitbull
10. "S&M" by Rihanna
11. "So What" by P!nk
12. "Rabiosa" by Shakira f. Pitbull
13. "Loca" by Shakira f. El Cata
14. "F**k You" by Cee Lo Green
15. "Crazy in Love" by Beyonce
16. "Naughty Girl" by Beyonce
17. "Hot N Cold" by Katy Perry
18. "If You Can Afford Me" by Katy Perry
19. "I Kissed A Girl" by Katy Perry
20. "We R Who We R" by Ke$ha

What's on YOUR playlist?

[019] A Mini-Post

I'm sure you're surprised that it has taken me this long to make a post about my health goals. I've been seriously at this for about a month now; in that month, I have come up with a few goals that I would like to accomplish healthwise:

TEN GOALS:
1. Drink the recommended 8 glasses of water a day.
2. Walk at least 2 miles a day, at least 10 miles a week.
3. Keep my calories at 1290, as recommended by My Fitness Pal.
4. Be able to jog a mile without stopping!
5. Get down to 130 lbs.
6. Complete Ripped in 30.
7. Take at least one 'rest' day a week.
8. Get my asthma so under control that I use my inhaler only a few times a week.
9. Incorporate more fruits and vegetables into my diet.
10. Order the lower calorie options from menus and eat only 1/2 of what is served.

I can do this. I know I can.

I hope you're all having a great Monday.

[018] Sunday Weigh-In/Weekly Recap

Current Weight, as of 11 AM 04/03/11: 150.7 lbs.
BMI (according to National Heart, Blood and Lung Institute): 24.7 (normal)
Pounds lost since last weigh-in: 1.2 lbs
~~~~
Goal Weight by June 3, 2011: 145 lbs.
Ultimate Goal Weight: 130 lbs.

Thanks to a busy work week and elevated stress levels, I was unable to update with a "Midweek Check-In" like I intended to do. I was at a loss of what to write; in fact, I think I started an entry talking about not knowing what to write!

As you can see, I managed to lose another pound this week. Can I just say, it feels fantastic t know that I am that much closer to my goal weight of 130 lbs., plus I am only 5 lbs. away from my mini-goal of 145 lbs by June 3rd! If I keep losing the weight at this rate, I will be exactly 145 lbs. on that day.

I am so excited to see the pounds melting off and to feel my body changing. I owe a major part of the weight loss to My Fitness Pal, a great website that offers support and tools to help you get on your way. As mentioned, I also downloaded the MFP application for my iPhone 3Gs and have been diligently logging my calories and exercise. Without MFP, I would probably still be struggling with the weight loss.

I also bought Jillian Michaels' new DVD, Ripped in 30. It is comprised of four levels, one level per week, and is a bit more intense than 30 Day Shred. I have been on the hunt for this DVD since its release date but have found it sold out at several stores. I finally found it a few days ago at Target and promptly bought it. I've done Day 1 now and am still able to walk the following day, even though I was pouring sweat last night (gross, I know).

[017] Sunday Weigh-In

Current Weight, as of 11 AM 04/03/11: 151.9 lbs.
BMI (according to National Heart, Blood and Lung Institute): 24.9 (normal)
Pounds lost since last weigh-in: 1.2 lbs
~~~~
Goal Weight by June 3, 2011: 145 lbs.
Ultimate Goal Weight: 130 lbs.

:) is all I can really say. Woohoo!

[016] Midweek Check-In: Bathing Suits

Seeing as how it's currently 80+ degrees in my neck of the woods, I decided to blog about something that has always been a point of stress for me (and many other women): bathing suits. Ever since I developed an awareness of my own body, bathing suit shopping has been nothing but torturous for me. It got worse during my teens, when my weight shot up and self-esteem took a dive. Even after managing to lose a good amount of weight, I still hated shopping for bathing suits.

Bathing suit shopping yielded the following observation: bikinis or one-pieces. Being as self-conscious as I am, bikinis intimidated me. I did not want to show off my unfit body in some body baring suit. While I do own two bikinis, I have only worn them a few times, and thus they remain stuffed in my closet. I intend to wear them again, when I get more fit, but in the meantime I'm left with one-piece bathing suits.

Up until recently, the only one-pieces I saw were fit for older women; they aren't very flattering or cute and would age me in a matter of minutes. As a 20-something woman, I need something that flatters my body and makes me actually look, well, 20-something. I'm young, dammit! I intend to keep my youth as long as possible, but what one-piece won't make me look old?!

Luckily, with the emergence of retro-inspired styles comes retro looking bathing suits. My friends, I have fallen in love with the below, as designed by Esther Williams:

Bathing Beauty One-Piece in Red from Modcloth, by Esther Williams.

I think, for the first time, I have fallen in love with that bathing suit. Taking a look at the reviews on Modcloth only heightens my love for it. Though I haven't ordered it (yet), I fully intend to within the next two weeks. I am excited, scared, and oddly thrilled at my future purchase. This bathing suit is everything I need: a one-piece, hides my stomach, cute neckline and is a nice, bright red. And look how happy the model looks wearing it! I want to be that happy, too!

Though I'm sure I will still feel shy when I go out in public in that, I'm sure I will feel way more confident than I used to in a suit. And, if I'm feeling especially brave, maybe I'll snap a photo or two for you to see. ;) Otherwise, you'll just have to take my word that I love it or hate it.

See you on Sunday with the weigh-in!

[015] Sunday Weigh-In // Recap

Current Weight, as of 11 AM 04/03/11: 153.1 lbs.
BMI (according to National Heart, Blood and Lung Institute): 25.1 (overweight)
Pounds lost since last weigh-in: --
~~~~
Goal Weight by June 3, 2011: 145 lbs.
Ultimate Goal Weight: 130 lbs.

I knew this would happen! I change eating and exercise habits, lose three pounds, and then gain a pound back in a week. I think my body knew what I was trying to do, thus it went into some sort of starvation mode.

I won't let this get me down. It was only a pound that I gained and to be honest, I slacked a bit in the exercise department this week anyway. Due to the rain and cold that hit Southern California late in the week, my lunchtime exercises had to be cancelled and I spent it inside, reading. While I did enjoy catching up with some literature, it put a damper on my workout. To top it off, I ate a very carb heavy meal on Saturday night and overdid it a bit because I was starving.

Thank goodness for a new week, where it looks like it will be sunny during my lunch. Sun = Tritia goes walking again. Instead of wussing out after doing only a mile, I'm going to make sure that I do two miles during my walk, and I'll make sure I am walking at a brisk pace. On top of that, I'll throw in more cardio at night with jump roping. I also need to cut down on my food intake a little bit more, make sure I'm more mindful of not stuffing myself when I'm starving, and drink more water.

Also, I modified my goal again. I changed my June 3, 2011 goal to 145 lbs. and my ultimate goal as 130 lbs. I figured that I can do the June 4th goal if I continue to do what I'm doing now. It's nearly two months away, which means I have to lose an average of only 4 lbs. a month, which seems doable.

I think I need to spice up this blog a bit with photos or something. I'm self-conscious -- but then again, who isn't these days? So maybe I'll start posting photos of my body *gulp*. Or maybe I'll expand my blog to more things, not just weight loss. The main theme would be my weight loss but .. oh, who knows. I'm just rambling now.

[014] Midweek Update

I am one of the lucky Americans who currently has a job at the moment. Not just any job, but a job that challenges me and seems to teach me a lesson everyday. Not many people can say that, so I know I'm lucky to be working with my current company. My co-workers are great, I have a boss that I actually like (how many people can say that?) and I work close to home.

However, it can be hard to really get any exercise in the office. I get up once in a while to take a walk to the water machine or to go to the bathroom, but other than that, I can't really go into full gym mode here. However, I don't let that deter me from getting some kind of workout in, even if it's quick!

One of the great things about my city is that there are parks everywhere. There's a park near my office that I like to drive to nearly everyday during lunch. When I first discovered this park, it would just be a place where I could take a break for a bit. I used to read in the shade or just sit quietly until it was time to go back to work.

Then, after doing a little exploring one day, I discovered that there was a walking track. Not just any walking track, but a walking track with little exercise stations. Though I haven't done anything with the stations, I have taken advantage of the track when weather permits. They have a handy little sign that says "5 laps = 1 mile", so when I'm out there, I try to walk at least a mile. If the weather is really good (ie, not too hot or cold), I'll do 2 miles. I haven't done 2 miles in a while, but it feels good as hell to be able to do it.

My iPhone has also come in very handy on these lunchtime walks. Sometimes I would lose count of how many times I had gone around the track, but he handy stopwatch function on my phone. It keeps track of how many times I've gone around AND the time it takes to complete one lap. I no longer have to keep going "I'm on XX lap" in my head; now, I can actually enjoy the music I listen to without having to worry about keeping track.

Well, I'm off for now, but I'll be back on Sunday with the weigh-in!

[013] Sunday Weigh-In // Recap

Current Weight, as of 11 AM 04/03/11: 152.1 lbs.
BMI (according to National Heart, Blood and Lung Institute): 24.9 (normal weight)
Pounds lost since last weigh-in: 3.1 lbs
~~~~
Goal Weight: 130 lbs.

HALLELUJAH, PRAISE THE LORD!

After struggling for the past three months to lose some weight, I have finally succeeded this week! I was practically holding my breath as I stepped onto the scale this morning. I "felt" lighter, but wasn't sure if it was just a fluke. But no, I am actually 3 whole pounds lighter this week!

I am happy. Very happy and excited that this is finally happening. It took a major attitude shift and an iPod app to help me out, too. Thanks to that iPod app, I'm keeping track of my calories consumed and calories burned during exercise. My daily goal for calories is "1200", which goes by VERY quickly. I've cut down on the amount of food on eat and even the type of food I'm eating; I found out that my bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios at breakfast and 2% milk was nearly 500 calories, so I switched it with some yogurt instead. Now, I have 180 calories for breakfast. I've also been eating the Tyson's Dino Nuggets for lunch; 10 nuggets is only 360 calories. My biggest meal is dinner, which I try to be good with. I've stopped going to coffee shops to order my fatty drinks and have instant Folgers coffee with (2) single serve creamers instead. I bought pre-sliced apples with caramel for snacks. I make it a goal to burn at least 500 calories each night at the gym.

All of these changes -- and more -- have helped me drop the weight this week. I'm excited to see a change and look forward to seeing how much more I can lose. I obviously can't meet my goal by June, so I took off the deadline and have just had my goal as 130 lbs. I know I can do it, and if things keep progressing the way they are now, I could very well hit that goal by June 4th like originally planned!