Losing Weight Motivates...or does it?

*****Disclaimer: I have posted a picture of me at the bottom of this post to show how I have improved over the last few months. If you don't want to see me 'half' naked then don't scroll to the bottom of the post.*****

The end of the month is such a drag for me. That is when we run out of money for groceries. I haven't been eating the best lately. I have been eating out of the food storage pantry. That means tuna casseroles, spaghetti, meals containing "cream of" soups... Must I go on? I need to plan our money out better to make it go the whole month. For that matter I should probably plan out a whole month worth of meals. We would totally have veggies right now if I didn't splurge on foods earlier this month. Next month I will focus on how you can eat healthy without breaking the bank. I wasn't a good example of it this month but it can be done!

I wanted to talk to you about weight loss. The world is under the impression that the number of pounds you weigh is what is important rather than your measurements. I disagree. Even at my skinniest (well skinniest as an adult, not a teen) I was "overweight". At my height I am supposedly at a healthy weight between 105 and 125 pounds. I was 135 before having kids and I didn't look fat. I am an hourglass shape. I am a Marilyn Monroe. I have a naturally bigger bust and a tiny waist. Well I did. When I stand on the scale I feel like a heffer, especially if I have been working out hard and eating healthy and haven't lost any weight. But when I measure myself and see that my body has slimmed down by inches then I feel pretty good.

That being said, losing weight does feel really good. I do both. I weigh myself and measure because I do want to see a difference in my body. Losing weight motivates. When I see that I have lost 5 pounds I feel motivated to continue on. When I see I have lost an inch in my waist but see no change on the scale I do feel like "man, but I wish I could lose more weight". Dang society! It did that to us. It makes us think the scale still matters a whole lot. I am trying to get myself to think more on the line of just measuring rather than weighing but it is so hard.

When I started this blog I was 154 pounds and I have no idea what my measurements were. In January I weighed 157 and started to measure myself. I am currently 145 pounds. I have lost 12 pounds! That is very motivating to me. Now let me tell you about measurements. I measure my chest, waist, hips, arms, and thighs. I measure my arms when flexed because I am trying to build muscle in them and want to see bigger measurements there.  I will share with you my measurements from January in the bust, waist and hips versus what I am now. Then we'll talk a little more.
January 14th, 2013
Weight 157.8
Chest 37"
Waist 32.5"
Hips 42"

May 3rd, 2013
Weight 145.8
Chest 35.5"
Waist 28.5"
Hips 39"

So what does this mean? I have lost 12 pounds. I am slimmer in my chest by 1.5 inches. My waist is 4 inches smaller than it was in January. My butt is smaller by 3 inches. That is pretty awesome.  When I look in the mirror I can see it. When I looked at the pictures I took today I don't see it so much. But I am looking at all my flaws, not at my improvement. Society tells me that I should look like this:

and not like this:

The above picture I found under plus-size models. That is sick! This woman looks great but she is a plus-size model. I know maybe I am going all over the place. The point I want to make is that we are taught by the world that we should look a certain way. Thin and pretty. Well I am 5'1". I will never look like bikini girl up there. I feel like I look like plus size model over here and there is nothing wrong with that. She looks great. The world telling her that she is a plus-size model is messed up.

Try not to focus on the number on the scale. That is my goal this month. Focus on the measurements. Focus on feeling good. Focus on feeding your body good and healthy foods.  It's not about the numbers. It's about being healthy.

And now here is how I am looking these days:

I guess none of these skinny women who wear bikinis have a scar from their appendectomy either! I rock that scar!

P90x-Week 2 Day 2

My body is sore. It hurts.  Especially today. I did the week 2 day 1 workout last night and I couldn't even get up to my alarm this morning.  When I did get out of bed my whole body ached.  But you know what? It hurts so good.  It took me a little while to get going today.  My husband left for school around 9am and I was still in my pajamas, sitting on the couch watching The Bachelor.  I think in my head I planned on being a vegetable today.  But then I watched The Biggest Loser and decided not to be lazy.  I got dressed. I even did my hair today.  I ate some healthy meals.  I played with my kids. I organized my desk which has been messy for a while.  I did several loads of laundry.  I accomplished a lot once I got my big lazy bum off the couch.

I want to back track a little bit.  Yesterday I weighed myself and I gained 2 pounds. I am now 157. What? I don't understand how that happened. I ate healthy and worked out hard and drank a lot of water.. If I was on the Biggest Loser I would have been sent home.  Hopefully this week I can lose some.  My overall goal isn't to lose weight, it is to get fit and healthy. But I also think I should lose weight in doing so. That just didn't  happen last week. I need to remember that muscle weights more than fat.  Here is an example:

This picture shows the same weight of muscle and fat

This picture is really motivating to me.  Even though muscle weighs more than fat it takes up less space.  So if I turn my fat to muscle I will be smaller. That is encouraging.

The scores came up for my healthy challenge. I am #2 out of seven people. I should be proud of that but I really want first so I need to do better this week.  I WILL do better this week.  I did the Plyometrics workout tonight and I worked out hard.  I am proud of how I did tonight. It is a hard workout but I kept going and I didn't give up.  Go me! haha.

Tomorrow will be hard but not brutal. It is arms and shoulders.  Bring it on.