80 Pounds!!

I don't even have words.  Other than GO TEXANS!!  Haha!

I don't even remember that girl on the left.  Good Riddance swollen fat face.  Always knew there was a pretty girl somewhere in there :)  Thank you all for keeping me motivated!!

Love,
Heather

-75 Pounds and 10 Dress Sizes!!

9 months!!  I started this journey a little over 9 months ago and here we are today, September 19, 2012 and I've lost 75 lbs.  HARD WORK does pay off!  This has not been easy but it's been worth it.  One day I'm going to master the full body shot - but I can't figure out how people do that.  My arms look all distorted like I can't hold the phone at the right angle.  It's like "I don't know what to do with my hands?!?" from Taladega Nights!!  LOL!!  But here is the face shot:

So I definitely see a big difference.  Healthy glowing skin, I have eyes, I have a chin!!  I also have a dimple.  Where did that thing come from.  I only remember that dimple from my skinnier days back in HS!!!  

It is so gratifying to see people that I haven't seen in months and they don't recognize me.  It has happened over and over and over!  They walk right past me without realizing I was right there!!  Josh has had it happen to him, too.  They'll ask him "Where is Heather?" totally not realizing I'm standing right by him.  They take a second look and I get the entire look up and look down and they are in disbelief.  THAT is a compliment even if they don't think so.  I have worked for this and so proud of who I am!!

I've also started another adventure.  Check out this pic below and tell me if you aren't amazed by these results?!?

So here's the story - I tried one of these wraps several months ago and totally blew my mind how it worked so well in just 2 hours.  I had planned to order more and use throughout the summer but sometimes life gets in the way and you just get side-tracked.  So in late July I got back around to it and just went ahead and signed up to be a distributor.  I used the wraps for 6 weeks faithfully and THAT picture up there is ME!!  The weight loss had left me with that saggy belly and no matter how hard I was working to get it off, it wasn't going ANYWHERE.  This product has changed my level of self-confidence in ways that I cannot put a price tag on.  I have work to do, but I am so happy with my results!!  I have a waist and my stretch marks are nearly invisible!!  IT WORKS!!  is dang right!!  Holler at me if you're interested in trying a wrap - I would LOVE to share this product with all of my friends.  If I can help you get your sexy back and increase your self-confidence then I am all over it!!  My website is:  https://heatherward.myitworks.com/  

and "Fan" me on FaceBook at:   https://www.facebook.com/ItWorksByHeatherWard

Thank you all for your support and encouragement.  I am down to the last 25 lbs to lose and this will be the hardest of them all!  I hope by Dec 31, 2012 to be at my goal weight.  100 lbs gone!  Remember - healthy on the inside means healthy on the outside!!!

Love,
Heather

60 Pounds GONE!!

62 lbs actually!!  Okay so for those who have been following my journey.....this is my -60lb pic comparison. I was hesitant to post this one because the picture on the left is a girl that was in TOTAL denial of a very serious situation. I don't know what other people saw, but I know what I'm looking at. I'm not sure I like her very much because she wasn't nice to the Heather that was on the inside. Although.......I have learned some very valuable lessons because of her. The most valuable lesson I've learned from her is that you have to invest time into yourself, no matter how much it sucks or how tired you are, or how much time you think you don't have. You have to love yourself and take care of the only body God gave you. If you don't then you will run out of time eventually. I'm glad THAT Heather on the left finally opened her eyes and realized it, so the REAL Heather on the right could shine :) Thank you to all my friends who have encouraged me and cheered me on. I am eternally grateful for all of you!!!

Activity for 5/9/2012

From my smart phone app "LiveScape"  

20 Secrets to Fitness Success!

This is a GREAT READ!!

http://www.extremely-fit.com/fitness-tips/2011/11/secrets-fitness-success/

20 Secrets to Fitness Success
If you are looking to the secrets of obtaining your fitness, health and nutritional goals, then look no further than this 20 tips, hints, suggestions, to reaching your goals.  Not an end all, cure all list… but if you can get follow these, you are well on your way!  Special thanks to Chalene Johnson ofTurbo Fire fame for providing these!

by ROBERT HARDEN

1. Keep a water bottle with you at all times and drink from it often. Water should always be your drink of choice. To kick things up every once in a while, try adding lemon, lime, cucumber, or a few berries to liven up the flavor without adding significant calories.

2. Look at exercise as a pleasure and a privilege, not a burden or chore. Think positively about the changes regular exercise will produce. Rather than obsessing about your next meal, get excited about your next workout!

3. Eat well-balanced meals and remember that excess calories, even if they’re from food that’s fat free and high in protein, will turn to excess weight. No matter what the latest fad diet says, extra calories equal extra weight!

4. Limit caffeine and exposure to even secondhand smoke.

5. Focus on short-term fitness goals with an emphasis on completing daily exercise.

6. Keep a daily log of what you’re actually eating. This includes every time you grab a handful of chips here or eat the crust of your kid’s sandwich there, and ALL of your snacking.

7. Enjoy an occasional (once a week) “unhealthy” treat, but never an unhealthy week or unhealthy vacation.

8. Enjoy contributing to the health of others by having a partner or friends to exercise with, as well as recruiting others who want to feel better and have more energy. Have a neighbor who’s sitting on the porch every morning when you walk by? Ask him or her to join you on your walk!

9. Avoid monotony by taking up new forms of exercising, or using things that keep you motivated and inspired, like new shoes or great music.

10. Subscribe to fitness magazines to keep focused on health as an overall way of life.

11. Invest in the right tools—good shoes, a portable MP3 player or iPod®, fitness equipment, a new series of tapes, etc.

12. Make it your goal to do some form of exercise 6 or 7 days a week.If some days you exercise once in the morning and once in the evening, even better! If you’re eating right, exercise will fuel your energy level!

13. Don’t compare your body to others’. Instead, work to be your personal best.

14. If your diet is unbalanced, take daily vitamin and mineral supplements for total health.

15. Work to take your exercise to new levels of intensity.

16. Create an exercise schedule the day before instead of leaving it to chance or waiting to “find” the time. If our last three Presidents of the United States can make time to work out every day, you can make time too!

17. Move beyond the boundaries of weight loss and into total fitness. Measure success by the way your clothes fit, not some number on a scale.

18. Stick with eating plans you can maintain indefinitely. Remember that no matter how hard you’re working out, if you’re consuming too many calories, you’ll never see the muscles that lie beneath layers of fatty tissue.

19. Get adequate amounts of sleep, but remember that people who exercise regularly fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly.

20. Limit alcohol intake to special occasions.

Twitter Tips!!

I follow @Fitness on Twitter - you should, too!  I love the healthy tips and information!  Look at the Tweet at the very top about water!!  You can also "Like" them on FaceBook at https://www.facebook.com/fitnesstwitter

You can follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/heatherdawn0212

Happy Tweeting!!

Wednesday May 9th - The Menu

So this is what is on my menu today - while I'm at work.  I get a lot of questions about what I eat while I'm at work.  Most that I have talked to say they don't have time to eat 6 times a day.  It's easy!!  Check it out:

This Morning:
3 slices turkey bacon
1 bowl oatmeal

Mid morning snack:
I'll probably have the string cheese or the yogurt

Lunch:
It's not in the pic but I have a WW meal in the freezer here at work.  I buy enough for the week and bring them on Monday, that way I don't have a reason to go out and eat.  Yesterday I got treated to lunch by my Mom & Dad but I did well.  Grilled chicken fajitas with wheat tortillas, skipped the rice, skipped the chips & queso.

Afternoon Snack:
I'll have the orange or the fiber one bar

Dinner:
I've thawed out Tilapia filets.  Will season them with a little salt & lemon pepper, sprinkle some Panko bread crumbs on them and bake until golden and flaky.  Probably will have some Broccoli or english peas and some brown rice.  I always make last minute decisions on my veggies.  Oh and I have asparagus too.  Now I'm craving asparagus.  GAH!

Late night snack:
Hmmmmm.....Probably a banana. I like to eat bananas after I work out and tonight I'm prob doing the Biggest Loser Cardio tape which wears me out.  I haven't mastered that one yet.  Jumping Jacks are the devil!!  I flip flopped my workout and have been doing them in the evenings for the last few weeks.  I'll prob go back to mornings once the kids are out of school and I don't have to get up so early.  I don't have to be at work until 9, so getting up at 5AM got old for a while.  I do notice that my energy level was much higher throughout the day when I was working out in the morning though!  So we'll see.  I just feel very bad if I don't get that workout in - like I'm cheating myself.  Pics below of what I brought to work today.  Along with my 75 oz. water bottle!!

Week #20

Trying to find a full body pic of me last year was pretty hard - because I HATED pictures, and normally only allowed pictures from the waist up.  Whoever got the pic below was lucky!!  In the picture on the left....those jeans I was wearing in that picture were size 22 Silver Jeans.  They were falling off about 6 weeks after I started.  They are now in a pile in my closet of clothes that no longer fit.  I recently (about a month ago) bought my first pair of blingy "fancy pants", a size 16.  This week they are loose.  So I'm somewhere between a size 14-16 (depending on the brand and the fit).  Holla!!  I haven't been a 14-16 in I don't know how long.  I was a size 12 when Josh and I met and I was happy at that size.  I like the curves on my body so I'm not interested in being a skinny mini.  I also know for a fact that Josh likes the curves, so I just want to be lean and toned!  Working on it as you can see.......

What's the Secret?

Okay, so after much thought, I have decided to document this journey I've been on.  I've had so many people ask me "What have you been doing?!?" So this is where I'll try and document it all.  Let's start back on January 6th 2012.....

Good Morning World - hello scale that I purchased last night that I really don't want to step on.  Please be nice to me because I really feel down on myself after seeing some hideous NYE pics from Josh's show.  Seriously how in the world could I let myself go THAT far and how in the world did I not see it in the mirror?  Here we go.....HOLY SHIT!  That has got to be wrong.  2XX.4. Once I've made it to goal, I'll reveal that beginning weight.  Right now I'm not ready!!  At that point I was either about to have a heart attack because I'm seriously the heaviest I've ever been in my life (even at 40 weeks pregnant with both kids) or I'm going to have a heart attack because I'm just in serious shock.  As if the size 22 jeans (that were getting tight) weren't a huge red flag that my ass was expanding more and more everyday!  Okay so breathe....it's not 300.  But it is damn near close enough.  Again - wanting to beat the fat cow in the mirror - HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO YOURSELF?  Serious reality check.  But guess what - you are going to participate in the biggest loser contest at work so lets get all the notes you made from the past few weeks, all the Pinterest recipes and lets get to the grocery store.  It's time!!  Guzzle your last sip of Dr. Pepper, Heather.  That part of your life is about to be history!

Here was my first shopping list:

Chicken, Fish, Turkey
Fresh Asparagus, Frozen Broccoli, Frozen Cauliflower, Frozen English Peas
Egg Whites or Egg Substitute
Turkey Bacon
Fat Free Cheese Slices
Fat Free Mayo
Whole Wheat Bread
Bananas, Strawberries, Blueberries, Apples
Instant Oatmeal
Fat Free Skim Milk
Fiber One Bars (90 Calorie Bars)
Panko Bread Crumbs
Reduced Fat Peanut Butter
Light Mozzarella String Cheese
Splenda Sugar Substitute
Whole Grain Brown Rice
Fat Free Yogurt
Water Bottle (a big one!)
A high cardio workout tape (ended up with Leslie Sansone 5 mile walking DVD)

So shopping trip makes you already feel good because the basket is full of really great good for you food.  No one is looking at me like..."OMG...Becky....Did you see the size of her BUTT?!?"  "Why in the world would she be buying frozen pizza and Dr. Pepper"  "She must not own a mirror!" NOPE!  My basket is full of items that are about to change my figure and my life!

Saturday Jan 7th - I started my healthy life journey and here I am today!  50 lbs lighter!  How did I do it?  Let me break it down for you:

1.)  5 AM to 6 AM (4 to 5 times per week) 1 hour of Cardio (Leslie Sansone 5 Mile DVD)

I couldn't make it through the first mile on the very first attempt.  I have now made it through all 5 miles!  I SWEAT like a whore in church and I am not ashamed of it.  This gets my heart rate going and she paces so well that you can actually keep up.  Love the toning bands as well.  I give it 2 thumbs up!!

2.)  WATER!!  Lots and Lots of Water!!  I have a 75 oz water bottle and I drink every single drop of it (and sometimes more post workout)  Found mine at Walgreens:

3.)  EAT SIX TIMES PER DAY! I stay within 1200 calories per day:

• I start off with Great Value Instant Oatmeal (Apples & Cinnamon) with 1 packet of Splenda Sweetener.  
• Followed up by a mid morning snack - usually a banana or apple slices with 1 tablespoon of reduced fat peanut butter.
• Lunch is usually a Weight Watchers Smart Start lunch, sometimes a subway sandwich if I didn't bring my lunch.
• Mid Afternoon Snack is Triscuit Crackers with 1 wedge of Laughing Cow Cheese, Yogurt, String Cheese, Fiber One 90 Calorie Bar, or Fruit.  
• Dinner consists of Chicken, Fish, or Turkey - usually grilled or baked.  I eat a protein, a starch (brown rice, sweet potatoes) and a veggie (steamed broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, etc.)
• Late Evening Snack - small bowl of special k cereal, fiber one bar, or any other snack food from the list above that I haven't had that day)

Of course I change it up and when we are out to eat, I order grilled meats or low calorie choices from the menu.  I ask for wheat tortillas at Mexican restaurants and skip the chips and queso.  It is hard - no doubt but I know that I will feel better and look better if I just skip it.  Plus your food will be there before you know it - you can wait it out.  WILLPOWER! 

I don't beat myself up on the weekends and try to eat like an insane OCD diet freak.  I just don't do IHOP at 3 in the morning.  I nearly had a panic attack this past weekend when Josh insisted that we HAD to stop because he was about to starve and would not live if he didn't get to eat.  I couldn't find the wheat pancakes and almost lost my mind.  IHOP is the Devil.

I'm not sure if I've given great pointers but what I do know is that the first month of my "new healthy lifestyle" brought the scale down 20 lbs.  I am positive that it was because I quit the Dr. Pepper addiction and introduced my body to water.  I was the type of person who hated water, it was boring, I wanted and needed my Dr. Pepper to get through my day.  I was like a crack addict but addicted to the sweetness and the 23 flavors (which one of them might be crack - who knows?!?) For gosh only knows how many years I had been filling my veins full of the sweet syrup sludge that is Dr. Pepper.  Think about it...you take the carbonation out - what do you have?  Syrup!  No wonder I couldn't lose weight?  Hey Stupid-Here's your sign!  I also believe that eating 6 small meals per day kick-started my metabolism and I was no longer "Starving" my body.  I didn't eat that much as a big girl.  But my body never knew what was going on because it was storing everything I ate and drank.  I was starving my body of healthy food and nutrients that I needed to BURN Fat.  I was being very ugly to myself.  Would you feed your kid nothing but crap and sugary drinks and think they would be healthy for very long? Of course not!  You would have CPS called on your for being an unfit parent.  I was being unfit to myself and that is so sad.  I should have been nicer to myself all those years.  

Another thing that I do is log everything I eat and all my activity/exercise into an app on my smartphone.  I use an app called LiveScape.  I love it and it's so easy to use!  Here is an example of my activity a few days ago:

By logging in what I am consuming I am held liable for what I am doing.  The last person you want to let down is yourself so this app works great for me.  It also tracks my weight loss and BMI.  It's great!!  Always log your food in so you don't have to 2nd guess yourself when it comes to how many calories you have left to consume.  You won't go over this way and you won't beat yourself up.  You can also log major restaurant foods and namebrand foods in and it automatically calculates everything.  Seriously the best thing ever invented, IMHO!

So here's the before and after - to date:

It is really remarkable.  I still look in the mirror and know I have work to do, but dayum girl - you lookin' good!

It is so exciting and satisfying to know that I DID THIS.  If I can do it - anyone can do it!!  The poster below is 100% True.  I am 20 weeks in and the compliments have not stopped.  Feels so good!!

'