Sick day for sure

Gotta go to bed so I'll let the video do the talking. Also I'll upload my updated pictures tomorrow.

Night ya'll

Weekend Splurge

I'll let my video do the talking =)

I skipped a day

I was totally bad yesterday, I guess now it's technically 2 days ago, so yeah Thursday. I went out Wednesday night to hang with my friends and drank a lot of Tequila. So obviously the next day I was not a happy camper, I wouldn't say I was hungover, it was more like still drunk. So I really didn't do much except for lounging around all day and making bad eating choices. I decided not to let myself feel guilty, I made a choice and it only meant that I would have to workout twice as hard for the remainder of this week. Not that I won't work hard the other weeks, it's just that I was especially bad this week.

Today was pretty good although it took me a while to motivate myself for my second workout of the day. My eating choices were good, I went out for a nice walk and overall I felt like I was back. Tomorrow will probably be a challenge, I might go out with some friends to a wine tasting, so we'll see how that goes.

Still working at it Lizzy

So I drank

Okay so I didn't blog last night, which makes me feel like an asshole, but I had so much FUN!  It was the first time I drank since going on this diet.  It wasn't so bad, I drank until I got home, which is good...right? Anywho, I'm going to bed soon, I worked out and had everything I was suppose to...except for the tequila! :D

I took a sick day today, sort of...

So the cold I thought I had under control kicked me in the ass late last night and early this morning. My sinuses were killing me and I felt like I’d gotten punched on the head a few times. It was just awful so I took some sudafed and NyQuil- which was definitely not a good idea. Not only could I not  get up this the morning because I was over medicated, but I found out that my fever was back! So I stayed in bed till 11:30 but this time I didn’t beat myself up about it. Instead I got up and readied myself to begin the day. I went about it like I normally would have had I woken up at 9am, drank water, did 20 minutes of cardio and had breakfast. The rest of the day went smoothly, even though “Ramp it Up” still kicked my ass and I felt like I was gonna die afterward. 

Tomorrow I have to wake up at the crack of dawn for an early appointment so my day will be shifted again. I figure that as long as I keep eating healthy with lots of protein and still do my cardio and late workout, it shouldn’t make a huge difference- I hope! I feel like I’m slowly getting the hang of this and soon it might just become second nature to me!

Lizzy

Obsessive Much?

Obsessive Much? 

After a week of working out and doing the 6 day express diet, I wanted to update you all on my current stats:

Weight:  180     -5 

Bust:  42 1/1     -1/2

Waist:  37 1/2   -1/2

Hips:  41 1/2     SAME

Arm (R):  12      SAME

Arm (L):  12      SAME

Thigh (R):  22   SAME

Thigh (L):  22    SAME

Overall I think I did pretty good on my first week. Obviously, a part of me wishes I could have lost a pound a day so I could have been 7 lbs. lighter, but what the hell right? I lost some weight so that’s good! 

My day went well. I got up before my alarm went off, drank my glass of water, did my cardio, then ate breakfast. I even convinced my sister to go grocery shopping with me after I watched ‘The Missing’ starring Cate Blanchet and Tommy Lee Jones- which was honestly pretty great! 

After the movie ended, I quickly ate my AM Snack then got ready to go run errands. I hadn’t anticipated it taking as long as it did, so I ended up missing my lunch and PM Snack. I’ll confess, I was a little frustrated with myself because it shouldn’t be so hard to keep a “simple” schedule, however it is somewhat the opposite I’m afraid. My sister and I rushed home around 5:45pm which allowed me to have a quick snack, shower, and get ready in time to meet with my friend for dinner. 

We met up at Pitfire Pizza and it was pretty good! I really enjoyed their grilled steak salad and LOVED their cucumber mint lemonade. I will say that for like a second I was tempted to order pizza and have a glass of wine but I was able to contain my inner cravings. However, my friend and I did have a conversation about how I shouldn’t be so hard on myself if I miss a snack or meal at a certain time. (I guess I was still stressing about what happened earlier) Though she did have a point in regards to this diet being a little unrealistic, especially when I go back to work. Even though I’m still very much motivated and committed, I shouldn’t beat myself up if I don’t wake up on time or have a meal when I’m suppose to. Or is this the discipline I truly need?

Unfortunately, I have a tendency to become a bit obsessive when it comes to losing weight so it makes sense that I’m second guessing myself at this point . So aside from the fact that I wanted to share my struggle and journey with anyone who would listen, THAT is why I started this blog. Sometimes I just need someone to shake/slap me to snap me out of the tunnel vision I tend to have when it comes to this. 

I want to lose weight but I don’t want to lose myself in the process. So if I ever sound a little crazy in my ramblings- please feel free to give me a virtual kick in the ass. =) 

Sometimes obsessive but yet lovable Lizzy 

check out this weeks pix and vid: 

Do I get sick days?

Okay, so you know how I’ve been super pumped and ready to stay committed to my new lifestyle? Well I still feel the same, but tell my body that! I came down with the flu and I feel terrible. So terrible that I could barely open my eyes this morning. My head felt full, my body ached, I had a fever and felt really dizzy...so instead of getting up at 9am to do my cardio, I laid in bed till 11:30am.  I felt so guilty, but didn’t really have time to dwell on it 'cause I had to go to my manager's birthday party. I know, what the hell was I thinking going out in my condition? (not to mention that I could get other people sick) My doctor once told me that you’re only contagious the first 3 days (and I was well over that) except that I was really starting to feel the effects today. 

Anywho... got up, showered, dressed and then debated whether I should eat or not. Didn’t eat. Then I was on my way to this party in Hollywood. Not feeling very well and starving. We finally got there and parked like 2 blocks away from this place and I attempted to walk in my heels. (As it is, when I’m 100% I can barely walk in heels, imagine me sick or drunk...yeah not good) Got inside - it was packed.  I made my way through to say "hello" and "happy birthday" to my manager, then left her to the rest of the birthday wishers and made a beeline to the bar. It might surprise you guys, but I didn’t order a drink - I ordered water instead. Mingled a bit, then decided to sit with my friend (she was also my hairdresser on 'Eastbound & Down') who was there with her two friends. 

I sat for a bit. They had already placed an order for food and booze. Next thing you know, I see the waitress walking up with this huge plate of AMAZING DELICIOUS looking nachos. Of course, they offered some to me. I pondered it for a bit, and was like, “What the hell?, I haven’t eaten all day, one chip covered in melted heavenly cheese with guacamole won’t kill me, right?” So I ate one, savored it, and didn’t have another. I had done it! I had been able to control my inner urge of devouring that whole plate. It could have been 'cause I was sick, but I’m totally taking the credit for this one. I continued to chat with my friend for a bit, but my sinuses were killing me, so I decided to leave. Went and said my goodbyes, and then left with my roommate (who’d I’d brought along to network/mingle). 

We were both starving, so I told her that we could stop at my favorite place in Hollywood called 'Birds Cafe/Bar'. It’s right off of Franklin and Tamarind, in front of the Celebrity Center. Totally love and recommend it. We were seated immediately and I started looking over the menu, and honestly, the only thing that looked appealing in my condition was the tortilla soup. Which I LOVE!!!! Not sure how great of a choice it was, but it seemed better than a lot of my other options. Technically, I could have had a salad, but since I hadn’t consumed any food, I figured it wouldn’t be as filing. We sat there for a bit, ate, and talked again. I felt like I just needed to come home and sleep. So we did.

When I got home, I was still hungry. ( 'cause it was essentially a cup of soup, not a bowl) So I re-heated some chicken and made a salad. The missed workout, still in the back of my mind taunting me. As I finished up my plate of food, I couldn’t help but think, “Come on Liz, you’ve come this far. Don’t let a little cold get in the way of your workout." So I went and changed and got ready to do so. My body aching, my fever back, my eyes drooping  with sleep - but I still worked out. I couldn’t give it 100% like I normally do, but I finished it and now I’m sitting here typing this up because it needs to go up before I go to bed. So I ask you, do I get sick days?

Lizzy, NyQuil is my bestie =) 

6 days and counting

Every day that goes by, it gets a little easier. (which is weird 'cause I’m currently feeling under the weather). The meals are easier, the cravings aren’t as bad, and even when I go to bed late and take a bunch of NyQuil, I still wake up early. Today was the last day of the Six Day Express diet, and to my surprise, it wasn’t as hard as I thought it was gonna be. I’m actually gonna keep following it, but it won’t be as strict as I’ll be incorporating in more veggies and fruit. 

Tomorrow will be the first day of this year that my new lifestyle change will be tested. It’s my manager's birthday party and it’s gonna be a huge event. Aside from worrying about what to wear for the red carpet (the invite says Hollywood Chic), I also have to worry about the food and the drinks. I decided that I wasn’t cutting alcohol from my life, so I have to figure out what is the best alcohol to drink when “dieting”?  I know the answer would probably be, "don’t drink", but yeah, that’s not gonna happen, so what are my alternatives? Any suggestions? 

When it comes to the food, I’ll probably just have to go by what seems healthier. If unhealthy food can’t be avoided, I’ll just come back home and work my ass off. =) 

Lizzy

A Change Is Gonna Come

Last night I was watching this new show on MTV called "I Used to be Fat'". It chronicles the weight loss of young adults who have been struggling with their weight. This one particular girl last night, Marcie, was able to lose 90 pounds in 89 days. Which is totally AMAZING!! It gives me hope that I can do the same as long as I keep working hard. 

Obviously for my height and body type 90 pounds would be way too much so I'm looking to lose 50-60 pounds. Ideally I'd like to weigh between 125-135, but I know it won't be easy. I started thinking after I finished watching the show that if I wanted to lose that amount of weight by April, I really had to commit. 

There's actually something to this 6 day express diet that I'm on. The trainer on the show was saying that you have to constantly keep fueling your body with protein, which helps you gain muscle and burn fat, and he recommended for Marcie to eat 5 meals a day and workout every single day. No days off what so ever. The program that I'm on right now recommends you workout 6 days a week and take your 7th day off, which works great! But if I want to meet my target weight, I'm gonna have to go into overdrive and work on the seventh day regardless. 

So I made the decision that I'm going to commit to working out every single day. Six days out of the week I'll do the Slim in 6, but I'll also add cardio and some other form of exercise (perhaps dancing) on Sundays.  When it comes to going out with friends however, I'm gonna have to make better choices on what I eat. My plan, seeing I don't go out all that much anyway, is that I'll ask my friends to go to restaurants that are known for providing healthy meals so I can keep to my dieting goals. And this won't be hard because I live in Los Angeles, so most menus include a high protein/weight watchers diet!

This is not gonna be easy, especially since I've eaten the opposite of healthy my whole life. I just know that in order to achieve my goal and maintain it, my lifestyle has to change. But this doesn't mean I'm going to give up the things that I like either. They recommend you never give up your favorites, just have them in moderation. I know, it sounds so simple, but saying it and doing it are two completely different things. So I don't know, I'll most likely have my days where I'll falter and make bad choices, but I'll always have the next day to make it up and ultimately do better. 

Lizzy

One day at a time

Today I felt like a completely different person! Even though I went to bed really late (as you can see from my posting at 2am) I felt so full of energy. I didn't even need a nap. I don't know whether it's my body getting used to the dieting or if it's the endorphins being released from the workouts but whatever it is, it's definitely better!

I'm still on the six day express diet which ends on Saturday so I can't wait till then! It's not really a hard plan to follow, it's just redundant and I get bored with it. Definitely couldn't do it on a long term basis. I also started the next phase of Slim in 6, Ramp It Up, which is 48 minutes long. I will continue to do RIU plus the 20 minutes of cardio in the morning for the next 2 weeks until I move on to the next phase. 

I'm still super motivated, excited, and can't wait to see my end results. And even though I have always been the type of person that wants to see an immediate change rather than wait around, I'm trying to overcome that impatience to avoid getting discouraged. So I'm just gonna take it one day at a time… and pray!

Lizzy

Today (Technically yesterday now) was so much better...

Well, sort of. I didn't get enough sleep, which was partly my fault but MOSTLY my sisters.  I didn't get to bed till 1am because I was up watching "Live to Dance" and while it's no "So You Think You Can Dance", I still enjoyed it. Did you guys see those two little 10 year olds dance the latin ballroom routine and that 11 year old girl who was freaking AMAZING? I was floored by those kids! They are crazy freaking talented! 

Anywho, I laid down at 1am and didn't manage to fall asleep till about 1:45am- like I mentioned before, my brain just wouldn't shut down. (Even though I had some chamomile tea!) So I finally get to sleep and my sister, love her to pieces but still want to kick her, wakes me up to ask if I can set my alarm to wake her up for work at 7am. She has a problem with waking up on her own so I obliged, even though I didn't really want to. And this is what being nice gets me- I wake up to every single alert and alarm that's meant to get my sister up while she sleeps though it!  When she finally gets up I try to close my eyes and go back to bed but she starts making all these noises while she gets ready and it's just impossible to sleep. 

When she leaves I get a feeling of relief and close my eyes again only to hear my phone ring a second later. I'm like, "WTF?"  I answer anyway and find it's my "too perky for being up so freaking early" friend. I ask her kindly to call me back in 9 minutes, which was cool, because she totally understood. I know what you're thinking, "Why 9 minutes?" Well I'll explain… I've had a fascination with that number since The X-Files so it's been a recurring and significant number in my life. Ok, moving on. 

So I actually wake up  9 minutes later, which is amazing, and I start my day. Despite the lack of sleep, I was full of energy and ready to workout and eat my scheduled meals. And then it hit me. MY lack of sleep caught up with me and I got really tired. But a little nap never hurt anyone, right? I had at least  an hour before I had to eat my AM snack so I took the damn nap- but I didn't wake up. I had to catch that snack at 12:30, my diet depends on it, and I didn't wake up till 1:15!

So now I'm feeling guilty and thinking that my day had gone completely to shit. I felt, "Why even do it? Why continue if I can't follow one simple plan for the next 6 days?" I stressed a bit but then decided there was nothing to do but do better tomorrow. I went along the rest of the day as scheduled, made my doctor's appointment, and despite what I thought had turned out to be a horrible day, I lost 5 pounds since Monday!!! Isn't that crazy?? I literally lit up, I was floored! So now I'm even more motivated to continue this, even if I just lost some water weight, I don't care, it's 5 POUNDS!!!! 

Okay off to bed now and yes I know it's almost 2am, I suck at going to bed early. Till tomorrow =) 

Optimistic and newly determined Lizzy 

2nd day Yadda Blah Yadda Blah

So I got through the first day and I'm on to the second. 

I hear the first week is the hardest and I'm not gonna lie, it's definitely been hard. It wasn't so much the workout really...I mean, for the first three days, I'm only gonna do 20 minutes of cardio in the morning and then the 24 minute 'Start It Up' work out later in the day. It's been more the actual waking up and wanting to do it that's been the toughest part.

Yes, I'm determined to do it, but tell that to my tired brain and untrained body. Due to the work I do, I don't work consistently (not yet anyways) so I have a lot of free time on my hands. Up until a few weeks ago, I wasn't really doing much activity wise, so my body is still trying to grasp onto the fact of, "Whoa, she's getting off of the conch and doing something. This is weird!"  

Also, I'm used to going to bed when most people are getting up (here in the States anyways) so I have a hard time getting up at a decent hour. When I try to go to bed early, I generally just lay there wide awake - my brain going 100 miles a minute. I eventually fall asleep and I have my alarm set for 8am but I can't wake up. I let it ring for another hour and I finally drag myself out of bed at 9am to get my day started - AND it's only my second day!! 

What is wrong with me? I'm really hoping that as I keep doing this, eventually my brain and body won't be so tired all the time. Like literally, as I'm typing this my eyelids keep drooping. I just want to close my eyes and take a nap, but I can't! I can't because I have a scheduled meal in about 30 minutes. I can't because if I sleep now, I won't be able to sleep tonight...and I can't for so many other reasons. Am I seriously just complaining to complain?...or do you all go through this too? 

Grumpy, but determined, Lizzy

And so it begins...

I feel like I'm taking a huge risk here, but without risk there's no reward, so what the hell, right?

In speaking to my friend Kate about my New Year's resolutions, I came up with this brilliant-beyond-brilliant plan. Okay, maybe it's been done before (my friend DV said that Sarah Rue did this as well. I had no clue) but I've never done it, so now it's MY new brilliant plan. So, you're probably asking yourself what my BRILLIANT plan is, right? No? Okay, I'm gonna tell you anyway.

I've had this constant struggle with my weight since I was in my late teens. So much so, that I went through a period where I did lose the weight, but in the least healthiest manner. Then I stopped trying completely. Now though, I've decided to get back on the wagon and really give it a go! No diet pills, no starving myself, just plain ole' eating healthy and working out. I'm starting this program (that I've done in the past which has actually worked) called Slim in 6. Even though it has worked for me before, once I'd see some results, I'd stop.

So why is this time gonna be different? Because I'm putting myself out there for whoever is reading this. I will be posting videos and pictures of what I look like, along with weight and measurements on a weekly basis for all of you to follow my progress, or lack there of.

This is absolutely terrifying and I'm probably opening myself up to negative, as well as I hope positive, comments, but what the hell.  I figure if you saw me on 'Eastbound and Down', then you've already seen me naked, so this should be a walk in the park…I think.

Lizzy, hoping for the best =)

Starting weight: 185
Bust: 43 in
Waist: 38 in
Hips: 41 1/2 in
Arm (R): 12
Arm (L): 12
Thigh (R): 22
Thigh (L): 22

I'll be using the Slim in 6 program and to jump start my weight loss and new eating habits I'll be doing their 6 Day express diet plan (#2).  I'm doing 20 minutes of cardio in the morning before breakfast and my intense workout later in the day. What I love about this program is that it helps build your endurance for when you get to Burn it Up, which really kicks your ass. (Slim in 6 works in 3 stages: Start it up, Ramp it up and Burn it up. All done in a 6 weeks period. No I'm not getting paid by Beach Body to promote them, I've used it in the past and it's worked, I just never did it consistently enough to keep the weight off once I starting loosing the weight.)