Time Flies...

So, it's been a while.  And I just realized today I never really updated anyone on the status of the "final" goal weight once my birthday hit this past December.  There's just been way too much ... stuff ... going on lately.

Found at beautyandbedlam.com.

I do believe I updated that I finally got a job - one I enjoy very much.  The company is great and the people I work with are awesome ... even if 9 times out of 10 they all have some kind of germ they keep spreading around.  :)  I've been lucky that I haven't yet caught this germ, because it doesn't like humans very much.  *knock knock knock*

Anyways, if you remember from my My Fitness Goals post, my goal weight to hit by my birthday in December was 180 pounds.  I didn't make it.  :(  I was ten - yes TEN - pounds from reaching it.  But, going from 221 to 190 the RIGHT WAY (with a complete eating habit over haul and exercise), in just over a year is absolutely amazing.  I'm so happy I was able to "mostly" stick to my goals during last spring and summer, and that I was also able to maintain the healthier habits during the holidays.

I say "mostly" because I gained about five pounds back during the holidays, but can you really blame me?  There's multiple family functions and everyone makes such yummy, not-good-for-you-at-all-but-you-have-to-eat-them-because-you-only-get-them-once-a-year foods.  And birthday cake.  There is A LOT of birthday cake between September and January 1, at least for my family.  So, I really don't think five pounds is all that bad, considering the alternative.

I've also stuck with my breakfast and water goals.  I always, always eat within 45 minutes of waking up.  I always drink my 8 glasses of water a day, with Thursdays getting special attention on the water intake due to 'Thirsty Thursdays", where we drink water, and only water, all day.  My average water intake on Thursdays is around 128 ounces...not shabby if I say so myself!

The exercise part ... well, it's kinda fallen to the way side.  I feel bad about that, but at the time, I didn't have a choice.  I'm considering Brazil Butt Lift now, simply because I've heard so many excellent things about it, and hey...everyone wants a great butt!  LOL!  I have to wait a bit longer before I can start a new program, but summer's coming and I've still got a ways to go before I can say I've hit and exceeded my goals.

All in all, last year was excellent, and I'm hoping this year will be better.  Look for more posts from me soon!  :)

3 Easy Football Exercises

As you know, it's football season! 

YAY!  GO BEARS!

TH and I are Chicago Bears fans (as if you couldn't tell yet), and I was thinking today that it'd be awesome if I could somehow incorporate some easy exercises based on how the games going.  I devised a simple, yet effective way to get some decent exercises in during each game.

Feel free to use these and a link back to me on your own blogs and/or pages would be appreciated!  :)


Football Game Exercises


Munchies: Carrots and Water  

- 10 Push-Ups when the other team scores a touchdown.

- 5 Push-Ups when they scores a field goal.
- 10 Squats when The Bears score a touchdown.
- 5 Squats when The Bears score a field goal.
- 5 Crunches for each flag flown - for either team.  It doesn't matter if the flag is later declined, flag goes out, you do the crunches.

Regarding Munchies
I started out with just carrots, but as I kept doing the exercises, I got more hungry.  I had some rosemary & feta chips, a small glass of Almond Coconut milk, and some yogurt.

I also missed my beer (football staple duh!), but I made a Sobe Lifewater (coconut) with a shot of Malibu.  It's not beer and beef, but it's more healthy.  :)

It's half-time now, and so far I've done:

- 20 Push-Ups
- 35 Squats
- 45 Crunches

And that was only the first half AND it's not a very high-flag-throwing game!  I have a feeling the season will get more interesting with these in mind.  My legs and stomach muscles are killing me.  :)

Happy Football!  Go Bears!

Tips To Replace Junk Food With Healthier Food

This is the first of what I hope to be many blog posts that have absolutely nothing to do with my Insanity workouts, but are actually kind of informative.  Today I'm going to talk about how to exchange that yummy, sometimes sugar-loaded junk food that we all love and our thighs and butts hate into something that's actually good for you.  This topic came up in the group that I'm part of on Facebook that is comprised of our Beachbody Team, and one of the women posted that she was really trying to get off the junk food - like cookies and milk - and have something healthy instead because getting into the "eating right" phase is difficult to do.

It's difficult for everyone!  If you can't get hooked on some form of "bad thing" then I really don't think you're human.  Seriously.

Anyways, Helga (that isn't her name, but you gotta love obscure names) said she's been bringing deviled eggs to work to snack on instead of cookies.  Go Helga!  She also asked what kind of others things she and her family could do to gradually phase out the junk and phase in the healthy.  Here are some tips from our wonderful team:

• Get Rid of The White.  

This means buy whole wheat bread instead of white bread.  Buy brown rice instead of white rice.  Use whole pasta instead of regular pasta.  You can even use Turbinado Sugar instead of white sugar.  Clicking this link will take you to Live Strong's website where they have a really good write up on how to use Turbinado sugar in place of white sugar.  The options are out there, you just need to find them and not be afraid to try something new. 

• Make A Meat Rub.  

One of the women suggested going through all your spices and make a meat rub that you can use for chicken, pork, beef, etc.  With a rub you can do all sorts of things with you meat - marinate it, use a bit extra to form a crust when you cook the meat, or even smoking the meat.  By using the rub as a "crust" you eliminate the need to use bread crumbs, which is always a bonus. 

• Replace Crunchy With Crunchy.  

Everyone has their favorite type of chips.  Mine happen to be Flamin' Hot Cheetos and Sun Chips.   I replaced my chips with baby carrots.  Every time I wanted something crunchy to munch on, I grabbed a handful of baby carrots instead of a handful (or a whole bag) of chips.  Same goes with eating celery or an apple. 

• Replace Soft With Soft.  

Same thing as above, but with soft foods.  I replaced cookies (and I do love cookies) with fruit - bananas, strawberries, pineapple. 

• Buy Sandwich Thins.  

I recently discovered these wonderful Sandwich Thins at Sam's Club (where they are much cheaper), but they also have them at grocery stores.  I buy the Whole Wheat and the Honey Wheat.  They are great for so many reasons.  First off, they are thin, so when you make a sandwich, you can actually TASTE the things you put between the slices instead of a mouthful of just bread.  Second, they make GREAT brat, hot dog, and Italian sausage buns.  Same principal as with the sandwich - you can taste the meat instead of just the bread.  And, they are lower on calories than regular wheat bread.  :) 

• 90 Calorie Granola Bars.  

I buy these because they are great snacks, treats/desserts, and breakfast foods.  I get the ones from Wal-Mart in chocolate chip.  It gives me a chocolatey treat without all the bad stuff.  I don't eat them every day, but they are nice to have on hand. 

• Drink Water.  

I know, it sounds silly.  But, when you get a craving for something, drink a glass (8 ounces) of water then ask yourself if you are really hungry for that food or just think you are. 

• Replace Your Milk.  

I know I've said this before, but Almond Milk is the way to go!  I love the Almond Milk / Coconut Milk blends (60 calories), and I have stopped buying regular milk completely.  TH even loves it.  I get him the Vanilla flavored Almond Milk (which is 90 calories).  I use it to cook with, to make my Shakeology, eat it with my cereal, and use it as my coffee creamer - on the off days when I actually want to drink coffee. 

• Change Your Cereal.  

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but I don't like to cook breakfast for myself.  So, I'm a big eater of cereal, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch is hand's down the best cereal on earth.  But, it's not healthy.  So I replaced the best cereal on earth with granola types.  Sam's Club/Wal-Mart has a Pumpkin Flax Seed Granola which is actually really freaking good - as cereal and mixed in yogurt.  Another good one is from Jewel's Wild Harvest brand.  It's a Cherry Vanilla Granola and a Blueberry Flax Seed Granola.  And they are all excellent with Almond / Coconut Milk.  :) 

• Experiment With Your Greens.  

Stop using just iceberg lettuce! Experiment a little and get yourself some baby spinach, romaine, arugula, kale, or just a spring mix from the store.  And before you go "Ewwww, spinach!", stop.  Spinach in a can isn't what REAL spinach tastes like.  It's much much better, because I thought the same thing.  I use different lettuce types for salads and sandwiches.  I also make the spinach into a dinner side dish by wilting it with some garlic and extra virgin olive oil.  It's delicious.  :) 

• Drink More Water Instead of Soda.  

I can't say it enough, drink water like it's going out of style.  I used to think this wasn't very important, and I was wrong.  Now, drinking 64 ounces of water a day is nothing.  The best way to do this (for me anyways) was to use a 32 ounce cup.  We have several Iron Man and Farmville cups from 7-11 Slurpees, and I know that I have to drink minimum two a day.  Because I was drinking so much water, I didn't even WANT a soda.  Though I will admit, kicking the soda habit was hard.  I started small by saying gradually reducing how much I drank it - like 1 can every other day.  Then I reduced it to Wednesdays only.  By the third week, I didn't even want it anymore and it tasted terrible.  

• Avoid Fast Food.  

I love french fries.  I especially love french fries from Wendy's.  And sometimes you really don't have a choice about eating at a fast food restaurant.  So if you have no choice, check out this very informative posting from the Dr. Gourmet website as it lists some "healthier" options as well as nutritional value for each.  He also has a handy printable version for most of the restaurant options as well.

So these are some of my tips and some of our Facebook groups tips.  I hope they help you make better food choices whenever possible.  If anyone has any others, post'em up!  I'd love to hear them!

My Fitness Goals - Round 2

I know, I've said it before but I'm doing Insanity again!.  This time I mean it!  When I said that back in June I think, we had normal weather.  Four days into the program, mega hot heatwave hit us and it didn't let up until last week, but this week has been gorgeous.  I've made my start date tomorrow, August 13th, because 13 is my lucky number.  You may think it's strange or weird, but I like that number because everyone else fears it.  :)

Part of starting Insanity the first time was to make a goal list.  If you want to check it out, you can find it by clicking on the pretty blue link you just read.  So, I figured the best way to do this right would be to create a new set of goals that reflect what I've learned from the first round of Insanity, and what I want to accomplish in this second round.  If you'll look back through my first round, I lost a total of 10 pounds and 19.7 inches.  In a perfect world, I'd like to double the weight lost, but realistically, I know that is not possible, nor would it be super healthy.

Why you might ask?  Well, I'll tell you.

Because I'll rebound and go on an "I must eat all the ice cream I can because I'm not as huge as I was anymore" spree.  Like the great and well known "Eat the Brownie Extravangaza!".  And I know I would.  I may not limit it to ice cream - cookies, soda, chips, chocolate, candy, Wendy's, beer, Burger King - whatever.  It would be a total nightmare and a waste of 60 days of kickin' ass.  Not to mention depressing as all hell.

So, I'm going to do it the way I did before - Daily, Weekly, and Monthly goals.  I am also staying with Sundays as Rest Days (except for camping weekends where I make up Saturday's workout on Sunday), and also with the "I'm allowed one bad thing on Wednesdays IF I ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO HAVE IT".  With my last round of Insanity, I had to kick the soda habit and letting myself have one on Wednesdays was awesome.  After a while, I didn't even want one, or if I opened it, I couldn't drink it because it killed my stomach.  Sadly, this is no longer the case, so that one day of having a single bad thing will help again with cravings and rebound issues. 

Also, Saturdays are considered "Free Days".  I don't have to follow my nice eating healthy habits, I can eat badly if I want too.  With the first round of Insanity, this "Free Day" was used probably 50% of the time.  I just didn't want to jam my mouth full of french fries and a burger all the time, so I rarely used it.  BUT - when I did use it, I wouldn't feel as guilty about it.  Having a Free Day is a good thing.

TLDR version for you ADD types: Saturdays are Free Days, Wednesdays are "One Bad Thing" days, and Daily, Weekly, and Monthly goals are a must.

So, here they are, in no particular order:

Daily Goals

• Drink a glass (8 oz.) of water with every snack & meal.
• Eat 5 times a Day - Breakfast, Snack, Lunch, Snack, Dinner.
• Drink at least 64 ounces of water daily, more is better.
• Log my Calorie Intake with My Fitness Pal.
• Do the WORKOUT!.
• Eat suggested serving sizes, not how much I really want.
• Write an INVENTIVE blog post about the workout of the day.  Because I've done this before, it gets kind of old reading about how much I hate Plyometric Cardio Circuit.  Be Original!

Weekly Goals

• Lose 1/2" inch on a body part; it doesn't matter which one.
• Record bi-weekly measurements & weight, and ONLY bi-weekly.  No checking weight in between measuring days.
• 6 of 6 workouts done each week.
• Don't injure myself!
• Write a blog post that doesn't pertain to a workout at least twice a week.

Monthly Goals

• Push myself harder each week than I did the previous week.  
• Month 1 - Lose 4" total.  Month 2 - Lose 8" total, for a total of 12" lost by end of Insanity.
• Stick with the program!!!

Final Goals

• Final weight of 180 pounds or less
• A flat stomach
• Have more energy and sleep better.
• Complete lifestyle change by eating healthier foods & proper portion sizes without realizing it
• Be able to wear the "closet jeans" with no belly flab hanging over the top, or in this case, "closet shorts" since it's summer time.  :)
  

And there you have it.  Some of them are the same as before, as they are things I still need to work on.  Some of them have changed because I know what I can accomplish if I set my mind to it.  Round Two - here I come!!  :)

Turbo Jam on Monday!

So I know I haven't written anything since I posted up my Insanity results, and for that I am sorry.  Been super busy with summertime fun activities - like camping.  I've also been sucked into Diablo III and have been playing it like it's going out of style.  :)

Monday June 4th I'm starting Turbo Jam with a few people from our team's super awesome Facebook page.  I absolutely can't wait to get back on to a workout schedule.  I just don't workout without a schedule to follow.  I wanted to test myself and I failed miserably at it. 

"Today, I'm going to do push-ups, some arm work, and some good old fashioned crunches."

Yeah, that hasn't happened.  Though yesterday, I did do a couple sets of arm curls with my trusty ol' five pound weights.  Yeah, I'm a weakling, shoot me.  :)

I do things if I know I have to follow a schedule, so next week is going to be awesome.

My Uncle is flying up from Mississippi for a work conference, so I'll get to hang out with him tonight.  I haven't seen him since Thanksgiving last year, so it should be fun.  Last I heard, we're going to Jimmy Buffet's Cheeseburger in Paradise.  Too bad I won't get a cheeseburger, but I'll report to you how good their salads are.  :)

I have continued to eat mostly right.  With the Memorial Day weekend, I kinda let myself slide a little a bit (beer, food, horseshoes and bags!), but I've still managed to lose 2.2 pounds even without being super strict on myself.  I'm doing a modified Shakeology Cleanse to jump start my Turbo Jam program, and so far so good!  :)

With that 2.2 pounds of weight loss, I now officially weigh less than I did when TH and I got married two years ago.  This makes me super happy! 

My goals for Turbo Jam are to be under 200 pounds by the time I finish the program.  I'm going to shoot for 199, but secretly hope I'll get down to 190.  Since it's not as intense as Insanity was, I'm not exactly sure how that will work, or if it will work, but I've got two months to lose 15 pounds.  But, as I learned from Insanity, it's not about the weight I lose, it's about the inches.  So, a parallel goal is to fit into the size 14 shorts I've had for like 10 years.  They are almost brand new since I think I only wore them like three times before I stopped being able to button them.  They are the "Closet Jeans" of summertime.  :) 

Again, like Insanity, I'll post up measurements and weight loss, as well as pics, when I'm finished with the Turbo Jam program.  I plan on staying to the "every two weeks" schedule of measuring and weighing like I did with Insanity on Fit Test days.  

Lots of stuff going on these next few months!  I can't wait to be able to write to you about them!  Don't forget to "Like" NFBL on Facebook to get more frequent updates and tidbits that I don't post up on the blog!  See you Monday!

60 Days of Insanity - Review, Results, & Pics

I've finally finished!  I dug deeper, pushed harder, and made it through what's been labeled as one of the toughest workouts you could ever do without expensive equipment.  Insanity is just that - insane.  It will make you work, make you sweat, and make you swear.  And it's totally, completely, 100% percent worth it.

For those of you who don't know what Insanity is, here's the blurb from the Beachbody website:

Your personal trainer Shaun T will push you past your limits with 10 discs packed with cardio and plyometric drills with intervals of strength, power, resistance, and core training. No equipment or weights are needed, and you don’t have to be in extreme shape to do it. As long as you’re ready to dig deep, Shaun will help you get insane results in just 60 days.

Insanity is a Total Body Conditioning Program designed specifically to tone and shape your body with nothing but your body in 60 days.

Now, people may ask if Insanity works.  I can tell you that yes, it does work.  I have muscle where I had no muscle before.  I have confidence and energy where before I had none.  I don't have nearly as many problems with my knee, unlike before I started.  I can chase my nieces and nephews and not feel like I'm going to have a heart attack after running five feet. 

Was it hard?  Definitely.  I went from a complete lazy couch potato to a level of intensity I've never experienced before in my life.  At times, I wanted to give up, because I thought to myself "There's no freaking way I'm ever going to be able to do that".  I was wrong.  Within a couple weeks, some times as little as one week, I was able to conform my body into the moves required - like Diamond Jumps and Riot Tuck Jumps.  I can do those now.  Not that I can do them perfectly, but I can do them.

I also had a great team of people helping to encourage and inspire me to keep pressing play every day.  My heartfelt thanks go out to them and all my readers, especially Coach Brandy, because I can honestly say that if I didn't have all of you to be accountable too, I probably wouldn't have stuck with it.  I've learned so much, and have all of you to thank for it.

Now, I'm sure you're all wondering when I'm going to get to the "review" part of this post.  So, I'll stop rambling and feeling mushy and get on with it.  I'm not going to go through every single week, just highlights here and there.  If you want to read about my entire journey through Insanity, you can click this link and it will take you to a nice little list I have compiled for just that purpose.

Day 1.  Sorry for the crappy pic.

Day 1 was my first Fit Test and it was by far the worst day ever.  I felt like I had dropped into the pits of hell and was slowly being consumed by goblins who were masters of all sorts of evil torture.  Everything ached and I discovered muscles in places I didn't know HAD muscles.  The next two weeks weren't much better in terms of evil torture methods.

By the time I reached my second Fit Test, which was two weeks later, I felt confident that I wouldn't have improved.  My muscles, especially my legs and feet, were sore.  There was a muscle under my arm pit that was sore.  Hell, my damn fingers were sore!  But, I did improve.  I was like "Holy crap!  They went up!".  It was after seeing those numbers go up that I realized I was going to stick with it.  I wanted to know how much higher I could get them.

At this time, I could tell that it was working a little bit.  My arms looked smaller, my face looked smaller, but I still wasn't really losing much weight.  It wasn't until I did my measurements that I found out that I was losing inches.  It was also at this time that I stopped focusing so much on losing weight and focused more on losing inches.  I suggest you do the same.  Focusing on weight can be discouraging, but focusing on losing inches made the workouts go by faster and made me work harder.

Day 30.

By Day 30 of Insanity, there was definite improvement everywhere.  I had energy, had a great attitude and was proud of myself for finishing the first month.  Day 30 fell right into the middle of "Recovery Week", and let me tell you, I LOVED LOVED LOVED Recovery Week.  It stretches and almost relaxes your muscles, but you still get a great workout without feeling like you want to die.  It was also at this time that I signed up to be a Beachbody coach so I could get Shakeology cheaper.  Shakeology is like a gift from the Gods.  It tastes good and it gave me my daily dose of chocolate in a healthy form.

One of the hardest things for me was curbing my eating habits and eating five times a day.  I loved soda, chips, crackers and cheese, beer, fast food burgers, ice cream - all the things you shouldn't eat massive amounts of, I wanted, especially since now I couldn't have them.  Instead of cutting them out completely, I set a limit for myself.  Saturdays were free days, I could eat whatever I wanted if I was smart about it.  I also set Wednesdays as "You can have one, and only one, bad thing today" day.  At first, I gorged on Saturdays.  After a while, I didn't want to because the food I used to eat didn't taste as good, so I stuck to my shakes, salads, healthier foods and snacks.  Wednesdays I would pick to have one can of soda.  I can't even drink soda now because it's too sweet, makes my stomach hurt, and gives me a headache.  I really miss my bubbles, but I'll take a chocolate shake instead.  :)

Day 45.

It wasn't until Day 45 that I really started to notice the changes in the mirror.  I'd been so used to looking for them, that I didn't see them when they showed up.  My stomach was smaller, my arms had muscle bumps, my legs were more toned.  The closet jeans that were so uncomfortable to wear at Day 30 felt good to wear, not loose, but not cutting into my stomach anymore with 5 inches of gut hanging over the edge.  I didn't have to wear the baggiest shirts I owned to cover up that hanging bulge either.

Let me interrupt myself here and say that starting Insanity Month 2 was just like starting Month 1 all over again.  It was hard, everything ached, and those damn hellish goblins were back with their torture devices.  The exercises became more complex, sometimes combining two or more exercises from Month 1 into one exercise.  And I will be honest and say that there are a few them that I still can't do, but I did the best I could with them, modified them when I had too, and got the job done.

Day 60.

These last two weeks of Insanity, I kinda hit a "blah" phase.  I don't really know why.  Maybe because I'm a little sad it's over.  Before I used to be like "OMG I DID MY WORKOUT! YAY ME!" and it's been "meh, did my workout" lately.  I'm sure those of you who have been following my blog posts have noticed this as well.  I really don't have an explanation for  it, but one of the ladies in our Facebook group is feeling the same way, so maybe it's normal.  I think it's the beginning phases of Shaun T withdrawal, because he is just an awesome guy.  :)

Day 60 of Insanity.  I made it!  I did it!  YAY ME!  I decided to commit and succeed (to steal a line from my buddy Jon - thanks!).  I stuck to it, even through the aches, the pains, the "why do you hate me"s.  And I have the results.  They are more than I expected, considering I didn't even think I'd make it out of Month 1.  Take a look for yourself and tell me what you think! 

And there you have it folks.  Insanity - 60 days of pure insane cardio designed to make you sweat, swear, and look good.  :)  Up next for me is Turbo Jam, which we're starting on June 4th.  After that, I've already planned on re-visiting Shaun T and Insanity to see how badly I can pound those number into the dust.  :)

I want to thank those of you who've been following this journey either here on the blog or over at our Facebook page.  Stayed tuned for a journey through Turbo Jam!  :) 

Insanity - Week 7, Day 3 - Double Workouts Again!

I've been so behind all week, so I'll apologize for being lazy and not posting this yesterday after I did it.

Max Cardio Conditioning and Cardio Abs.

/sigh

Mother Nature has been playing hell on my knee all week with these random freak storms we've been getting.  Yesterday, it was sunny & gorgeous one minute.  Five minutes later it's pouring ass rain and then it started to hail!  Another 5 minutes go by and it's sunny and gorgeous again.  I thought my neighbor's garage was on fire because it was smoking, but no...it was just steaming because the "burst" was cold and the temp rose by like 15 degrees after it passed.  It looked kinda cool actually.

Insanity - Week 6, Day 5 - Double Workouts!

Today was the first day of "double workouts" for Month 2.  Yippee!  /end sarcasm.  At least this month I was smart about it and split them up instead of trying to do them back to back.  Much more effective that way because I was actually able to give each workout the focus it deserved.  I did Cardio Abs first, then did Max Cardio Conditioning about 45 minutes later.

Not really too much to report on either, so...yeah.  Max Cardio is getting a bit easier to do.  I was actually able to do 4 Diamond Jumps.  Surprised the hell outta me when I just did it.  I'll take that as a sign that my legs are cooperating with what my brain wants them to do.  And In - N - Out Abs/Push-Ups Jacks didn't kill me until halfway through the second set of them.  Another shocker!  Push-up Jacks are still the bain of my existence (as far as Insanity goes), but they are getting easier - a little bit.

Eating Chocolate Can Lower Your BMI?

OMG - Check it out!  This is awesome.  I came across this doing some random searching on the web.  As long as it's in moderation, it can't hurt too bad right?  :)

The Chart - A Blog by CNN - "Could Eating Chocolate Make You Thinner"

Now ... where's my Dove Dark chocolate at .... ?

My Fitness Goals

I'm sitting here trying to figure out what to add to this blog to make it interesting, and figured I'd post up my fitness goals.  It took me HOURS to think of this list, because, duh, I want to lose weight.  Isn't that what working out is about?  Coach Brandy told me I should make a list for "Final Goals" and "Daily Goals".  I took it a step further and made a "Weekly Goals" list as well.  Why?  Because if I have a list to check off every day, I feel a bit more accomplished.  "Hey look what I did!".  It's because I procrastinate a lot, and they really do help.

If you're looking for a little help with your goals, try these:

Daily Goals

• Drink a glass (8 oz.) of water with every snack & meal
• Eat 5 times a Day - Breakfast, Snack, Lunch, Snack, Dinner
• Log my Calorie Intake with My Fitness Pal
• Do the WORKOUT!
• Eat suggested serving sizes, not how much I really want.  

Weekly Goals

• Lose 1.5 pounds OR 1/2" inch on a body part; it doesn't matter which one
• Record bi-weekly measurements & weight, and ONLY bi-weekly.  No checking weight in between measuring days.
• Since I'm currently doing Shaun T's Insanity, I want 6/6 workouts done.  Sundays are rest days.
• Don't injure my knee or any other body part by pushing too hard when I'm not ready for it yet.

 Final Goals

• Final weight of 180 pounds
• A flat stomach so I can get the belly ring I've been coveting since I was 18
• Have more energy
• Complete lifestyle change by eating healthier foods & proper portion sizes without realizing it
• Be able to wear the "closet jeans" with no belly flab hanging over the top

Those are my goals.  Yours might be different, but maybe they'll help by giving you some ideas.