171- Fat Bottom Girls

Okay, so there is no way I will ever be a fat bottom girl but let me tell you - I believe I gained some weight over the Christmas holiday. The last 2 weeks I have totally been off my diet. BAD, bad, bad!!

I am fretting a little bit. That fear of getting fat again doesn't go away. But not to worry, we started a 3 day flush today. That should help get my body back on track. Also, we start our new diet phase on Thursday morning (after measuring) which I am NOT looking forward to.

My goal for January is 10lbs. I can do it! I will have to keep on all my workouts, run and lift as much as possible without straying from the diet.

So, it is the start of a new year. Many of you may be desiring to lose weight this year. Your contemplating what to do- how to do it. DO NOT set yourself up for failure.

1.) GET a good diet plan. Call Doriana at West County Health and Fitness or make an appointment with a certified nutritionist.

No amount of working out or anything else will give you the results you will get with eating right. We both know you and I don't even know where to begin when choosing the healthily meals. Most of the time what we think is good turns out to be bad. So pay the money & get a good diet.

2.) Workout every day. This is secondary and will only work with a good diet. You could workout 100x a day and not see results if your eating crap.

If you want to lose weight quickly, then workout 2x a day every day of the week. NO EXCUSES!

Don't set yourself up for failure. No amount of fad diets or pills will change your body for good. You have to change your life. It is a HARD decision. Thinking it isn't will only make you fail. You HAVE TO WANT IT!!! If you do, then you will eat right and exercise. There is no magic potion. Only hard work in front of you.

I can't wait to see you at the pool this summer. We will totally rock....instead of looking like one.

Misty "gonna keep dropping" Lowe

147- Run, Run Rudolf

Okay, well the pictures speak for themselves. I finally got out of the 160s. 157 lbs baby. This is the less I have weighed since 2005. YEAH!!

I must say the holiday season is getting tough- diet wise. I had a party Tuesday & today. Ugghh! Well, not to worry. I have extra workouts tomorrow, Saturday & Sunday. I lifted Monday, Wednesday, today & will lift tomorrow a.m. I also ran 6 miles on Tuesday morning, kick boxed 2x Monday & lifted.

I am keeping up with my workouts. I just have to watch what I eat at parties. We don't weigh or measure again until January. Thank goodness.

Misty "big drop" Lowe

129- As the World Turns, I am standing still

Not much to report. I am still struggling with the scale. I have to weigh in, fat comp test & inches taken & photos taken on Wednesday. I am hoping since I feel my clothes fitting differently that maybe I have lost more inches & fat. The scale has moved slightly but from 1 day to the next I cannot be sure the scale won't go back up. I swear the 160s are trying to keep me down. Never you mind, I keep chugging ahead.

We kick box now too. John yells a lot but he is no Fred. HA HA! I went to class Saturday and there were no gloves that fit. I punched the bag gloveless. Bad idea on my part- real bad idea!! My hands are tore up.

Jen is well again so this week I will get to lift 4 days this week. M, Tues, Wed & Friday. John is offering kick boxing on Thanksgiving. I will need to go to get through Turkey day without keeling over. Hopefully, I will be ahead on cooking then. That would be good. We shall see.

I wanted to harp on one thing before I am out- that's the fact that this IS NOT EASY. It is hard. It is a choice. It is hard work. It is a lifestyle change. Don't take it on unless you are ready to make the commitment. If you are not then do something walking, cycling- whatever until you are. Get motivated. Get ready, make a plan that works for you and get going. Set yourself up for success!!!

124- It Never Ends

Well, I am struggling to lose weight right now. I have hit a plateau and can't get around it. I am fighting with the damn scale to get out of the 160s.

I feel great and look better but I have a long way to go. Seriously, something has got to give. I am still very committed but am tired of the slowed results.

Anyway, it gets frustrating and people keep saying hang in there or oh, I bet your really dropping the weight since you are always working out. NOPE!!! Can you believe it? Is what I would love to scream back. But I don't.

You know me- I am keeping it real. So I am going to tell you. All this roughage and protein- I have the worst gas. I mean bean-o, shmeno- nothing gets rid of it. Well, I think you ought to know what you are in for if you decide to jump in and get it done.

Well, pray for me ladies. I am struggling. I am tired and I am frustrated. Something has got to give eventually. Right?

Misty "no" Lowe

Day 112- Believe it or not

Looking at that number- 112- I can't believe it. But believe it or not- I am closer to the end than I am the beginning.

How the time has flown. How much my life and my body have changed. It is amazing. I still have a way to go but oh how wonderful it is to be making progress & feeling better about my body.

I had forgotten what it was like to have confidence about my body and the way I look.

Yeah, believe it or not! I am down the 30 lbs, 15% body fat and 30 inches.

The pounds have really slowed way down. I have kicked it up a notch & started pumping weight two extra days a week. I got in all my workouts & ate well this week.

Anyway, I thought it would get easier, but quite honestly it has only gotten harder. This is because earlier what we did helped us lose the pounds quickly, but now we have to work 2x as hard to get some pounds off.

A friend asked me the other day if I minded that my body was splayed out on this blog and west county health & fitness website too. I told her that I thought it was good for other women- real women to see that it could be done. No photo shop, no nip tuck, no touch ups- the real deal. We all know what our bodies look like underneath- the extra skin, the stretch marks, the dimples and flab. Well, this definitely shows how I have changed, that it can be done and we all need to be very realistic on our expectations.

To be honest- after I lose the weight and get to were I want to be muscle tone wise- I plan on saving for a tummy tuck. Doriana said that extra sagging skin will get a little better but it is not going to go away. I want it to but first I am going to do everything I can to be healthy before I go have a surgeon fix something. To be honest, if I go without having learned how to eat and take care of myself first, I will be right back here- fat and unhappy.

Misty "not giving up dropping" Lowe

DAY 95- So Far Away

Well, that is pretty much how I feel- so far away from where I want to be. I still need to drop 15-20 more pounds. My poochie tummy, extra chunk above each hip & my back wings are still hanging on strong. I know they will be the last to go, but I am tired of looking at them. The last 20 is way harder than the first 20.

I did pick up my pace this weekend. I did 2 classes on Saturday but then slept in on Sunday & missed Fred's second reign of terror. But give me a break because I never get a day to sleep in. I get up on my weekends bright & early to work out for several hours.

Tonight I did 1 hour of cycling then an 1 hour of kick boxing. I swear John (the kick boxing instructor) about killed us tonight. We had to lay on the ground and do these reach, kick , stretch & back again. It was killer for the saddle bags.

It still seems to me that most of the time I try to psych myself out with the whole food thing. I get focused on the smell or just the desire. I get it & realize it wasn't really worth it. How do you stop doing that?

I have picked up running again. I am up to 3 miles - 3x a week. I have missed it. I am going to train for the 1/2 marathon again. So here I come GO! St. Louis.

Don't give up on me yet. We still have a ways to traverse ladies!

Misty "Stunted Dropping" Lowe

DAY 92- We Will Rock You!

As you can see for yourself, the last three months have been productive. You can definitely see a difference. I am not DONE though. I still have obvious areas that need improvement- back wings & back hips as I like to call them.

I know that will be the last area to go because it is my hardest places.

These last 3 weeks have been tough for me with food & exercise. I have to be honest. It's easy to slow down on the workouts & food when you see results you never thought'd you'd see. You think man I look pretty good. But the truth is- I have a ways to go. So, if I am going to kick it in a bikini come January when our 6 months is up. I better get on it. The last stretch is the hardest.

But I am committed & now that I am getting use to the new schedule. I am heading back onto the original diet plan Doriana prepared (we've changed like 6x since then). I am committed to kicking out 2 workouts a day even if it seems impossible.

In three months I want to look way better than my "now" photos. So keep me in your prayers. Especially since I have Fred's kicking butt class tomorrow & then after that John's kick boxing class. I am double dippin' baby!!

Oh, just in case he reads it- I will mention James for good measure. He is a trainer at West County Fitness & he does Fred's class with us. He sometimes counts out squats in Fred's class. He always adds extra counts & reps. He and Fred are villains. I think Fred, James & Doriana are in a coven together since they are very evil. HA! HA! They mean well. But man they don't let up!

Gonna keep rocking'!!!

Misty "Rocking" Lowe