It has begun.

So, last week I finished reading through New Rules of Lifting for Women. I had originally planned to start last week, but I really wanted to get through the book and understand the diet plan first. I'm glad I did, because I started a VERY successful week 1 this week! The diet plan is very easy for me to follow since it incorporates a lot of food items I already have and use. It also calls for me to eat every few hours, so I'm less likely to go throughout the day forgetting to eat and then screw up on a burger or something greasy.

What's funny is that I have lost about 2 lbs. so far, but I have upped my calories a lot for me. I was taking in around 1200-1400, and this week I've gone up to 1800-2000. I guess a huge part of that is the macroratio. I'm eating a lot more protein than I usually do, which is great! I like how Casandra uses protein powder in ways I would never have thought of. My favorite breakfast for work days is a mini whole wheat bagel, reduced fat cream cheese, and a protein iced coffee (coffee, skim milk and protein powder). It's quick, easy and filling! I'm still palying around with the lunch and dinner recipes. The snacks are great too. I love the red pepper and hummus, and the apple with natural peanut butter. I know I may be way too excited, but it has always been difficult for me to follow the diet part of the programs I've done in the past. They would always call for weird ingredients or just too much time in the kitchen for breakfast or lunch. I'm a roll-out-of-bed-and-grab-it-on-my-way-out-the-door kind of girl in the morning, and I hardly ever waste the gas to go home on my lunch break unless it is absolutely necessary for some reason.

I'm thinking about talking to Ambrey (a girl I used to work with and who is now the Director of my gym) about what I need to do to be Spin and Body Pump certified - especially Spin. Body Pump requires you to learn new routines every few months, and I kind of feel like I would barely have one down before they're asking me to learn another one. There is a lot more freedom with Spin, and I love all of the different instructors and their variations. It's just a thought. I don't think I have the personality to be a personal trainer - I just don't feel like I can be hard on someone when I'm so far from perfect in my diet and exercise! lol However, I think I could do this since it doesn't require me to harp on anyone about what they do outside of that 45-60 minutes.

My plan is to take pictures of my progress with NROLFW at least twice a month. I'm going to take my week 1 pics this weekend! :) I can't wait to see the next set to compare. I believe that doing this will help keep me motivated over the next 6 months. I've come so far, and while I've wanted to scream it from the mountain tops that I am healthier than ever, I still feel like I have so far to go. If someone asks me about what I'm doing, or mentions something about me losing weight, then I'll talk about it at that time. Or the people in my life who are health conscious, yeah, I definitely talk about it with them regularly. I just don't want to be "that girl" at work, the gym or otherwise who boasts about all the work-outs she's doing or how many calories she had or burned that day and still be looking like a chunky monkey, ya know? Everyone's opinion is different about health and beauty, but until I can stand naked in front of a mirror and see muscle tone all over without flexing, you won't catch me bragging! lol My hope and prayer is that NROLFW gets me to that point FINALLY! :D