Something's got to give

Hello, my name is Tracey B and I am lazy. I wish that I had a better confession, but it all boils down to being lazy. It doesn't help that my husband is lazy as well. We can sit at home all weekend long and do absolutely nothing, but watch Netflix instant play. It's sad, but we just love to be in each other's company. We're not big on crowds, so going to the fair, circus, or even Six Flags is our nightmare. Although, we have been to those places (except the circus) on occasion.

Something's got to give and something's got to change. Before our 2 week vacation in the Canadian Rockies and Glacier, we started exercising. Our exercise consisted of going up 220 steps and a service road (it's a pretty steep incline), and then walking a loop that's at the top of the service road. We would be out there for about 1-3 hours (given what day it was or what time of day it was). We were up to going up the hill 11 times before vacation. Unfortunately, I did not lose any weight doing this, but I wasn't very consistent with it. We were trying to build our stamina for the long hikes we were going to be up against and not really about weight. Even though my husband lost a few pounds, that nerd.

Last night, I decided that I need to start doing our exercise again, and stay on it. I have ALL this free time. I spend some of it cleaning house, and then the rest watching tv shows on Netflix Instant Play (right now, I'm watching Dawson's Creek.....silly, I know), and taking naps. So I set the alarm for 6am and once I was up, I made Jeff's lunch, grabbed some water, and headed out the door. Jeff seemed really proud of me for going this morning, even though I would only go for an hour, but that's better than sleeping in until 8am or later! The past few nights, I have had trouble sleeping, but hopefully once I start exercising, and stop taking naps during the day, I'll be able to sleep easier at night. And Jeff and I are early birds when it comes to sleeping, we go to bed about 9pm (last night was 8:30!), but we do sit in bed and read until we fall asleep. Unfortunately, I had writing this blog on my mind, among the excitement of starting to exercise.

Now, why can't I go do other exercises, like crunches and running? Well, I have a bulging disc in my lower back that prevents putting pressure on my back (so crunches are out) and pounding my legs really hard (running is out as well). I have lots of weight in my tummy, that if I could just get rid of that, my back would feel so much better, but since my stomach muscles are lacking, it's really hard to keep motivated and keep exercising, because one little twist or a hard step will send awful pain down my leg. Now, I will say I am lucky, it's not constantly hitting the sciatic nerve so I do not have leg pain or numbness 24/7. I do thank God for that one. I could be in much worse of shape.

Today, I only did 2 sets on the stairs (going up and then down= 1 set) and one set of the hill (going up and down= 1 set), then once around the big and little loop at the top. Not much, and it wasn't a whole hour, but it was around 53 minutes. I wore my tennis shoes today, and I thought they would be okay, but going down the stairs in them, make the arch in my left foot scream in pain. So starting tomorrow, I will wear my hiking boots, which are much more comfortable.

Okay, so what about my diet? I'm such a picky eater! I do not eat vegetables, but I can tolerate cucumbers, lettuce, shaved carrots, and celery with peanut butter (but as my twin informed me, if you eat too many, it will tear up your stomach). Jeff is a picky eater as well, he refuses all vegetables so it would be hard to make two separate meals for us. I just don't know what to do about that, BUT he only eats one meal with me during the week and then lunch and dinner with me on the weekends (Fri-Sun). Jeff doesn't eat breakfast, unless we go exercise, then he'll eat a little something. For breakfast, I eat frosted mini wheats with skim milk. For lunch, at the moment it's pizza rolls, but I think today I might try a fruit medley: two tangerines, grapes, strawberries, and an apple. I need to figure out how to make my stomach smaller without starving myself. I hate feeling hungry (as do most of us). More of what I don't like: seafood! Gross me out, so eating fish is out of the question. I know that's good for you when you're dieting. We will eat potatoes (but that's a starch so it doesn't really count) and then I will eat corn (once again, a starch).

I am at my wits' end and I don't know what else I can do. I am hoping that I will at least be consistent in my exercising, and that will raise my good cholesterol (it's always 31-39....which it's suppose to be 45..I think), which is another sign that tells me I'm LAZY. If I raised my good cholesterol, it would balance out my bad cholesterol, and I could possibly get off the cholesterol medicine I'm taking. That would be a nice goal. :).

My goal weight: 120-130

Wish me luck! Any advice would be much appreciated :)

2003- I was 98lbs during my teenage years

2005- I hated this picture when it was taken, because I thought I looked really fat....boy, I had no idea how wrong I was and how much worse it could get!

2008

2010

2012 (just w few weeks ago)