Ode to the Work Wife

Today I have decided to take a break from my usual challenge blogging and write about my Work Wife, also known as Evelyne Schmevelyne or EVIL-lyne...

I'm sure you are all wondering why I am writing about her when she couldn't be nearly as awesome as I am and you would love to read EVEN MORE about my amazing life! I know, I know, do not fret my pets, I will talk all about myself later this weekend ;-)

Anywho, back to Evelyne... What I have failed to mention to you folks is that Evelyne is quite the inspiration herself. Of course she still goes to bed every night praying to Baby Jesus that she will magically wake up one morning and be as charming and funny and intelligent and MODEST as me, but hey, can you blame the girl? ok, ok this story is not about me, this is about Evelyne. To date, Evelyne has lost 31 pounds, she is 5'3 and looks fabulous! She works out 6 days a week, 2 with a personal trainer, the others on her own. Of course she makes a conscious effort to eat right, but she doesn't deprive herself of the foods she loves, like cupcakes.

Evelyne and I first started working together in January of 2009. We quickly became the best of friends! That's probably because we were both baby hefers who loved to eat (baby sounds so much cuter). You name it, we ate it! And lots of it! We didn't judge each other, if anything we encouraged each other to eat that 4th slice of pizza, because it's so delicious and I want one too! Haha! Oh, those were the days!

I started my weight loss journey before Evelyne, but she quickly joined in. Unlike me, growing up, Evelyne never struggled with her weight. She was thin and very athletic, she CLAIMS she was quite the soccer player (of course I have my doubts, because it's my job to give her a hard time). She gained weight during and after her pregnancy with her daughter. She found herself not only holding onto the baby weight, but gaining more as time went on.

The light bulb moment for her was when she decided to participate in an office weight loss challenge (October 2011). You folks should know that Evelyne is very competitive and will do whatever it takes to win!!! And because of her competitive nature she won the challenge, Yeah, Yeah, Crystal is always the loser, go ahead and say it! Haha, just kidding folks! But I really did lose. Evelyne has been consistently losing weight ever since. As time has gone by she has been researching more and more about different work out techniques, healthy foods, and processed foods. She went from 158 pounds in October of 2011, to 127 pounds today. She is happy with her weight now and is focusing on toning her body. She is definitely an inspiration to all of those around her. She has even helped her family lose weight as well!

Evelyne and I have been each others support systems. I think we both would agree that we couldn't have come as far as we have without each other! I am very fortunate to have a Fitness Pal (aka: Diet Police) like Evelyne. She keeps me motivated when I am ready to quit, she keeps me away from that 2nd piece of chocolate I am craving, or the pizza attack I am feeling! And I do the same for her! So if you don't have a Fitness Pal, go out and find one! Your journey will be way easier with one!

                                                              August 2011                         

August 2012

-Crystal

Days 18-21 (AKA : FRUSTRATION)

Day 18 (Monday):
Weight: 197.7
Exercise: Soccer Practice (lots of running)

Day 19 (Tuesday):
Weight: 197.6
Exercise: 4 mile run

Day 20 (Wednesday):
Weight: 197.7
Exercise: 8 mile run + soccer practice

Day 21 (Thursday):
Weight: Prolly the same damn number!
Exercise: 4 mile run

This post is a BITTER post, so all readers in a good mood BEWARE! 

If you haven't noticed by now I gained 2 pounds this week. How the heck I did that I have no clue! That is the most frustrating part of this process. I have been eating right, exercising daily and saying no to all things delicious!!! And what is the thanks I get? A 2 POUND GAIN!!! It's just not fair. I can't explain why it's happening and why I haven't been able to lose the 2 pounds. And to top it all off I am sick! Do you know how much harder it is to run when you don't feel good? To make yourself wake up at 4 am when your body aches and your head hurts and your throat hurts and you get winded from your normal run because you can't breathe through your nose? Yeah it sucks balls!

So I'm bitter this week, YES I admit it. So much for funny, witty, and inspiring Crystal. Sorry folks, I hate to say it but, I'm not perfect and neither is this challenge that I am working so hard on. I am not getting the results that I wanted and right now I am upset and venting. THE END.

Oh and also, Labor Day weekend is this weekend. Can you say LOVELY? Talk about a lot of temptation I will be fighting! And right now I don't have the motivation to fight it. I might as well drink my favorite beverages while on the lake sun bathing and eating my favorite chips?! Heck! Why not? Dieting isn't helping me lose, maybe binging will! HAHA! I kid, I kid...I'm not going to ruin the challenge, I've worked too hard these last 3 weeks to blow it and I know that I will have a better week. I just have to tough it out!


Here's a little motivation for me and hopefully for you folks...

                                  January 2011                                           August 2012

*I apologize for the blurry pictures, they were taken from my phone

-Crystal                  

Days 15 - 17

Day 15 (Friday):
Weight: 195.0
Exercise: Rest Day

Day 16 (Saturday):
Weight: 195.0
Exercise: 10 miles

Day 17 (Sunday):
Weight: forgot to get on scale
Exercise: None - injured

This weekend was uneventful so I am just going to summarize it for you in one post. Two weeks of dieting has gone by and I have lost 6 pounds, which is really good in the scheme of things, but not for my challenge goals. I was supposed to have lost 8 pounds in 2 weeks, but I also know that it is a pretty unrealistic goal considering I've already lost 80 pounds. So we shall see folks, I am still shooting for 4 pounds a week, but if it doesn't happen I am not going to write a depressing country song and then slit my wrists while I'm singing. Are we all in favor of this? YES! Great! Moving on...

Friday I went to work, was off at 11 am (hip, hip, hurray for Fridays!) and then I was off to the beach! Santa Barbara was beautiful! It was the best way to spend my "rest" day. I ate lunch on the beach, sun bathed,  listened to music and just relaxed. My friend spotted some dolphins and I was so excited! It was literally the highlight of my day! Did I ever tell you folks that I am one with the ocean? I swear I was a mermaid in a past life! I love the water and I love dolphins and whales in particular! Anywho...went to bed at 7 pm, YES YOU HEARD ME RIGHT, 7 pm! This old lady was tired and she knew she was going to get up at 3:30 am for her long run on Saturday morning so she went straight to bed!

Santa Barbara beach

Saturday's run was a MAJA FAIL. Let me tell you why...So I get up at 3:30 am to prep for my 16 mile run and am out the door around 4:40ish. It's pitch black so I decide to run through town for a bit until the sun comes out. Little did I know that the sun wouldn't come out until 6 am. I decided to wear my new shoes because I'm an idiot and I let my inner child get the best of me. I was so pumped to wear my new shoes that I didn't even think that I needed to break them in first (Rookie mistake). Somewhere around mile 7 my left foot was killing me! I had a sharp pain shooting up from the bottom of my foot to my calf. I had to stop running because I was in so much pain. So I started walking back to my house to change my shoes. When I was about a mile away from my house I all of a sudden got the URGE. Yes, you know what I'm talking about, the urge to POOP! Not good! It's not like I could just run faster, I was walking with a limp! So here I am, crippled and in dire need to poop! Not a good combo!!! I finally make it back to my house, do my business, change my shoes, and then head out again (in pain) and I was only able to walk another mile before I had to go home and get ready for soccer pictures/game. The point of this story ladies and gentlemen, is that you cannot defy the Running Gods! I should have not have tried to run on Saturday morning, I should have done it on Sunday morning so that I could have gotten up at 5 am like a regular person, not a psycho crazy runner at 3:30 am! And the Running Gods saved the day! They ensured that I would have to stay in town and close enough to my house to go back before I killed my foot with my new (very cool) shoes and so that I wouldn't poop in my pants like a 2 year old getting potty trained. THANK YOU Running Gods! I Love Ya!

Saturday night was babysitting night. I watched my niece Meli, aka: Smelly Meli (2) [yes I came up with that name all on my own! She will thank me later for it] and my nephew Mauricio, aka: Micio (4). We decorated cupcakes (see pictures below) and we watched A Bugs Life. My niece Esperanza (who will be off to UCSD soon) decided to join us in the fun! You folks should be very proud of me. I did not eat any of the pizza I ordered for them, instead I ordered a chicken salad for myself and I did not eat a single cupcake! Go Crystal!

Isn't she adorable? 

This kid is too cute!

Love her smile!

Smelly's cupcakes

 Micio's cupcakes

Esperanza's brown family

My cupcakes are in love

Sunday I had lunch with my mentee. Yes I am a mentor, I know it's both great and scary at the same time. Don't worry folks, I only fill her head with wise "wisdom" and positive thinking, in other words, I tell her not to be like me! Haha! After lunch I went shopping with my sister-in-law Adrianna. I know I said I wasn't going to buy clothes BUT I really needed work clothes. I'm tired of wearing the same old baggy clothes. I want to feel skinny and professional so I bought 3 new work outfits (slacks and tops) and 3 shirts that I could wear out and to work. And all for the low price of $170! I did good right?!? That's like a weeks worth of clothes folks! Can I get a Great Job?!?!? Anywho, Sunday ended with dinner at my brother Gabriel's house (protein burger for Crystal), grocery shopping, and packing my lunch for Monday.

The moral of this weekend is: Life doesn't always turn out the way you planned it (despite how much I hate this because I'm a planner) but it always has a way of turning out great! My weekend was a lot of fun and as far as my run goes, well I didn't poop my pants so that's a success, my foot is a lot better, and there's always next week!

Yes, I know, I'm adorable! Crazy Hair and All!

-Crystal

Days 11-14

Day 11 (Monday):

Weight: 197.7
Exercise: Soccer practice (lots of sprinting)

Today I would like to talk about how great I am at shopping! I got a coupon from Sports Authority for $5 off any purchase and I had been dying to use it. I should inform you that I go crazy in sports stores, I want EVERYTHING and I will come out spending waaaay too much money. I am trying to save money and I have been doing pretty well so far, granted I have not been coming out of my house very much! Dieting + saving money = hermit Crystal. Anywho...So I got this coupon and I needed to buy goalie gloves for the girls so I thought, I should use the coupon on the gloves so I can save some money. This isn't technically shopping because I am not going for me, I am going for the girls, they NEED them! See how good I am at convincing myself? ;-)

I told myself not to look, but once I got in the store I couldn't help it! My eyes lit up like a kid who just saw Santa Clause! I needed to look!!! So then I told myself, you can look Crystal, but you can't buy anything. Well, when I was "just looking" at the running shoes I saw a bargain I could not pass up! They were New Balances just like my old shoes I  just had to retire and they were only $40!!! Sports Authority was practically giving them to me for goodness sake! I had to buy them! And then of course, while I'm at the register I had to buy a few more of the awesome Powerbar Energy Gel Blasts and some protein bars. I bought 2 of each so I would not have an excuse to return to the store for at least 2 weeks. See guys, I'm always thinking! Oh and I bought the goalie gloves, did I forget to mention that in all of my running accessories excitement? Haha!

So I'm at the register and my total is $60 when all of a sudden this awesome man gives me a coupon for $25 off a $75 purchase! How great is that!?!? So I go back to the women's department, get a sports bra that costs $16 and run back to pay for everything. I walked out of the store with running shoes, goalie gloves, a sports bra, and 4 energy snacks all for the low price of $55!!! Can you believe it?! Yeah, I'm that amazing!

Check out the goods!

Day 12 (Tuesday):

Weight: 197.4
Exercise: 4 mile run
              Arms

Two important items on today's agenda:

1. The possum
2. Moment of silence for my old running shoes

You folks know that I am a crazy person who wakes up at 4 am to run right? Yeah that's me! I hate the heat and I will avoid it at all costs. This means I have officially turned into a grandma and I need to be in bed by 9 pm or I am bitter! End of story. So this morning I am running, trying to wake up when all of a sudden I see THIS UGLY CREATURE RUNNING RIGHT BESIDE ME!!!

Talk about a quick way to wake me up! He was on a brick fence and was literally at eye level with me. So of course I scream, sprint like a crazy person and spend the rest of my run imagining a herd of possums running after me trying to bite my ankles! This is the second time I have seen this ugly beast and let me tell you I am not a fan of him! Does anyone know if it's illegal to pepper spray a stalker possum? I will have to google it, because you know if I find out that it is totally legal to do it I will be spraying him with my dangerous pink pepper spray next time I see that creeper!

Onto more tragic news:
I had to retire my lime green/grey New Balance running shoes. It was with a heavy heart that I decided I needed to throw them away or keep them in the back of my closet where I can't see them and be reminded of how I can't use them anymore. The bottoms are completely worn out and the last time I tried to use them they gave me blisters. These shoes hold a special place in my heart; I ran two 5K's, one 10K, one 10K mud run and a half marathon in these shoes. I will miss these shoes dearly and for that I think we should all have a moment of silence for my amazing shoes......................................................................................................

Here they are ladies and gentlemen:

And here are my new shoes:

They are very similar but they will never compare to the originals.

Happy Tuesday! Stay clear of Creepy Possums!



Day 13 (Wednesday):

Weight: 197.4
Exercise: soccer practice
              8 mile run

Every time I go for a run I spend my time thinking about things. Usually they are household chores or things I have to cross off my to-do list or what topic I will write about for my blog. Today I kept thinking about how far I have come in my weight loss journey and how I got here. So today I will spend some time talking about what DID NOT work for me...

The DID NOT Work For Crystal List:

1. Aloe Vera Diet: How many of you folks remember this fad? My mom and sister-in-law were obsessed with this diet when I was younger, and me being the fat kid that I was tried it and did not see any results. Our house ended up looking like the desert by the time my mom realized this diet didn't miraculously make you skinny.

2. Low Carb Diet: This diet did work for me for a while, I was able to lose about 20 lbs, but if you read my post called "Let's Find Out When Crystal Got Fat" I talk about how quickly I gained them back. Turns out, for me low carb was a short term solution that ended up being really unhealthy for me. I mean I ate cheese and fatty meat galore. Which in turn, (Warning: TMI to come) made me EXTREMELY constipated. No bueno!

3. The 3 Day Diet: Raise your hand if you remember this diet? Black coffee, vanilla ice cream, weenies, tuna you member?member?! This diet does work, every time I did it I lost 5-7 pounds BUT I was completely miserable and bitter. I also always put the weight back on. Also, just a short term fix!

4. Lemon, cayenne pepper, maple syrup cleanse: How many of you have tried this? Let me just say that this diet makes me so, so, so, so, so, SO bitter! Everything makes me upset, by day 4 I am super jittery and weak and I want to shoot myself in the head. Totally not worth it! And it only makes me feel skinny for 1 day. No need to say more.

5. Fruit and vegetable cleanse: This one was a little more bearable (compared to the lemon, cayenne pepper, maple syrup cleanse). I can survive this cleanse for a week, but again it's just a short term fix and I only do it if I need to jump start my metabolism. It's not a lifestyle change, it's too restrictive. By the end of it, I can not look at another fruit again let alone put one in my mouth! I love fruit waaay too much to make myself hate it!

6. Lean Cuisine/Smart Ones/Healthy Choice frozen foods: I'm not sure if this is actually a diet, but I know that when I first started losing weight I did it by not eating regular foods and only eating frozen, portioned diet food. It was a great way to start dieting because I had no ability to portion, nor did I know how much an accurate food serving should be. But I couldn't keep this diet up forever, the food has waaaay too much sodium, and I didn't know it at the time, but my body didn't function at its peak because of it. I was still retaining a lot of water and I wasn't feeding my body the nutrients that it needed.

SO WHAT DID WORK??? (My psychic powers are telling me you all are asking yourselves this at this very moment)

After my initial 50 lb loss (I was on a roll by the way), I plateaued. I couldn't lose anymore weight and I couldn't figure out why. I then started cooking. I looked online, pinterest, asked my friends and family for advise and different recipes. This really made the difference for me. I also stopped eating out as much. A wrap made at home versus a wrap you buy at Chic-Fil-A is a MAJA difference in calorie content and sodium content. I also spent time measuring and entering everything I ate into a calorie counting app (including my workouts). This made all the difference for me. I was able to shed 30 more pounds by doing this.

I am still doing this now. Currently, I don't enter what I eat into a calorie counting app but that's only because I pretty much know how many calories I am consuming daily and how many I am burning daily (I use an app for this). I stick to a food routine that makes things easier for me and when I do have to eat out I check the calorie content of what I am ordering to make sure I stay within  my allotted calories for the day.

There you have it folks! It's not brain surgery! It comes down to the basics, count your calories and stick with all natural foods. Avoid processed foods as much as possible. Be creative with your recipes so that you don't get bored and remember to trust that the weight WILL come off!

-Happy Wednesday!



Day 14 (Thursday):

Weight: 195.0
Exercise: FAIL
(note: the parentals are leaving for Mexico and staying out there for 3 months so we had a little going away dinner and I wasn't able to run. I used Thursday as my rest day and made up the 4 miles on Friday morning)

Thank the Lord Baby Jesus!!! I finally reached 195! And cross your fingers I don't jinx it, but I think this is actually my true weight, as opposed to my I just ran 15 miles and I am super dehydrated and therefore skinny weight! I had been stuck at 197 for what seemed like forever! I was actually getting frustrated because I knew that I should be seeing a change on the scale because I have been following a strict routine and I had not seen the results I wanted. I was about to have a chat with Baby Jesus and his locks of golden hair and possibly discuss using 10 of my Jesus points for a change in the scale. Not to worry folks, I have tons of points, so I could spare 10, not that I wouldn't like to save them for a rainy day or a drunken day (toe-may-toe...tuh-mah-to...)

Anywho! So I wake up, get on the scale, see 195.0 and immediately jump around and do my happy dance! I am still 2 pounds off from my goal of 4 lbs a week, but hey I don't care! I finally saw the number drop! I get to work and I'm pumped, I tell my work wife all about it and she's pumped for me too! Then Nikki comes into the office and she asks if we are going to measure ourselves today. I say sure! Let's do this! Because I am feeling super skinny! And sure enough! Two weeks later and I am down 6.75 inches! Yay Crystal!!! [insert happy dance here]

Here are my stats:

8/8/12:                                                                 8/23/12
Weight: 201.4                                                      Weight: 195.0
Chest: 44.5                                                          Chest: 43.75
Waist: 37.5                                                          Waist: 35.75
Lower Ab: 45                                                      Lower Ab: 42.5
Hips: 45                                                               Hips: 43.75
Right Arm: 13.75                                                 Right Arm: 13.5
Right Leg: 26.25                                                  Right Leg: 26

Total weight loss: 6.4 pounds
Total inches lost: 6.75 inches

Happy Thursday folks! Fight the feeling!!! Do NOT give into the cravings! Say NO to the chocolate muffins! *Random: I have been craving chocolate muffins ever since I got sick last week. Damn chocolate muffins!

-Crystal

I like to move it, move it...I like to move it!

In an ode to Sex & the City, I've become reacquainted with my "secret single behavior" - dancing. Okay, just dancing doesn't sound so bad and not anything to do secretly but if you saw how I do it you would definitely agree that it should be spared from anyone else's eyes. Let's get this straight though, I may be white but I DO have moves. The fact that I dance around in my Hot Pants and a sports bra is the uncute part, at least for now. (Look for future posts about Hot Pants, where Crystal and I will weigh in on our results.)

This revert to dancing was unplanned but oh so welcomed. I've been setting my alarm every morning for 5:30 a.m. to do some sort of workout. This morning was the first time I actually got out of bed when the alarm went off, instead of hitting snooze. I wasn't too sure what to do so I went to my go-to inspiration for almost everything - Pinterest. As I was scrolling through the pins, I decided I could use a little music to get me in the mood. At 5:30 in the morning, the ability to play music isn't available for a mother of a two year old (or any mother for that matter), so I put on my iPod. The first song that came on my shuffle setting was "The Light" by Common and before I knew it I was off the computer and in the living room bopping around. I could feel myself smiling inside. It didn't feel like a workout but guess what? By the end of the song, I was sweating and breathing heavier.

I don't know about you but when I dance and know no one is looking, I do moves I would never do otherwise. I use my whole body, including my arms. (You know that never happens in public. Flailing arms is the first sign of a bad dancer and calls the most attention.)

Playlist
"The Light" Live Version by Common, featuring Erykah Badu
"Just Dance" by Lady Gaga
"Love on Top" by Beyonce
"Bootilicious" by Destiny's Child
"The Edge of Glory" by Lady Gaga
"Run the World (Girls)" by Beyonce - Listened to this song twice, I still needed to practice my Beyonce moves.
Total Dance Time: 25 minutes

My original workout time was only going to be 15 minutes. I still had to put my lunch together and make coffee, but it turned into an all morning thing! Even though I eventually started getting ready for work, I left the tunes on and when my daughter woke up I put the iPod on a speaker. Growing up, I always listened to the radio while getting ready but when I became a mother, the morning routine changed. After two years, I've finally taken my mornings back. It greatly changed the way my day went as well. Imagine how different the world would be if everyone danced in the morning.

Perhaps dancing isn't your thing, but I challenge you to find a physical activity that makes you smile inside. Make sure it isn't anything that you feel forced to do. Being active doesn't have to be a chore. It can be enjoyable and shift your mood instantly. Go ahead, do what makes you happy. You deserve it!

- Nikki

Days 7-10

Weigh Ins:

Day 7 (Thursday): 196.6
Day 8 (Friday): 198
Day 9 (Saturday): 195
 *This was after my run where I was probably dehydrated
Day 10 (Sunday): 196.8

This weekend was pretty boring, I will highlight the important events for you folks. Thursday was boring, Friday was boring minus the fact that I was tucked in bed by 8:30 pm and ready to sleep when my roommate and some friends/family came over. I had to look presentable, meaning put some shorts on. It's been hot people! I survived the temptation to drink which actually isn't as big of a temptation as it used to be. That's exciting!

Saturday was my long run, I ran 15 miles in 2:34:45, not a bad time if I do say so myself! It's the furthest distance I have run so far which was a big deal for me. I didn't have to stop once which was awesome! Also, I discovered Power Bar Energy Gel Blasts, these little puppies are amazing! (see below). They are delicious and they gave me the little burst of energy I needed to keep going. There are 6 gummies in a packet, I split the gummies and ate 3 at mile 4 and the other 3 at mile 12.

After my run I went to coach our first soccer game. Our girls did really well! We won 5-0, it is definitely a great way to start off the season! They need some more conditioning, they realized on the first quarter how out of shape they are so that means I will be running a lot more during practices to get them ready for the season.

Saturday night and Sunday I was sick which is no fun. I kept craving chocolate muffins but I knew that I needed to stick to the diet. I lost 4 pounds last week and I didn't want to blow it. Plus, in order to reach my goal by the set deadline I need to lose 4 pounds a week. So I went to Vons and bought medicine, salads and sugar free banana nut bread to feed my sweet tooth.

Before I go I just wanted to let you folks know what my stance is on the scale. I am weighing myself every morning but honestly I take the number with a grain of salt. As you can see I fluctuate everyday depending on what I ate and how much I worked out and how much water I am retaining. It doesn't stress me out because I know I am eating right and exercising, the weight will drop when it is ready. So for those of you who are stressing about the scale, DON'T! I am still 6 pounds heavier than I was after the family challenge but I feel and think I look skinnier than before and that's all that matters! I decided to include my daily weight so that you guys can see  how much weight fluctuates and how you shouldn't focus on it so much.

Have a great Monday folks!

-Crystal

Motivation Monday

It's Monday morning and time to allow myself another new start. Like I've shared in "Excuses, Excuses, Excuses," I love making goals and resolutions. Sure Mondays may be the easy day to refocus on health goals, but unlike Crystal I take the easy route. Weight loss is hard enough, I'm not anywhere near the level of Crystal's focus so I need to take the easy route for now. Temptation is still too big of an issue for me.

Monday Morning Weigh-in: 200.0
Let's take a pause for a minute and discuss this number. When I first started my weight loss journey I weighed 212.2 and vowed never to go back there. I then lost 20 pounds and again vowed never to have a 2 in front of my weight again. Well as you can see this morning my enemy came back to haunt me. If I'm going to be real, the real enemy is myself. I've been lazy and pushing my limits. Although, usually on Mondays I do weigh more than normal so I'll cut myself a little slack. I typically like to go with the healthy recommendation of losing two pounds a week but this week, I'm really going to push myself and go for four.

This week is a big week for me. We are currently in the process of moving out of our apartment and into storage (our stuff, not us). Sunday will be the last day in the apartment we called our home for three years. We started our marriage and brought our little girl home to this apartment. Where are you going, you ask. Well, we will be living at my parents' house for a month. Yes, that is going to be an interesting experience but there is light at the end of the tunnel. We bought a condo!

While getting a house is exciting, I've been planning on using the move as an excuse for my lack of commitment but Sunday I decided I could really use this to my advantage. Maybe throw in some lunges here and there while I'm schleping the boxes.

Here's the real challenge - food. Because we have been moving, my husband and I have been eating out almost every night. The gratification and guilt are immediate; and not only that, I end up with nothing to eat for lunch since I mainly take leftovers. Guess what that leaves me for lunch? Yup, you guessed it fast food of some sort.

So here's the deal. I'm going to beat the scale this week. No ifs, ands, or buts about it!

Goals for August 20 - August 26

• Lose at least four pounds
• Walk on my lunch hour
• Eat homemade lunch and dinner all week
• 3 Starbucks (It's a weaning process)

Wish me luck and have yourself a great week!

-Nikki

Let's Find Out When Crystal Got Fat!

I've been thinking about when it is that I became overweight. It's a question I have always asked myself but never seemed to find the courage to go back in time and figure it out. So I figured, since I have this blog and I'm sure all you folks would love to see old pictures of me and my awesome overalls (they were very cool back then, trust me) that now is as good as time as any to figure it out!

So my friends, follow me on this lovely journey back in time...

And Jesus blessed the world with the joy of Crystal! Yes, that is me! I know I look like an asian baby, but my mom swears they didn't give her the wrong pictures and you guys should know, Mama Tola never lies!

My first birthday. I'm chubby here, but in the "your baby is the cutest thing ever! she's so chubby I just want to eat her!" kinda way...

My 2nd birthday/baptism. It was a 2fer party! I hope I got two gifts from all of the guests, because that's just rude! Haha, I kid, I kid... Anywho, I am a normal, adorable sized kid.

4 years old, with my broken arm in a Snoopy Sling. It was a very fancy accessorry. Did anyone else notice that I have matching red and white socks? Yeah, my mom loved to dress me up and I always had to match! Also, still a normal size here...

Ok here's where the lines get blurry... I'm guessing I am around 7 or 8 years old. I still think I look average size (that's my sister in law Adrianna on the right)

Same blurred lines. I'm guessing 8 or 9 in this picture (my mom didn't write the year on the back of the picture so I can't be sure). See here I am already starting to gain weight. And yes those are Pocahantas overalls, they were very trendy back then.

Here I am 10 years old, I am definitely overweight here and I continue to be overweight for the rest of my life. Yes that is a pink overall dress. It was very trendy back then, along with my 20 other pair of overalls. Don't judge me!

This is my 6th grade picture (11 years old). I was definitely a chubster here. Oh and those two clips you see on my head, yeah I wore different colored clips on my head for like 2 years! Not a phase I am proud of...

This is me and Mama Tola on my 8th grade promotion ceremony (13 years old). Definitely a chubster, definitely weigh more than my mom (I still do by the way, but at least we are the same size in clothes now so I don't feel so bad)

Freshmen year of high school (14 years old), I lost some weight at the end of freshmen year. I'm not sure how I did it but I'm pretty sure it was a low carb diet. I can't even tell you how much I weighed because I never touched a scale, it was too scary for me to face, but I will tell you this was probably the thinnest I was besides now.

Sophomore year (15 years old), I found the weight I lost, it was hiding under my bed. I also got my first boyfriend that year, so he probably helped me find the weight I lost. Don't you just love how easy it is to blame men for our fatness?! This is a picture with my cousin Christina (she's like my sister) during Winter Formal

Junior year (16 years old), definitely getting bigger each year. This is a picture with my cousin Christy (left) and one of my good friends, Cassandra (right) at prom. I was Junior Class President by the way, not that I'm bragging or anything ;-)

Senior year (17 years old), still heavy. This is a picture taken on "Wacky Wednesday" with some of my friends from high school. April is on the far left, she is the friend I talked about who really motivated me and helped me overcome my plateau, she is the reason I began running

April and me on graduation day (17, almost 18 years old). I love April, she's always been there for me!

Me and my high school sweetheart Horacio (18 years old). He passed away in September of 2008, I've written a little about him in my weight loss stories. Still a chubster

Me and my college roommate tailgating at a UCLA football game (20 years old). I did tell you guys I went to UCLA right? I am a proud Bruin! Also, you should know Angelica is a wild one! Me and her did some of the most randomest things together!

21st birthday in Vegas! Need a say more?

22 years old. I cut my hair off after my boyfriend passed away and gained some more weight. This is probably the biggest I ever was, I'm guessing I was around 275, emotional eating is not the business!

New Year's 2011 (23 years old) with Mama Tola herself! See how much bigger I am than her? This was right after my first weight loss challenge, I lost 20 lbs in 1 month so I'm about 255 pounds. I hadn't drank in a month and I got super wasted and puked everywhere. It was one of the few times I have ever blacked out, everyone still laughs at me when they think about that night. Do not try that at home folks!

50 pounds down! I was 23 years old and weighing around 225. Me and my sister-in-law Cherie in Vegas celebrating her bachelorette party, I was the maid of honor

January of 2012 (24 years old), I was weighed around 215-210 here. This is a picture of me in Mexico with my aunt (left), uncle (close right) and dad (far right)

Me and Mama Tola on my 25th birthday (June 2012). I completed my first half marathon that day and I weighed 190.

So there you have it folks! A trip down memory lane. As you can see I was pretty much fat my whole life. After looking at my photo albums I figure I started becoming overweight somewhere around 9 years old. My weight has always been a struggle for me but I am finally overcoming it! I know I will get to the size that I want to be! It's just going to take a little hard work and comittment! So for all of you out there who are struggling with weight loss like I am, know that you are not alone! If I can lose 80 lbs so can you!!!

If you have any questions on how I did it or just want to tell me how awesome I am feel free to leave me a comment or send me a message!

-Crystal

Days 4-6

Day 4:

Weight: 201

I woke up at 4:30 am, went for a short 2 mile run. Came home, got ready for work. Worked, worked, worked and then I was off to soccer practice. I am the assistant soccer coach for 11-12 year old girls. Practice is 1 ½ hours long, so I considered that my work out considering I had to run/practice with the girls and go and fetch all of their balls. Oh the joys of coaching! Afterward, I went home, changed into my bathing suit, took my pre-made dinner with me and was off to my brother’s house to swim with my nieces and nephew. It was a lot of fun; however, temptation was lurking at every corner! First, it was fish tacos, then it was alcohol (alcohol and swimming is always a great combo!) and then it was the hot pizza they ordered! Not to worry my friends, I survived it! Well I did have 2 small pieces of the fish, but no tortillas so I’m good. Went home and was in bed by 9:30 pm. I’d say it was a successful Monday!

P.S. This post was pretty short and awfully boring so I figured I would bless all of you folks with a progression picture of me (yes I have magical powers, but shhh…don’t tell anyone)

Here is your blessing…

 My nephew Mauricio & I

I really like this comparison because you can see the time progression by looking at my nephew. The first picture was taken sometime in the beginning of 2009 and the second picture was taken in July of 2012. P.S. the pink shirt I was wearing was supposed to be loose! Haha! Gotta love my style ;-)

Day 5:

Weight: 199.8

Today was very uneventful as well. Woke up at 4:30 am, ran 3 miles, got ready for work. Went to work, got home, went to brewing. Brewing consisted of a whole lot of cleaning for me! I am in charge of Sanitation, which means I basically do all the bitch work that none of the men want to do. Oh the joys of being a female! Apparently cleaning is one of the skills we as women are inherently born with. Luckily for my brother, aka: bosser/master brewer, I am actually quite good at cleaning. Afterwards, I did laundry, did a short workout (arms & abs) and then packed my lunch and got ready for the next day.

So I figured I should tell you what I ate today, since this blog is about 2 fat to FIT (emphasis on fit) chicks, and I am one of those chicks. Lunch and dinner vary depending on what groceries I have bought for the week. Lunch usually consists of protein, veggies, and a carb and dinner is protein and veggies.

Breakfast:

-3 egg whites and a whole egg (scrambled)

-½ cup oatmeal with a tablespoon of honey and blueberries

Snack:

            -apple

            -Laura Scudder’s Natural peanut butter

                        *I would be lying if I said I measured how much I eat. I love the stuff! The end.

Lunch:

            -4 oz grilled chicken

            -black bean salad (½ cup)

            -spinach

            -peach

Snack:

            -carrots & celery

            -2 tablespoons of hummus

Dinner:

            -lemon pepper grilled tilapia

            -grilled veggies (bell peppers, mushrooms, onions)

Snack:

            -watermelon

*Note: I usually have a protein shake after my workouts.

Day 6:

Weight: 199.8

Today was basically the same as Monday,except I ran 7 miles after soccer practice. True story: I got home around 6:30 pm and I was starving so I made myself a turkey sandwich. I had to wait for my food to settle so I left for my run around 7:30 pm. It was already getting dark out so I decided to take my pink pepper spray for protection. Didn't you know that pepper spray is waaaaay more powerful if it's pink?!? Well now you do! Anywho...so I'm running and running and probably around mile 2 I notice that a cop car flies by me, then another, and another. Then I hear and see a helicopter flying over my head. I freak out, automatically thinking that they are looking for a serial killer who loves to prey on women who run at night with pink pepper spray! And of course I do what Crystal always does, I keep running in the direction that the cop cars headed in (yeah, I don't always have the smartest ideas, don't judge me!). So after another mile or so I see a few cop cars parked and I decide its time to turn back. Well I ran through the levy, which is super dark (no lights) and the entire time the chopper was flying over my head! There's nothing like a little fear and a chopper flying over head to make you run faster!

I mentioned in a previous post that I had a random story as to why I cut my hair. Here is the story with pictures included…

The last time I cut my hair was probably close to a year ago. I had not gone to get a cut for 2 reasons: 1^st: I wanted to let my hair grow long and 2^nd: I couldn’t find a good hair dresser. The last hair dresser I had was talented for sure, but she was a big gossip which is concerning because if she is talking to me about all of her other clients, I KNOW she is talking to them about me. Also, every time I went her prices went up and I was doing less things to my hair. I need someone reliable and who I can trust, hair is NO JOKE people! It’s what defines me. I like to think I am an undiscovered Pantene Pro-V hair model. Don’t laugh, I can feel your judgment from way over here! You haven’t felt my hair, its shiny and soft! The end!

Anywho…I kept looking at my hair and talking about how damaged it was and Evelyne (work wife) says, you have been complaining about your hair for months now, why don’t you go get a haircut already! And I said “you’re right, I should just let you cut it, this way I am forced to get a haircut.” Ok let me explain something to you folks; you should know that I am not a spontaneous person. I do not like surprises, I need a plan and I need to follow the plan, I follow the rules and don’t like to break the law (key words: don’t like to, doesn’t mean I haven’t occasionally done it, but I will tell you... when I have, I did not enjoy it!) So when What I’m saying is it's all talk, I don’t actually think she will cut my hair, I mean I wouldn’t do something like that! When Evelyne quickly and way to happily says “OK!” I think she is just trying to scare me, trying to call my bluff. So of course being the Crystal that I am, I will not back down, I will show no fear and I will wait for Evelyne to be too scared to cut my hair and then I will win and everything will be right in the world. WRONG!!! Evelyne, also known as “Evil-lyne” gets a pair of work scissors (my hair dresser later said that was the worst thing she could have done) and proceeds to cut my hair! As soon as I heard that awful sound I started to panic, but I couldn’t show Evelyne that because I didn’t want to freak her out half way through the cutting session. So she cuts and cuts and says she has done a great job. She was so wrong by the way! She didn’t cut straight and then I quickly put my hair in a pony tail. The next morning I tried to “fix it” by cutting some more and then I quickly made a call to schedule the quickest appointment!

Exhibit A:

The hair Evelyne cut

Exhibit B:

The final product: It’s shorter and darker.

What do you think?

-Crystal

Days 1-3

Day 1:

Today is the 1^st day of the Hard “Core” Challenge and I am pumped! For those of you who are asking yourselves why I started a challenge on a Friday when most folks start it on the usual Monday, this is because I am committed. I am not making any more excuses and quite frankly, I’m not afraid of the weekend. I will kick the weekend’s ass! Well not literally…because I have never gotten in a fight in my life and well, I don’t want to test myself now, but you know what I mean!

Yesterday was my last hurrah! And a hurrah it was indeed! I went to the Ventura County Fair and I ate my fill of fried foods! Corn dogs, ribbon fries, Indian bread, and my absolute favorite: fried ice cream! It was all very delicious and very painful (my stomach does not do well with fried foods). I watched Martina McBride, 

I am a country fanatic if you haven’t figured it out by now and I call myself a Mexican Redneck. Don’t judge people, don’t judge! Haha!

Onto the logistics…

Starting weight: 202

Starting measurements:

                Chest: 44.5

                Waist: 37.5

                Lower Abdomen: 45

                Hips: 45

                Right arm: 13.75

                Right Leg: 26.25

I would like to note that one week ago (before vacation) I weighed 193. I am not lying when I say I have a TALENT for gaining weight! I was on vacation for 4 days and the rest of the week I have been running every day. The runs have been 9 miles, 7 miles, 4 miles and 3 miles. I have also only had 3 cheat meals since vacation but that apparently doesn’t matter to my body! It loves the fat and the pounds and it will hold onto them for dear life! Oh well…what am I going to do about it? Just accept it and work that much harder!

GAME TIME!!!

Day 2:

Weight: 198.8

I survived day 2! I know, I know, you must be thinking, day 2?!?! What’s the big deal about that? You have a million other days to survive before the challenge is over! Which is true, you are correct my friends! However, I have yet to tell you what happened in day 2…

First, let’s congratulate Crystal on losing 3.2 lbs in one day! Yay!!! (Insert your cheers here). Second, I ran 13 miles today. And let me tell you, they were the hardest 13 miles of my life!!! I had aches and pains all over the place! If it wasn’t my knees, it was my thighs or my calves or my butt! It seemed to never stop! Also, I ran a new route today, one that consisted of tons of hills! And anyone who knows me knows that I hate hills. I will literally stop and walk the hills as I approach them because SCREW THAT NOISE! It’s already hard to just run, let alone up a hill when you’re out of breath and your legs are aching! BUT I know that it’s important for me to train with hills because when I run the marathon it will be in San Francisco (aka: Hill Capital of the World) and I must be ready for it! So folks, I am proud to say that I ran the entire time! I was hurting, it was hot and I wanted to quit and walk a lot of times but I didn’t. I kept telling myself that I needed to do it for myself, that I was strong enough to conquer it, and I did! Yay me!!!

After my long and excruciating, yet rewarding run, I went to get my hair done! It is now A LOT shorter and darker. Stay tuned for pictures and a funny and random story of how and why my hair is so short! Anywho…I received the best compliment today from my hair dresser/best friends girlfriend (who I haven’t talked to in a while). She told me how great I looked (yeah, yeah…I hear that all the time, because I do look extremely hot and amazing. Did I mention how modest I am!?! Haha! I kid, I kid). The compliment comes in when she told me that she was really happy that the weight loss hadn’t changed me, which I was still the same good person that I was before. She said she has seen a lot of people lose a lot of weight and that they are no longer the same person. They think they are too good for their old friends or look at others and judge their appearance and for those who are single, they write off men who are “too fat” for them. That compliment made me feel so good because it was a reassurance that I am still the same person. I mean I always believed that but I’m sure everyone who has changed for the worse believes that they have not, so it is nice to have some reassurance. I believe that the reason that I have been able to stay true to myself is because I have lost weight for the right reason, because I wanted to feel better and to live a long and healthy life. I didn’t do it because I was tired of being single for almost 4 years (3 at the time) and I thought that being skinny would give me better luck (this happens a lot by the way). And the other reason I’ve been able to stay grounded is because I’ve surrounded myself with family and friends who are both supportive and honest with me (even in times when I don’t want to hear it). So folks, there you have it! Skinny Crystal is still the same great and funny and good person that fat Crystal was. Oh and MODEST too! Let’s not forget MODEST! ;-)

Onto more exciting and light hearted talk! I went to baby shower today. It was super hot, so hot that it looked like I peed on myself after I got up from my chair. It was the sun and the damn plastic chair! I swear!!! I also survived the party without eating chips or cake! And the cake was chocolate! My FAV!!! Now I am at home getting ready to eat delicious fish ceviche (no tostadas) and I will be watching Private Practice all night! Happy Saturday folks!

Check out the beautiful sunrise this morning. How could I not keep running toward it?

Day 3:

Weight: 201

So I gained a pound, no biggie, I weighed myself after running 13 miles while I was probably super dehydrated. I still lost 1 pound in 3 days, I’ll take it.

Let’s talk about how much of a grandma I am. I like to be in bed by 8:30 pm, 9 pm at the latest. If I am not in bed by that time I become very anxious. My family loves to make fun of me because once the sun is setting I am constantly looking at the clock waiting for an appropriate and not so old lady time to go. In my defense, I wake up between 4 -4:30 am during the week to work out. I need my beauty sleep! If I don’t get it, you will be sure I will be wearing my sassy pants! And my poor work wife has to deal with me all day. Do you think I would qualify for the senior citizen discount at Ihop due to my old lady habits? It never hurts to ask right? ;-)

Today is Sunday and it is my only day to sleep in and of course I wake up at 6 am! I finished watching Season 5 of Private Practice, cried my eyes out the whole time. If you haven’t watched it you need to, it’s awesome! Then I worked out and walked to my parent’s house for some breakfast. Afterwards I walked home and went to the grocery store to buy my groceries for the week. I prepared most of my meals for the week and did not have any injuries. Have I told you folks how un-domestic I am? It’s bad! I will have to go over my wounds and my lack of cooking skills in a future blog post. Today I want to tell you about my lack of diaper changing skills. I know, you’re super excited to read about it! But first check out the meals I made!

Grilled chicken with quinoa salad, lemon pepper tilapia, grilled veggies & stuff bell peppers

After my cooking extravaganza my brother, sister-in law, and niece came over to swim. I also watched my goddaughter for the afternoon. She is two, adorable and a POOPER! Let me set the scene for you, Sophia (goddaughter, aka: Pooping Machine) was swimming in the Jacuzzi with my brother and I was out lounging and watching. My brother tells me that he thinks Sophia is pooping because she has a serious face on. I quickly get her out of the Jacuzzi before I get any unwelcome floaties in the water. Then I realize, Undomestic Crystal has never changed a swimmer diaper, now what do I do?!? So I lay her on the grass (I didn’t want a big mess all over the place) and I start to get my tools in order. Diaper bag check, pull-up (she’s being potty trained) check, wipes??? They didn’t leave me any wipes!!! So I’m freaking out, she’s laughing because apparently freaked out Undomestic Crystal is hilarious! I ask my sister-in-law to bring me toilet paper and my face wipes (yes you heard correctly, FACE WIPES) and I start to deal with the oh so gross mess! Reason #763 why Crystal does not want to have a baby! It was awful, let me tell you, I knew what she ate that day! GRRROOOOSSS! So I think I’m in the clear, no more water for Sophia. And a couple hours later… she pooped again! Just my lucky day! I changed her, thankful that it was a dry diaper, used some more toilet paper and another face wipe and then we counted and played with the blocks together.

All in all it was a great Sunday. Gotta love being reminded of how undomestic you are! Haha!

The POOPER & Me. Isn’t she adorable?

-Crystal