Just a quick update because I've been ignoring my blog....

I had a few people from my neighbor hood over and they started talking about how they wanted to workout and eat better and they were interested in Weight Watchers and Chalene Johnson and I just said... Okay let's do this!  Come over to my house at 6am and we are doing Chalean Extreme!  Believe it or not they came!  They have been coming over at 6 am every morning and we have been working out together!  It's been such a great deal!  They think I'm doing them a favor... They are helping me out more then they know.  I get to workout with some people on a program I love and I have no excuse to stay in bed longer... wait until after work... or not go 100%.  They also are telling me their success stories for eating healthy and I just keeping thinking if they are dedicated so am I!  Bring it on!  It's been a great week and I look forward to doing the rest of the program with them. 
I've been back at WW.  I changed my goal weight so I've got to pay again... Oh well it's motivating and I'm excited to get to my new goal weight. 

Between work, school, teaching yoga, and my 6am workouts, I've been a little more busy then normal but life is still treating me so well and I'm learning a lot about nutrition in my classes.  But it's taken a toll on my 52 weeks of fun.  Girls got to do what she can and my social life is still one of my top priorities :) so I'm okay with it. 

Here is something interesting I learned that I think everyone will want to know:
Flat belly tips!
Monounsaturated fats! Avocado, and extra virgin olive oil
Green tea about 2-3 times a day will help to flatten the belly as well.
Antioxidant rich berries like blackberries, blueberries, and concord grapes
Whole grains!

(I have all the reasons why written down in my notebook that I forgot to bring with me to work today.  I'll post it later but if you know why just comment and let us all know!  Who doesn't want any tip they can to get a flatter tummy?  Crazy people!

BodyMedia FIT

If you've watched the Biggest Loser you know they have their contestants wear a BodyBugg.  It's just a little band that you wear on your arm and it measures calories you burn.  When I decided I would like to get one I did some research and it turns out that BodyBugg is exclusive to 24 hour fitness but the same company that actually developed it sell the exact same thing but call it the BodyMedia FIT.  Well almost exact. 

What does it do?

• 
  
  It measures the calories you burn
• 
  
  You can enter the calories you eat (there is a huge data base already but you can enter in your own foods or recipes.
• 
  
  Your deficit/surplus of calories
• 
  
  Amount of physical activity and to what degree (Moderate/Vigorous)
• 
  
  Amount of steps you took
• 
  
  *** How efficiently you are sleeping and for how long (The one thing the BodyBugg does not do)
• 
  
  Weight/Waist Inches

It's so cool!  I can see exactly what workouts I get the most out of and it allows you to set goals and keeps track of your progress.  It's really small and is easily forgotten when wearing it.  I just plug it in and I know exactly where I'm at for the day.  Check it out on their website they have some great information.  I bought mine from Costco and it saved me some money and I got a bunch of free stuff like a 12 month subscription, 3 face stickers to jazz it up, and an extra band. 

Turbo Fire Begins!

Today is the first day of the Turbo Tournament!  I LOVE NEW WORKOUT PLANS!  Sam got up early this morning with me and we did our first class.  We did the 40 minute stretch class and Sam told me that he was feeling very flexable after our class.  He demenstrated by touching his toes!  Awesome!  Day one is a success!  I've just finished fillout out my turbo tracker (An amazing little book that you can keep track of food, measurments, weight, goals, basically everything!)  and I'm so pumped! 

This weeks goals:
NO CANDY!!
No late night candy/cookies/chips/you name it shopping trips
Burn 1000 calories a day!  Move Move Move!
Work out with 100% intensity
Eat Smarter

Bring on an amzaing week!  I just love it! 

It's still not to late to get going with the Chalene Cup!  Just let me know!

Taking the Fi-Ya to a whole new level

Anybody up for a little competition? How about the Chalene Cup? The Gillespie's are!  We've teamed up with our significant others for a 5 month competition.  The categories that we will be judged on are:

• Hottest Abs
• Biggest Bicep Increase
• Most Weight Lost
• Most Body Fat Lost
• Stuck Closest To The Plan

What do we win.... THE TURBO TROPHY!  Still working on that but it's sure to be fan-freakin-tastic!  If you want to get in shape and a competish will motivate you LET ME KNOW NOW!!!  Comment on this post and I'll get you what you need! Flex your competitive muscles and bring your A-game! 

Who will win?  All I've got to say is BRING IT!  

Bring on the FI-YAH!!!

I love Chalene Johnson!  I don't care who knows it!  She makes wonderful workout programs that are easy to stick to and you get great results.  Fact!!

Have you watched the infomercial??? If you have I'm sure you've already been on teambeachbody.com and ordered your copy of Turbo Fire!  I'm about to sweeten the deal... With the program there is a Turbo Fire, Chalean Extreme hybrid calendar..... Um yes please!

I've ordered mine and it arrived last weekend.  I have been caring it around with me all week!  I can't wait to start on Monday.  

So here's the deal.  I enjoying working out.  I love to get sweaty and to push myself and move.  I also really enjoying eating... Not always healthy food.  The main focus for me in this next program is going to be my diet.   I'm going to get the most out of this program and you need to have both halves of the puzzle to do that.  The diet program for Turbo Fire is awesome!  This is going to be a cinch! 

Food Inc. The movie

It's late and I've only watched about 30 minutes of a documentary called Food Inc.  I'm perturbed,discussed, and emotional. Who thinks this is okay!?!?  Where can I find food that has not been torchered, over processed, and poisoned?  I feel like I eat pretty well and about a year ago I made the decision to stop eating meet and that was spured by my upbring of a vegetarian lifestyle and I read the book Skinny Bitch which was so horrifying that I never touched chicken, beef, or pork again.  I have been eating fish but after this documentary I'm ready to let go of that as well.  It's to much to think that we are so removed from the process of were our food comes from that we have been mislead into eating true and under poisonous food.  Things are so bad that I really don't even know where to find food that I could really truly feel comfortable eating and that wouldn't break the bank to get. Even fruits and vegetables have been brought in and then riped with chemicals.

I'm so frustrated.  I want to feel like I really am eating things that are good for me and fuel a healthy body but instead what I am confusing as healthy food is actually full of things that can make me sick, shorten my life, and flat out kill me.  Kill me!  What do we do?

You can stream Food Inc on Netflix.  It is hard to watch and it is graphic as hell and the grossest thing of all....it's whats happening.

A Zen State Of Mind

I've been attending the Yoga Teacher Training at the U and I'll be finished in a month. The first week of school I was exhausted and cranky about the program. Doing 4 hours of yoga on each day of school and all the hours we had to complete outside of the class room were intense to say the least!

There are 7 others students in the class and they all bring their own spice to the mix. Its been so amazing to learn so many new wonderful things from the instructors and my classmates. I've tried things that I thought I might never do, I've done things wrong for years without knowing, I've felt inspired by something as simple as breathing. Not to mention that its done wonders with my weight loss goals! Its a lot of extra physical activity but I think the real trick has been in the meditations practices. Accepting where you are on any giving day and allowing yourself to be human but to also improve.

I know that if I hadn't changed my habits a year and half ago and I had let myself accept that were I was in life was all I deserved I would never have taken this program. I would have never believed in myself and my ability to make the things that I want happen for me. Nothing is beyond reach if its something that can enrich your life and the life of those around you.

Something like being a healthy weight seems so simple now but I remember when I really didn't believe that I would ever feel thin. I actually believed that it was just not the way my body was built. Now when people say to me, oh I couldn't do that, or I've tried and it just doesn't work for me I want to shake them. It's a mind set and of course our naturally amazing, intricate and self balancing bodies want us to healthy!

Looking back I don't miss a single food that I said no to. I don't feel tired from the mornings I had to literally drag myself out of bed to work out. Looking back it seemed so easy. So worth it. So rewarding! If you are thinking that you want to loose some weight or you want to shape up for the new year my only piece of advice would be to JUST DO IT! Its not as hard as it seems and the benefits are manifested daily.

Thanks for the love.

As a side note I've been teaching Yoga on Monday and Wednesday at Far East Fitness in Cottonwood Heights at 6:30 and I would love it if you came.

The Biggest Loser Challenge - Gillespie Family Style

After Gary told me that he and his brothers were going to do a biggest loser challenge between them I thought I had to follow his example.

I've banded together a support group for the holidays! We will weigh in together weekly and keep each other on track!

Its been very helpful!

Hola to my girls!!!!

Biggest Loser Is Back!

I love it! Its so inspiring!

Tuesday Night at 7 on Channel 5 NBC!!!!!

Ever heard of a little thing called the Freshman 15?

I use to think that the "Freshman 15" was a myth. A story made up by college fraternity's. I haven't been in school for a long time and now that I'm back I can see how this could happen.

But I will not be another unsuspecting victim!

I could tell it was creeping up to me... but I knew I was a goner when I found myself eating a huge double layered covered in caramel rice crispy treat with 3 kinds of chocolate drizzled on top.....

Before your mouth starts watering and you are standing outside Rocky Mountain Chocolate fogging up the window I'll have you know that while I was trying to survive my self afflicted sugar induced coma I had an epiphany.

I gave up the big thick salty meaty foods to help my over all health and now its time to say goodbye to some of the sweeter things in life that I've let hold me back. At first I thought I could just swear off all sugar and be fine, but sugar is in everything! I went shopping and I was having such a hard time finding foods without sugar in them. I decided that I had to make a compromise so I could maintain a lifestyle with less sweets. I decided to go for more natural options or small amounts. For example I'm drawing the line with High Fructose Corn Syrup and Aspartame completely and Sugar as a predominate ingredient. But saying yes to Evaporated Sugar Cain, Stevia and foods with Sugar as one of the last ingredients.

I call it my "Kick Ya In The Sweet Tooth" diet. It will help me keep my interior less sugary so my exterior can be super sweet!

If you can think of any other alternative sweeteners or some of your favorite sugarless finds I would love that!

Yoga Teaching Program

"Hi Sunnie,

We are happy to inform you of your acceptance into the Fall 2009 Yoga Teacher Training Program at the University of Utah. We are very impressed with your commitment to health and sharing your knowledge. We enjoyed reviewing your application, and getting a glimpse of who you are. Thank you for sharing.

We will be contacting you closer to the starting date with more information to help you feel connected. Please feel free to contact us with any further questions you might have. Thank you again for your interest in our program, we are excited to have you as part of it.

Sincerely,
Vicki Yost"

And so it is written. I will be attending Yoga Teacher Training in the fall! Woohoo!! Wish me luck!

Yoga Teaching Program

I've applied for Yoga Teacher Training at the UofU for this coming September!!!!!! I am so excited and a little nervous while I wait to hear if I get into the program. Wish me luck and I will keep you posted.

The next project to tackle!

So I've finally broken down and I'm going to clean out the closet. Saturday is the day! Don't worry it will be thoroughly documented. I need a change... again. This should be interesting. Its also going to be a little sad to let go of some of those things. I held onto them because its nice to see them in the closet and think, well I can't wear that because its too big! But out with the old and in with the new!!

As a side note.... There is only a month and a half until I start Yoga Instructing School! Ahhhh!!! I did yoga this morning for the first time in a few months and I am so sore! I need to step it up before classes start! I just bought two new Workout DVDs tonight. I'll let you know how it goes.

Lastly but not least.... I lost 1.2 pounds last week :) Oh happy day!

I'm back in the States!

I'm back!!! What a trip. It was so amazing. Let me just recap what has been going on for the last 3 weeks.

Before my trip I was stressed and working very hard to loss as much weight before we left as possible. I also want to run a 10K on July 4th so I was working even harder to prepare myself for that. So it was a very big shock for me when I stepped on the scale and in spit of my efforts had gained about 4 lbs. I was devastated! I couldn't understand how I could be working so hard and eating all the right foods and still I could be gaining weight! So I went on my trip frustrated about my weight. But I was determined to enjoy myself. I tried to count my points the first day...... It was pretty hard so I decided that portion control would have to be my friend on this vacation.

So I ate whatever I wanted! I relaxed! Weight loss was finally NOT constantly on my mind and I have to say I felt amazing! I managed one run of about a mile and a half down a tiny country lane with farms and fields which was really different then the run around my neighborhood and very refreshing. I walked constantly to the sites we wanted to see so I was being active but it wasn't timed or at a high intensity but exercise all the same. I had some really great food! I tried many ice creams, chocolate, pastries, and incredible main courses and I didn't count my points for my entire vacation. It was the break that I needed to unwind from a health nut to just a normal person again. It felt really good to loosen the reins and just enjoy where I was.

I avoided the scales like the plague! I thought I would leave that part of me at home and deal with it again when I stepped on US soil. Instead I wore T-shirts without a sweater, a bathing suit without a cover-up and I didn't feel ashamed or self conscious! Even though I didn't make it to goal before my vacation, which is what I had been killing myself trying to do. I was at a very comfortable weight and enjoyed myself without having to constantly worry about what I would look like in pictures or bringing my sweater even when the weather was nice. It was liberating!

Now I'm back at home and I had to face the scale. So Sunday morning I stepped on and prepared myself for a number in the 140's... again.

139.6!!!! That is exactly what I was when I left! I didn't gain a thing! I was shocked and excited and learned some very important lessons!

• Stress really is a factor! I was going crazy before this trip to make myself loose anything else that I could and I was working ridiculously hard and it had the opposite effect on my weight loss. Now I feel like I should just enjoy the ride a bit more. Relax a little and I'm sure I'll have better results. I resolve to enjoy the weight that I am! Every pound is a milestone.
• Enjoy the ride! Not all my exercises has to be sweat my brains out intense. Any activity is just that... ACTIVITY.

What a great vacation! I'm so happy I had the chance to go!

Takin' Care Of Business!

My trip is only 9 days away!  I've been making the most out of the last few weeks until I head out for the Queens Country!  I've kept up with the exercises and the healthy eating even though I hadn't seen a big drop in the scale for 2 months!!!  I knew a plautu was a lurking possibility but I had high hopes anyway.  It was very discouraging to be working just as hard as I always had and not to see the results that I wanted.  But thanks to my Brother-In-Law who said just don't give up, been there and done that!  Just don't do it!  I kept on keepin' on!  

I also didn't want to buy to many clothes because I wasn't yet satisfied with the look of my new bod.  I'm sure there is some deep phsycological reason why I've held on to my old clothes but we wont get into that today.  I decided I had to have more then 2 shirts to take with me on my trip.  I set out to a store that 35 pounds ago I wouldn't have dared to venture into!  Charlotte Russe!!!  I've always been an accessory shopper.  I have no trouble finding shoes, jewelry, sunglasses, jackets, and lounge clothes.  Anything with a "one size fits all" tag!  but I haven't had a real t-shirt in years.  So with a little inspiration from my sister I set out for the dreaded GRAPHIC T!  

I'm a big baby because it was awesome!  Why didn't I do that sooner?  I left the store with a multitude of new shirts and of course like always a new sense of self!  

Down to business.  I weighed in on Saturday and I've been dying to share the results with EVERYBODY!!

Weekly Weigh-In: -2 glorious whole pounds!

Total Weight Lost: 37.2 lbs

Weight Left To GOOOO: 11.4 lbs

I just can't believe this!!!  I'm so close!  11.4 pounds I can burn in my sleep....... Well nothing will stop me from trying!  Here are some HUGE milestones that are approaching!!

• In 2.8 pounds I will have lost 40 pounds!
• In 4.4 pounds according to the BMI I will no longer be overweight!
• In 5.4 pounds I will have reached my WW goal!
• And of course the Ultimate goal!  In 11.4 pounds I'll weigh 125 pounds!!!!!!!!!!!

Food is good!!!  I happen to love it!  But nothing beats how good I feel now!

The Veggie Lovers Diet

Being vegetarian has been pretty easy.  It makes food choices so much easier because it eliminates about half of the items on the menu.  I have to plan out more meals and be more creative to make things that are filling and provide protein but don't involve meat.  Because I grow up as a vegetarian I knew all to well about Garden Burgers....... I hated them.   You know those commericals where the restaurant is serving cardboard food?  Well I would have rather had a cardboard salad then eat a Garden Burger.  So as you can imagine I was nervous to give them another shot.  I probably looked at all the different kinds in the freezer at the store for half hour before bringing myself to put one in the cart.  When I finally made it I was really really pleasantly surprised at the leaps and bounds they have made in the taste, texture, and color of the Garden Burger.  Now I'm hooked.  I have had the rib lets, spicy chicken, ground meat, and of course the garden patty.  It just makes things that much easier! Poor Sam has been such a good sport and has eaten the new experimental food that I've been making and hasn't ever said anything bad about it.  

I've been talking to him more about becoming a vegetarian with me....  I'm not making any head way with that.  I was going to try not to mention this in this entry but it just keeps coming up on the page. I read another chapter of the "Skinny Bitch"  book last night, which unfortunately reduced me to tears and horrifying dreams about murder.  There was a part where they said they knew it was going to be hard to read but to please read it anyway because these are things that are happening and we need to be aware of.  While I agree that we should educate ourselves....  I couldn't finish it.  But I also cried like a baby for a solid 20 minutes in Marley and Me.  So because I can't stand to think about the evil things I read last night for a minute longer all I'm going to say is that it all comes down to supply and demand.  I'm only one person but I can make a difference!  

There are a few things that I haven't cut out of my diet that I've been struggling with, dairy and fish.... Any thoughts?  I could live without fish if I felt like it was hurting my body with the chemicals that they feed the fish and the processing, like other meats, was inhumane (even though I just discovered the joy of sushi).  But I love dairy products!  I don't know if I'm ready to make the jump into a Vegan lifestyle.  Like I said before taking the meat out of the diet was easy!  Its just one ingredient in a recipe but no animal products takes away eggs, cheese, yogurt, milk, ICECREAM, and makes going out to a restaurant nearly impossible.  So I'm torn.  Let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions or information. 

I have noticed some changes since I stopped eating meat!  My skin looks great!  The color is different then it was before.  My moods are better in general!  I have more energy and I wake up earlier.  I feel good and I feel happy!  I'm sure the continued exercises and calorie counting don't hurt much either!

What A Race!!

Wow!  What an amazing experience!  When they said to take Trax.... They were right!!!  I've never seen so many people in once place before!  Not so much a run as a shuffle through the crowds!  

When we got to the race the traffic was backed up from the free way all the way to the parking spot that you might find about 10 blocks from the race.  When Ivy and I finally got the start line and found Cozy I had to go to the bathroom!  They had a bunch of Porta-Potty's with huge lines so I started to wait.  I probably moved 3 feet before I heard someone on a megaphone say "On your mark!  Get set!  GO!!!"  So I ran to where Ivy and Cozy where waiting and we started the shuffle!  

At this point I really had to go!  I thought that maybe I could ignore it for the next 30 to 40 minutes.... but it wasn't likely.  So when I saw a guy that worked at a Mexican restaurant hanging out outside looking at all the commotion I asked if I they had a bathroom.  I guess I wasn't the only person who had the same idea because I had to wait in another, shorter, line.  Then we were off.  

I would say about half way through we got our stride and we started to jog.  Ivy had been pushing the stroller with a mesmerized Anya in it and she had been pushing it up hill and through the swarms of people and I knew it must have been harder then it looked.  So I asked if I could push it and she handed over the stroller.  Believe it or not, it was MUCH harder!  Kudos to Ivy because wow!  

When we were about 3 blocks from the finish we passed Sam, Mom, Mike, Greg, and Roz cheering us on!  At the finish line the crowd came to a dead stop and it was like being at the start line again!  We finally found an uncrowded spot to meet everyone and we celebrated the race and the cause!  It was amazing!  I refused to take my "Race For The Cure" shirt off for the rest of the day!  That was an incredible experience that I'm so happy I was able to be a part of.  Thanks again to every one's support and love and don't worry if you couldn't make it because Mike took some amazing pictures for us and I can't wait to see them!  

Race For The Cure is finally here!!!

The race is finally here and I'm ecstatic!  I did the Law Day Run last week to get a feel for it because I had never done a race before.  Besides the rain, (I was soaked!) I loved it!  

Race for the Cure is this weekend!!  May 9th at the Gateway 400 W. South Temple.  Festivities will start at 7am but the race begins at 8:30.  The starting point is 300 W. North Temple and it will finish at the Gateway Legacy Fountain.  I would love to see you there to race or to support. The foundation has suggested taking trax.  You can sign up for the 5k run/walk or the 1 mile fun run/walk at komenslc.org.  

Thanks to everyone!  Its been amazing to make these changes in my life and this race is the embodiment of my accomplishments.  I love you all and the support and love that I've had from you is amazing!  I can't wait to see you this weekend!

The Final Countdown!!!!

Exactly one month to go until my trip to England!!!  Its time to get focused for the final leg of the race!  I've accomplished so much and I love the new body I'm in but I'm not finished yet.  I want to be at my WW goal by the time I leave and that is 7.6lbs away!  When I weighed in last week I lost another .8 for a grand total of 35lbs!  

I think I have also finally moved past the plateau that was plaguing me over the last month or so........ Ahh the agony of the dreaded plateau!!  I had to make a change and at first I thought MORE EXERCISE!!!  I was killing myself!  I was running 8K 3 times a week and doing the Biggest Loser Cardio Max, Power Sculpt, and Yoga video's 3 times a week.  It was to much and my body knew it.  So I've relaxed and taken a step back and instantly noticed better results on the scale.  

The other change I made was giving up meat.  I know what its like to be a vegetarian because my mom is and we grew up that way.  I read some interesting things in the book "Skinny Bitch"  (which by the way is a very education book but be prepared to feel bad about yourself..... they really are bitches....) It was just a reminder of things I already knew but this time I felt more prepared and capable of maintaining a diet that didn't involve meat.  Its been little over a week and I feel good about my decision.  

So like always I have to remind myself of my goal and then make a plan (which involves lists because I just love to make a good list of things to do)  and put it in action!  Let the final countdown begin!

The Results Are In!

I've finished "Making The Cut" and I've got to say that I really enjoyed it!  It was challenging and helped me build a lot of strength and loss some inches and pounds and a lot of body fat percentage considering how slowly that comes off.  I'm considering doing it again!  It was really cool to learn all the new exercises and with Jillian Michaels you know that there is no fooling around!  

So here are the results:

Weight Lost: -4.6 lbs

Body Fat Loss: -3%

Measurements: -5”

Improvements over the last month:

Heart Rate: 39.6%

Push-Ups: 480%

Sit-Ups: 1.02%

Wall Sits: 100%