Lisa Vs. The Lbs. - 10 Lbs. Down!

Lisa Vs. The Lbs. is an end-of-the-month update following my weight loss journey. My goal is to be 135 lbs. by December 31, 2013. Here's the first post in case you missed it.

Starting weight: 167 lbs.
Current weight: 157 lbs.

Lbs. lost so far: 10 (yay!!!)
Lbs. left to lose: 22 (not-so-yay)

10 lbs. down, baby!!! (Commences victory dance)

To be honest, I don't really feel too different. I can tell that my legs are a bit more toned (thank you, squats and lunges!) and my clothes aren't as tight on me.

Meals

My big-a$$ jug of water

As far as meal planning/prepping goes, I'm not exactly where I want to be. I'll go 2-3 whole weeks with being really good at cooking all my meals ahead of time. But then one week, I'll decide to "take a break" from cooking and I'll go out to eat. I'd say I'm following my plan about 75-80% of the time. For this upcoming month of August, I'll be trying yet again to be strict about eating clean. I really need to prioritize this, since it's so easy to write off cooking and just say "ugh, I'll just grab food from blahblah".

When I am doing good with my prep, my meals consist mostly of protein and veggies. I eat 5 meals a day every 3 hours, and I've already measured my portions. Each meal keeps me full, yet I'm hungry by the time my next meal comes around. Buying a kitchen scale was definitely an investment I don't regret!

Also, I've been drinking a crap ton of water and tea, which really helps with flushing out any toxins in my system. I've also noticed that being hydrated makes me more attentive and energetic throughout the day!

Exercise
In my last update, I said I would be going to the gym 3x a week. Sad to say, that hasn't been happening - I've only been making it 2x a week. But I've downloaded an app called Gympact to help keep me accountable. Mrs. PoP over at Planting Our Pennies suggested I check it out! I'm planning on writing a full review on the app once I've gotten the hang of it, but she has a more extensive review of the app over here.

For the month of August, I will do my 30 mins. of cardio right when I wake up! I'm going to set my running shoes and clothes right next to my bed so that when I get up to turn off my alarm, my clothes are right at my feet so I can just change and go.

22 lbs. left means that I need to lose about 4.4 lbs. per month if I want to reach my goal of being 135 by New Year's Eve! Lately, I've been averaging about 2 lbs. a month, so I really need to step it up with my meal prep!

How are your fitness goals going this month? Anything else I should focus on?

AMDG,
Lisa

Links Lisa Likes - 7/26/13

Happy Friday once again, y'all :) I feel like each and every week just zooms by faster and faster.

First of all, I want to thank you guys for helping me out with the contest over at MH4C. I finished in 4th place! Congrats to all the other articles and winners! Click here for all of the articles and contest results. And check out the other entries! There were some great articles that really help you reflect on your money as well as your relationship with God.

Gotta love that Clipart ;)

Speaking of God (like my segue?) - this weekend, I am serving on a young adult retreat at my parish. This retreat is geared toward students who have just graduated from high school and/or are entering their first/second year in college. Guess what session I'm leading? That's right -  personal finance! I've been doing this session for a couple of years now and I even have a handy little handout for them, complete with cheesy clip art :) I'll mostly go over tips such as spend less than you earn, be wary of credit cards, how to save money on textbooks, etc. Most importantly, I'll be starting a discussion on stuff and how to not be a slave to materialism. Am I missing anything?

For a good chunk of this past week, my RSS reader, The Old Reader, has been down. I've been having some serious RSS withdrawals (as I type this with shaking hands) and I've been contemplating moving to Feedly or Bloglovin'. Do any of you have any experience with these readers? I would definitely love some feedback. However, I've been very happy so far with The Old Reader (other than this latest server meltdown), so I think I'm gonna stick it out for a little while longer. But if it crashes one more time, I think I'll make the jump. Update: just got access to my feed yesterday! So happy!

As a result of my RSS feed being down, I barely have any links this week :( But here they are nonetheless!

Are You Trusting in Horses? - [Luke1428]
Where do you place your trust? For me, I try to trust God every day.

Cosmetics Routine: Save or Splurge? - [Money After Graduation]
Looking for a way to save money on your beauty routine? This article breaks down what's worth splurging on and what you can save on.

Debt Payoff Summary - [Planting Our Pennies]
Mr. and Mrs. PoP paid off $103,000 in debt over 14 months! Incredible!

How I Retired at 30 - [Yahoo! Finance]
Mr. Money Mustache is being featured in this Yahoo! finance article. One day, I hope to be able to save/invest 70% of my income! One step at a time...

Living the Quiet Life - [Zen Habits]
Devote even just 2 minutes to quiet. Your thoughts will clear and your creativity will run wild in your own world.

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Have a great weekend, as always! Please pray for the retreat I will be serving on this weekend (starting today)!

AMDG,
Lisa

Frugal Fitness

 A reader writes in:

Can you write an article on how to stay fit without spending money on a gym membership? I'm tempted to buy (another) membership but the money part is stopping me!

When I was shopping around for a gym membership, I found that membership fees ranged from $10-100 per month. But when you're on a budget and trying to cut costs, spending on a gym membership every month - even if it's just $10 - just isn't realistic. So how is someone trying to control their finances supposed to get fit without a gym? Here are a few suggestions.

Go Outside

Discover new places to run near you.

Throw on your running shoes and take a few laps around your neighborhood. Discover some hidden trails and don't be afraid to tackle those hills! Tired of running through the same scenery? Head to a nearby waterfront, pier, lake, or any other outdoor landscape. I've found that running is 10x funner with a pretty view.

Want to find new hiking or biking trails near you? Hit up sites such as Trails.com and ProTrails.com, enter your location, and hit up the nearest one!

Another way to get fit outdoors is to be a kid again! Head to the nearest playground and begin your workout - do some pull-ups on the monkey bars, assisted push-ups off of park benches, do lunges around the swings,  climb the structures, run up and down stairs, etc. There's plenty to do at the park and your options are only limited to your imagination!

Netflix/Youtube
If you're already paying for a Netflix subscription, there are plenty of workout DVDs that you can have sent to your house! Once you get tired of it, you can return it, and they'll send you another one right away!

Also, there are plenty of fitness channels on Youtube, and some even offer full-length workout videos! I've recently stumbled upon the Fitness Blender channel and they have tons of  of variety - from low-impact cardio to total body toning tabata workouts. I haven't tried any yet, but I've watched a few clips here and there and they definitely look challenging! Think of it as a regular gym class minus the sweaty room and large groups of people. Definitely going to give this a try soon!

Mobile Apps
There are plenty of mobile apps that can help you with your fitness goals. Apps such as the Nike + Running App and Map My Run help you keep track of your running goals and distances.

Disclaimer: they're not paying me for this :)

Personally, my favorite workout app is Sworkit. Basically how it works is you choose what kind of workout you want to do (cardio, strength, yoga), enter in how long you have to work out (5 to 60 mins), and the app will generate a random circuit training workout sequence you can follow. If you don't have a smartphone, don't fret! They've launched their desktop version so you can workout with the help of your tablet or computer.

Membership Deals
If you absolutely must go to a gym for their equipment, look into cheaper options and other payment plans.If all you need are the cardio equipment, machines, and free weights, Planet Fitness may be a good option for you at $10 per month.

However, if you're someone who is interested in taking groups classes, such as Body Pump, spin, or Zumba, you need to look at other gyms. Personally, I am a member at 24 Hour Fitness. They have all the equipment/machines as well as group classes for their members. However, a membership to my local 24 Hour Fitness is approximately $37 per month! That's not including access to other 24 Hour Fitness gyms.

But I have a little secret: I pay about 60% less than the average member! And no, not illegally ;)

What I do is I go to my nearest Costco Wholesale and buy a membership through them! It's an upfront purchase of about $350 for a two year membership ($600 if you want access to their Super Sport locations)! I know, it looks like a lot of money, but here's the breakdown: $350 divided by 24 months equals $14.58 per month - a savings of 60% compared to the $37 per month membership option straight from the gym. You get the same gym, same treatment, and the same amenities as someone who paid more than double what you did!

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Getting fit doesn't have to be expensive! Look at your fitness needs, explore your options, and use what you've already got (smartphones/laptops/neighborhood)!

I'm sure I'm leaving something out. Leave your suggestions on how to get fit on a budget below!

AMDG,
Lisa

Links Lisa Likes - 7/19/13

Me and Grandpa at my grad party

This week completely zoomed by! Work has been keeping me extremely busy, not to mention my BF and I started weekday practices for our side hustle. My sleep schedule has been all out of whack. It's been really hard for my to fall asleep lately, and even harder to wake up in the mornings. Makes me wonder how I pulled all those all nighters in college... It seems so impossible now!

On Tuesday, we celebrated my Grandpa's 2 year death anniversary. I grew up with my grandparents (on my mom's side) living with me, my brother, my parents, and my auntie. We basically had 5 parents looking out for us and taking care of us. I don't think I'll ever stop missing him. But I'm thankful for everything he has done for me. He never really said, "I love you", but his actions already showed me that he did.

If you haven't already, please check out my article over at the Money Help for Christians blog: 3 Lessons Learned Recovering from Retail Therapy. I've entered into a contest over there and the article with the most shares wins! So like/tweet/plus away! The buttons to share are located right next to the title.

Okay, enough with the shameless plug, here are this week's links!

9 Ways to Get Things Done When Everything is Going Wrong - [Time Management Ninja]
When things aren't going the way you'd like, focus on one task at a time.

Boulders Versus Pebbles - [Bucking the Trend]
Identify your 'boulders' in life so you can focus less on your 'pebbles'.

Collect Accomplishments, Not Stuff - [The Simple Dollar]
Collecting accomplishments is way more satisfying, not to mention less expensive ;)

Five Similarities with Weight and Debt Loss - [Johnny Moneyseed]
As someone who is trying to lose weight AND debt, these five similarities are more and more obvious to me everyday.

Judgy Wudgy was a Bear - [Red Debted Stepchild]
It's easy to judge others' purchases, but personal finance is just that - it's personal! Mind your own beeswax :)

Moment of Debt Repayment Pride - [Girl Meets Debt]
Everyone is at a different point in their lives, and it's completely unfair to you if you compare yourself to others. To get rid of jealousy, focus on you and your progress!

Pain is Not a Lifestyle - [Enemy of Debt]
"Getting out of debt is hard. Living with debt is hard. Choose your hard."

Have a great weekend, guys!

AMDG,
Lisa