Weekly Weigh In: Holding Steady Thanks To Workout

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Thanks to doing a mess of calf raises and a long distance walk, my legs retained lots of fluid and kept my weight steady for the week.

Thanks to doing a mess of calf raises and a long distance walk, my legs retained lots of fluid and kept my weight steady for the week.

Note to self: Next time I try impressing my trainer and walking 7 miles in the same day, I don’t do it 24 hours before weigh in. My legs were horribly sore Saturday morning its a wonder the scale didn’t show a gain. Turns out my muscles were packing just enough water to keep my weight steady — 190.4 pounds.

Since I’m sort of a glass half full type of gal, that means next Saturday’s weigh in should show a nice loss (provided I keep eating right this week).

Calf Raises & Upping My Walking Distance
The day before weigh in, I met with my trainer for a lower body workout. Nothing out of the ordinary until the end. She had me do calf raises up the stairs. Ten calf raises (both legs at the same time) per step. My trainer said she expected after the 6th step (60 raises) and I’d quit.

I smiled and told her, “I’m going to the top of the stairs.” Read More

Weekly Weigh-In: Down 2; Total Loss 135 Pounds

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I'm down 2 lbs. this week and 135 pounds overall.

I’m down 2 lbs. this week and 135 pounds overall.

After a great week of intermittent fasting and running (finally), I saw continued progress on the scale. I’m down 2 pounds this week, putting my total weight loss at 135 pounds. I set a mini goal of getting out of the 190s before I meet with my doctor for my physical at the end of March. With just 0.4 lbs. to go it looks like I’ve got a shot.

The sun finally came out this week, melting much ice and snow. That meant the walking trails and sidewalks were clear, allowing me to restart my 5k training. I’ve got a month before my first race.

Right now I can run 1.5 to 2 miles. Occasionally I can hit 3 miles. If the weather holds for the next 4 weeks, I should be able to run 3 miles consistently by race day.

If you told me I’d get to a point in my life where I was itching to go out for a run, I’d laugh at you.

I guess under all that weight an athlete was itching to get out.

 

Weekly Weigh-In: Fat Loss Continues; Down 1.4 Lbs.

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I ended February on a high note, losing 1.4 pounds. For the first time this year I feel like I'm mentally in the weight loss game.

I ended February on a high note, losing 1.4 pounds. For the first time this year I feel like I’m mentally in the weight loss game.

I end February strong. Not only did I lose 1.4 lbs. this week, but my intermittent fast is going great. As of January I’m down 5.8 lbs. which brings my total weight loss to 133 pounds. My weight loss may be off to a slower start than expected this year, but I finally feel as if I’m once again firing on all cylinders.

I’m tracking and measuring everything. My daily activity is high. I just need to remember to wear that blasted Fitbit to track my steps.

Each Saturday, I refrain from eating and drinking anything until after my Weight Watchers weigh-in and meeting. This week I worried a little, because water and coffee are the only things I can consume until noon, due to the semi-fast I’m now doing. Despite the lack of liquids, my stomach didn’t make a peep during the meeting. No hunger pains after, and no growling. Just a general feeling of awesomeness. Read More

Weekly Weigh-In: Down 1.8 Pounds!

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I've got the scale moving in the right direction for 2 weeks in a row now. My recent changes to my diet are working!

I’ve got the scale moving in the right direction for 2 weeks in a row now. My recent changes to my diet are working!

Clearly the changes I made this week — reducing the cream in my coffee and my fasting for lent — helped me work off the weight I imagined I gained over Valentine’s Weekend (lots of wine!) and then some. I’m down 1.8 lbs. this week for total weight loss of 131.2. Yay!!!!

So How’s That Fast Going?
I’m three days into my Intermittent Fast. So far so good. I haven’t dipped under 1200 calories/day and I’m averaging 12-18 net carbs/day.

The most important thing is I don’t feel like I’m starving. However, when it is time for me to eat, I am hungry.

Well duh, right? Read More

Weekly Weigh-In: Breakthrough! Down 3.5 Pounds

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Thanks to a bit of detective work, I'm down 3.5 lbs. this week.

Thanks to a bit of detective work, I’m down 3.5 lbs. this week.

I’m finally going in the right direction. At Saturday’s weigh-in I lost nearly 4 lbs. this week. Sweet! What changed? I played detective. I didn’t make any changes in what I was doing other than tracking and measuring everything. After 3 days I analyzed my food log and quickly found the problem.

My Morning Cuppa’ Joe
I’m brand spanking new to drinking coffee, but it quickly became a morning ritual for me. No, I don’t drink those sugar/carb-laced monstrosities from Starbucks. I only drink what I make at home. That way it’s healthy. Ha!

How can coffee stall my weight loss? It doesn’t have any carbs and is zero points. Plus coffee has a ton of health benefits. Read More

Weekly Weigh-In: UGH! Up 3; My Big, Bad Habit Is Back With Abandon

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Bad habits started creeping back in since mid-January. I'm looking to the Spartan Up podcast to give me the much needed motivation to make better food choices.

Bad habits started creeping back into my life. Time for some tried and true motivational tools.

I overdid it during the Super Bowl (surprisingly, not with alcohol) and didn’t track my food for 4 of the last 5 days. End result? I’m up about 3 pounds. Thankfully I’m still in Onederland, but hanging on by a thread.

I’m not happy – I do know better – but I didn’t beat myself up. Instead, I took stock of where I was at mentally. I’m working out like crazy, but on the food front I’ve been very lax.

I’ve signed up for a few 5Ks and other cool fitness events (more on that tomorrow). I’m so excited about those, I can’t wait to get to the gym or put on my running shoes. Yet when it comes to eating right, I don’t feel the same motivation.

Constant vigilance went out the window sometime in mid-January.

Remember the reward system I put in place last month? I ended up earning 75 Dots and 25 Blots (yikes) for a grand total of 50 Dots for January. Not only did I miss out on that Pandora charm I had my eye on, a lot of bad food behaviors crept back into my life. UGH!

Clearly, my head’s not in the game. I can string together a few great days food-wise, but then it all goes to hell.

When Bad Habits Bite You On The Butt
A few weeks ago my hubby suggested I find some motivational podcasts to push me out of my slump. After all, that’s what he uses for fighting bouts of writer’s block.

(Shameless Plug  Alert: The hubby’s second book, Fool’s Ride is now available. Shameless plug over. Now back to regular scheduled blogging.)

I wasn’t really sure if that would help me. Of course, I listen to podcasts and audio books during my walks and workouts. Some podcasts and books I’m hooked on, and can’t wait to get back to the gym just so I can listen to what happens next.

Some people shout "Eureka" in the bathtub. I yell "D'oh" when i discover big things about myself.

Some people shout “Eureka” in the bathtub. I yell “D’oh” when i discover big things about myself.

Yet for some reason, I procrastinated at my husband’s suggestion. Despite my success in using these wonderful audio tools for workouts, I had a lot of self-doubts on the eating front.  Then I experienced a D’oh moment worthy of Homer J. Simpson.

You see, during my weight loss journey, I turned to wellness blogs and podcasts to help me stay focused. Heck I was even interviewed for the Lifestyle Accountability Show because the hosts thought my story would motivate others.

But for the last 5 months, I completely stopped turning to them for help. Why? I  told myself I was “too busy” and “something had to give.”

Now for that D’oh moment: That logic is how I ballooned to 325 lbs. at my former job. I was just too busy to eat healthy. Work was too important. My health paid a big price for that reasoning.  Yet here I am doing the same thing over again. The price this time: stalled weight loss.

Saturday’s weigh-in was the jump-start I needed. Time to check out iTunes and revisit those inspiration blogs and podcasts.

 

 

 

Weekly Weigh-In: Despite Wine Drinking, I’m Down 0.4 Pounds

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Luckily I'm down 0.4 lbs. from last week. This week, I'm skipping the wine but doubling down on smart eating and exercise.

Luckily I’m down 0.4 lbs. from last week. This week, I’m skipping the wine but doubling down on smart eating and exercise.

Well at my last official weigh in on January 10 the scale read 198.2 lbs. My unofficial weigh in last week I dropped to 196.8 lbs. Despite a very busy Saturday, I got up early to go to Weight Waters to step on that scale. As of yesterday I weighed 196.4 lbs.

Officially that’s nearly a pound a week. That kind of progress should excite most people. Yet I feel like I’m lucky I lost anything.

My hubby thinks I’m being too hard on myself. But if I’m being honest, I made some boneheaded moves during the week.

Well, actually just one — drinking a bit more wine than I intended. I did everything right this week — staying within my carb and point range, as well as sticking closely to my workout schedule (weather permitting). But for some reason, as I wrapped myself in a blanket and read a book or watched the telly, I broke open a couple of bottles of red. Ugh! I feel like I wrecked 3 great days.

I know how silly it is to beat yourself up after making a mistake. It’s all about making better choices the next time. And I did just that. But I also made the same bad mistake 3 nights in a row. Yet I still lost weight!?! Where the heck is the consequence for what I did? Well my accountability starts and ends with me.

Well here’s my consequence:

Except for two beers during the Super Bowl, I’m abstaining from alchohol this week. And starting February 1, I’m taking the 30-Day No Alcohol Challenge. Any day I mess up, I have to do the Double Ladder Burpee Madness challenge.

My fondness for wine is the only thing tripping me up now. Time to break out my awesome tea collection for these cold nights.

 

Battling Emotional Eating This Weekend

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After a tough weekend with a very sick husband, lack of sleep and some emotional eating, I hope I maintain my weight next week.

After a tough weekend with a very sick husband, lack of sleep and some emotional eating, I hope I maintain my weight next week.

Well this weekend was a kick in the pants. I was unable to go to my Weight Watchers meeting on Saturday for my weigh in. So the number here is from my home WW scale. Why didn’t I go to WW?

I was at the hospital all day Saturday and a big chunk of Sunday. My husband woke me at 3:00 a.m. because he had severe abdominal pain. On Friday all of his symptoms screamed “FLU!” But early Saturday something was seriously wrong.

After an hour in the ER, my husband went in for a CAT scan and soon after sent to Observation. What were they observing? Whether or not he needed surgery. Yikes!

Long story short, it turns out he had a bad viral infection in his intestinal track so nothing could pass.

Read More

Weekly Weigh-In: Got My Game Face On

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I'm up a few pounds this week. Time to kick things into high gear as I implement my Dots & Blots rewards to motivate me for the last 60 lbs.

I’m up a few pounds this week. Time to kick things into high gear as I carry out my Dots & Blots rewards to motivate me for the last 60 lbs.

While I finished 2014 strong, I didn’t reach my goal of weighing 195 lbs. by December 31st. Sadly, as of today I’m actually up a few pounds.

The good news is I’m still in Onederland, but not by much. Thankfully the holidays are over. That means no more treats. No more parties.  Just time to get serious about losing my last 60 lbs.

My game face is on. Today I’m preparing for my new Dots and Blots rewards system (starting tomorrow). That means I’m menu planning, prepping my food for the week, and mapping my workout schedule.

The hardest thing on my activity list:  Squeezing in my 5K training and daily 5+ mile walks.

Burrr…its sooooo cold out! Thankfully we get a little relief next week as the weather’s suppose to reach the upper 30s and lower 40s. Practically balmy!  If it holds, then I can get my 3 runs and 6 walks in. Otherwise it’s off to the treadmill with me — something I loath.

I’m aiming to earn 50 dots next week. If I’m successful, I’ll be half way to getting my dumbbell charm.

2014 Weight Loss & Wellness Goals – How’d I do?

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With 2014 coming to a close, it's time to take a look back and see how successful I was in hitting my weight loss, wellness and fitness goals. Image courtesy of Stuart Miles and Freedigitalphoto.net.

With 2014 coming to a close, it’s time to take a look back and see how successful I was in hitting my weight loss, wellness and fitness goals. Image courtesy of Stuart Miles and Freedigitalphoto.net.

It’s the time of the year where people start making resolutions and taking stock of their weight and health. Well, when it comes to weight loss, I prefer setting measurable goals.

The beauty of setting personal goals is that you don’t have to wait until New Year’s Day to make or revise them. As you evolve, so do your goals.

In January 2014 I set some specific weight loss, fitness, beauty and wellness goals. And every so often I re-evaluated those goals to improve habits, recalibrate expectations or make adjustments to my food and exercise plans.

So before it’s in with the new goals, let’s take a look at the old and how 2014 panned out for me. Read More