OMG…I Can Wear Skinny Jeans

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In March my jeans were a size 20. I'm now down to size 16 and can wear kitty approved skinny jeans.

In April my jeans were a size 20. I’m now down to size 16 and can wear kitty-approved skinny jeans.

Last night it got a little chilly, so I decided to toss on a pair of jeans before heading out to the movies with the hubby. Now I haven’t worn jeans since April. I work out so much that I haven’t worn anything other than my exercise or cycling shorts this summer.

What a shock to discover my jeans no longer fit.  They were way too baggie around the waist and thighs.  When I reached for my belt, they fell off my butt. Woohoo!

Thankfully Old Navy is having a sale on jeans today ($19/pair plus $5 off for trying on jeans). I was a size 20 so I figured I’d save time and just grab a couple of pairs of  size 18 jeans before doing my other errands.

But a little voice in my head said to try them on first. I actually thought about ignoring that little voice — I mean, no way I went from a 20 to a 16, right? Read More

Weekly Weigh-In: Up A Few Ounces

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My legs are sore as heck and I ate right all week. So naturally I'm up slightly. Damn you water retention! Expecting better results next Saturday.

My legs are sore as heck and I ate right all week. So naturally I’m up slightly. Damn you water retention! Expecting better results next Saturday.

An uneventful weigh in on Saturday. I’m up about 7 ounces so either I gained some muscle or I’m retaining water. Considering how sore my legs were on Saturday, my money is on water retention.

I did a great job eating about 20g of carbs a day this past week. As long as I continue eating smart, I should have a nice loss this coming Saturday.

Day 4 of My August Flabby Arm Challenge

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This is my Triceps Bench Dip schedule for August. I'm really excited to see any changes to my arms by the end of the month.

This is my Triceps Bench Dip schedule for August. I’m really excited to see any changes to my arms by the end of the month.

It’s Day 4 of my August Flabby Arm Challenge and my triceps are feeling the heat. I’ve tweaked my planned workout a bit. I’m doing triceps bench dips nearly every day during the month of August (resting every 5th day). Every other day, in addition to the dips, I’ll do one exercise with a dumbbell.

That should whip my triceps into shape.

While working with my trainer this morning I did triceps dumbbell extensions – 2 sets of 15 with 10-pound weights. I felt exhausted, and expect lots of soreness later tonight. Just need to do 20 triceps dips and I’m home free today.

Besides looking to see more muscle definition, I’m curious to see if I lose any more inches off my arms by the end of the month.

Weekly Weigh-In: Down Nearly 2 Lbs!

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Just a little more than 7 pounds to go before I finally leave the 200 club! I'm going to try to do it by the end of August.

Just a little more than 7 pounds to go before I finally leave the 200 club! I’m going to try to do it by the end of August.

Another solid weigh in this weekend. I lost 1.8 pounds, bringing my total weight loss to 117.4 pounds. I’m so close to leaving the 200 club…maybe by the end of August. That would be sweet!

After two consecutive weeks of big weight loss, I expected my losses to slow down. Safe weight loss is anything up to 2 pounds a week. So technically I’m still at the high-end, but that’s fine with me. Considering the last few months, this is just my body’s way of saying, “Sorry for that plateau.”

Bragging Rights
Oh, during this morning Weight Watchers meeting I mentioned I lost 9.5 inches since March. I got a lot of applause and my meeting leader asked if I could bring my before photo to next week’s meeting so folks get a visual of how my body’s changed. Since I just posted a new Before & After pic to the blog this week, I just pulled that up on my phone.

I got a lot of oohs and aahs from the peanut gallery.

Yes, I feel awesome, but it’s no time to get cocky. Time to double down and get out of the 200s once and for all!

 

New Before & After Photo: Was I Really That Big?

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Since I took my measurements yesterday, I decided it was time for a new “before & after” photo.  Yep, I’ve dropped a chunk!

My new Before & After photo showing my weight loss. I don't even recognize the old me anymore. Wow...

My new Before & After photo showing my weight loss. I don’t even recognize the old me anymore. Wow…

This one is going on display just to remind myself that I’ll never go back.

The 2008 photo is from our London vacation. We did a lot of walking that trip. But we also ended up taking lots of cabs because my back was killing me. I remember being afraid of getting stuck in some of those very narrow staircases at the Tower of London. How embarrassing.

My husband suggested we go back for another visit. As he puts it, “I want to unleash the new you on that city.”

I’m totally down with that.

Shrinkage: I’ve Lost 9.5 Inches Since March!

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I know I should take my measurements each month. But I have to admit I love the big dramatic drops when I wait 3-4 months before breaking out the measuring tape. I’ve lot 9.5 inches since mid March!

That’s the great news. The awesome news is that despite my 4-month plateau, my body was still changing for the better. The not so good news is that despite 2 years of building good, healthy habits, I allowed that blasted scale set the rules of engagement. During my plateau I paid too much attention to those stubborn scale readings. I know better than that…Ugh!

Lesson learned (again!). Time to move on and do better next time. Now, on to the numbers.

Dot’s Weight Loss Measurements

Date Chest Upper Arm Waist Hips Thigh
June 27, 2012 48″ 17″ 53″ 57″ 35″
March 8, 2013 46.5″ 16″ 47″ 53″ 29″
April 23, 2013 45″ 15.5″ 44″ 53″ 27″
Aug. 13, 2013 45″ 14.5″ 44″ 52″ 27″
Sept. 16, 2013 45″ 14.5″ 43″ 50.5″ 27″
Jan. 4, 2014 44″ 15″ 43.5″ 50″ 25″
March 11, 2014 42″ 14″ 42″ 49″ 27″
July 29, 2014 40.5″ 13″ 42″ 45.5″ 23.5″
Total Inches Lost 7.5″ 4″ 11″ 11.5″ 11.5″

I thought I saw my most dramatic changes these last few months in my hips and thighs. Turns out I was right. I lost 3.5 inches in both areas. I continue to lose fat in my chest and saw some movement in my arms too. Nothing happened with my waist these last few months.

Perhaps a 30-day core challenge is in my future!

Weekly Weigh-In: Down Another 5 lbs!

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Another great week puts me closer to another weight loss milestone -- weighing less than 200 pounds!

Another great week puts me closer to another weight loss milestone — weighing less than 200 pounds!

I feel awesome this week. Finally my weight loss is back on track. For the 2nd week in a row, I’ve lost weight. I expected to drop a couple of pounds. Imagine my surprise when the lady at Weight Watchers told me I was down 5.6 pounds!

That’s more than 10 pounds in two weeks. Sweet!

I finally dropped below 210 and I can’t wait to say goodbye to the 200s.

I need to keep up with my healthy routines — tracking food, sticking to 20g of carbs/day and continue using my Fitbit One to get my butt in gear.

I’m excited my weight is going in the right direction. But I can’t get cocky. Gone are the days when I told myself, “I’ve got this.” To keep this ball rolling my new mantra comes from none other than Han Solo:

July Workout Log: Burned 32,500+ Calories So Far

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I’ve been busy this month workout wise! With my 2 main fitness apps (Map My Walk and My Fitness Pal) finally talking to each other and to Fitbit, I get a more accurate picture of my workouts.

While not all of my workouts are accounted for, this log is a nifty little snap shot of how well I'm doing in July.

While not all of my workouts are accounted for, this log (via Map My Walk) is a nifty little snap shot of how well I’m doing in July.

Not all of my runs, yoga classes,  weight training or the first week of July show up here — mostly because I logged them in my Fitbook rather than My Fitness Pal.  But the workouts I did log add up to some impressive stats:

  • Miles: 78
  • Hours: 73
  • Calories Burned: 32,55011.2+
  • Steps: 111,884

I’ve never really looked at my workouts like this.  Normally I just go workout and don’t think about it. Granted, I keep a log to track mileage only for my virtual walk to Denver challenge. My little virtual challenge does a nice job motivating me to rack more miles than the previous month.

But now that my apps are talking to each other, and I’m getting more accurate data, I think about pushing myself on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. Pretty sweet!

Once July is over, it becomes the month I benchmark all other months against.

Weekly Weigh-In: I’m Down 5 Pounds

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Feeling optimistic that my motivation is back. I'm down 5 lbs. this week. Next week's weigh in is the real test.

Feeling optimistic that my motivation is back. I’m down 5 lbs. this week. Next week’s weigh in is the real test.

I won’t say I got my weight loss back on track just yet. I’ve had my share of 5+ lbs. losses in a week only to find I’m up 6 lbs. the next. I need to see some consistency, so next week’s weigh is more important. In my mind I need to go below 210 before I start thinking I’ve righted this ship.

But I will say I’ve seen a noticeable difference in my attitude and motivation. I’m feeling confident again.

Nonetheless I’m still celebrating the loss. Five pounds in a week is big. It’s only fitting that I celebrate with a 1.63-mile interval run and a 4-mile walk. If I do well at my next Weight Watchers meeting, I’ll celebrate with a mani and pedi (after a 2 mile run of course). Read More

Searching for Weight Loss Motivation

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I'm up 7 pounds the last 2 weeks. Time for some soul searching this weekend and I think I put my finger on the problem.

I’m up 7 pounds the last 2 weeks. Time for some soul-searching this weekend and I think I put my finger on the problem.

I didn’t get a chance to officially weigh in on Saturday as we had a surprise birthday party to attend. That didn’t stop me from stepping on my home scale. Before I stepped on it I knew the news wouldn’t be good. Just too much wine and eating out the last two weeks. My suspicions were spot on. I’m up 7 pounds. Ugh!

Maybe the weight gain is what pushed me to get the Fitbit One this weekend. All I know I was on my best behavior during the birthday party…until the red velvet cupcakes showed up. In my defense, they were teeny tiny. I took a small bite of a cupcake and feed the rest to my husband. I did this about 7 times…

So going into the birthday party I was feeling awfully frustrated with myself. Once there, we met up with old friends we haven’t seen in ages. I got so many compliments on my weight loss that my perspective on my gain started changing. Read More