Weekly Weigh-In: Very Sore Legs Means Water Retention; Up 1 Lbs.

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Thanks to muscle soreness and some bloating, I'm up 1 pound this week.

Thanks to muscle soreness and some bloating, I’m up 1 pound this week.

I weighed-in on Saturday and got a happy surprise. I’m only up 1 lbs. Thanks to my trainer’s workouts, my legs are so sore. I also felt pretty bloated this week too thanks to this week’s bout of constipation. So imagine my surprise when the scale only showed a 1 lbs. gain.

To help with the constipation, I want to get more walking in. I’m tired of waiting for slightly warmer, less windy and rainy weather to appear. Winter is here and I need to suck it up and get my butt outside. Besides, walking should help with my sore legs.  I’m shooting for 6-miles today.

As for my mini-goal of weighing between 190 – 195 lbs. by December 31, I’ve got 10 days left. Of course I’d love to lose 6 lbs. by year’s end, but that’s just not realistic. But I’ve got my fingers and toes crossed to drop at least a couple of pounds by then.

So How Fit Are You?

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Knocking off 130 pounds and 16 inches off my waist adds 20+ years to my life. A pretty good trade I'd say.

Knocking off 130 pounds and 16 inches off my waist adds 20+ years to my life. A pretty good trade I’d say.

So does your weight and fitness level make you older or younger than you’re age? Well now you can take a test to find out.  It comes from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.  It’s pretty easy. You just plug-in some basic info (race, sex, age, height, waist size, resting pulse rate).

Why Knowing Your Fitness Age Matters?
The folks that put this calculator together say it’s a good indicator of how long you’ll live. Also, if it indicates you are much older physically than your age, you can do something about it. It’s always better to have your head out of the sand.

Dot’s Fitness Age Is…
At my last physical my doctor told me I added about 20 years to my life. That would put my fitness age somewhere around late 20s/early 30s.  So I decided to put this fitness calculator to the test. Read More

Weekly Weigh-In: What’s My Ideal Weight?

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Lost 2 pounds this week as my efforts to put distance between Onederland and 200 lbs. continues.

Lost 2 pounds this week. But where does this adventure stop? Is 130 lbs. still my ideal goal weight?

I dropped 2 lbs. last week and that means I’ve lost 40% of my total body weight. Yep, I’ve lost 130 lbs. in a little less than 3 years. I’m so much closer to my goal weight, but with just one small problem.

What is my ideal goal weight?

For some reason, I set my sights on weighing 130. I have no idea why. Given my height, Weight Watchers’ ideal weight range (subscription required for link) for me is 124-155 pounds.  At least my target goal was in the ballpark.

So how does my loose skin factor into setting my goal weight? I’m estimating I’ll have up to 10 pounds of loose skin to get rid of via plastic surgery.  But when losing a lot of weight, you’re not suppose to have plastic surgery until you’ve reached (and maintained) your goal weight.

For the time being, I’m still comfortable with a goal of 130 lbs. I just don’t know if I should stop losing weight when I hit 140 and then see where I end up after a tummy tuck. Of course, my body may decided that 150 lbs. is a healthy stopping point.  Ugh!

Most likely I’ll chat with my doctor during my next physical to see if we can come up with a plan that makes sense for me. For now, the march to lose weight continues.

My Top 3 Biggest Weight Loss Mistakes

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Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and Stuart Miles.

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and Stuart Miles.

With 2014 coming to a close, I’m fast approaching the 3 year mark of my (current) weight loss journey. It’s as good a time as any to reflect on why this journey was successful and my other attempts failures. This particular post focuses on my Top 3 Biggest Mistakes (my top successes are coming soon).

Trust me, I’ve made more than 3 mistakes, but these are the ones that really stand out. I’d consistently sabotaged myself, right at the beginning of any weight loss efforts, with these three boo-boos. Read More

Weekly Weigh-in: Close To Losing 40%

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I'm down nearly a pound this week. Thanks to my Thanksgiving menu, I've extended my stay in Onederland...and I have no intention of ever leaving!

I’m down nearly a pound this week. Thanks to my Thanksgiving menu, I’ve extended my stay in Onederland…and I have no intention of ever leaving!

I’m late in posting my latest weigh in results. I’ve had a lot more errands that needed to get done, like that special 2-hour trip to the DMV. The news is good on the weight loss front: I’m down about a pound…actually 0.8 lbs.

Funny thing, I was nervous stepping on to the scale this Saturday. I’d miss my last two Weight Watcher meetings – one because of a horrible traffic jam and the other due to post-Thanksgiving duties. I had no clue if I did well on Turkey Day or not.

I know I always talk about not fearing the scale. But it is amazing how that fear kicks in when your confidence is napping. Turns out the fear was silly (as is usually the case when stepping on the scale). I’ve extended my lease in Onederland. Now it’s time to buckle down and go for those squatter rights.

At 197.2 lbs., just 2.2 pounds more and I’ll have lost 40% of my total weight when this little journey started. Woo hoo!

 

Weekly Weigh-In: Dot In Onederland

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Oh, what a beautiful sight! I was so excited this morning that I did something I don't normally do -- I jumped on my home scale prior to my Weight Watchers meeting. I just had to know if I landed in Onederland.

Oh, what a beautiful sight! I was so excited this morning that I did something I don’t normally do — I jumped on my home scale before my Weight Watchers meeting. I just had to know if I landed in Onederland.

Since July I’ve set my sites on Onederland – that wonderful mythical place that all of us fatties dream about. I haven’t seen Onederland for nearly 25 years.

Today felt like Christmas. I woke up excited and I couldn’t wait for my Weight Watchers meeting. I don’t use my home scale that often, but this morning I couldn’t help myself. And sure enough, I finally reached the promise land – “Under 200 lbs.”

I ran down stairs and told my husband, who gave me a big hug and wisely told me to get to my meeting and lock it in before I drink or eat anything. Smart man.

Celebrate Success, But Don’t Lose Site Of The Ultimate Goal
When I stepped on the home scale this morning and saw the 198.5, I ran for my iPhone, got back on the scale and took a picture before leaping for joy. Imagine my surprise when I got to Weight Watchers and saw I was really at 198.2 lbs. — that extra trip to the bathroom helped a lot! Read More

Weekly Weigh-In: Onderland, You Tease!

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Onederland here I come! Just 0.8+ lbs. shy of finally weighing less than 200 lbs. I think I hit it next Saturday.

Onederland here I come! Just 0.8+ lbs. shy of finally weighing less than 200 lbs. I think I hit it next Saturday.

Just got back from my weekly weigh-in at Weight Watchers. The good news: I lost 2.8 lbs. this week, putting my total weight loss at 125 lbs.The bad news? I’m 8 ounces shy of Onederland.

Ugh…so close. But next week is it! I’m going to finally dip below 200 lbs. Of course, I’ll need a plan to stay in Onederland. I don’t want to be evicted after Thanksgiving. With the holidays coming up, my plan is to weigh between 190-195. That should give me enough cushion to stay in Onederland through December.

I’m working on my Turkey Day menu today and will post it tomorrow. It’s just the hubby and I this time around so I expect to stick to my 20g of carbs/day routine.

I’m only serving turkey, an almond-bread based stuffing and one veggie dish. As for dessert, the hubby gave me go ahead to skip the pie and go with a low-carb chocolate pudding (recipes coming soon!).

Now I just need to work in 2 glasses of wine into my 20g. Decisions, decisions…

To keep my mind preoccupied on Turkey Day, I plan to watch the Mystery Science Theater 3000, one of my all-time favorite shows. The Turkey Day Marathon starts at noon on YouTube.  Nothing like bad movies with wisecracks from Joel, his robot friends (who make any bad movie delightfully watchable), and the whole Satellite of Love gang. Strangely enough, I just can’t eat anything while this show is on…pretty cool.  Hmmmm…must be all those bad movies.

 

 

Weekly Weigh-In: The Push To Onderland!

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I'm down 1.2 lbs. this week, putting my total weight loss at 122.1 lbs. I'm so close to finally reaching Onderland (weighing under 200 lbs.). I'm pulling out all the stops to get their in November.

I’m down 1.2 lbs. this week, putting my total weight loss at 122.1 lbs. I’m so close to finally reaching Onderland (weighing under 200 lbs.). I’m pulling out all the stops to get their in November.

As of Saturday, I’m down 1.2 lbs. Another 3+ lbs. and I’ll finally reach that magical place called Onderland…something I haven’t seen in more than 25 years.

I’ve been within 10 pounds over the last 4 months. Slowly I’ve come within 2 pounds, only to start gaining weight. Ugh! It’s so frustrating. But I have some tricks up my sleeve to get me over this huge hurdle. Well, not really tricks. More like getting back to my good habits.

Dot’s Tricks Good Habits To Finally Reach Onderland Read More

What The Heck Is Ketosis & Why Should I Care?

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No trace of ketones...not surprising after my anniversary weekend. But now it's time to become a fat-burning machine.

No trace of ketones…not surprising after my anniversary weekend. But now it’s time to become a fat-burning machine.

When starting my low carb diet more than 2 years ago, I kept hearing about “being in ketosis.” I tried reading up on ketosis, but for some reason my brain just translated all the info as blah blah blah. Instead, I focused my attention on just trying to eat right, thinking I’d learn more about this mystery topic later on.

Well, for the last couple of months, my weight’s bounced back and forth between 203 and 210. Frustrated, I decided to reach out to a few folks I know who eat low carb. Sure enough, all of them asked me if I was in ketosis.

Crap! I thought. I guess “later on” means now.

I picked up some Ketostix at the pharmacy to measure my ketone production. Oh great, so now I need to pee on a stick in the morning! Read More

Daily Weight Loss Motivation: Fat Jeans Vs. Skinny Jeans

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I was feeling pretty down about my weight loss this morning. It was time for some perspective. Fat jeans to the rescue!

I was feeling pretty down about my weight loss this morning. It was time for some perspective. Fat jeans to the rescue…again!

I woke up this morning feeling pretty frustrated that I can’t seem to shake these last 5 lbs. before reaching Onderland; I needed something to give me that little extra push. So I got the urge to pull out a very special pair of jeans – my fat jeans.

This is what I wore when I tipped the scales at 325 lbs (wow…was I really that big!?!). Once in a while I pull them out of a drawer just to remind myself how far I’ve come. I compared them with what I wear now.

Well this put a big smile on my face and was just what I needed this morning.

I’ve gone from a size 28 (and those size 28 jeans fit pretty tight back in the day) to wearing a size 14.

I’m feeling pretty awesome now! Time for my spin class.