Weekly Weigh In: Up 2.5 Pounds

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Thanks to water weight and too much eating out, I'm up 2.5 pounds. Time to start making my own healthy meals.

Thanks to water weight and too much eating out, I’m up 2.5 pounds. Time to start making my own healthy meals.

Last week I tacked up a bit with a 2.5 pound gain. Some of that is water weight thanks to tough upper body workout. But I think most of the gain came from eating out too much last week.

On 5 different occasions I ate out for either lunch or dinner. Sure I opted for the healthy option, but unless I’m making the food myself, I never really have a good handle on the carb count and points value. The best I can do is estimate.

Also when you eat out you tend to eat about 35% more food. All that lively conversation, big portions and the ambiance helps you to lose track of how much you ate and ignore the signs you’re full.

So this week I’m back to eating in. I’m spending the bulk of the day making food – chicken wings and quarters, pulled pork, a new low carb BBQ sauce I’m testing, and meatballs. All carb and point friendly.

If I stick to eating what I cook this week, those pounds will be gone by Saturday.

Weekly Weigh-In: Down 3 Pounds; Lost 35% Of Total Body Weight

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Twelve pounds to go before I reach 200 -- a huge milestone in my weight loss adventure!

Twelve pounds to go before I reach 200 — a huge milestone in my weight loss adventure!

Great news! I lost another 3 pounds, bringing my total weight loss to 113 pounds. With those 3 little pounds, I’ve officially lost 35% of my total body weight. That puts my BMI at 34.9, down from 53.3 when I started my little weight loss adventure.

I do need to watch the eating out, as I’ve done that one too many times this week. I stuck to simple grilled chicken salads when ordering, but the menus’ unhealthy foods are always beckoning me.

My workout schedule is the same as last week, although I pushed the hike off until tomorrow. Just too much going for a weekday hike. So the hubby and I will blaze a trail to Ravens Rocks in Bluemont, Virginia.  It’s a 5.5 mile hike with a vertical gain of 1,530 feet. The hike includes 3 big climbs coming and going. I’m expecting a great workout.

Time to dig out my hiking boots!

Weekly Weigh-In: Down 3 Pounds

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I lost 3 pounds this week. I'm back to where I was before the strep throat!

I lost 3 pounds this week. I’m back to where I was before the strep throat!

Hot damn! I dropped 3 pounds this week and officially lost the weight I gained during my strep throat. Phew! With the injuries, illnesses and frickin’ snow out-of-the-way, it feels like I can finally see daylight.

Chances of me reaching my short-term goal of weighing under 200 pounds by the end of April are looking pretty slim. It’s looking like the end of May is more realistic. As long as I get there I’ll take it.

Food wise, I stuck to eating 25g of carbs a day. I did have one little slip (or should I say sip). Yes, I broke Lent with a glass (or two) of wine. Sigh…but on the bright side, wine is low carb. Anyway, I’m back on the wagon and will not drink for the rest of Lent.

In addition to eating healthy, I kicked my workout schedule up a notch. With all the weight lifting, biking, walking, running, yoga classes and my burpee challenge, I worked out a total of 11 hours this week. Awesome!

This week I’m adding an extra challenge to my workout schedule – my first day hike this year. I’ve got my sights set on Manassas National Battlefield Park. The park has 40+ miles of hiking trails and my goal is to cover 11.5 miles.

 

The Blood Work Is In & I’m Awesome!

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Results of my 3rd annual physical are in and my new routine helped I've turned the clock back 20 years! Image courtesy of smokedsalmon and http://www.freedigitalphotos.net.

Results of my 3rd annual physical are in and my new routine helped I’ve turned the clock back 20 years! Image courtesy of smokedsalmon and freedigitalphotos.net.

Last week I had my annual physical and, unlike most people, I actually looked forward to it. I mean, who doesn’t like sitting on a tissue-covered examining table wearing a very large paper towel opened in the back? As fun as that sounds (and it does sound fun), I didn’t always feel that way.

When I went in for my first-ever physical, in 2012, I wasn’t the same tissue-sitting-lovin’, paper-towel-with-holes-wearin’, physical-takin’ aficionado I am today. I knew I wasn’t in perfect health, and I expected the usual from my doctor: lose weight, get more exercise, been there done that, please pass the ketchup. You know, like what doctors say to normal people.  Right?

Wrong. Unfortunately for me, I got what can only be described as a punch in the gut. I was well on my way to a heart attack and to becoming a diabetic. Only time would tell which would hit first if I didn’t change my life.

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Weekly Weigh In — Up 3 Pounds

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I'm up 3 pounds this week. Not great, but not unexpected after eating lots of carbs while sick.

I’m up 3 pounds this week. Not great, but not unexpected after eating lots of carbs while sick.

Over the last 2 weeks I’ve gained 3 pounds. Those misgivings about eating lots of carb-laden soups and soft breads during my strep throat were well-founded. I also ate out a lot this past week — probably because I was cooped-up in the house for 7 days. While I ate the best low-carb friendly foods on the menu, I always do better on the scale when I make my own meals.

It doesn’t help that I’m sore from resuming my lower body workouts. Sore muscles mean water retention. Hopefully I’ll lose the water by next week’s weigh-in along with a few pounds.

While I’m not happy about gaining weight, I’m not freaking out either. I had a great physical and am no longer taking my blood pressure medication. I know I’m on the right path. I just have to keep chugging along.

Na Na Na Na, Hey Hey Hey, Kiss My Meds Goodbye!

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I've lost enough weight were my doctor is taking me off my high blood pressure pills. Image courtesy of Vichaya Kiatying-Angsulee and FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

I’ve lost enough weight were my doctor is taking me off my high blood pressure pills. Image courtesy of Vichaya Kiatying-Angsulee and FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

I reached one of my big long-term goals – I’m no longer taking my high blood pressure meds. No, I didn’t just stop taking them. I had my physical this week and my doctor thought I’d lost enough weight to take me off the pills.

About 6 months ago my doctor warned me that I might start experiencing light-headedness or even become dizzy – signs that my blood pressure had dropped too low. Those symptoms started up when I hit the 225 lbs. mark.

I have to check my pressure in 3 weeks, and if the numbers are good, I’m off of the meds permanently. Sweet! If the numbers are a little high, I may go back on the medication, though at a much lower dosage. Fingers crossed!

I’ll post more on my physical in the coming days.

Every Saturday Morning For Me

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Anything to get that scale to move!  H/T to It Sux To Be Fat.

weigh in cartoon

Is There Really A Link Between Fat And Heart Disease?

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A new study sheds light on the truth about saturated fat and heart disease.

A new study sheds light on the truth about saturated fat and heart disease. Image courtesy of Sommai and FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

If you read my blog, it’s no secret that I’m not a fan of the last 50+ years of nutrition science (dogma) that says a high-carb, low-fat diet is best for us.  That thinking is what helped me top the scales at 325 pounds before I started questioning the mainstream thinking.

While serious science is now starting to look at the role carbs play in making us fat, a new study questions the paranoia surrounding saturated fat.

We’ve been told that saturated fat in butter, cheese and meat causes heart disease. But scientists looking at 80 studies involving 500,000 people and 27 randomized controlled trials (the gold standard in research) found no evidence that saturated fat causes heart problems or any benefits from other types of fats.

It’s time for nutritionists and the food industry to start embracing real science and stop bad mouthing butter. Now I’m not holding my breath for this to happen. Heck, the nutritionists interviewed about this new study don’t want you to think it’s alright to eat fat because of the risk of heart attacks.  Really!?!

It’s looking like the nutrition dogma of the 50+ years is starting to crumble. Thank you Gary Taubes!

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Success! Down 5.4 lbs. this week and finally broke free of the plateau.

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I woke up this morning with a throbbing ear and a sore throat (just the left side) and promptly called my doctor’s office to see if I could get checked out today. The last thing I wanted was an ear infection over the weekend with no meds. After scheduling the appointment I decided to weigh-in today. If I have to eat carb heavy soups this weekend, I might as well weigh myself before the damage is done.

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Lost 3.5 Inches Since January

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