May 3 Weigh-In: Down 3 Pounds

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Awesome! For the first time in weeks I feel back on track. This is what happens when you track your food!

Awesome! For the first time in weeks I feel back on track. This is what happens when you track your food!

After a week of successfully tracking my meals, my weight started moving in the right direction once again. I dropped 3 pounds this week. I do plan to celebrate…by going on a run.

I now weigh 214 pounds, for a total weight loss of 111 pounds. I did set a short-term goal to weigh 200 pounds by the end of May. I hoped to reach the 200-pound mark by the end of April, but thanks to a plateau, that didn’t happen.

So I pushed that short-term goal back to the end of May. It’s a tall order after the 5 pound gain over the last couple of weeks. I’ll need to lose an average of 3.5 pounds a week for that to happen. I’ll do my best, but I’m not going to starve myself.

Overall I have 74 more pounds to lose to reach my goal weight of 140 pounds. I think it’s realistic for me to reach goal by year’s end. Keeping my focus and not cutting corners with my good eating habits are key.

Weekly Weigh-In: Ugh! Up 2.5 Pounds

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I gained 2.5 pounds this week - the 2nd week of weight gain. My packing on the pounds coincides with my lack of tracking.

I gained 2.5 pounds this week – the 2nd week of weight gain. My packing on the pounds coincides with my lack of tracking.

The scale’s been cruel to me the last couple of weeks. I’ve put on 5 pounds since April 12. I’ve gone from 212 to 217. It isn’t all water weight as I previously thought. The big common denominator for the last 2 weeks is the lack of tracking.

For some reason I’m not consistently using My Fitness Pal’s food tracker. Looking back over the last 2 weeks, some days are partly tracked – a breakfast here, a lunch there. But most days are blank. Grrrrr!

It’s amazing how quickly a good habit can fall by the wayside. When I track, I lose weight. Period. If I don’t track, I can gain 5 pounds in two weeks. Like exercise, tracking keeps me focused on making better food choices.

OK, I pinpointed the problem and it’s time to fix it. I logged my breakfast, morning snack and lunch today. And I didn’t wait an hour after I ate. I recorded it immediately after. That’s more like it.

My mini goal is to track for a full day, so only two more meals (afternoon snack, dinner) to go today. It’s all about baby steps. I know if I focus on trying to track a full week, I’ll rebel and fail.

Nope…it’s meal-by-meal and day-by-day for me. That’s the best way for me to relearn this good food habit.

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.

 

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.

Plateau Continues; Up 1 Pound

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I'm up a pound. This little plateau is putting up a big fight. Time to cut back on my carbs and shake free of this plateau's grip.

I’m up a pound. Time to cut back on my carbs and shake free of this plateau’s grip.

Well crap! This little weight loss plateau is putting up a big fight. After a week on Simple Start I’m up a pound. Time to really shake things up by cutting back on my carbs and changing my exercise routine.

Daily Carbs Target: 25g
My daily carb count bounced between 75-125g a day on Simple Start.  Time to drop my daily count to 20-25g.  The bulk of my weight loss came when I ate 20-25g of carbs daily. A week or two eating at this level should help me shake free of this plateau.

Putting My Knee To The Test
Besides cutting my daily carb count, it’s time to test my knee. Occasionally I have minor stiffness after a workout, but no pain. I think it’s time to try a little running.

It’s about 60 degrees out and the sidewalks and bike paths are clear — perfect for interval training. I’ve felt like my workouts were getting stale — weight training, spinning and yoga only get you so far before boredom sets in. Crossing my fingers in hopes my knee holds up.

Weekly Weigh-In: Down 3.4 Pounds

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Finally movement on the scale. I'm down 3.4 pounds this week.

Finally movement on the scale. I’m down 3.4 pounds this week.

February was a tough month for me as far as the scale goes, losing just 0.2 pounds. Thanks to some fine-tuning of my Paleo Challenge, I’m saying goodbye to the month on a high note — I lost 3.4 pounds this week.

My total weight loss is now 105.6 pounds, roughly 1/3 of my body weight! I hope this means my February plateau is over and I’m mentally in the sweet spot for continued weight loss.

One of my goals this year was to weigh 200 pounds by the end of April.  I’m 20.8 pounds closer to making that goal a reality. With 9 weeks left, I need to lose 19.4 pounds. That’s about 2 pounds a week.  Tough, but possible. I think it’s time to shake it up.

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Weekly Weigh-In: Am I Plateauing?

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Really!?! 222 pounds on 2/22? Numbers aside, I'm starting to worry about plateauing again.

Really!?! 222 pounds on 2/22? Numbers aside, I’m starting to worry about plateauing again.

The good news is I’m down 1.2 pounds this week. Of course, I was up by 1 pound last week. Basically for 3 weeks no real movement. Am I at the early stages of a plateau?

The husband thinks I’m retaining water. With my knee feeling better, I’m working out more. His theory — my muscles are shredded and retaining water. If true, I should see a big shift on the scale next week.

Another change this coming week — going to real spin classes. I’ve hit the spin room at my gym, but always on my own. I know I don’t get nearly the workout I do with the real class. Hopefully my knee holds up and I’ll finally get a hard workout.

That damn rabbit in me thinks I need to add in another workout in addition to the weights, walking and cycling. I’m itching to try Zumba. Thankfully the tortoise is still winning — I’ve had a few good days with my knee. I don’t want to rush it or I’ll screw up my progress or worse.

As for my diet, my trainer wants me to shake up my daily carb count. She’s worried my body is use to my current eating routine. So after eating about 50-75g of carbs for a few days, she wants me to drop to 20g for a day then spike it up to 200g the following day before going back to 50-70g. Can’t hurt to give it a shot.

How do you deal with a plateau?

Weekly Weigh-In: Up 1 Pound, But Refocused On Next Goal

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Weekly Weigh In feb 2014Despite fears that I’d over indulged, I ended the week 1 pound up. I finished the week strong by eating right, ridding myself of those sugar cravings and feeling better than I have in weeks.

For these last couple of weeks, I’ve felt out of sorts. Although I think the Paleo recipes I used possibly triggered some sugar cravings (more on that in an upcoming post), I don’t believe the diet made me sluggish. As I mentioned, except for eating “clean” foods, the diet is pretty much how I eat regularly.

Sure, I worked out (knee permitting), but I wasn’t as active at home. While I tried to focus on my next goal – losing 20+ pounds to finally weigh below 200, something just wasn’t clicking. The energy and excitement were missing.

I think it has to do with losing 100+ pounds. I’ve been so fixated on that number that it’s almost as if my brain decided it was time to take a vacation. By immediately switching gears and focusing on that next goal, I muted my celebration. My reward for crossing the century mark is a day spa trip in March. After two years on this journey, that spa will be a great way to recharge my batteries for the final push to reaching my goal.

Maybe I need to schedule my next reward ahead of such an important milestone, instead of a month after. Mental wellness is key in any weight loss journey.

The good news is I’m focused now and I won’t make the same mistake when I hit my next goal.

Weekly Weigh-In: No Gain, Moderate Pain

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My weight stayed the same this week. Well, at least I didn't go up!

My weight stayed the same this week. Well, at least I didn’t go up!

Nothing too exciting to report from my weigh-in on Saturday.  I didn’t lose or gain any weight. I’m still at 223 pounds. I did experience some mild knee pain early in the morning, but it disappeared once I started moving. I chalked it up to morning stiffness.

That changed once I hit the grocery store.  The knee pain came back with abandon. Why? My 2-inch heels on my feet.

Sigh…yes my knee is healing, but not enough where I can wear anything but sneakers.

This morning I did decide to try my first spin class in two weeks – the 30-minute beginners class. I could immediately tell the two-week break from spin was good.  Sprints and seated climbs were pain-free and I heard fewer popping sounds.  I wish I could say the same for standing climbs. I could stand for about a minute before the knee started hurting. So I kept my butt in the saddle most of the time, standing every 5 minutes to give my tush a 30 second break from the seat.

I made it through the class and felt so good I decided to go 20 minutes longer. I loved getting in some cardio. The walks are good, but this got my heart pumping. Hopefully I can do another session on the bike this week.