I know I haven’t been updating this thing near as often as I should. I hate to cite the excuse that I’ve been busy, but I really have!
This past month has been nothing but frustration for me with my weight.
Week 41: up 1.6
Week 42: down 0.6
Week 43: up 4.0 and one big “what the HELL”
Week 44: down 3.6 and one big “that’s more like it”
Week 45: down 1.0.
I have just been a big mess of stress with my husband being out of town for work and me starting a new job. I know I wasn’t making the smartest food choices sometimes and I know that it showed on the scale. I can’t make any excuses for that, especially when presented with the numbers. I’m just tired of dancing around the same weight for……well, it seems like FOREVER. It just sometimes really sucks your will to live.
More than the irritation, I’m horribly disappointed in myself. I had hoped to be a lot lighter at this point in the game; I had hoped to be about 40-45 pounds lighter at this point, and that’s obviously not happened. I really was hoping to be down 50 pounds by the end of the year and I know I’m going to have to seriously rethink that goal since I know I won’t realistically make that goal AT ALL. I didn’t want to be fat in the holiday pics that are sure to happen, and I guess I’ll have to deal with another year of fat pics. I just hope they don’t make it onto Facebook or something like that. Ugh.
LilySlim Weight loss tickers
Friday, December 2, 2011
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Weeks Thirty-Nine and Forty
Well, the same stupid rollercoaster routine.......
Week Thirty-Nine saw a 2.4 pound gain, and this week (Week Forty) showed a 3 pound loss. Seriously, I am so tired of this up and down and up and down. The eating habits have not changed, but the stress level has. I wish I could say otherwise, but I guess it is what it is. I just wish I wasn't going into the early part of the holiday season with this current stress level.
I banged up my baby toe on my right foot today, and that thing hurts way more than a baby toe should. It's about 3 times normal size and it's all red and bruised. It hurts to walk on, no big surprise there, so going for daily walks should be interesting since I don't want to put any more weight on it than I need to. I was on my feet a bit today, and the outside part of my foot hurts a bit. I HATE it when my feet hurt!
Week Thirty-Nine saw a 2.4 pound gain, and this week (Week Forty) showed a 3 pound loss. Seriously, I am so tired of this up and down and up and down. The eating habits have not changed, but the stress level has. I wish I could say otherwise, but I guess it is what it is. I just wish I wasn't going into the early part of the holiday season with this current stress level.
I banged up my baby toe on my right foot today, and that thing hurts way more than a baby toe should. It's about 3 times normal size and it's all red and bruised. It hurts to walk on, no big surprise there, so going for daily walks should be interesting since I don't want to put any more weight on it than I need to. I was on my feet a bit today, and the outside part of my foot hurts a bit. I HATE it when my feet hurt!
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
The Trifecta -- Weeks Thirty-Six, Thirty-Seven and Thirty-Eight
Ugh....where to begin......hmmmm....perhaps at the beginning?
These past few weeks have been immensely difficult for me for a number of reasons. One: There's been some serious juju at work. Two: My dear husband has been traveling a LOT out of town. While I'm certainly of sturdy enough stock to handle that little bit of change, it has been an adjustment. Three: I've just been plain frustrated. Frustrated as hell and irritated. All of these combined, do not make for happy weight loss. Especially, when you add in that I wasn't sleeping well at all (maybe 4 hours of good sleep a night), it's just one hot mess. Week 36 saw an oh-so-fun 2.2 pound gain; if that wasn't good enough, Week 37 saw a 0.8 pound gain. Thankfully, Week 38 brought a nice, cool 2.0 pound loss. Still, I wasn't doing any sort of happy dance at the scale. I'm just pissed and angry at myself for the stupid 3 pound gain over this past few weeks.....wait, no......3.6 pound gain over the past month. Total b.s. in my book. And for what? Nothing.
All I have to say is that stress can bite my lily-white butt. I don't like it, and the scale REALLY doesn't like it. If stress had a corporeal form, I'd drop kick it. I've been trying hard to make sure I get plenty of sleep each night, and for those nights where I have trouble, I've been taking these melatonin supplements that I got at Trader Joes. They have seemed to help a bit....just reset my sleep rhythm a tiny bit. I've also been making sure I get plenty of hydration throughout the day. I know that when I'm dehydrated I get the munchies....and obviously that's not good for weight loss.
So here's hoping that Week 39 has much better results. I need some happy news.
These past few weeks have been immensely difficult for me for a number of reasons. One: There's been some serious juju at work. Two: My dear husband has been traveling a LOT out of town. While I'm certainly of sturdy enough stock to handle that little bit of change, it has been an adjustment. Three: I've just been plain frustrated. Frustrated as hell and irritated. All of these combined, do not make for happy weight loss. Especially, when you add in that I wasn't sleeping well at all (maybe 4 hours of good sleep a night), it's just one hot mess. Week 36 saw an oh-so-fun 2.2 pound gain; if that wasn't good enough, Week 37 saw a 0.8 pound gain. Thankfully, Week 38 brought a nice, cool 2.0 pound loss. Still, I wasn't doing any sort of happy dance at the scale. I'm just pissed and angry at myself for the stupid 3 pound gain over this past few weeks.....wait, no......3.6 pound gain over the past month. Total b.s. in my book. And for what? Nothing.
All I have to say is that stress can bite my lily-white butt. I don't like it, and the scale REALLY doesn't like it. If stress had a corporeal form, I'd drop kick it. I've been trying hard to make sure I get plenty of sleep each night, and for those nights where I have trouble, I've been taking these melatonin supplements that I got at Trader Joes. They have seemed to help a bit....just reset my sleep rhythm a tiny bit. I've also been making sure I get plenty of hydration throughout the day. I know that when I'm dehydrated I get the munchies....and obviously that's not good for weight loss.
So here's hoping that Week 39 has much better results. I need some happy news.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Week Thirty-Five
I know this is super late as far as posting, but I did go up slightly this week; I went up 0.6 pounds. Lesson learned: Do NOT eat burritos on Friday before you weigh in. Enough said.
But darned if that burrito wasn't tasty as heck. :o)
But darned if that burrito wasn't tasty as heck. :o)
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Week Thirty-Four
Down 1.6 pounds!
After maintaining the weight for the past two weeks, there has finally been a change....and for the better! The hot weather we recently had was not incredibly helpful to me since all I wanted to do was eat cold/cool things like ice cream. Yeah, not so hot (pardon the pun) for someone trying to drop some nasty weight. So, when I went grocery shopping I thought I'd try to find some snacks that would help satisfy me. One day when I had just been hungry, I had gone up front to the mailroom and I thought I'd stop off and see if there was "something" I could get at the little snack shack. I happened upon some string cheese and thought "what the hell....why not?" It's cold, it's something of the dairy persuasion so it's got protein, and it's got a hint of saltiness which would hit that salty snack craving I was having. Wouldn't you know it? That bit of string cheese really worked. Guess I should have listened to my inner 5 year old sooner.
I was also starting to get roped in by the siren song of the vending machine with all of it's glorious Hostess snack cakes. Uh oh. A friend of mine had introduced me to Cinnamon Cheerios (really, I SHOULD have listened to my inner 5 year old) and darned if they weren't just super tasty and satisfying as well when you NEED something sweet. So, in the same shopping trip, I bought a box of those Cheerios. I've cleaned out the entire box, but those silly Cheerios really helped me stave off some not-so-nice sweet attacks.
I will cop to this though, I do have a special container for those Cheerios. I have a Goldfish plastic container that you are supposed to put fishy crackers in. Yeah. I rock the Cheerios in that thing. If nothing else, I'm losing weight and making my coworkers smile at my inner 5 year old.
After maintaining the weight for the past two weeks, there has finally been a change....and for the better! The hot weather we recently had was not incredibly helpful to me since all I wanted to do was eat cold/cool things like ice cream. Yeah, not so hot (pardon the pun) for someone trying to drop some nasty weight. So, when I went grocery shopping I thought I'd try to find some snacks that would help satisfy me. One day when I had just been hungry, I had gone up front to the mailroom and I thought I'd stop off and see if there was "something" I could get at the little snack shack. I happened upon some string cheese and thought "what the hell....why not?" It's cold, it's something of the dairy persuasion so it's got protein, and it's got a hint of saltiness which would hit that salty snack craving I was having. Wouldn't you know it? That bit of string cheese really worked. Guess I should have listened to my inner 5 year old sooner.
I was also starting to get roped in by the siren song of the vending machine with all of it's glorious Hostess snack cakes. Uh oh. A friend of mine had introduced me to Cinnamon Cheerios (really, I SHOULD have listened to my inner 5 year old) and darned if they weren't just super tasty and satisfying as well when you NEED something sweet. So, in the same shopping trip, I bought a box of those Cheerios. I've cleaned out the entire box, but those silly Cheerios really helped me stave off some not-so-nice sweet attacks.
I will cop to this though, I do have a special container for those Cheerios. I have a Goldfish plastic container that you are supposed to put fishy crackers in. Yeah. I rock the Cheerios in that thing. If nothing else, I'm losing weight and making my coworkers smile at my inner 5 year old.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Weeks Thirty-Two & Thirty-Three
Well, nothing new to report. I've maintained for the past two weeks.
There's been a lot going on at the house, and I'm actually surprised that I didn't gain anything. Granted, I'd rather be losing weight, but at the same time, at least it's not that super-annoying up and down, up and down stuff that just makes you lose hope. I know plateaus are sort of "built in" the whole weight loss journey, so I'm just kind of rolling with it. I did have a really awesome loss prior to this 2 week "Hold fast and don't budge" dealie-o. Usually when I have an awesome loss, I have a not so awesome gain the next week.
There's been a lot going on at the house, and I'm actually surprised that I didn't gain anything. Granted, I'd rather be losing weight, but at the same time, at least it's not that super-annoying up and down, up and down stuff that just makes you lose hope. I know plateaus are sort of "built in" the whole weight loss journey, so I'm just kind of rolling with it. I did have a really awesome loss prior to this 2 week "Hold fast and don't budge" dealie-o. Usually when I have an awesome loss, I have a not so awesome gain the next week.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Week Thirty-One
WOOHOO!!!!! Down 2.8 pounds!!!!!
If I had stayed for the meeting on Saturday, you better believe I would have been celebrating! This brings the total weight loss, to date, to the grand total of 36.4 pounds. I finally cracked the "35 pound loss" floor that I had been dancing around for weeks (it seemed).
I really wish I knew what exactly it was that brought on that loss. I've been trying to figure it out. I've been making sure that I stay hydrated and I take my vitamins. Other than that, I'm not sure if the recent warmer weather played a part or if it's just that my body decided that it was okay to shed a few extra pounds. I'm kinda leaning toward that explanation. Nothing's really moved much the past few weeks, to my frustration, and then all of a sudden......BAM! I've just been staying the course: drinking water, eating my daily points "ration", keeping indulgences down to a dull roar, and making sure I exercise regularly.
I guess that's the thing to take away from this: "stay the course". It's really easy to get all frustrated with a lack of results (or the wishy washy ups and downs on the scale) and abandon what you know will eventually work for you. I think it's really easy for us to get annoyed and lose faith with things that may take some time to take effect, and I think we tend to get irritated with ourselves when our bodies don't want to do something when WE think they should.
If I had stayed for the meeting on Saturday, you better believe I would have been celebrating! This brings the total weight loss, to date, to the grand total of 36.4 pounds. I finally cracked the "35 pound loss" floor that I had been dancing around for weeks (it seemed).
I really wish I knew what exactly it was that brought on that loss. I've been trying to figure it out. I've been making sure that I stay hydrated and I take my vitamins. Other than that, I'm not sure if the recent warmer weather played a part or if it's just that my body decided that it was okay to shed a few extra pounds. I'm kinda leaning toward that explanation. Nothing's really moved much the past few weeks, to my frustration, and then all of a sudden......BAM! I've just been staying the course: drinking water, eating my daily points "ration", keeping indulgences down to a dull roar, and making sure I exercise regularly.
I guess that's the thing to take away from this: "stay the course". It's really easy to get all frustrated with a lack of results (or the wishy washy ups and downs on the scale) and abandon what you know will eventually work for you. I think it's really easy for us to get annoyed and lose faith with things that may take some time to take effect, and I think we tend to get irritated with ourselves when our bodies don't want to do something when WE think they should.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Week Thirty
I did it again......forgot to post on the weekend after weigh-in. I've been busy working on projects for Christmas presents on the weekends, and I've not really been getting on the computer much.
I went up this week a whole 0.6 pounds. I'm not overly thrilled with the gain, but Chris and I did have mexican food for dinner on Friday and I'm sure the extra sodium didn't help me any. For my part, I did try to make sure I drank a little extra water to help flush it out of my system, but it is what it is. All I have to say is that at least my dinner was darn tasty and I enjoyed every bite! That's the way a restaurant meal should be....something to savor and truly enjoy. Believe me, I did!!!!
Since it seems like the weather is warming up again, I bought one of those reusable hard plastic cups with the straw so that I can be sure I'm drinking enough water at home. I have gotten so much use out of that thing this past weekend, it isn't even funny. I think the cup is 24 ozs. and I usually fill that thing up twice a day, and sometimes 3 times a day when it's a little warmer. It seems like I tend to drink more water when I'm drinking it through a straw. I also like the fact that the cup is reusable and sturdy as hell. I had been reusing a Starbucks cup that I got iced coffee in about a month ago, and that promptly went in the recycle bin on Sunday.
I went up this week a whole 0.6 pounds. I'm not overly thrilled with the gain, but Chris and I did have mexican food for dinner on Friday and I'm sure the extra sodium didn't help me any. For my part, I did try to make sure I drank a little extra water to help flush it out of my system, but it is what it is. All I have to say is that at least my dinner was darn tasty and I enjoyed every bite! That's the way a restaurant meal should be....something to savor and truly enjoy. Believe me, I did!!!!
Since it seems like the weather is warming up again, I bought one of those reusable hard plastic cups with the straw so that I can be sure I'm drinking enough water at home. I have gotten so much use out of that thing this past weekend, it isn't even funny. I think the cup is 24 ozs. and I usually fill that thing up twice a day, and sometimes 3 times a day when it's a little warmer. It seems like I tend to drink more water when I'm drinking it through a straw. I also like the fact that the cup is reusable and sturdy as hell. I had been reusing a Starbucks cup that I got iced coffee in about a month ago, and that promptly went in the recycle bin on Sunday.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Week Twenty-Nine
In my excitement, I completely forgot to post this weekend after weighing in. I'm down 3 glorious pounds!!!!!!
I'm really not sure what contributed to the weight loss. I didn't do anything different and I sure as heck ate when I was hungry. I did make a point to drink plenty of water since it was rather warm and I wanted to make sure I was properly hydrated. I get kinda gnarly headaches when I'm dehydrated and they're not particularly fun, especially when you're at work trying to concentrate. (I'm sure sitting in an air conditioned office doesn't help with staying hydrated either.)
One thing that I was really proud of was Friday. One of the managers was going to buy lunch for the small group of us in the office, and he was buying lunch from BJ's. Whoa....pizza, pasta and more....what to do? So, I checked the menu and I remembered that one time I had ordered these Thai Lettuce Wrap things and they were pretty tasty. So, I went ahead and ordered them figuring they couldn't be all that bad and they were about the normal volume of food I eat at lunch normally. Unfortunately, BJ's doesn't really have any nutrition info online, so I was at a loss for points calculation. So, I figured I would just enjoy them, hope for the best, but have a normal dinner just in case. I was able to find nutrition info online at another website for BJ's...and.....drumroll please.....with the help of the online points calculator, all 4 lettuce wraps cost me..............wait for it................................5 points. SCORE!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was so happy that I was able to have lunch out, and still enjoy going out to eat with my husband that evening.
I'm really not sure what contributed to the weight loss. I didn't do anything different and I sure as heck ate when I was hungry. I did make a point to drink plenty of water since it was rather warm and I wanted to make sure I was properly hydrated. I get kinda gnarly headaches when I'm dehydrated and they're not particularly fun, especially when you're at work trying to concentrate. (I'm sure sitting in an air conditioned office doesn't help with staying hydrated either.)
One thing that I was really proud of was Friday. One of the managers was going to buy lunch for the small group of us in the office, and he was buying lunch from BJ's. Whoa....pizza, pasta and more....what to do? So, I checked the menu and I remembered that one time I had ordered these Thai Lettuce Wrap things and they were pretty tasty. So, I went ahead and ordered them figuring they couldn't be all that bad and they were about the normal volume of food I eat at lunch normally. Unfortunately, BJ's doesn't really have any nutrition info online, so I was at a loss for points calculation. So, I figured I would just enjoy them, hope for the best, but have a normal dinner just in case. I was able to find nutrition info online at another website for BJ's...and.....drumroll please.....with the help of the online points calculator, all 4 lettuce wraps cost me..............wait for it................................5 points. SCORE!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was so happy that I was able to have lunch out, and still enjoy going out to eat with my husband that evening.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Week Twenty-Eight
I was hoping against hope that I wouldn't gain this week.....but I figured I'd be up a little bit. Turns out I was right. This week was not a good week for me at all. I don't know what I did, but I torqued something in my neck and shoulders. I've been in a lot of pain this week, and I was in a little bit of pain the week before as well. Needless to say, being in pain has affected my sleep pattern and activity pattern. Namely, I don't want to do anything that makes the neck and shoulder area move. Kinda sucks....since almost EVERYTHING makes that area move. Still, I do have the remainder of the weekend to rest up and try to get better before the coming week. Here's hoping the next week will be relatively pain free so I can get out and move!
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Week Twenty-Seven
Woo hoo!!!! Goal met!!!!
That awful pound that Harry Potter put on last week was "magically" gone this week! Well, not exactly magical. I decided that I was not going to keep that pesky pound, so I was extra careful with what I ate and made sure that I drank plenty of water since it got a little warm. We did eat out a couple times the past week, but I tried to keep it in moderation and I kept the ordering to a minimum. I did have a moment of weakness with some Oreo cookies, but in all fairness I haven't had them for a long time. I was proud that I only had four cookies, when normally I would eat 10-12 of them; I was actually satisfied after eating those cookies. The craving was gone, and I honestly don't think I could have eaten any more than I did. I forgot how sweet they are.
Here's hoping that I'll have another loss on the scale next weigh-in!
That awful pound that Harry Potter put on last week was "magically" gone this week! Well, not exactly magical. I decided that I was not going to keep that pesky pound, so I was extra careful with what I ate and made sure that I drank plenty of water since it got a little warm. We did eat out a couple times the past week, but I tried to keep it in moderation and I kept the ordering to a minimum. I did have a moment of weakness with some Oreo cookies, but in all fairness I haven't had them for a long time. I was proud that I only had four cookies, when normally I would eat 10-12 of them; I was actually satisfied after eating those cookies. The craving was gone, and I honestly don't think I could have eaten any more than I did. I forgot how sweet they are.
Here's hoping that I'll have another loss on the scale next weigh-in!
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Week Twenty-Six
I went up 1 pound this week, and I know what caused it. Yep. Harry Potter made me gain weight. For real!
We went to the movies last night to see the latest (and final) Harry Potter movie. We had the requisite popcorn (no extra salt though) and the Twizzlers. I know the extra sodium was none too friendly to me, and I did drink a little extra water to try and help flush out the extra salt....but I don't think it was enough. That's okay though. Going to the movies, eating out and celebrating are important parts of day to day life and I did have a lot of fun at the movies. I'm okay with the gain, not overly happy with it, but okay with it. Today starts a brand new week, and now the task at hand is to take that damn pound that Mr. Harry Potter gave me, and "avada kedavra" the hell out of it. In muggle-speak, that means to basically kill it or get rid of it.
We went to the movies last night to see the latest (and final) Harry Potter movie. We had the requisite popcorn (no extra salt though) and the Twizzlers. I know the extra sodium was none too friendly to me, and I did drink a little extra water to try and help flush out the extra salt....but I don't think it was enough. That's okay though. Going to the movies, eating out and celebrating are important parts of day to day life and I did have a lot of fun at the movies. I'm okay with the gain, not overly happy with it, but okay with it. Today starts a brand new week, and now the task at hand is to take that damn pound that Mr. Harry Potter gave me, and "avada kedavra" the hell out of it. In muggle-speak, that means to basically kill it or get rid of it.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Week Twenty-Five
Down 2.8 pounds!!!!!!
This week was an interesting week because I don't feel like I did anything outside the scope of "normal" to get this loss. This week was rather warm, so perhaps some of the weight loss can be attributed to water loss, but I'm not really sure that's the entire case. I did make sure that I drank plenty of water to stay properly hydrated. I have to say that really don't care much for the headache that comes with dehydration. I also don't really care for the fatigue and dizziness.
This week was also kind of a mixed bag in terms of how hungry I was. I think that was related to how hot it was. I noticed that some days I was starving when I woke up, and other days I really didn't eat (or want to eat) anything until almost noon. I just made sure that I packed something to eat for breakfast and that I had some sort of snack (usually carrots or berries) just in case. Most of the time this week, I didn't eat much for breakfast and I would wind up eating my snack for lunch since it was something cold and crunchy. I also made sure I kept cut up fruit like peaches in the fridge at work, and sometimes I'd eat those for lunch. For some reason this week, that was enough for me. But, it wasn't a Week of Epic Hunger....so that's probably why I was able to slide by with that.
I think the Nugget of Wisdom to take away this week is to eat for what your body needs. I noticed that with the days being so warm, I tended to want water-rich food items and I preferred to have cold food items as well. Occasionally, I did want something hot to eat, and I would go ahead and heat up the Smart Ones for lunch. I also made sure to drink plenty of water and fluids and make sure to take my vitamins (I know....I still struggle with this) to help ensure that I'm getting the right amount of nutrients.
This week was an interesting week because I don't feel like I did anything outside the scope of "normal" to get this loss. This week was rather warm, so perhaps some of the weight loss can be attributed to water loss, but I'm not really sure that's the entire case. I did make sure that I drank plenty of water to stay properly hydrated. I have to say that really don't care much for the headache that comes with dehydration. I also don't really care for the fatigue and dizziness.
This week was also kind of a mixed bag in terms of how hungry I was. I think that was related to how hot it was. I noticed that some days I was starving when I woke up, and other days I really didn't eat (or want to eat) anything until almost noon. I just made sure that I packed something to eat for breakfast and that I had some sort of snack (usually carrots or berries) just in case. Most of the time this week, I didn't eat much for breakfast and I would wind up eating my snack for lunch since it was something cold and crunchy. I also made sure I kept cut up fruit like peaches in the fridge at work, and sometimes I'd eat those for lunch. For some reason this week, that was enough for me. But, it wasn't a Week of Epic Hunger....so that's probably why I was able to slide by with that.
I think the Nugget of Wisdom to take away this week is to eat for what your body needs. I noticed that with the days being so warm, I tended to want water-rich food items and I preferred to have cold food items as well. Occasionally, I did want something hot to eat, and I would go ahead and heat up the Smart Ones for lunch. I also made sure to drink plenty of water and fluids and make sure to take my vitamins (I know....I still struggle with this) to help ensure that I'm getting the right amount of nutrients.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Week Twenty-Four
Finally......a loss on the scale. I was hoping for more of a loss this week, but I'll take the precious 0.8 pound loss that I got.
I think I've just gotten into a rut, and I need to re-evaluate things. I haven't been eating much breakfast lately, not really sure why, but that's something I need to make a habit again. I also REALLY need to make sure I'm drinking plenty of water. The weather's been getting warmer, and I just don't think I've been drinking enough to compensate for it. Yesterday, I polished off 2 big glasses of iced tea when we went to dinner, and that's a big indicator to me that I'm simply not taking in enough fluids. I also slacked off big time with the vitamins.......I need to get back on track and stop the laziness there.
On the flip side, I did get out 4 times last week for exercise (despite the heat) and I did try to bump up the intensity of the workout. Now I just need to maintain that intensity level and get back on track with the other stuff. I'm hoping that the combination of the two will result in a nice weight loss. The kind of weight loss to "write home about".
I think I've just gotten into a rut, and I need to re-evaluate things. I haven't been eating much breakfast lately, not really sure why, but that's something I need to make a habit again. I also REALLY need to make sure I'm drinking plenty of water. The weather's been getting warmer, and I just don't think I've been drinking enough to compensate for it. Yesterday, I polished off 2 big glasses of iced tea when we went to dinner, and that's a big indicator to me that I'm simply not taking in enough fluids. I also slacked off big time with the vitamins.......I need to get back on track and stop the laziness there.
On the flip side, I did get out 4 times last week for exercise (despite the heat) and I did try to bump up the intensity of the workout. Now I just need to maintain that intensity level and get back on track with the other stuff. I'm hoping that the combination of the two will result in a nice weight loss. The kind of weight loss to "write home about".
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Week Twenty-Three
Well, I didn't go up this week, but I didn't go down either. Yup...straight-up maintained the weight.
That's okay though. We had a surprise retirement celebration for two of the guys in our department on Thursday, and we had mexican food. For my part, I was really pleased with how well I did. I opted not to eat breakfast that morning since we were going to be eating around 11. Since I usually eat my breakfast around 10, I was okay...a touch hungry, but okay. Yeah, I had two green chile/cheese tamales, but I didn't load up on chips or rice. I had a proper portion of pasta salad (the no-mayo kind), and a proper portion of refriend beans. I was really pretty well-behaved considering that I was hungry, and usually that's when I make my poor choices. I sure wasn't hungry at all for the rest of the day....well, until dinner of course. The walk in the park made me really hungry.
So, all the extra food that I normally wouldn't be eating probably didn't help with me actually showing a loss. However, I did celebrate with my co-workers and we had a really great extended lunch outside. Sometimes it's not completely about the food and being on your absolute best behavior with it. Sometimes it's actually about enjoying yourself and savoring the food you are eating.
That's okay though. We had a surprise retirement celebration for two of the guys in our department on Thursday, and we had mexican food. For my part, I was really pleased with how well I did. I opted not to eat breakfast that morning since we were going to be eating around 11. Since I usually eat my breakfast around 10, I was okay...a touch hungry, but okay. Yeah, I had two green chile/cheese tamales, but I didn't load up on chips or rice. I had a proper portion of pasta salad (the no-mayo kind), and a proper portion of refriend beans. I was really pretty well-behaved considering that I was hungry, and usually that's when I make my poor choices. I sure wasn't hungry at all for the rest of the day....well, until dinner of course. The walk in the park made me really hungry.
So, all the extra food that I normally wouldn't be eating probably didn't help with me actually showing a loss. However, I did celebrate with my co-workers and we had a really great extended lunch outside. Sometimes it's not completely about the food and being on your absolute best behavior with it. Sometimes it's actually about enjoying yourself and savoring the food you are eating.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Week Twenty-Two
Up again. I'm sick of this.
It's my own fault though. I overindulged a couple times this week, and I got a little bit lazy with my tracking. Plus, I got on this soda kick and that's really not a habit I care to continue. So, when I went grocery shopping today, I loaded up on the fizzy water (carbonated, but NO sweetener) to help me get back on track. I also got a little lazy with the vitamins too, and I think that also made a difference. I've noticed that I get kinda tired and lethargic when I don't take them regularly. Being tired is NOT a good thing for me with weight loss since I just want to eat. And it's not eating the good stuff....oh no. It's eating whatever crap food is available. Nope....not going to happen this next week.
I think I'm done beating myself up for being lazy this past week, and I'm ready to move on. Despite being lazy and tired this past week, I apparently had enough energy today to clean stuff in the house. I now have nice clean grout in the kitchen and a nice clean bathroom, in addition to clean clothes. Life is good.
It's my own fault though. I overindulged a couple times this week, and I got a little bit lazy with my tracking. Plus, I got on this soda kick and that's really not a habit I care to continue. So, when I went grocery shopping today, I loaded up on the fizzy water (carbonated, but NO sweetener) to help me get back on track. I also got a little lazy with the vitamins too, and I think that also made a difference. I've noticed that I get kinda tired and lethargic when I don't take them regularly. Being tired is NOT a good thing for me with weight loss since I just want to eat. And it's not eating the good stuff....oh no. It's eating whatever crap food is available. Nope....not going to happen this next week.
I think I'm done beating myself up for being lazy this past week, and I'm ready to move on. Despite being lazy and tired this past week, I apparently had enough energy today to clean stuff in the house. I now have nice clean grout in the kitchen and a nice clean bathroom, in addition to clean clothes. Life is good.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Week Twenty-One
EPIC WEEK OF HUNGERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!
Grrrrr. Yep, that's been my stomach this week. I guess I called it last week, or perhaps I jinxed it.
This week I have not only been hungry all the time, but I've been strangely tired too. I get the feeling like I haven't been sleeping too terribly well and I have woken up a few days in pain (lower back pain). Maybe I was sleeping funny or something. I have no idea, really. The combination of the two has just created this epic week of hunger for me though. Although I did go up a pound this week, I have to admit that I think I still did a pretty good job this week, overall.
First, I came prepared. Yep, I had carrots all prepped and cut into sticks, and these were packed up in containers so they were ready to go. I also had the various fruits (mostly berries and cherries) packed up in containers as well, so I had those on hand too. I'd pop one of each into my lunch bag in the morning and I just kept those in the fridge at work for when Epic Hunger would strike.
Second, I planned ahead for eating out. I know, this sounds reminiscent of a "like, duh" but I really had to up the thoughfulness on this one for the Week of Epic Hunger. We usually go out to eat on Friday night, and I was just ravenous. This is dangerous, as you guys well know, when you're eating out since EVERYTHING looks good. So, I pulled up the nutrition facts for the restaurant we were going to, and I pulled up the WW points calculator online. I calculated the points for about 4 different things that appealed to me and jotted those down. I did the math and figured that I would have 9 daily points left over after I ate what I wanted to at dinner. Okay....that's fine, until you figure in that I haven't eaten lunch yet and that's 6 points. Oh. So I made a quick call to Chris and asked him if he minded going for a walk after dinner at the park. He didn't (such a sweetie), so that gave me 6 activity points I could use toward my day. Woo hoo! I have to admit, that I felt a lot better going on that walk after dinner because I just didn't feel all...."blargh".
Grrrrr. Yep, that's been my stomach this week. I guess I called it last week, or perhaps I jinxed it.
This week I have not only been hungry all the time, but I've been strangely tired too. I get the feeling like I haven't been sleeping too terribly well and I have woken up a few days in pain (lower back pain). Maybe I was sleeping funny or something. I have no idea, really. The combination of the two has just created this epic week of hunger for me though. Although I did go up a pound this week, I have to admit that I think I still did a pretty good job this week, overall.
First, I came prepared. Yep, I had carrots all prepped and cut into sticks, and these were packed up in containers so they were ready to go. I also had the various fruits (mostly berries and cherries) packed up in containers as well, so I had those on hand too. I'd pop one of each into my lunch bag in the morning and I just kept those in the fridge at work for when Epic Hunger would strike.
Second, I planned ahead for eating out. I know, this sounds reminiscent of a "like, duh" but I really had to up the thoughfulness on this one for the Week of Epic Hunger. We usually go out to eat on Friday night, and I was just ravenous. This is dangerous, as you guys well know, when you're eating out since EVERYTHING looks good. So, I pulled up the nutrition facts for the restaurant we were going to, and I pulled up the WW points calculator online. I calculated the points for about 4 different things that appealed to me and jotted those down. I did the math and figured that I would have 9 daily points left over after I ate what I wanted to at dinner. Okay....that's fine, until you figure in that I haven't eaten lunch yet and that's 6 points. Oh. So I made a quick call to Chris and asked him if he minded going for a walk after dinner at the park. He didn't (such a sweetie), so that gave me 6 activity points I could use toward my day. Woo hoo! I have to admit, that I felt a lot better going on that walk after dinner because I just didn't feel all...."blargh".
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Week Twenty
This week brings a loss of 2.6 pounds on the scale as well as the end of me being sick!!!! Woo hoo!
I wish I could say that there has been some special "magic bullet" that's brought about the huge dumping of weight this week, but I really don't know what it is. I've made an effort to stay within my daily points, and even with Memorial Day happening, I still tried hard not to overindulge. The funny thing is though, I've noticed that I haven't been super hungry throughout the day. I don't know if it's just better food choices, or some sort of funky appetite sluggishness from being sick, but although I'm eating much more normally now I just haven't been getting really hungry during the day. Yeah, maybe next week will be the Week of Hunger, who knows?
I've been taking this as an opportunity to listen to my body and feed it accordingly. Yes, I know that could have the potential to get me in a world of hurt....but hear me out. I have been trying to incorporate less carbs and more protein in my diet already, but I've also been eating when my body says it's hungry and not necessarily eating when I think it's time to according to the clock. I do make an effort to not eat dinner past 7 pm, but that's simply because it's an awful feeling to go to bed on a full stomach. At least, it is for me. I don't sleep well, and I feel like I have "food hangover" or something the next morning. Blech. I've also been trying to make sure that I stay properly hydrated as well. I've been trying to drink green tea as well as the requisite morning coffee, in addition to the water that I normally consume.
With all this, I did have a tiny slack-off though.......my vitamins. Sigh. It's easier for me to remember to take them in the evening with dinner. However, when I wasn't feeling well and was absolutely not hungry and nothing even tasted good....that got a little lax. I've been trying to get back on track and form the habit again, since I know it's something that I truly do need to do and it will only help kick my immune system back to where it needs to be. I guess that's my project for the next week.
In the meantime, I'm just happy that my clothes are fitting so much better. I still am not able to get my wedding set back on the pudgy ol' ring finger....but I'm working on it. Perhaps within the next few months, that will become a reality!
I wish I could say that there has been some special "magic bullet" that's brought about the huge dumping of weight this week, but I really don't know what it is. I've made an effort to stay within my daily points, and even with Memorial Day happening, I still tried hard not to overindulge. The funny thing is though, I've noticed that I haven't been super hungry throughout the day. I don't know if it's just better food choices, or some sort of funky appetite sluggishness from being sick, but although I'm eating much more normally now I just haven't been getting really hungry during the day. Yeah, maybe next week will be the Week of Hunger, who knows?
I've been taking this as an opportunity to listen to my body and feed it accordingly. Yes, I know that could have the potential to get me in a world of hurt....but hear me out. I have been trying to incorporate less carbs and more protein in my diet already, but I've also been eating when my body says it's hungry and not necessarily eating when I think it's time to according to the clock. I do make an effort to not eat dinner past 7 pm, but that's simply because it's an awful feeling to go to bed on a full stomach. At least, it is for me. I don't sleep well, and I feel like I have "food hangover" or something the next morning. Blech. I've also been trying to make sure that I stay properly hydrated as well. I've been trying to drink green tea as well as the requisite morning coffee, in addition to the water that I normally consume.
With all this, I did have a tiny slack-off though.......my vitamins. Sigh. It's easier for me to remember to take them in the evening with dinner. However, when I wasn't feeling well and was absolutely not hungry and nothing even tasted good....that got a little lax. I've been trying to get back on track and form the habit again, since I know it's something that I truly do need to do and it will only help kick my immune system back to where it needs to be. I guess that's my project for the next week.
In the meantime, I'm just happy that my clothes are fitting so much better. I still am not able to get my wedding set back on the pudgy ol' ring finger....but I'm working on it. Perhaps within the next few months, that will become a reality!
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
It's June Already......
Insane. I can't believe it's June already. Where has the time gone?
Seriously, it seems like not that long ago it was the beginning of May, and beyond that....I don't really remember January being so long ago. This being said, I also can't believe that I've lost 28.8 pounds so far. I had tried to lose the weight before my mom smacked some sense into me and talked me into going back to WW. Believe me, I had tried....but it just didn't work. Now is about the time where I'm sorta kicking myself for not going back sooner because I would have had LESS overall weight to lose. Yeah, woulda coulda shoulda.
May was a great month full of a lot of celebrations. I celebrated another year of marriage, another year on the planet, and there's been a lot of celebrations at work for the large number of people retiring. The only cruddy thing about May this year was that I was sick for most of it. Three weeks. Three weeks!!!!! That did not do wonders for my weight loss, but overall I did actually have a weight loss to report when it was all over with. Yeah, I only lost 2.6 pounds over the course of the month, but at least I didn't maintain or (heaven forbid) gain anything.
Here's hoping that June shows more success on the scale than May did. I'm feeling tons better healthwise; I have more energy, I sleep better, I don't have as much joint and foot pain. I'm also feeling a lot better about myself as well. While I will not ever be one of those chicks with a flat stomach and toned, hot body......I will be able to wear smaller sizes and I'll look at lot better without all the flab. Plus, maybe I'll finally be able to put my wedding set back on my finger.
Seriously, it seems like not that long ago it was the beginning of May, and beyond that....I don't really remember January being so long ago. This being said, I also can't believe that I've lost 28.8 pounds so far. I had tried to lose the weight before my mom smacked some sense into me and talked me into going back to WW. Believe me, I had tried....but it just didn't work. Now is about the time where I'm sorta kicking myself for not going back sooner because I would have had LESS overall weight to lose. Yeah, woulda coulda shoulda.
May was a great month full of a lot of celebrations. I celebrated another year of marriage, another year on the planet, and there's been a lot of celebrations at work for the large number of people retiring. The only cruddy thing about May this year was that I was sick for most of it. Three weeks. Three weeks!!!!! That did not do wonders for my weight loss, but overall I did actually have a weight loss to report when it was all over with. Yeah, I only lost 2.6 pounds over the course of the month, but at least I didn't maintain or (heaven forbid) gain anything.
Here's hoping that June shows more success on the scale than May did. I'm feeling tons better healthwise; I have more energy, I sleep better, I don't have as much joint and foot pain. I'm also feeling a lot better about myself as well. While I will not ever be one of those chicks with a flat stomach and toned, hot body......I will be able to wear smaller sizes and I'll look at lot better without all the flab. Plus, maybe I'll finally be able to put my wedding set back on my finger.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Week Nineteen
Down 1 pound exactly today!
I have to say that I'm extremely happy about this as my weight has been bouncing around this month. It's really difficult to maintain a normal eating habit when you're not feeling well, and it seems like I've been sick for a good 75% of this month. Sigh. I'm hoping that once this last little bout of ickiness is gone, that I'm DONE being sick.
I'm only 1.2 pounds away from my next personal weight loss goal of 30 pounds. Wow, 30 pounds. It's hard to believe that the weight has come off so quickly. Yeah, I've lost an average of 1.5 pounds a week, which is about what you should expect, but it just seems like it's happened so quickly. I know I am excited every time I can fit into something that's been languishing in the closet or drawer for a while. I got a box of clothes from my aunt this week. She's been losing weight, and a lot of these things she's only worn once (or not at all) and she's way too small for them now. About a third of the stuff I can actually wear now, and it's so cool to have new things! The other third, I can get into but I don't look good as I do need to lose a little more. The last third is "no way, no how".....wayyyyyy too small. But that's okay, at least I have something to look forward to!
I have to say that I'm extremely happy about this as my weight has been bouncing around this month. It's really difficult to maintain a normal eating habit when you're not feeling well, and it seems like I've been sick for a good 75% of this month. Sigh. I'm hoping that once this last little bout of ickiness is gone, that I'm DONE being sick.
I'm only 1.2 pounds away from my next personal weight loss goal of 30 pounds. Wow, 30 pounds. It's hard to believe that the weight has come off so quickly. Yeah, I've lost an average of 1.5 pounds a week, which is about what you should expect, but it just seems like it's happened so quickly. I know I am excited every time I can fit into something that's been languishing in the closet or drawer for a while. I got a box of clothes from my aunt this week. She's been losing weight, and a lot of these things she's only worn once (or not at all) and she's way too small for them now. About a third of the stuff I can actually wear now, and it's so cool to have new things! The other third, I can get into but I don't look good as I do need to lose a little more. The last third is "no way, no how".....wayyyyyy too small. But that's okay, at least I have something to look forward to!
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Week Eighteen
So this week, I had a slight gain of 0.4 pounds but I'm not complaining in the least.
Last week I had a really great loss on the scale, but I also wasn't eating much of anything as I was sick. Well, this week it was a lot of the same overall ickiness, but I did have my appetite come back a little bit. Yeah, just in time for all the retirement parties and food celebrations at work. Sigh. Fortunately, it was kind of busy in the office so I didn't get out to any of the parties. Thus, I missed tons of cake and assorted junk food opportunities. Yay me? Thursday did make up for everything though. It was Donuts and Juice Day for the employee appreciation week, plus the lady that was supposed to bring the donuts forgot and to make up for it, she brought a truckload of tamales and pan dulce. The donuts and juice were there too; someone else brought those. I admit, I had one cheese tamale and a pan dulce and they were darn tasty! Probably all the more so since I haven't had that in ages. So then, the employee awards ceremony/retiree recognition ceremony was that day as well......Mexican food for lunch. Yes, I partook and it was darn tasty too! It's one of the few things that registers any sort of taste with me right now, so I'm all for it.
Friday was a little better, the only "hiccup" if you will was that we had another department buy pizza for us as a thank you for the help we've given them over the semester. Oh boy. I only had two slices. Yep, that's it. They tasted great, but I've noticed that the longer I DON'T eat a regular diet of junk food, the less tolerance for it I have. I kinda felt crappy a couple hours afterward, but I just drank some water and ate a sensible dinner (and we did eat out on our usual Friday Date Night).
Here's hoping that next week will be a lot less coughy and stuffy and more on the normal track to wellness. I'd like to have my full range of tastebuds back and not have food taste funky. I'll also be glad when I'm not hocked up on cold meds.....it's getting old and I think it's making me dehydrated which is not fun. Plus, it will be nice when I can breathe deeply again so that I can step up the intensity on my walks.
Last week I had a really great loss on the scale, but I also wasn't eating much of anything as I was sick. Well, this week it was a lot of the same overall ickiness, but I did have my appetite come back a little bit. Yeah, just in time for all the retirement parties and food celebrations at work. Sigh. Fortunately, it was kind of busy in the office so I didn't get out to any of the parties. Thus, I missed tons of cake and assorted junk food opportunities. Yay me? Thursday did make up for everything though. It was Donuts and Juice Day for the employee appreciation week, plus the lady that was supposed to bring the donuts forgot and to make up for it, she brought a truckload of tamales and pan dulce. The donuts and juice were there too; someone else brought those. I admit, I had one cheese tamale and a pan dulce and they were darn tasty! Probably all the more so since I haven't had that in ages. So then, the employee awards ceremony/retiree recognition ceremony was that day as well......Mexican food for lunch. Yes, I partook and it was darn tasty too! It's one of the few things that registers any sort of taste with me right now, so I'm all for it.
Friday was a little better, the only "hiccup" if you will was that we had another department buy pizza for us as a thank you for the help we've given them over the semester. Oh boy. I only had two slices. Yep, that's it. They tasted great, but I've noticed that the longer I DON'T eat a regular diet of junk food, the less tolerance for it I have. I kinda felt crappy a couple hours afterward, but I just drank some water and ate a sensible dinner (and we did eat out on our usual Friday Date Night).
Here's hoping that next week will be a lot less coughy and stuffy and more on the normal track to wellness. I'd like to have my full range of tastebuds back and not have food taste funky. I'll also be glad when I'm not hocked up on cold meds.....it's getting old and I think it's making me dehydrated which is not fun. Plus, it will be nice when I can breathe deeply again so that I can step up the intensity on my walks.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Week Seventeen
I'm sitting in the room in Carlsbad typing away for you guys after my weigh in. Dedicated, huh?
All joking aside, I had a good week....weight-wise. I lost 3 pounds this week! I know that any loss is a good loss, and I should be ecstatic at the huge loss I had, but it was mostly due to me being sick this week. We'll see how things go when I'm eating normally again. Or maybe this was the kick in the pants I needed to stop the Yo-Yo Plateau nonsense. Who knows?
Last night, Chris and I went to Claim Jumper for my birthday. I did try to be good and just order normal stuff since I knew I was going to weigh in today. Fortunately, I really didn't want to eat anything (Okay, this is the part where I know some of you have fallen off your chairs....but wait, there's more!) so I just got the produce bar and a bowl of french onion soup. It was tasty and the soup felt good on my sore throat, so it was a win all around. Plus, I was able to at least watch the sodium intake on the produce bar. I think that helped a little. We did get dessert since it was my birthday, and I was going to have something, gosh darn it! We ordered the brownie sundae thing, which I might add is the size of a roofing tile. I think I might have eaten maybe an eighth of the thing, and I declared that I was done. (Yes, I know it's a shock...but close your mouth please. We are not codfish.) So, we packed said chocolate roofing tile up and took it with us. I joked that we would have brownie until our anniversary which is on Monday. Normally, I would have eaten half that thing and then felt SO sorry afterward.
So, I guess the moral of my pity party is that you should learn how to eat from sick people. Act like you really are put out with the whole eating thing, and only eat what you reasonably need to eat. Eat only enough so that you have something in your stomach, but not so much it makes you nauseated. Be reasonable with dessert...don't go nuts with it, as tasty as it may be. And when all else fails, pack that stuff up to go!
All joking aside, I had a good week....weight-wise. I lost 3 pounds this week! I know that any loss is a good loss, and I should be ecstatic at the huge loss I had, but it was mostly due to me being sick this week. We'll see how things go when I'm eating normally again. Or maybe this was the kick in the pants I needed to stop the Yo-Yo Plateau nonsense. Who knows?
Last night, Chris and I went to Claim Jumper for my birthday. I did try to be good and just order normal stuff since I knew I was going to weigh in today. Fortunately, I really didn't want to eat anything (Okay, this is the part where I know some of you have fallen off your chairs....but wait, there's more!) so I just got the produce bar and a bowl of french onion soup. It was tasty and the soup felt good on my sore throat, so it was a win all around. Plus, I was able to at least watch the sodium intake on the produce bar. I think that helped a little. We did get dessert since it was my birthday, and I was going to have something, gosh darn it! We ordered the brownie sundae thing, which I might add is the size of a roofing tile. I think I might have eaten maybe an eighth of the thing, and I declared that I was done. (Yes, I know it's a shock...but close your mouth please. We are not codfish.) So, we packed said chocolate roofing tile up and took it with us. I joked that we would have brownie until our anniversary which is on Monday. Normally, I would have eaten half that thing and then felt SO sorry afterward.
So, I guess the moral of my pity party is that you should learn how to eat from sick people. Act like you really are put out with the whole eating thing, and only eat what you reasonably need to eat. Eat only enough so that you have something in your stomach, but not so much it makes you nauseated. Be reasonable with dessert...don't go nuts with it, as tasty as it may be. And when all else fails, pack that stuff up to go!
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Week Sixteen
Up 1 pound. Blargh. On the flip side, I did thoroughly enjoy eating popcorn when we saw Thor on Friday. However, I know the extra sodium did me in.
I do have a couple non-scale victories to keep me motivated and I think of those each time the scale does something that I do not like. I have two "new" pairs of jeans. Yep, I went shopping in my closet. I'm happy to report that even though I went up this week, the one pair is sorta hanging on my waist; I guess I need to "shop in my closet" for a belt. Woo hoo!!!!!! I'm also really close to being able to wear a tourmaline ring my mom gave me for my 30th birthday. I'm still not able to wear my wedding set, but I do keep trying every so often to see how it fits. I was hoping I'd be able to wear it for my anniversary (on the 16th), but I just don't know if that's going to happen. Still, it's an ongoing goal to work towards.
I do have a couple non-scale victories to keep me motivated and I think of those each time the scale does something that I do not like. I have two "new" pairs of jeans. Yep, I went shopping in my closet. I'm happy to report that even though I went up this week, the one pair is sorta hanging on my waist; I guess I need to "shop in my closet" for a belt. Woo hoo!!!!!! I'm also really close to being able to wear a tourmaline ring my mom gave me for my 30th birthday. I'm still not able to wear my wedding set, but I do keep trying every so often to see how it fits. I was hoping I'd be able to wear it for my anniversary (on the 16th), but I just don't know if that's going to happen. Still, it's an ongoing goal to work towards.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Week Fifteen
I did a marathon......weight loss-wise that is. I lost 26.2 to date! Yea me!!!!!
I know, I was crabbing the last few weeks about how much it sucked that I was gaining weight. This week I lost a total of 2.6 pounds; in all reality, I lost the 1.6 I gained over the past 2 weeks and lost another pound on top of that. Okay, I can live with that.
I didn't do anything spectacular for the loss this week either. Just drank my water, ate my daily points, tried not to tap the extra weekly points (even though I know I did last weekend), and kept to my exercise regimen. I guess "Patience, Grasshopper!!!!" should be my new mantra. I'm just glad I'm back on track. I was getting a little lax in taking my points tracker to work with me....I just forgot to put it in my bag....but I started doing that again. It makes such a difference when temptation strikes. You look at how much you've already eaten, you know what you're planning for dinner...so you know what you WILL be eating later, and if the temptation just doesn't allow you any wiggle room....then NO GO. At least, it works for me. I like my wiggle room. I like it with my food choices, but I really like it with my clothes!
I know, I was crabbing the last few weeks about how much it sucked that I was gaining weight. This week I lost a total of 2.6 pounds; in all reality, I lost the 1.6 I gained over the past 2 weeks and lost another pound on top of that. Okay, I can live with that.
I didn't do anything spectacular for the loss this week either. Just drank my water, ate my daily points, tried not to tap the extra weekly points (even though I know I did last weekend), and kept to my exercise regimen. I guess "Patience, Grasshopper!!!!" should be my new mantra. I'm just glad I'm back on track. I was getting a little lax in taking my points tracker to work with me....I just forgot to put it in my bag....but I started doing that again. It makes such a difference when temptation strikes. You look at how much you've already eaten, you know what you're planning for dinner...so you know what you WILL be eating later, and if the temptation just doesn't allow you any wiggle room....then NO GO. At least, it works for me. I like my wiggle room. I like it with my food choices, but I really like it with my clothes!
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Week Fourteen
Sigh.....up again. This time it was 0.6 pounds. I'm tired of this schnitzel....
I think I'm just hitting my first (of many) plateaus on this weight loss journey. It is what it is, and I just have to work through it. I'll eat my veggies, drink my water, take my vitamins/supplements, exercise, and everything will come back on line. It has too.
On the exercise note......I did get my exercise in today, but not quite the way I had planned on or hoped for. I did walk to the meeting/weigh-in this morning like I've been doing since the rains have pretty much gone away and the weather's been nice. What I wasn't banking on was the exercise (HAH!) this afternoon. I was out front with Chris talking to him while he was staining the fence. I had about an hour until I needed to get ready for a baby shower. Next thing you know, we hear yelling and the neighbor's greyhound goes running by. Oh boy. So we take off after the dog trying to at least keep an eye on him. We both know there is NO way that we can catch him running. So to make a long story a little shorter, for the better part of a half hour, my fat butt is running all over trying to keep a line of sight on the dog...and when I say my fat butt was running, I mean that I was running. Well, jogging.....but you get the idea. I don't run. I don't jog. I also apparently don't have heart attacks while doing said "faster than walking" activity, either. Although I was sucking wind pretty good at the light on Mezzanine and Bellflower. Anyhoo.....Chris and I decided when we lost sight of the dog at Bellflower and Wardlow that we were going to walk back home that way and see if we could spot him. We didn't see him at the park, so we kept walking home. All of a sudden, when we got back in the neighborhood, we see him run by (presumably) on his way back home. So we started walking faster back to the house, especially since we saw some kids running after him. Ugh....all we needed was that poor dog to run out onto Clark. Nope, George the Greyhound ran home and in the front door safe and sound.
I looked like hell....I was red in the face and sweatier than....well never mind what I was sweatier than. At least George the Turbocharged Greyhound was safe and secure, and our neighbor was grateful for what we tried to do. I got a bit of extra exercise in today, which is always a plus. There's just no catching a Greyhound that doesn't want to be caught.....unless that Greyhound is a bus.
I think I'm just hitting my first (of many) plateaus on this weight loss journey. It is what it is, and I just have to work through it. I'll eat my veggies, drink my water, take my vitamins/supplements, exercise, and everything will come back on line. It has too.
On the exercise note......I did get my exercise in today, but not quite the way I had planned on or hoped for. I did walk to the meeting/weigh-in this morning like I've been doing since the rains have pretty much gone away and the weather's been nice. What I wasn't banking on was the exercise (HAH!) this afternoon. I was out front with Chris talking to him while he was staining the fence. I had about an hour until I needed to get ready for a baby shower. Next thing you know, we hear yelling and the neighbor's greyhound goes running by. Oh boy. So we take off after the dog trying to at least keep an eye on him. We both know there is NO way that we can catch him running. So to make a long story a little shorter, for the better part of a half hour, my fat butt is running all over trying to keep a line of sight on the dog...and when I say my fat butt was running, I mean that I was running. Well, jogging.....but you get the idea. I don't run. I don't jog. I also apparently don't have heart attacks while doing said "faster than walking" activity, either. Although I was sucking wind pretty good at the light on Mezzanine and Bellflower. Anyhoo.....Chris and I decided when we lost sight of the dog at Bellflower and Wardlow that we were going to walk back home that way and see if we could spot him. We didn't see him at the park, so we kept walking home. All of a sudden, when we got back in the neighborhood, we see him run by (presumably) on his way back home. So we started walking faster back to the house, especially since we saw some kids running after him. Ugh....all we needed was that poor dog to run out onto Clark. Nope, George the Greyhound ran home and in the front door safe and sound.
I looked like hell....I was red in the face and sweatier than....well never mind what I was sweatier than. At least George the Turbocharged Greyhound was safe and secure, and our neighbor was grateful for what we tried to do. I got a bit of extra exercise in today, which is always a plus. There's just no catching a Greyhound that doesn't want to be caught.....unless that Greyhound is a bus.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Digging in the earth for Earth Day.
First off, Happy Earth Day to all! I hope everyone was able to do some small thing for the planet today. As mindful of what we do to our bodies in the name of health, we need to make sure we keep the Earth healthy too.
Today, I started working on removing the holly bush (which had a LOT of dead leaves and branches in it) so that I could finish the fern garden in the side yard flowerbed. I was able to take the holly out today, but it took ALL day to do it. Ah well, so now I have my poor ferns in planters waiting to be re-planted in their final home. I'm hoping to do that tomorrow, but I have plans in the afternoon which take up a lot of the good daylight. So, they may have to stay in pots until Sunday morning. I have an azalea that I want to move in that flowerbed as well.....but it's only moving 3 feet to the right where the holly used to be. I think it will be happier there. Overall, I'm really pleased with how things went today, and I must admit I worked muscles I didn't think I was going to work. I'm a little sore, but that's nothing a good night's sleep and some ibuprofen won't fix.
Today also provided a bonus, although Chris reaped the reward of that one. We had 5 STRAWBERRIES on the plant today!!!! Chris picked them off, since one was really ripe and needed to be eaten, and did give me one to try. They were so good and sweet, plus they were pesticide-free, so you could have that joy of eating them right off the plant. I think we have about 5 more that are on the plant that should be ready in a couple weeks. Hopefully I can get a picture of them to show you what the plants are producing! It's kind of exciting to grow your own food.
Tomorrow is weigh-in day, and we'll see how that goes. I'm really hoping for a loss. I was good today; of course I was out working in the yard and it's hard to stuff your face when you're all dirty and gritty. Still, I was mindful of my food choices.
Today, I started working on removing the holly bush (which had a LOT of dead leaves and branches in it) so that I could finish the fern garden in the side yard flowerbed. I was able to take the holly out today, but it took ALL day to do it. Ah well, so now I have my poor ferns in planters waiting to be re-planted in their final home. I'm hoping to do that tomorrow, but I have plans in the afternoon which take up a lot of the good daylight. So, they may have to stay in pots until Sunday morning. I have an azalea that I want to move in that flowerbed as well.....but it's only moving 3 feet to the right where the holly used to be. I think it will be happier there. Overall, I'm really pleased with how things went today, and I must admit I worked muscles I didn't think I was going to work. I'm a little sore, but that's nothing a good night's sleep and some ibuprofen won't fix.
Today also provided a bonus, although Chris reaped the reward of that one. We had 5 STRAWBERRIES on the plant today!!!! Chris picked them off, since one was really ripe and needed to be eaten, and did give me one to try. They were so good and sweet, plus they were pesticide-free, so you could have that joy of eating them right off the plant. I think we have about 5 more that are on the plant that should be ready in a couple weeks. Hopefully I can get a picture of them to show you what the plants are producing! It's kind of exciting to grow your own food.
Tomorrow is weigh-in day, and we'll see how that goes. I'm really hoping for a loss. I was good today; of course I was out working in the yard and it's hard to stuff your face when you're all dirty and gritty. Still, I was mindful of my food choices.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Week Thirteen
Sigh.....up a pound this week. Perhaps if I had just ordered tacos last night instead of a burrito, there might have been a loss on the scale. If only, if only.
Enough of the pity party....time to move on and re-evaluate things. So this week, we were walking at the park. Granted, it's on flat paths, instead of the sharp incline I usually kick the treadmill on, but we were going for twice the amount of time. Perhaps I simply wasn't eating enough and my body freaked out. I really do have to say that I was good this week. I took fruits and veggies for snacking this week, so that I'd keep on track. I did my best to drink plenty of water this week as well. If the teasing about my bladder, while walking at the park, was any indicator....I think I can safely say that I was properly hydrated.
I think that for this week, I'm just going to make sure that I stay on track and have the fresh fruits and veggies on hand. I've been eating more yogurt, which not only is good (the calcium and all that) but I really do like to have a cup of yogurt with a ton of berries piled on top. Darn tasty, and filling. Especially since I really don't care to eat much else for breakfast. I'm going to do my best to get a walk in 4 times a week. I had to slack the last couple weeks, and I think it's catching up to me. Unacceptable.
Once nice thing about walking at the park, is that Chris has been going along with us. It's nice to have him along, since ordinarily we don't really get to spend a whole lot of time together during the week. I also really love that he's being so supportive of me with the weight loss journey, and he's doing something that's good for him too!
Enough of the pity party....time to move on and re-evaluate things. So this week, we were walking at the park. Granted, it's on flat paths, instead of the sharp incline I usually kick the treadmill on, but we were going for twice the amount of time. Perhaps I simply wasn't eating enough and my body freaked out. I really do have to say that I was good this week. I took fruits and veggies for snacking this week, so that I'd keep on track. I did my best to drink plenty of water this week as well. If the teasing about my bladder, while walking at the park, was any indicator....I think I can safely say that I was properly hydrated.
I think that for this week, I'm just going to make sure that I stay on track and have the fresh fruits and veggies on hand. I've been eating more yogurt, which not only is good (the calcium and all that) but I really do like to have a cup of yogurt with a ton of berries piled on top. Darn tasty, and filling. Especially since I really don't care to eat much else for breakfast. I'm going to do my best to get a walk in 4 times a week. I had to slack the last couple weeks, and I think it's catching up to me. Unacceptable.
Once nice thing about walking at the park, is that Chris has been going along with us. It's nice to have him along, since ordinarily we don't really get to spend a whole lot of time together during the week. I also really love that he's being so supportive of me with the weight loss journey, and he's doing something that's good for him too!
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Is Couch Surfing Still Considered a Sport...and Therefore Activity?
Yeah, I think that's stretching it a bit. Kinda like making milk chocolate candy all about the dairy group. Yeah right. Nice try.
I've been feeling not quite myself this week, I think it's mostly allergies because my head felt like it was stuffed. Stuffed with what? Well, I'm sure you can figure it out. I should have bought stock in Kleenex. Still, after a couple days of allergy meds and Advil to ward off my impending sinus headache (hopefully not escalating into the Dreaded Migraine) I think it did a number on my poor stomach. I had the worst nausea today, and just general stomach cramping and ick factor. Blargh.
I had the best of intentions to get out and walk today after work. I really did. Now that the weather has been nice for a fair amount of time, and El Dorado Park is open until 8 pm, we've been walking there this week. I do really prefer actually getting outside and walking, as opposed to walking on the treadmill indoors. I spend all day inside at work, and it is simply lovely to get outside for an hour and move. I also don't have people waiting for treadmills, stinky major B.O. people wandering around (I get that you sweat and get funky, but there's a whole 'nother level going on sometimes.), and those people that insist that huffing and puffing on a treadmill is a great place to carry on a super loud cell phone conversation. Yeah, that just messes with my ability to "get in the zone".
So unfortunately, since my stomach was acting extremely iffy today, I decided to err on the side of caution and stay home. I took immediate command of the couch, and with the kitties blessing (as they stared down at me from their perch on the back of the couch) I took a nap. I do admit that I felt tons better when I woke up after a couple hours and I was able to eat something without my stomach giving me the immediate nasty growly sensation. Hopefully tomorrow I will be at the park walking, chilling with the wildlife there, and making up for this lost day of exercise.
I've been feeling not quite myself this week, I think it's mostly allergies because my head felt like it was stuffed. Stuffed with what? Well, I'm sure you can figure it out. I should have bought stock in Kleenex. Still, after a couple days of allergy meds and Advil to ward off my impending sinus headache (hopefully not escalating into the Dreaded Migraine) I think it did a number on my poor stomach. I had the worst nausea today, and just general stomach cramping and ick factor. Blargh.
I had the best of intentions to get out and walk today after work. I really did. Now that the weather has been nice for a fair amount of time, and El Dorado Park is open until 8 pm, we've been walking there this week. I do really prefer actually getting outside and walking, as opposed to walking on the treadmill indoors. I spend all day inside at work, and it is simply lovely to get outside for an hour and move. I also don't have people waiting for treadmills, stinky major B.O. people wandering around (I get that you sweat and get funky, but there's a whole 'nother level going on sometimes.), and those people that insist that huffing and puffing on a treadmill is a great place to carry on a super loud cell phone conversation. Yeah, that just messes with my ability to "get in the zone".
So unfortunately, since my stomach was acting extremely iffy today, I decided to err on the side of caution and stay home. I took immediate command of the couch, and with the kitties blessing (as they stared down at me from their perch on the back of the couch) I took a nap. I do admit that I felt tons better when I woke up after a couple hours and I was able to eat something without my stomach giving me the immediate nasty growly sensation. Hopefully tomorrow I will be at the park walking, chilling with the wildlife there, and making up for this lost day of exercise.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Week Twelve
I grabbed the brass ring!!!! That’s right, I finally hit my 10% target weight loss this week!!!!! I got the nifty keychain, which is now this coppery color so I guess it really is a "brass ring"; I also hit a milestone of being 25 pounds down. Which is.....wow. Right now I have the feeling that I used to have as a kid back in the day when you got two toys in your Happy Meal or cereal box. Bonus!
This is the first really big goal for me. Sure, I had the 5 pound weight loss goal and the 5% target weight loss goal, but I reached those so quickly and so early on that they really didn’t seem to carry as much weight (pardon the pun there) as this goal. This is a goal I’ve had to actually put some time and work into. It’s taken me 3 months to achieve this, and I have had to really revamp my lifestyle to make this a reality. The next small personal goal is to be able to wear my wedding ring set again; I haven’t been able to wear it for two years. I would love to be able to put the rings on for my second anniversary in May. I’m close now, but they’re still a little too snug on the knuckle for me. I’d like to be able to put them on, AND take them off if I need to. I’m thinking maybe if I lose another 5-10 pounds I should be able to reach this goal.
Next week I really need to get back on track, exercise-wise. This week I had to beg off twice: one time was for an important meeting at work and the other was because I had a gnarly sinus headache from the winds/weather changes. I know, excuses, excuses. That’s why I’m going to get back on track next week. I know that I don’t see results the way I’d like to see results if I don’t do the baseline minimum. That, for me, is hitting the gym 4 times a week. I’m sure somewhere there was a sad treadmill because I wasn’t there.
This is the first really big goal for me. Sure, I had the 5 pound weight loss goal and the 5% target weight loss goal, but I reached those so quickly and so early on that they really didn’t seem to carry as much weight (pardon the pun there) as this goal. This is a goal I’ve had to actually put some time and work into. It’s taken me 3 months to achieve this, and I have had to really revamp my lifestyle to make this a reality. The next small personal goal is to be able to wear my wedding ring set again; I haven’t been able to wear it for two years. I would love to be able to put the rings on for my second anniversary in May. I’m close now, but they’re still a little too snug on the knuckle for me. I’d like to be able to put them on, AND take them off if I need to. I’m thinking maybe if I lose another 5-10 pounds I should be able to reach this goal.
Next week I really need to get back on track, exercise-wise. This week I had to beg off twice: one time was for an important meeting at work and the other was because I had a gnarly sinus headache from the winds/weather changes. I know, excuses, excuses. That’s why I’m going to get back on track next week. I know that I don’t see results the way I’d like to see results if I don’t do the baseline minimum. That, for me, is hitting the gym 4 times a week. I’m sure somewhere there was a sad treadmill because I wasn’t there.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Week Eleven
I admit that I was really holding my breath before weighing in today. I’ve been hoping for a 5 pound weight loss this week…..silly, I know….so that I can hit my 10% target. Actual weight loss this week? 3.6 pounds. I can live with that. It means I just need 1.4 more!!! That's the goal for next week, I know I can do that!
All kidding aside, it’s been an interesting journey this time around. Yeah, I’m a WW re-tread….it’s okay. I know I’m not alone. I don’t know if it’s that I’m a few years older, that I have a strong motivation now for losing the weight and keeping it off, or if I’m just done with everyone else’s opinions on what I need to do with myself. I kind of think it’s a little of all three. I feel highly motivated this time around; while I’ve only been on WW(again) for 11 weeks, it feels like I’ve made it more of a permanent lifestyle change. I do have to give credit where credit is due to my husband. He has been very supportive of me throughout the process and ever-so-politely listens to me ramble on about how much it sucks to be fat, how tired of being fat I am, my WW meetings, etc. He also has embraced most of the changes I’ve made in the way we think about food and make our meals. He loves the “oven-fried” chicken I make for him and he really likes the oven-roasted potatoes I make; both are WW recipes.
Also, I think I’m just really done with the “meddling” opinions from others. I’m not to that point where people are saying, “Oh, why do you want to lose more weight? You’re going to look too skinny.” Hah. Far from that point, right now. I’ve lost enough where people are starting to notice that my face is looking a little thinner/less bulky and that my clothes seem to fit me better. So, it's been the nice commentary that helps to spur you on. It’s the other backhanded compliment stuff I really don’t like, and sadly, I think it’s what derailed me last time Yeah, not going to happen again…there is no “third time’s the charm”, it’s going to be done this time around. Period. It’s not like I’m trying to be 115 pounds or some unhealthy weight for myself; I’m actually shooting for a weight more towards the top end of my weight range since I know my body will be “happy” at that weight. If I can weigh 5 pounds less than that, I’ll take it. I’m not trying to get into a bikini or skimpy semi-hoochy clothes - I’m a little too old for that nonsense – I just need to be healthy and comfortable in my own skin.
It’s going to take a lot of work and practice, but I’m up for the challenge. After all, what do I have to lose except a heap of fat?
All kidding aside, it’s been an interesting journey this time around. Yeah, I’m a WW re-tread….it’s okay. I know I’m not alone. I don’t know if it’s that I’m a few years older, that I have a strong motivation now for losing the weight and keeping it off, or if I’m just done with everyone else’s opinions on what I need to do with myself. I kind of think it’s a little of all three. I feel highly motivated this time around; while I’ve only been on WW(again) for 11 weeks, it feels like I’ve made it more of a permanent lifestyle change. I do have to give credit where credit is due to my husband. He has been very supportive of me throughout the process and ever-so-politely listens to me ramble on about how much it sucks to be fat, how tired of being fat I am, my WW meetings, etc. He also has embraced most of the changes I’ve made in the way we think about food and make our meals. He loves the “oven-fried” chicken I make for him and he really likes the oven-roasted potatoes I make; both are WW recipes.
Also, I think I’m just really done with the “meddling” opinions from others. I’m not to that point where people are saying, “Oh, why do you want to lose more weight? You’re going to look too skinny.” Hah. Far from that point, right now. I’ve lost enough where people are starting to notice that my face is looking a little thinner/less bulky and that my clothes seem to fit me better. So, it's been the nice commentary that helps to spur you on. It’s the other backhanded compliment stuff I really don’t like, and sadly, I think it’s what derailed me last time Yeah, not going to happen again…there is no “third time’s the charm”, it’s going to be done this time around. Period. It’s not like I’m trying to be 115 pounds or some unhealthy weight for myself; I’m actually shooting for a weight more towards the top end of my weight range since I know my body will be “happy” at that weight. If I can weigh 5 pounds less than that, I’ll take it. I’m not trying to get into a bikini or skimpy semi-hoochy clothes - I’m a little too old for that nonsense – I just need to be healthy and comfortable in my own skin.
It’s going to take a lot of work and practice, but I’m up for the challenge. After all, what do I have to lose except a heap of fat?
Thursday, March 31, 2011
The Call of the Wild Vending Machine
I’m pretty pleased that I’ve been able to knock the “crunchy food” craving this week with some ice-cold veggies. I know it sounds like a “well, DUH” but each time I head over to the restroom at work, the vending machine is there, in all its glory, right across the hall. With the amount of water I drink daily.....well, you get the idea. Sometimes, that vending machine calls a lot louder than others; this week, the Flaming Hot Cheetos were calling to me. Fortunately, I dumped out all the change from my wallet and I didn’t have any singles in there either. So, what to do? Press my face on the glass and weep? No. Be all grumpy because I couldn’t have a bag of fat-saturated crunchy goodness? No.
I had some carrot sticks and some celery sticks in ice water at home, so after Day One of craving…I brought those things to work. With a couple tablespoons of some garden vegetable cream cheese, I had a very satisfying and filling snack. Okay okay….I know that even though carrot sticks are orange and I’m putting cream cheese on them, it doesn’t make them Cheetos. I get that. I know it isn’t the first time I’ve had that craving, and it sure as heck isn’t going to be the last. The point is, I didn’t bring money from home for the vending machine and I also didn’t eat a bazillion points by having that crunchy contraband either. I’ve been making an effort to eat more fruits and veggies, and these veggies were darn tasty and COLD. Cold, crunchy veggies are a happy thing, especially when it’s hot out; they’re easy, quick, they taste good and are good for you.
Sure, they don’t make the Call of the Cheetos go away, but they do make it a little easier to ignore.
I had some carrot sticks and some celery sticks in ice water at home, so after Day One of craving…I brought those things to work. With a couple tablespoons of some garden vegetable cream cheese, I had a very satisfying and filling snack. Okay okay….I know that even though carrot sticks are orange and I’m putting cream cheese on them, it doesn’t make them Cheetos. I get that. I know it isn’t the first time I’ve had that craving, and it sure as heck isn’t going to be the last. The point is, I didn’t bring money from home for the vending machine and I also didn’t eat a bazillion points by having that crunchy contraband either. I’ve been making an effort to eat more fruits and veggies, and these veggies were darn tasty and COLD. Cold, crunchy veggies are a happy thing, especially when it’s hot out; they’re easy, quick, they taste good and are good for you.
Sure, they don’t make the Call of the Cheetos go away, but they do make it a little easier to ignore.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Week Ten
So I go in for the weekly weigh-in this morning, and I'm UP 0.6 pounds. What. The. Heck.
I weigh myself at home each morning, and it looked like I was down several pounds earlier in the week. Thursday, for whatever reason, is usually my "heavy" day and the scale went up a little; still, it looked like I had another loss this week. Apparently, that was my body going "HA HA!!! Watch this! I'm gonna mess with you!" Whatever. I was really hungry yesterday, and I mean REALLY hungry. It seemed like I needed, not just wanted, to eat every 3 hours and that's just not the norm for me. Perhaps, it was my body just reacting to being in pain and not having much of an appetite earlier in the week. Like, Friday was THE day to make up for everything. Yeah, that's not so fabulous when you have to weigh in the next morning. Maybe it was adjusting to being back to the normal everyday routine since the previous week I had been out of town. Maybe it was just the Universe being silly and tweaking the answer to everything a couple tenths higher. Who knows?.
I also admit that I wasn't as intense in my workouts this week since my back was just killing me. Usually I kick that treadmill into a steep incline and I'm cranking away at it doing a fast walk. Not so much this week. I tried to keep the pace the same, but I just couldn't do the steep incline. I think it really did make a difference. Next week will be better, exercise-wise. It has to be.
Overall though, I'm choosing to take this for what it is: a simple little hiccup. Is it damned annoying? You better believe it. I was 4.4 pounds away from my 10% target loss....and now I'm 5 pounds away. Is it the end of the world? Heck no. If nothing else, it's a reminder that this is a journey. Journeys are not perfect, they have wrong turns, bumps in the road, fogginess, etc. The bottom line is that I have lost 20 pounds (maybe my round self is liking these nice round numbers....and I wish it would take a liking to 25) overall and I'm going to keep losing weight over the next however many months it takes. I'm in this for the long haul, and I will meet my goal!
I weigh myself at home each morning, and it looked like I was down several pounds earlier in the week. Thursday, for whatever reason, is usually my "heavy" day and the scale went up a little; still, it looked like I had another loss this week. Apparently, that was my body going "HA HA!!! Watch this! I'm gonna mess with you!" Whatever. I was really hungry yesterday, and I mean REALLY hungry. It seemed like I needed, not just wanted, to eat every 3 hours and that's just not the norm for me. Perhaps, it was my body just reacting to being in pain and not having much of an appetite earlier in the week. Like, Friday was THE day to make up for everything. Yeah, that's not so fabulous when you have to weigh in the next morning. Maybe it was adjusting to being back to the normal everyday routine since the previous week I had been out of town. Maybe it was just the Universe being silly and tweaking the answer to everything a couple tenths higher. Who knows?.
I also admit that I wasn't as intense in my workouts this week since my back was just killing me. Usually I kick that treadmill into a steep incline and I'm cranking away at it doing a fast walk. Not so much this week. I tried to keep the pace the same, but I just couldn't do the steep incline. I think it really did make a difference. Next week will be better, exercise-wise. It has to be.
Overall though, I'm choosing to take this for what it is: a simple little hiccup. Is it damned annoying? You better believe it. I was 4.4 pounds away from my 10% target loss....and now I'm 5 pounds away. Is it the end of the world? Heck no. If nothing else, it's a reminder that this is a journey. Journeys are not perfect, they have wrong turns, bumps in the road, fogginess, etc. The bottom line is that I have lost 20 pounds (maybe my round self is liking these nice round numbers....and I wish it would take a liking to 25) overall and I'm going to keep losing weight over the next however many months it takes. I'm in this for the long haul, and I will meet my goal!
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| Looks like I've got some fuzzy baby strawberries going this week. |
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| Cilantro isn't the only thing that got fat and sassy this week; its neighbor, Mr. Dill Plant got big too. The other herbs are growing quite a bit too. Guess they all really enjoyed the rain we got this past week! |
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| Here's another big stem of new growth on the raspberries. It's got about 3 more stems coming up as well, they just aren't as big. As soon as I'm able, I'm going to have to start training those stems to grow on the trellis. |
Monday, March 21, 2011
Just Get A Move On....
This cold, damp weather has not been nice for me at all. I love the rain, I really do, but the dampness just sets in and I ache. I'm talking a 4 Advil kind of ache. Ever since I got rear-ended 4 years ago, I've noticed that my lower back does tend to hurt a bit when the weather turns foul. Today is also Monday....Monday is one of four go-to-the-gym-with-my-mom days. Sigh. Pop the Advil.
The thought of just not going....just calling from work and begging off since my back hurts and I'm walking around the office like Ozzy Osbourne (minus the unintelligible speech) was tempting. But no. I'm a better and stronger person than that. Plus, I was challenged to lose the remainder of my 10% target weight over the next 2 weeks. So, I went to the gym and did my usual workout. Well, not really, I'm not Superwoman.....I did dial down the intensity a smidge.
I left the gym 40 minutes later all sweaty, smelly, funky, tired, but surprisingly not in pain. I don't know if it's all that good walking on the treadmill or those Advil kicked in....but I felt pretty darn good. I also felt good knowing that even though my body wouldn't let me do my usual intensity for my workout, I still went. I still exercised, I still got sweaty, and I still got my heart rate up.
The thought of just not going....just calling from work and begging off since my back hurts and I'm walking around the office like Ozzy Osbourne (minus the unintelligible speech) was tempting. But no. I'm a better and stronger person than that. Plus, I was challenged to lose the remainder of my 10% target weight over the next 2 weeks. So, I went to the gym and did my usual workout. Well, not really, I'm not Superwoman.....I did dial down the intensity a smidge.
I left the gym 40 minutes later all sweaty, smelly, funky, tired, but surprisingly not in pain. I don't know if it's all that good walking on the treadmill or those Advil kicked in....but I felt pretty darn good. I also felt good knowing that even though my body wouldn't let me do my usual intensity for my workout, I still went. I still exercised, I still got sweaty, and I still got my heart rate up.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Rained Away
I was looking forward to going to the Farmers' Market today, but they were rained away. Bummer. I don't buy a lot of produce at the grocery store anymore, since there's a few really awesome vendors I go to at the farmers' market. I get my salad mix from the "lettuce guy" and haven't bought bagged salad in probably 6 months. Not only does it taste better, but I've used salad mix I bought 2 weeks ago, and it's still okay. Yeah, it gets a little wilty from the fridge, but there are NO rotten lettuce leaves in the bag. None. Plus, buying the lettuce at the farmers' market doesn't cost any more than it does at the store. You're also supporting small local farms, which I really love the idea of. We also get our berries there from "the berry people"; they're the only ones right now that have raspberries, blackberries and blueberries, in addition to strawberries.
Maybe next weekend......I will be thoroughly out of produce by then.
Maybe next weekend......I will be thoroughly out of produce by then.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Week Nine
Well.....just got back from the weigh-in/meeting........and I'm down 0.8 pounds!!!!!!!! Total weight loss: 20.6 pounds.
I totally expected a gain this week, I really did. I was estimating maybe a 1 pound gain, and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised to find that I did have a small weight loss on the scale. It really renews your faith in the weight loss journey when you are somewhat forced to eat out 3 days of the week for all your meals, and you STILL lose weight. I know the weight loss was due to all the activity I did (mostly walking, a LOT of walking in Avalon), and getting back on track with eating properly at home. I'm totally happy with this week's weigh-in. I was all smiley when the lady behind the counter told me I had actually lost. No, I did not do a happy dance.
I potted some strawberries and raspberries in the last few weeks, and they're finally looking good. The strawberry plants have tripled in size and the raspberry plant is coming along. I'm hoping it's happier in the bigger pot now. I'm looking forward to when we can actually eat the fruit!!!
I totally expected a gain this week, I really did. I was estimating maybe a 1 pound gain, and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised to find that I did have a small weight loss on the scale. It really renews your faith in the weight loss journey when you are somewhat forced to eat out 3 days of the week for all your meals, and you STILL lose weight. I know the weight loss was due to all the activity I did (mostly walking, a LOT of walking in Avalon), and getting back on track with eating properly at home. I'm totally happy with this week's weigh-in. I was all smiley when the lady behind the counter told me I had actually lost. No, I did not do a happy dance.
I potted some strawberries and raspberries in the last few weeks, and they're finally looking good. The strawberry plants have tripled in size and the raspberry plant is coming along. I'm hoping it's happier in the bigger pot now. I'm looking forward to when we can actually eat the fruit!!!
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| Strawberry flowers! There's finally a bunch of buds on the strawberry plant this week, so I'm hoping I'll have some strawberries to post in a week or so. |
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| Raspberry bush....I know it looks like the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree right now. But, it has all that new growth, so I'm excited! |
Friday, March 18, 2011
Week Eight
Okay, okay…I know I’m going in for the 9 week weigh-in, but as of 8 weeks I had lost 19.8 pounds! I’m beyond happy. I have “found” 2 pairs of jeans at home that I can actually wear again. If you think that’s exciting, then just wait until I can actually get my wedding ring set on again.
We’ll see how the 9-week weigh-in goes. I have to admit, I’m a little curious since we went to Catalina for a couple days, and I had to relinquish Absolute Power over my food to the restaurants. For my part, I really did try hard to be smart about my food choices and not overeat. We did a LOT of walking, so I’m sure that extra level of activity did help out a lot in mitigating the effects of my non-portion controlled, full-fat recipe, non-Weight Watcher plates. It’s not like there’s a Subway shop for me to roll into on Catalina, people. If the scale says I gained this week, I’ll just take it in stride. After all, no one is perfect all the time and, for me, it’s hard to effectively lose weight when I’m eating out for all my meals.
Still, I’m hoping that there’s at least a small loss on the scale this week.
Weeks One to Seven
As it was last time, I don’t know why I didn’t go back to Weight Watchers sooner. I really don’t. I had all the excuses going in my head and I should have known better. This time is going to be different. I swear. I’m not going to do this a third time.
I already got my nerd on and made up a weight tracker in Excel that has a chart and nifty, neat-o graph to actually show the decline in weight each week. I’ve made the commitment to cooking at home and reducing the amount of times we do actually get a meal out. It’s not only figure-friendly, but also wallet-friendly. I’ve loaded up the pantry with all sorts of zero Points Plus value condiments/seasonings and planted an herb garden. I take my Points Plus calculator when I go to the grocery store so I don’t bring home stuff that I won’t eat because it’s WAY too high in Points for me.
I do my darndest to drink plenty of water every day and take my vitamins!!!! I’ve made exercise/going to the gym part of my daily routine, and I generally do some sort of activity 3-5 times a week. I’ve got some serious poundage to dispense with, and sitting around watching Top Chef and re-runs of Cops isn’t going to get me there!
I already got my nerd on and made up a weight tracker in Excel that has a chart and nifty, neat-o graph to actually show the decline in weight each week. I’ve made the commitment to cooking at home and reducing the amount of times we do actually get a meal out. It’s not only figure-friendly, but also wallet-friendly. I’ve loaded up the pantry with all sorts of zero Points Plus value condiments/seasonings and planted an herb garden. I take my Points Plus calculator when I go to the grocery store so I don’t bring home stuff that I won’t eat because it’s WAY too high in Points for me.I do my darndest to drink plenty of water every day and take my vitamins!!!! I’ve made exercise/going to the gym part of my daily routine, and I generally do some sort of activity 3-5 times a week. I’ve got some serious poundage to dispense with, and sitting around watching Top Chef and re-runs of Cops isn’t going to get me there!
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