It amazes me how I continue to learn things about food and about myself! You grow up learning about protein, carbs, sugars, etc. and what they do to your body, but knowing and understanding are two very different things!
I've only recently begun to truly understand how carbs, protein, and sugars work on my body. Before, I would just eat whatever I wanted whenever I wanted it and never really paid much attention to how my body was feeling. I didn't stop to consider why I was hungry when I'd only eaten an hour before or why I couldn't sleep when I ate a bowl of ice cream before bed.
When you start paying more attention to what you put into your body and when you put it there, you really start to understand the feelings that your body is sending you. A few weeks ago, I had an apple, about 1/2 cup of grapes, and 1/2 cup of cantaloupe for breakfast. I was full, satisfied, and content after I finished eating, but only about an hour later, I was STARVING. I sat there feeling a little baffled as to why I was so hungry when it hadn't been all that long since I'd eaten. I started to realize that maybe it was because I'd only eaten fruit and hadn't eaten anything with carbs/protein to sustain me. I went to the mini-convenient store up the stairs from my office and bought a low-point granola bar with lots of protein. And you know what?? I stayed satisfied until it was lunch time! It was a true "a ha" moment for me and I've started making sure that protein is in my breakfast every day...usually in the form of the same granola bar or greek yogurt.
Now, that is a positive example of something I've learned. But, sometimes we make boo-boos and learn things the hard way. This weekend I had to take some students on a trip to the hills of West Virginia - about a 6 1/2 hour drive. We stopped for lunch around 1, but by the time we got to the school, got registered, dropped off our belongings in the hotel rooms, etc., we didn't have enough time to get dinner before the conference opened. Then, we had to sit through the opening ceremonies, attend the socials, and weren't going to be free to leave the school for the evening until around 9:00pm. So, the "socials" ended up being "dinner" and consisted of fruit, cheese and crackers, cookies, and brownies. Not the healthiest choices, but I needed SOME sustenance. And then I laid in bed that night and despite how much my brain wanted to turn off and go to sleep, my body was all sugared up and not ready to go down without a fight. I laid there so sleepy and cursing myself for eating those cookies. Thankfully, my brain eventually won out and it didn't take too long to fall asleep. But, I will most certainly think about that the next time...
Initial weight: 257.2
Week 57: +1.6
Total weight loss: -57
Current weight: 200.2
I hate seeing that number again, but to be perfectly honest, after the week that I had, it should have been much higher, so I will take these numbers and be happy about it. It'll go back down next week.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Monday, February 4, 2013
The Tortoise and the Hare
So I've gotten called out by a couple people about not posting in a few weeks. I feel like time just keeps slipping away - I weigh in on Monday and before I know it, it's Friday and I haven't posted...then I think to myself, why bother when I'm going to post again in two days?? Well, that's what happened the week before last. Last week, I didn't get to go because of work stuff. Yes, I could have still posted even though I didn't weigh in, but I didn't.
This past week wasn't anything super special to write home about. I slipped on the ice Monday on my way home from a meeting and landed directly onto my left knee. Man, did it hurt! When I first fell, I didn't think it was that bad, but after I got home it started to ache and then I saw the damage. I skinned a big chunk, about the size of a 50-cent piece, and then bruised an area even larger than that. I iced my knee for the evening, but it still hurt pretty bad for the next few days. More ice and no exercising for a few days and my knee is almost as good as new.
The weekend was a little challenging - I was on duty (which always makes life a little more challenging), had a birthday dinner at a Mexican restaurant, and a Superbowl party. But, I managed them the best that I could. No snacking in between duty calls and balancing my brunches to save room for my special dinners. Frankly, it could have been better, but I also could have done MUCH worse.
Today, however, I had a slight revelation. I realized that for quit a while now I've been really frustrated with myself that I'm not losing fast enough. Granted, I know that I'm the only one standing in my way and I need to get my butt moving if I want to see the results. However, I have often found myself thinking about how much weight I'm going to lose this week/how much I HOPE I lose this week, versus actually working to lose said weight...and then I continue to get frustrated that I'm not seeing the results on the scale. But, my revelation today told me that it's okay.
In the story of the tortoise and the hare, the super fast rabbit gets cocky, takes a nap, and ends up losing the race. The slow little tortoise takes his time, goes at his own pace, and wins in the end. I feel like I started out as the rabbit - doing my thing, working super hard to lose as much weight as I could in as short a time as possible. I remember sometime during the beginning of this journey thinking about the "average" weight loss that is recommended by Weight Watchers (1-2 pounds per week). I knew that I needed to lose about 100 lbs and at an average of the max 2 lbs a week, that was going to take a year. I thought that seemed like such a long time and I'll admit, I was a little disappointed it was going to take so long. (Even though it certainly took longer than that to put it all on...) But, my giant revelation is that I've become the tortoise. It may be taking longer to get the weight off now, but when it comes down to it, after I get all of the weight off, this is going to help me be more successful. I will have a better understanding of how to live every day without worrying about how much I'm going to lose that week. I will know what it takes to be in the slow lane and to live my life in the balance to keep the weight off. So, I may not lose weight as fast as my ego would like, but just maybe my life in the slow lane will help me win the race in the end.
Initial weight: 257.2
Week 54: +0.8 (not too shabby since I'd lost almost 4 the week before)
Week 55: no weigh in
Week 56: -0.4 (hey, after the week I've had...I am super happy with this!)
Total weight loss: -58.6
Current weight: 198.6
On the super exciting side - I had to get a new school ID today...four years of swiping it multiple times a day will wear that little black strip out. I got it back to my office and saw it next to my drivers license which was taken 2 1/2 years ago...all I can say is WOW. I mean, it's only my face, but the difference is just incredible....and bonus - there's no double-chin!!
This past week wasn't anything super special to write home about. I slipped on the ice Monday on my way home from a meeting and landed directly onto my left knee. Man, did it hurt! When I first fell, I didn't think it was that bad, but after I got home it started to ache and then I saw the damage. I skinned a big chunk, about the size of a 50-cent piece, and then bruised an area even larger than that. I iced my knee for the evening, but it still hurt pretty bad for the next few days. More ice and no exercising for a few days and my knee is almost as good as new.
The weekend was a little challenging - I was on duty (which always makes life a little more challenging), had a birthday dinner at a Mexican restaurant, and a Superbowl party. But, I managed them the best that I could. No snacking in between duty calls and balancing my brunches to save room for my special dinners. Frankly, it could have been better, but I also could have done MUCH worse.
Today, however, I had a slight revelation. I realized that for quit a while now I've been really frustrated with myself that I'm not losing fast enough. Granted, I know that I'm the only one standing in my way and I need to get my butt moving if I want to see the results. However, I have often found myself thinking about how much weight I'm going to lose this week/how much I HOPE I lose this week, versus actually working to lose said weight...and then I continue to get frustrated that I'm not seeing the results on the scale. But, my revelation today told me that it's okay.
In the story of the tortoise and the hare, the super fast rabbit gets cocky, takes a nap, and ends up losing the race. The slow little tortoise takes his time, goes at his own pace, and wins in the end. I feel like I started out as the rabbit - doing my thing, working super hard to lose as much weight as I could in as short a time as possible. I remember sometime during the beginning of this journey thinking about the "average" weight loss that is recommended by Weight Watchers (1-2 pounds per week). I knew that I needed to lose about 100 lbs and at an average of the max 2 lbs a week, that was going to take a year. I thought that seemed like such a long time and I'll admit, I was a little disappointed it was going to take so long. (Even though it certainly took longer than that to put it all on...) But, my giant revelation is that I've become the tortoise. It may be taking longer to get the weight off now, but when it comes down to it, after I get all of the weight off, this is going to help me be more successful. I will have a better understanding of how to live every day without worrying about how much I'm going to lose that week. I will know what it takes to be in the slow lane and to live my life in the balance to keep the weight off. So, I may not lose weight as fast as my ego would like, but just maybe my life in the slow lane will help me win the race in the end.
Initial weight: 257.2
Week 54: +0.8 (not too shabby since I'd lost almost 4 the week before)
Week 55: no weigh in
Week 56: -0.4 (hey, after the week I've had...I am super happy with this!)
Total weight loss: -58.6
Current weight: 198.6
On the super exciting side - I had to get a new school ID today...four years of swiping it multiple times a day will wear that little black strip out. I got it back to my office and saw it next to my drivers license which was taken 2 1/2 years ago...all I can say is WOW. I mean, it's only my face, but the difference is just incredible....and bonus - there's no double-chin!!
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
One Weird Week
Well this has been a most interesting week - it certainly did not go quite the way I had originally planned, but then again, what ever does?!
Last weeks small gain after getting so close to clearing 200 really motivated me to get my butt into gear. I was determined to get under that number in approximately one year from my original start. So I started the tracking week with a vengeance! I tracked absolutely everything that I ate - I never went over my daily points into my activity points or the extra weekly points - and I went to the gym Tuesday and Thursday mornings...and even still danced Wednesday night! I was kicking butt and taking names...and even convinced a friend to go to the gym with me!
But, then the weekend hit and I let myself loosen up a bit. I didn't track like I should have, and perhaps enjoyed myself a little more than maybe I should have. I'm sure that I did not go over all of my daily/weekly/activity points, but I didn't quite make the super smartest choices. But, as I said last week...those are choices that I made and I don't regret them and I won't beat myself up about them.
Well, I was feeling a little guilty by Sunday...especially since I got in very little activity over the weekend. Sunday evening began to roll around and I started feeling not great. I had a friend in visiting for the weekend and she was leaving the next morning, I was exhausted from work I had to do during the day, so we decided to go out with a mutual friend. I wasn't really feeling anything on the menu...I was feeling a little nauseous and nothing sounded very appealing. I ended up getting a very "homestyle" type of dinner, which was just okay, and started to realize throughout dinner that I was freezing and neither of my friends were. We went home and I was so tired I could have happily gone to bed at 7:30, but I made myself stay up a little later. I tossed and turned all night and when I woke on Monday I quickly realized that there was no way I was going to work! I called off, said a quick prayer that it wasn't the awful flu that everyone was getting, and went back to bed. When I woke again, I figured it was like 11ish....it was 1pm. I managed to move myself to the couch and didn't leave it for the rest of the day. I wasn't the slightest bit hungry, my whole body ached, and I kept toggling between cold and hot. My temp wasn't too bad - it got up to about 101.3...and spent a good portion of the day there...but, considering, it wasn't too horrendous. I made myself drink as much water as my stomach would allow, and I made myself eat some noodles for dinner (the only thing I ate all day). I slept a lot - then finally took some Excedrin for the headache I had acquired.
Frankly, I could kick myself for not thinking to take it earlier. Almost immediately I could feel my body temperature drop...within half an hour it had already dropped to 100.2! I finally was able to fall asleep for the night and woke up feeling like a new person! Well, maybe not completely new...I wasn't back to 100%, but I felt amazingly better. I said a quick thanks that it wasn't the nasty flu, and went on with my day. Since I had to move my WW meetings back to Mondays, and since Monday was my couch-day, I didn't get to weigh in. I debated on whether to go today or not - I tried talking myself into and out of it all day. "You'll be late because of class" - "that's okay, at least you'll have gone" - "yeah, but you didn't do great this weekend" - "but you did do great the rest of the week...and you hardly ate anything yesterday!" Ultimately, I decided to go because I knew that I needed to. I was late, as was predicted, but I felt good about the decision to go...especially after I stepped on the scale.
Now, before I get to the big reveal of my weird week, I would like to point out something - especially to those of you who may go to Weight Watchers, or any other type of weight loss/weigh in program. I, as a rule, wear as little as decently possible when I weigh in. That generally consists of a pair of pajama shorts and a tank top that I wear under my "normal" clothes. I usually undress in the bathroom at the center, leave my clothes on my chair, go weigh in, then get redressed. This isn't really typical behavior for most people weighing in...at least at my center...and the one I go to at home. Well, since I was late today, I had to strip right at the scale. The ladies often comment on my "weigh-in outfit"...in a positive manner. Today, though, after she got my official weight registered, she asked me to stay on the scale and to pick up my jeans and sweater to see what the difference was. I weighed an extra 2.6 pounds holding my clothes!! You'd better believe I'm going to keep up my routine!! If I'm gonna get weighed every week, I want that scale to reflect what I weigh not what my clothes weigh!
Well, after my weird week (and before I picked up my clothes), here's what the scale said:
Initial weight: 257.2
Week 53: -3.6!!!
Total weight loss: -59.0
Current weight: 198.2
YYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!
Last weeks small gain after getting so close to clearing 200 really motivated me to get my butt into gear. I was determined to get under that number in approximately one year from my original start. So I started the tracking week with a vengeance! I tracked absolutely everything that I ate - I never went over my daily points into my activity points or the extra weekly points - and I went to the gym Tuesday and Thursday mornings...and even still danced Wednesday night! I was kicking butt and taking names...and even convinced a friend to go to the gym with me!
But, then the weekend hit and I let myself loosen up a bit. I didn't track like I should have, and perhaps enjoyed myself a little more than maybe I should have. I'm sure that I did not go over all of my daily/weekly/activity points, but I didn't quite make the super smartest choices. But, as I said last week...those are choices that I made and I don't regret them and I won't beat myself up about them.
Well, I was feeling a little guilty by Sunday...especially since I got in very little activity over the weekend. Sunday evening began to roll around and I started feeling not great. I had a friend in visiting for the weekend and she was leaving the next morning, I was exhausted from work I had to do during the day, so we decided to go out with a mutual friend. I wasn't really feeling anything on the menu...I was feeling a little nauseous and nothing sounded very appealing. I ended up getting a very "homestyle" type of dinner, which was just okay, and started to realize throughout dinner that I was freezing and neither of my friends were. We went home and I was so tired I could have happily gone to bed at 7:30, but I made myself stay up a little later. I tossed and turned all night and when I woke on Monday I quickly realized that there was no way I was going to work! I called off, said a quick prayer that it wasn't the awful flu that everyone was getting, and went back to bed. When I woke again, I figured it was like 11ish....it was 1pm. I managed to move myself to the couch and didn't leave it for the rest of the day. I wasn't the slightest bit hungry, my whole body ached, and I kept toggling between cold and hot. My temp wasn't too bad - it got up to about 101.3...and spent a good portion of the day there...but, considering, it wasn't too horrendous. I made myself drink as much water as my stomach would allow, and I made myself eat some noodles for dinner (the only thing I ate all day). I slept a lot - then finally took some Excedrin for the headache I had acquired.
Frankly, I could kick myself for not thinking to take it earlier. Almost immediately I could feel my body temperature drop...within half an hour it had already dropped to 100.2! I finally was able to fall asleep for the night and woke up feeling like a new person! Well, maybe not completely new...I wasn't back to 100%, but I felt amazingly better. I said a quick thanks that it wasn't the nasty flu, and went on with my day. Since I had to move my WW meetings back to Mondays, and since Monday was my couch-day, I didn't get to weigh in. I debated on whether to go today or not - I tried talking myself into and out of it all day. "You'll be late because of class" - "that's okay, at least you'll have gone" - "yeah, but you didn't do great this weekend" - "but you did do great the rest of the week...and you hardly ate anything yesterday!" Ultimately, I decided to go because I knew that I needed to. I was late, as was predicted, but I felt good about the decision to go...especially after I stepped on the scale.
Now, before I get to the big reveal of my weird week, I would like to point out something - especially to those of you who may go to Weight Watchers, or any other type of weight loss/weigh in program. I, as a rule, wear as little as decently possible when I weigh in. That generally consists of a pair of pajama shorts and a tank top that I wear under my "normal" clothes. I usually undress in the bathroom at the center, leave my clothes on my chair, go weigh in, then get redressed. This isn't really typical behavior for most people weighing in...at least at my center...and the one I go to at home. Well, since I was late today, I had to strip right at the scale. The ladies often comment on my "weigh-in outfit"...in a positive manner. Today, though, after she got my official weight registered, she asked me to stay on the scale and to pick up my jeans and sweater to see what the difference was. I weighed an extra 2.6 pounds holding my clothes!! You'd better believe I'm going to keep up my routine!! If I'm gonna get weighed every week, I want that scale to reflect what I weigh not what my clothes weigh!
Well, after my weird week (and before I picked up my clothes), here's what the scale said:
Initial weight: 257.2
Week 53: -3.6!!!
Total weight loss: -59.0
Current weight: 198.2
YYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Back to the Grind
So I got back to work this past week.
The week was a little difficult - we had very limited places to eat during the day and pulling 12 hour days made it hard to get to the store to do any real shopping other than basic necessities. Seriously, my fridge still only has milk, eggs, bread, yogurt, and a few fruits and veggies in it! Hopefully this weekend I'll be able to get out and fill her up so that Mother Hubbards cupboards won't be so bare!
The other piece that made it hard was that not only did the 12 hour days also make it hard to get in some exercise, but since the students weren't actually here for most of the week, the gym had very limited hours...when it was even open. Now, don't get me wrong, I could have made a bigger effort to do things outside of the gym, but I didn't and I can't go back and change that now.
One of the things that has been an important, albeit difficult, lesson to learn (and one on which I'm still learning) is not beating yourself up over choices you've made in the past. Sometimes when I weigh in and the scale doesn't really go in my favor I sit and think of all the choices I could have made better that week. The "where did I go wrong?" almost always comes out (unless it's an expected gain). You think about every single day and what you ate and what exercise you did...or didn't do. "I know I could have worked out a little longer on that day." "I shouldn't have eaten that one cookie." Oooohhhh if the world were built on shoulda, coulda, wouldas. The fact is: I didn't and I did. And I just have to learn to live with the decisions I make, let them go after I've made them, and move on and do better next time.
Now, don't get this post wrong...I didn't have THAT bad of a week, but sometimes I need a reminder to quit beating myself up. Sometimes we ALL need to quit beating ourselves up. Stop it, people! Play nice!
Initial weight: 257.2
Week 52: +1.2 (Officially 1 year! Woohoo!)
Total weight loss: -55.4
Current weight: 201.8
The week was a little difficult - we had very limited places to eat during the day and pulling 12 hour days made it hard to get to the store to do any real shopping other than basic necessities. Seriously, my fridge still only has milk, eggs, bread, yogurt, and a few fruits and veggies in it! Hopefully this weekend I'll be able to get out and fill her up so that Mother Hubbards cupboards won't be so bare!
The other piece that made it hard was that not only did the 12 hour days also make it hard to get in some exercise, but since the students weren't actually here for most of the week, the gym had very limited hours...when it was even open. Now, don't get me wrong, I could have made a bigger effort to do things outside of the gym, but I didn't and I can't go back and change that now.
One of the things that has been an important, albeit difficult, lesson to learn (and one on which I'm still learning) is not beating yourself up over choices you've made in the past. Sometimes when I weigh in and the scale doesn't really go in my favor I sit and think of all the choices I could have made better that week. The "where did I go wrong?" almost always comes out (unless it's an expected gain). You think about every single day and what you ate and what exercise you did...or didn't do. "I know I could have worked out a little longer on that day." "I shouldn't have eaten that one cookie." Oooohhhh if the world were built on shoulda, coulda, wouldas. The fact is: I didn't and I did. And I just have to learn to live with the decisions I make, let them go after I've made them, and move on and do better next time.
Now, don't get this post wrong...I didn't have THAT bad of a week, but sometimes I need a reminder to quit beating myself up. Sometimes we ALL need to quit beating ourselves up. Stop it, people! Play nice!
Initial weight: 257.2
Week 52: +1.2 (Officially 1 year! Woohoo!)
Total weight loss: -55.4
Current weight: 201.8
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
A Year in Review
I know that it's totally cliché and that everyone does year reviews at the end of December/beginning of January, but this is also marking my one year Journey anniversary - so we're doing it anyway!
January 9th is my official anniversary - that fateful day that I went for my first weigh-in/meeting. I didn't start my blog until the week after, but I made the courageous decision to start this journey that day. I've mentioned before that I've done Weight Watchers half a dozen times, but this is the first time that I've lasted this long. The first time that I've been this successful. The first time that I invited the world into my journey.
Not to make this post about tooting my own horn, but (toot toot...) I have accomplished some awesome things in the last twelve months. For starters, I've kept up with my "diet" AND this blog for twelve whole months! I've lost over 50 pounds (that's about one pound each week). I've lost a lot of inches: 11 from my waist, 8 from my hips, 2 from my arms, 8 from my bust, and 6 from my thighs! I can not only run longer than a block, but I can run several miles with very few walking breaks in between. I actually like exercising!! I get restless just sitting around.
It's New Years Day and instead of sleeping in since I stayed up past my normal bedtime (oh yeah...I also go to bed before midnight now pretty much every night), I got up and went to weigh in. There were a total of five people at the meeting today, not including the leader/receptionist. Now, the next few weeks start the "busy season" for Weight Watchers - getting all the new "January Joiners". All those people who make New Years resolutions to lose weight...and you could say that I'm one of them, though as I said in my first post I didn't make a New Years resolution - I made a LIFETIME resolution...and I'm glad to say that I've kept it for a year, so far!
Initial weight: 257.2
Week 50: Christmas Day - no weigh-in
Week 51: -0.4
Total weight loss: -56.6
Current weight: 200.6
Any loss over not one, but TWO holidays is a major success in my book!! Consider the Holidays CONQUERED!!
January 9th is my official anniversary - that fateful day that I went for my first weigh-in/meeting. I didn't start my blog until the week after, but I made the courageous decision to start this journey that day. I've mentioned before that I've done Weight Watchers half a dozen times, but this is the first time that I've lasted this long. The first time that I've been this successful. The first time that I invited the world into my journey.
Not to make this post about tooting my own horn, but (toot toot...) I have accomplished some awesome things in the last twelve months. For starters, I've kept up with my "diet" AND this blog for twelve whole months! I've lost over 50 pounds (that's about one pound each week). I've lost a lot of inches: 11 from my waist, 8 from my hips, 2 from my arms, 8 from my bust, and 6 from my thighs! I can not only run longer than a block, but I can run several miles with very few walking breaks in between. I actually like exercising!! I get restless just sitting around.
It's New Years Day and instead of sleeping in since I stayed up past my normal bedtime (oh yeah...I also go to bed before midnight now pretty much every night), I got up and went to weigh in. There were a total of five people at the meeting today, not including the leader/receptionist. Now, the next few weeks start the "busy season" for Weight Watchers - getting all the new "January Joiners". All those people who make New Years resolutions to lose weight...and you could say that I'm one of them, though as I said in my first post I didn't make a New Years resolution - I made a LIFETIME resolution...and I'm glad to say that I've kept it for a year, so far!
Initial weight: 257.2
Week 50: Christmas Day - no weigh-in
Week 51: -0.4
Total weight loss: -56.6
Current weight: 200.6
Any loss over not one, but TWO holidays is a major success in my book!! Consider the Holidays CONQUERED!!
Friday, December 21, 2012
Conquering the holidays
I know I'm a few days late writing this, but at least this time it's just late and not at all....
Anywho, as everyone who struggles with maintaining/losing weight (read: pretty much everyone...period.) knows, the holidays are rough! Any holiday is rough on a diet because so much of it revolves around food. Valentine's Day gives you fancy dinners and chocolate, St. Patrick's Day gives you green any kind of food and beer, Easter is ham and candy and hard boiled eggs, birthdays is cake and ice cream, Memorial Day/4th of July/Labor Day come with picnics, Halloween is candy, candy, and more candy...you get my point. However, from the last week of November until after the first of January is arguably the worst time ever. It doesn't even matter what religion you are...Thanksgiving, Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Festivus, New Years. All right in a row (and if you're in my family there are six birthdays thrown in that time frame, too!). What's a person to do??
We're about at the mid-way point right now - and my goal this year has been to conquer the holidays and not let them get the better of me! We all know I've been struggling for the last few months, but I'm really trying to give myself a push to get through the next few weeks with hopefully losses, but at least not gains! Thanksgiving was actually pretty good! I lost a little, which was more than I could say for most of the people at my meeting after the holiday. Thanksgiving was relatively easy to handle because it was one/two days and I could easily get a taste of all the foods and be good to go. Not to mention the simple fact that I can't fit as much food in my stomach as I used to, so it was physically difficult to overeat! But, Christmas is the worst for me. Everyone having holiday get-togethers/dinners/parties with lots of delicious (fattening) foods and all the desserts, candies, and cookies you can eat! I love cookies...almost any kind. They are just so deceiving! They're so little and innocent looking, but just one cookie packs a powerful punch! The average cookie runs about 2 points a piece...for reference, I can eat 31 points in a day. Fresh fruits and (most) vegetables have 0 points...a grilled chicken breast is about 3. I can have a nice salad which some grilled chicken and 2 Tbsp of a vinaigrette dressing for about 5 points...and a cookie...one single, solitary little cookie costs me about half that. Yikes!! But they're soooooo tasty!!
So, what's my plan to combat the evil little beasts? Well, I've done a few things. First of all, Mom and Dad have lots of friends and family over for a Christmas party on Christmas Eve. I'm usually home several days in advance so I can help get stuff ready, but this year our calendar is running quite late and provided I can get out of here when I'd like to, I still won't get home until late on the 22nd. That doesn't really give much time for me to help...so, I'm helping from here! I volunteered to make most of the Christmas cookies. Yes, that sounds contradictory, I know. If cookies are a weakness, then why would I put myself in that position? Well, for three reasons. 1. I can be in control over what's in them! In several of them I replaced the sugar with Splenda and the brown sugar with Splenda brown sugar...it doesn't cut down on the points a WHOLE lot, but a little is better than nothing! 2. I love baking and they're only a temptation if they're out where I can see them...so as soon as they've cooled after baking I pack them up in a box, tape up that box pretty tightly, and stick them in the freezer. I haven't been tempted by them pretty much at all! I allowed myself to have one or two as I was packing them up, but then that tape and the freezer kept them out of sight and out of mind. And 3. having them around and allowing myself to have one or two while making them will help me be less tempted by them when they're all out on the table. I already know what they taste like so I don't need to "just try them" at all. Well..that one's the hope, at least.
I've also gotten my butt back to the gym several times this past week! It took a couple times to get back into the swing of it, and my body could definitely feel the difference from not going for about a month, but I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly I got my groove back. Actually, I went this past Thursday morning and kept pushing myself to go further. I usually run the first mile then take a quick walking break and then alternate running half a mile-walking about .10/mile. This time, I made myself keep going after I hit the mile and I actually ran the whole first 20 minutes without stopping! (The only reason I stopped at 20 was because the treadmills have a 20 minute limit on them so I had to take a quick break and reset since there will still about 18 other treadmills open if anyone else came to run.) I did a walking .15/mile but then I ran until I hit my overall 30 minute goal! I was pretty darn proud of myself!
Now, I can't do my usual Saturday run because we're closing tomorrow, so I'm hoping to be able to get something in at home on Sunday. Hopefully this snow doesn't get it the way!
Initial weight: 257.2
Week 49: -1.0
Total weight loss: -56.2
Current weight: 201.0
It's so close!! Wouldn't it be the ultimate Christmas present to myself to weigh in the day after and hit that elusive 200?? Keep your fingers crossed for me!
Anywho, as everyone who struggles with maintaining/losing weight (read: pretty much everyone...period.) knows, the holidays are rough! Any holiday is rough on a diet because so much of it revolves around food. Valentine's Day gives you fancy dinners and chocolate, St. Patrick's Day gives you green any kind of food and beer, Easter is ham and candy and hard boiled eggs, birthdays is cake and ice cream, Memorial Day/4th of July/Labor Day come with picnics, Halloween is candy, candy, and more candy...you get my point. However, from the last week of November until after the first of January is arguably the worst time ever. It doesn't even matter what religion you are...Thanksgiving, Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Festivus, New Years. All right in a row (and if you're in my family there are six birthdays thrown in that time frame, too!). What's a person to do??
We're about at the mid-way point right now - and my goal this year has been to conquer the holidays and not let them get the better of me! We all know I've been struggling for the last few months, but I'm really trying to give myself a push to get through the next few weeks with hopefully losses, but at least not gains! Thanksgiving was actually pretty good! I lost a little, which was more than I could say for most of the people at my meeting after the holiday. Thanksgiving was relatively easy to handle because it was one/two days and I could easily get a taste of all the foods and be good to go. Not to mention the simple fact that I can't fit as much food in my stomach as I used to, so it was physically difficult to overeat! But, Christmas is the worst for me. Everyone having holiday get-togethers/dinners/parties with lots of delicious (fattening) foods and all the desserts, candies, and cookies you can eat! I love cookies...almost any kind. They are just so deceiving! They're so little and innocent looking, but just one cookie packs a powerful punch! The average cookie runs about 2 points a piece...for reference, I can eat 31 points in a day. Fresh fruits and (most) vegetables have 0 points...a grilled chicken breast is about 3. I can have a nice salad which some grilled chicken and 2 Tbsp of a vinaigrette dressing for about 5 points...and a cookie...one single, solitary little cookie costs me about half that. Yikes!! But they're soooooo tasty!!
So, what's my plan to combat the evil little beasts? Well, I've done a few things. First of all, Mom and Dad have lots of friends and family over for a Christmas party on Christmas Eve. I'm usually home several days in advance so I can help get stuff ready, but this year our calendar is running quite late and provided I can get out of here when I'd like to, I still won't get home until late on the 22nd. That doesn't really give much time for me to help...so, I'm helping from here! I volunteered to make most of the Christmas cookies. Yes, that sounds contradictory, I know. If cookies are a weakness, then why would I put myself in that position? Well, for three reasons. 1. I can be in control over what's in them! In several of them I replaced the sugar with Splenda and the brown sugar with Splenda brown sugar...it doesn't cut down on the points a WHOLE lot, but a little is better than nothing! 2. I love baking and they're only a temptation if they're out where I can see them...so as soon as they've cooled after baking I pack them up in a box, tape up that box pretty tightly, and stick them in the freezer. I haven't been tempted by them pretty much at all! I allowed myself to have one or two as I was packing them up, but then that tape and the freezer kept them out of sight and out of mind. And 3. having them around and allowing myself to have one or two while making them will help me be less tempted by them when they're all out on the table. I already know what they taste like so I don't need to "just try them" at all. Well..that one's the hope, at least.
I've also gotten my butt back to the gym several times this past week! It took a couple times to get back into the swing of it, and my body could definitely feel the difference from not going for about a month, but I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly I got my groove back. Actually, I went this past Thursday morning and kept pushing myself to go further. I usually run the first mile then take a quick walking break and then alternate running half a mile-walking about .10/mile. This time, I made myself keep going after I hit the mile and I actually ran the whole first 20 minutes without stopping! (The only reason I stopped at 20 was because the treadmills have a 20 minute limit on them so I had to take a quick break and reset since there will still about 18 other treadmills open if anyone else came to run.) I did a walking .15/mile but then I ran until I hit my overall 30 minute goal! I was pretty darn proud of myself!
Now, I can't do my usual Saturday run because we're closing tomorrow, so I'm hoping to be able to get something in at home on Sunday. Hopefully this snow doesn't get it the way!
Initial weight: 257.2
Week 49: -1.0
Total weight loss: -56.2
Current weight: 201.0
It's so close!! Wouldn't it be the ultimate Christmas present to myself to weigh in the day after and hit that elusive 200?? Keep your fingers crossed for me!
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Excuses, Excuses, Excuses
So I have been forced to admit something difficult to myself...there is a major difference between "reasons" and "excuses" - and I have been trying to pass a lot of excuses off as reasons.
The fact that my hip was out was the REASON I couldn't run...but it was my EXCUSE for not doing much activity at all.
Being busy at work is the REASON I am tired...but it was my EXCUSE for not working out more often.
And PMS was the REASON that I occasionally gained some water-weight...but it was my EXCUSE for sometimes eating things I shouldn't.
It's tough being brutally honest with yourself - I actually even had a whole argument with myself in bed this morning! For the last few months I've been struggling with my weight loss...lose a pound, gain a pound, rinse and repeat. I've never been really good about tracking my food - I have no problem being honest about that...and while I'm sure I could be more successful if I was better about that, I think my real success has come from simply being more active.
I got a real taste of that this summer when I pretty much didn't track at all, but was going to so many classes that I was earning beaucoup (that's French for "a lot") activity points. Now, when I first got back to work in August, I really was putting in a lot of hours at work. Was it extremely difficult to get exercise in? Yes. Could I have still done it? Yes. I may not have been able to get in four Zumba classes every week like I did over the summer, but I could have done more than I did. And I have had even less excuses since about mid-September. Yes, there are after-work activities that make things difficult...but that's just it...they make it difficult NOT impossible.
But, I also have a problem of getting comfortable in my routines and not straying far from them unless jolted. So, when my routine was becoming less and less active, I got comfortable with that. I'll be perfectly honest...I HATE getting up at 6am to go to the gym...I always have. So when I got an excuse to not do it? I jumped on it! My hip was out, it hurt my knee to run. I just got my hip in then it went out again. I got it put back in again and the doc said not to do much vigorous exercise for a few days while it adjusted to being back in. Well, a few days turned into a few weeks cause I got lazy.
I got hit with a hard reality this week. I was on duty and had to go to a call on the third floor of a building. I was a good little girl and took the stairs instead of the elevator...but I was winded by the time I got to the third floor. That hadn't happened in quite some time! During move-in in August, I was running up and down four flights of stairs several times a day and barely got winded, but I got a bit winded walking up three flights of stairs once. It was an eye-opener for me. I realized how easy it is to get out of shape...and I'd let myself fall into the trap. So, this morning, I got tough on myself and had a literal argument with myself in bed when the alarm went off at 6am until the good self won and I got out of bed to go to the gym. Getting back on the treadmill wasn't QUITE as difficult as I had thought that it would be, but there was a clear difference in how well I was running this morning vs. the last time I ran before the hip issue. I need to continue to move my tush if I'm really going to do this marathon in a year...but I got 2.5 miles done in half an hour, so I'm still happy with that!
So as I eluded to in my last post, I got a new toy to help motivate me to get my butt back in gear. Weight Watchers teamed up with Phillips and made the ActiveLink...a super super super smart pedometer-like tool. It's a little rectangular device, about the size of a thumb-drive. You wear it on yourself all day long - on your belt strap, in your pocket, on a necklace, on your bra strap, wherever you'd like. You just tell the device where you're wearing it and it measures your activity all day long. Unlike a pedometer, which only measures your steps, this little baby registers any movement...forwards, backwards, frontways, and backways, and sideways, and slantways, etc. You spend the first week wearing it to monitor your general everyday movement so that it knows what you already regularly do. Then, it gives you goals to reach over the next few weeks. You wear it all the time, then you plug into into your computer through the USB port and it tells you exactly how many points you earned that day. Even better, you can check out how active you were every day down to the MINUTE!! It's pretty awesome!! Other than my trip to the gym today, I didn't do much that I don't do every day - yesterday, I earned about two points for my general daily activity...today, with the addition of my run, I earned 10!! Now, THAT is a good incentive to keep going!
Initial weight: 257.2
Week 47: +0.4
Week 48: -0.8
Total weight loss: -55.2
Current weight: 202.0
The fact that my hip was out was the REASON I couldn't run...but it was my EXCUSE for not doing much activity at all.
Being busy at work is the REASON I am tired...but it was my EXCUSE for not working out more often.
And PMS was the REASON that I occasionally gained some water-weight...but it was my EXCUSE for sometimes eating things I shouldn't.
It's tough being brutally honest with yourself - I actually even had a whole argument with myself in bed this morning! For the last few months I've been struggling with my weight loss...lose a pound, gain a pound, rinse and repeat. I've never been really good about tracking my food - I have no problem being honest about that...and while I'm sure I could be more successful if I was better about that, I think my real success has come from simply being more active.
I got a real taste of that this summer when I pretty much didn't track at all, but was going to so many classes that I was earning beaucoup (that's French for "a lot") activity points. Now, when I first got back to work in August, I really was putting in a lot of hours at work. Was it extremely difficult to get exercise in? Yes. Could I have still done it? Yes. I may not have been able to get in four Zumba classes every week like I did over the summer, but I could have done more than I did. And I have had even less excuses since about mid-September. Yes, there are after-work activities that make things difficult...but that's just it...they make it difficult NOT impossible.
But, I also have a problem of getting comfortable in my routines and not straying far from them unless jolted. So, when my routine was becoming less and less active, I got comfortable with that. I'll be perfectly honest...I HATE getting up at 6am to go to the gym...I always have. So when I got an excuse to not do it? I jumped on it! My hip was out, it hurt my knee to run. I just got my hip in then it went out again. I got it put back in again and the doc said not to do much vigorous exercise for a few days while it adjusted to being back in. Well, a few days turned into a few weeks cause I got lazy.
I got hit with a hard reality this week. I was on duty and had to go to a call on the third floor of a building. I was a good little girl and took the stairs instead of the elevator...but I was winded by the time I got to the third floor. That hadn't happened in quite some time! During move-in in August, I was running up and down four flights of stairs several times a day and barely got winded, but I got a bit winded walking up three flights of stairs once. It was an eye-opener for me. I realized how easy it is to get out of shape...and I'd let myself fall into the trap. So, this morning, I got tough on myself and had a literal argument with myself in bed when the alarm went off at 6am until the good self won and I got out of bed to go to the gym. Getting back on the treadmill wasn't QUITE as difficult as I had thought that it would be, but there was a clear difference in how well I was running this morning vs. the last time I ran before the hip issue. I need to continue to move my tush if I'm really going to do this marathon in a year...but I got 2.5 miles done in half an hour, so I'm still happy with that!
So as I eluded to in my last post, I got a new toy to help motivate me to get my butt back in gear. Weight Watchers teamed up with Phillips and made the ActiveLink...a super super super smart pedometer-like tool. It's a little rectangular device, about the size of a thumb-drive. You wear it on yourself all day long - on your belt strap, in your pocket, on a necklace, on your bra strap, wherever you'd like. You just tell the device where you're wearing it and it measures your activity all day long. Unlike a pedometer, which only measures your steps, this little baby registers any movement...forwards, backwards, frontways, and backways, and sideways, and slantways, etc. You spend the first week wearing it to monitor your general everyday movement so that it knows what you already regularly do. Then, it gives you goals to reach over the next few weeks. You wear it all the time, then you plug into into your computer through the USB port and it tells you exactly how many points you earned that day. Even better, you can check out how active you were every day down to the MINUTE!! It's pretty awesome!! Other than my trip to the gym today, I didn't do much that I don't do every day - yesterday, I earned about two points for my general daily activity...today, with the addition of my run, I earned 10!! Now, THAT is a good incentive to keep going!
Initial weight: 257.2
Week 47: +0.4
Week 48: -0.8
Total weight loss: -55.2
Current weight: 202.0
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