Saturday Stats: Week 7

Happy Saturday Stats Day!

 Alright, I must admit, food wise this week was a bit off. In the middle of the week I had a stressful situation pop up that I decided to eat emotionally about. I didn’t go too crazy (an improvement), but enough to stall my progress at least. Let’s see what happened

The stats are in:

• Current Weight = 205 lbs
• Last week = 203.8 lbs
• Weekly Difference = +1.2 lbs

Measuring	Last Week (in.)	This Week (in.)	Weekly Difference
Left arm	12	12	0
Right arm	12	12	0
Left leg	23	23	0
Right Leg	23	23	0
Bust	38.5	38.5	0
Under Bust	35	35.5	+0.5
Waist	34	34	0
Navel	36.5	36.5	0
Butt	44	44	0

Results: 

Okay soooo I didn’t do so great. I went up 1.2 pounds and 0.5 an inch. I could have done much worse though especially with how I ate in the middle of this week. A bagel, some pita bread and cookies, gobs of cheese and ranch on my salad. Not the best decisions, but they really did help me feel a bit better. Nothing to do but move forward. I’ll try to do better next week. I don’t foresee any really stressful situations on my horizon for about a month, let’s hope this is the case!

How’d you do this week?

Happy Losing!

Saturday Stats: Week 6

Happy Saturday Stats Day!

 I was really good this week. I even started making some swaps back into the slow carb lifestyle. Black beans instead of an apple. Cucumbers instead of carrots. I was feeling skinny again this week. Let’s see how I did!

The stats are in:

• Current Weight = 203.8 lbs
• Last week = 206 lbs
• Weekly Difference = -2.2 lbs

Measuring	Last Week (in.)	This Week (in.)	Weekly Difference
Left arm	12	12	0
Right arm	12.5	12	-0.5
Left leg	23	23	0
Right Leg	23.5	23	-0.5
Bust	39	38.5	-0.5
Under Bust	35	35	0
Waist	34	34	0
Navel	37	36.5	-0.5
Butt	44	44	0

Results: 

Woo Hoo! What a great week! 2.2 lbs lost and 2 inches lost! I couldn’t ask for more :). My jeans are starting to get loose now too. Can’t wait to go down a size. Maybe when I hit 200?

I really need to get below 200. I have some kind of mental block that makes me stop trying when I get there. This time I’m gonna do it though and I’ll stay there. If I can get my body weight below 195 (with clothes on) then I will officially be considered just overweight instead of obese by my doctor! Then my health insurance won’t force me to wear a pedometer everyday!( I might still wear it, but it’d be nice to have the choice!) That is my current goal. Deadline is October/November when I have to go in for my annual physical. I can  do this!!

How’d you do this week?

Happy Losing!

Evil Cake Day and the Just Say NO Challenge

At my work there is this evil thing called “cake day”. It occurs every second Wednesday of every month. This month they are doing it tomorrow because the baker will be on vacation next week. The purpose is to celebrate everyone who is having a birthday in the company. They used to put all the names on the cakes, but now they just have a sign posted next to the cake with all the birthday names. They usually have chocolate, vanilla, and a wild card. Tomorrow it will be cherry. I haven’t tried that one yet >.>. I have a problem with wanting to try every single flavor to find my favorite, and then of course trying them again to make sure >.<. Can’t be too sure. Anyway, this post isn’t about that problem, but an entirely different problem: Free food. In the past, I have had a difficult time saying no to free food. Even if it’s not that good. The cake isn’t that good, not bad, but not super delicious either, but it’s free.

About two months ago I started noticing this pattern of weakness in myself after my boss brought in danishes and I ate five of them simply because they were free. I don’t even like danishes that much. At my work, people bring in free stuff all the time. Today there’s a bag of candy canes and a container of fried chickpeas. Evil, I tell you. I think the root of this bad habit comes from growing up in a relatively poor family. Free food was not very common and of course you don’t turn it down, not when people are starving in the world. Not when you can’t afford much yourself.

Well, now I do. I created the “Just say NO” challenge to help me through it. It’s simple: you earn one point every time you say no to something free and bad for you. Every time you say yes you lose two points. There’s a max of 5 points per day. I make Holidays (actual family parties) an exclusion. They are an opportunity to earn points, but I do not get penalized.

My boyfriend got on board and agreed to provide me with rewards when I hit a certain amount of points. He’s so supportive ^.^! Unfortunately, at the time, food was a heavy motivator so quite a few of my “rewards” are food related. Here’s some of mine.

Rewards

• 10 pts = free cookie of choice
• 25 pts = free movie with the works (popcorn, pop, and candy)
• 50 pts = massage
• 75 pts = Sourdough Day ( I love sourdough bread so much >.<!)
• 100 pts = Three course meal
• 150 pts = Servant Day ( I can make him do anything I want, silly dances and all ^.^)
• 200 pts = Hotel Stay

There’s a few more that I can’t remember, but I have them posted in my cube to motivate me. So far I’ve earned the cookie and movie. I may exchange the massage for half the price of a pair of new running shoes. That’s a bit more motivating to me. Running shoes are expensive >.<.

The weird thing was, after a couple weeks of this challenge, saying no just became automatic. It wasn’t even a conscious thought anymore. I wasn’t getting very many points because it wasn’t registering as a challenge anymore. So we expanded the challenge. Now I also get points for saying no to buying things that are unhealthy for me that I want. So when I stand in front of the vending machine drooling and then walk away, point! When it’s nacho day in the cafeteria and I get a salad, point! When we go to the movies and don’t get any snacks, point!

I got a simple tally counter app on my phone. It’s literally just a plus and minus sign and a number. I am currently at 39 points. The point is this method works for me. I have learned to say no, in most cases. Of course I’m weak at times, but I’m a hell of a lot better than I used to be. I do not feel deprived or rude when I say no anymore. Why? Because it was my choice. I chose to say no and I had a right to.

How to you resist free temptations?

Saturday Stats: Week 5

Happy Saturday Stats Day!

Yes, I’m posting on Sunday again -_- Sorry. As you know from my confession post this week, I was sick on Monday. As a result my whole workout routine was off by one day. I didn’t want to weigh in until I completed my routine for the week.

The stats are in:

• Current Weight = 206 lbs
• Last week = 204.8 lbs
• Weekly Difference = +1.2 lbs

Measuring	Last Week (in.)	This Week (in.)	Weekly Difference
Left arm	12	12	0
Right arm	12.5	12.5	0
Left leg	23	23	0
Right Leg	23.5	23.5	0
Bust	39	39	0
Under Bust	35	35	0
Waist	34	34	0
Navel	37	37	0
Butt	44.5	44	-0.5

Results: 

Sooo… I went up a bit. Not as bad as I expected with how bad Monday was. Yesterday I was at a family party and so I did not eat as strictly as I normally do. I really think this weight gain is mostly water.The important part is that I lost half an inch, right!?! Next week will be better! How’d you do this week?

Happy Losing!

Saturday Stats: Week 4

Happy Saturday Stats Day!

 This week I was very good. Those who have read my earlier posts this week know that I was having a quarterly lunch at a burger joint with my coworkers that I was worried about. You know what, I did freaking awesome! To cut some calories, I chose the bunless option where you got the burger wrapped in lettuce. Instead of fries, I got a side salad and used very little dressing. I chose water over pop and refused a very high calorie shake. I’m so proud of myself, and I’m definitely feeling great because of it. Without further ado, the stats are in!

• Current Weight =  204.8 lbs
• Last week = 208.4 lbs
• Weekly Difference = 3.6 lbs

Measuring	Last Week (in.)	This Week (in.)	Weekly Difference
Left arm	12	12	0
Right arm	12	12.5	+0.5
Left leg	23	23	0
Right Leg	23.5	23.5	0
Bust	39	39	0
Under Bust	35.5	35	-0.5
Waist	35	34	-1.0
Navel	37.25	37	-0.25
Butt	44.5	44.5	0

Results: 

Woohoo! What a great week! I’ve lost 3.6 lbs and a 1.25 inch net loss in measurements this week. I was totally “feeling” skinny this week too. My pants were bunching up in places they haven’t before. Perhaps I’ll be able to go down a pant size soon. It’s so very exciting! I’m losing inches where I need it most, in my tummy. If I lost all fat from my tummy only and everywhere else stayed the same, I’d probably look pretty good. Of course, I could lose more in other areas, I’m just saying that my stomach is the worst and of course that’s the most unhealthy place to store fat. So I’m happy it’s going down. I haven’t made this much progress in a while, hopefully it keeps up next week too.

Happy Losing and Smart Choices!

The First 40ish Pounds (Part I – Exercise)

Now, I say “40ish” because I am currently at less than 40 pounds lost but at one point I was at 45 pounds lost so I’ll go with the average since I seem to be hovering around this magical number. In one of my earlier posts “A Bit of Back Story” I talked a little about how I started my journey May 2013 and a bit about how I did it specifically. Am I using this method now? No. Did it work? Yes.

I think for a beginner this an excellent way to start losing weight. Here’s what I did:

Exercise

I used the couch to 5K program (C25K). This is a program that pretty much says it all in its name. You can go from doing absolutely no exercise (couch) to running a 5K in 9 weeks time. In case you don’t know, a 5K is about 3.1 miles. There is a site for this where they want you to buy their apps and stuff. They even had one where zombies would chase you or so I’ve heard. I did not feel like paying money for someone to tell me when to run and when to walk. There are tons of free apps out there that will do that and you can read everything you’re supposed to do on this site.

Each workout takes about 20 to 30 minutes and you perform 3 workouts each week. I was able to do this twice a week before work and once on the weekend. Gradually you increase your endurance. Sometimes there will be weeks where you get freaked out and think you can’t possibly run that long. I encourage you to try. Don’t fool yourself into thinking you’re not ready. The program is specifically designed to prepare you for the next step. If you fail, then so be it, pick yourself up and try again. Don’t let your fear hold you back though. I know because I was scared too, but I was able to do it in the end.

I recommend investing in some nice running shoes with good support. Your feet will get sore and you may get shin splints without them. Pushing too hard can also cause shin splints. Don’t try to sprint the entire time, if at all, you’ll get tired, hurt, and won’t want to do it again. I kept my pace at around 4 or 5 mph. If you go slower than that, that’s fine. Just keep moving trying to stay above a walk (unless it’s telling you to walk).

I also recommend running outside if possible. It’s best to go in the early morning or right before sunset so you don’t get heat stroke unless you have a really nice shady park to run in. Try to avoid running in really high temperatures and make sure you are hydrated  and fueled well before your run. You don’t want to eat or drink right before your run either or else you may get cramps. Try to keep your meals and drinks at least an hour before your run. I believe running outside is best because then you are more prepared for a real 5K race which would most likely be outdoors. Obviously rain and snow and such happen and sometimes you have to use a treadmill. In this scenario, I recommend using a 1 or 2% incline on your run because this mimics what is generally found in nature.

Always, always, always stretch before running making sure to hold each stretch for 30 seconds or more. Focus on your calves, hamstrings, and quadriceps to prevent energy. If you have more time, stretch more than just your legs, it will help increase flexibility which helps prevent injury in all activities.

Since completing this program back in September 2013 I have run 6 official 5K races. They are a ton of fun. I love dressing up, especially wearing tutus! And there is a huge sense of community running with so many people. Also the money made from these races is generally donated to a charity!! I can easily run a 5K any day of the week now and I’ve even pushed myself to run 5 miles before. I am ridiculously proud that I completed this program and of where I am now and so I highly recommend it.

Good Luck & Happy Losing!!