Weigh-in day 12!

Yes, I know, I've missed a couple of weigh-ins. AND this one is a day late, but I'm trying my best to post when I can! This week . . . 202.5!! This is a bit of a guesstimate, because Monday at the doctor's office I weighed 202.4, but today at the gym I weighed 202.9 in my non-workout clothes. So, I'm sort of averaging. Nonethless - a step closer! When I weighed in before Texas in March, I was at 203. So, this is good! Once I got back to my (sort of) normal lifestyle, the weight is still coming off, albeit slowly.

I'm about to take another trip to Texas which I'm sure will include some alcohol temptation and also delicious food that I shouldn't eat. These are things that everyone has to deal with on vacation - they can't be avoided. So, I'm going to say a couple of things about TRAVELING while on a diet. #1 - PREPARATION IS YOUR FRIEND!! Don't expect the gas station or the news stand in the airport to have the cereal/snack bars/baked chips you like. Bring your own! There's no airline restriction on how much food you can carry on. As long as it's not liquid, you're safe. If you're staying with a friend, they won't mind you buying some healthy snacks or foods from the grocery store. Family is sometimes a little harder - nobody wants to hurt grandma's feelings by not eating her pie! But if your family supports you, they will want you to succeed. Just say, in the nicest way possible, I just need a couple of things from the store to help me stay on track with my diet! Have a bite or two of whatever they're cooking, and then rave about how delicious it is. Most importantly - don't guilt yourself into eating what you don't want to. In the end, it's your call.
#2 - DRINK WATER! A great plan in everyday life, too, but traveling makes your body retain water. The best thing you can do is stay hydrated and try to flush the salt out of your system, so you won't feel bloated. Steer clear of sodas and even teas (especially sweetened ones) if you can - water's always better!
#3 - Make good decisions WHENEVER POSSIBLE! Everyone likes to splurge a little on vacation. But the key is to plan your splurges. If you splurge at every meal, don't expect to lose weight that week. Eat salads/veggies and fruit whenever you can to help combat the fatty /cheesy/carb-filled things you might want to eat later.
#4 - Be HONEST WITH YOURSELF. If you know you're going to be miserable making "good decisions" all week - then decide BEFORE HAND to maintain or gain a pound or two. Take control of your situation and say, "This is my week to have a little of what I usually can't have, so that I don't feel deprived and I can stick to my diet plan longer." Really, that's the ultimate goal. Nobody can go through life avoiding all desserts forever (ok, maybe you can, and I applaud you!), so it's all about balance. The most important thing is not to lose control - have a little of the stuff you love, and try to push away the plate. Whether it's good foods or bad foods, it's all about portion control. And if you decide before hand to let yourself loose a bit, then you're in control of your diet. Your diet CANNOT control you.

Thanks for reading everyone! Happy vacationing if you're lucky enough to do so!

Dealing with Busyness

AHHHHH I know I've been a slacker about blogging!! I haven't given up! But I have been SUPER busy. Here's why: The last few days of March I made a surprise visit to Texas. I did my best to make good food choices, but there was lots of celebratory drinking. And I was in Texas for my weigh-in day, so I didn't get on my regular scale. And since each scale is a little different, I didn't count that weigh-in day.

Then, the Monday after Texas was my birthday! And again, I made smarter food choices than would have this time last year. BUT I did eat a little more than I usually would. And again, celebratory drinks with friends. So last week when I weighed in I had gained 1.3 pounds. Considering the 2 weeks before, I thought that was pretty good. Weight Watchers considers "maintaining" your weight to be within 2 pounds of your weight. So - I maintained to the most part.

My weigh-in day tomorrow I'm kind of dreading. On one hand, I need to get back on the horse big time. On the other, I hate feeling like I'm moving away from my goal. I know, I know - as long as I don't let my momentum go out the window and give up because I haven't lost a lot lately, it will be fine. And in that vein, my friend Sarah and I went to the gym today. I had a free guest pass from the gym as a birthday gift, and she went with me to my Body Flow class. Now, let me say, my friend Sarah has ALWAYS pushed me when it comes to being fit. And now she's in the best shape I've ever seen her in. And she left the class saying, "Wow, that was tough!" It made me feel really good that I go every week and work hard there.

I need 2 things to change for me to continue losing weight. 1 - I need a better way for me to track my points. Some days I come home and I crash, and I don't have the energy to log all my points. And a lot of times, I don't get to my computer in the middle of the day. So I'm looking for the Weight Watchers iphone/ipod touch app. That way, anywhere there's wireless, even if I don't have my computer, I can figure out how many points I have left for the day.
2 - I need to get to the gym more often. I'm working at the restaurant more, and I'm teaching more. These are great financial things that I've been blessed with, but I need to learn to balance that with taking care of myself physically. So, in short, I need to learn to wake up early and get to the gym. I know how to wake up early if I have to - but every time I say, "I'm going to go to the gym early!" somehow, the snooze button keeps getting hit and then I have no time. So - I'm asking for help. (Yes, Mom, I know it's shocking!) I know I have friends who wake up early, so I might ask one of you one day to call me until I'm awake. Until I make myself get in that habit, it won't happen.

So I know what I need to change - all that's left is to do it! Love you all and thank you so much for your support!

Weigh-in day 11!

203!!!! 1.8 pounds this week, 14.8 pounds since January, 24.4 since September. Still going - slow but steady. And on the upside - I'm 1 pound away from losing 10% of my body weight, and 3 pounds away from being under 200! I'm really looking forward to seeing that 1 in front of my weight. I know my number would be going down faster if I could get to the gym more often. But I'm doing my best to eat well even when I can't log all my points into weightwatchers.com. And it looks like it's paying off!

Last week I went to go buy some new clothes because my old dress pants were starting to look like clown pants. I picked out a bunch of stuff, varying from size 14 to size 16 women's. I wasn't quite sure what size I was in. The first 4-5 pairs of jeans I tried on were size 14, and they were all too tight. It was such a miserable feeling - I had forgotten how awful it is to pick out a bunch of cute stuff and have none of it fit because you're overweight. I did find 2 pairs of pants that are size 14 that were a little tight, but fit! And since I'll soon be moving into an even lower size (yay!!), I bought them anyway. Since I've been wearing them I've gotten alot of compliments at how much thinner I look. It feels SO good to have visual confirmation of my hard work.

To all you out there losing weight - don't quit!! And thanks for keeping up!

Weigh-in day 10!

204.8! 1.2 pounds lost this week, 13 pounds since starting this blog and 23 pounds since September!

Not a ton of time to write, but I do want to say that I'm not getting off the horse! I would have loved to have lost more weight this week, but I'm doing what I can do considering my lately very busy schedule. I made time to go to the gym today, even though I'd much rather have started my St. Patty's Day celebrations early. So - slow and steady wins the race! Keep at it friends and thank you for reading!

Surround Yourself

In honor of today's "health tip" thingy I have added to this blog, I want to talk about the importance of surrounding yourself with people and things that remind you to be healthy. Today it was just that - "Surround yourself with people and things that remind you to stay healthy." I've tried this diet thing so many times, but I think one of the main reasons it's working this time is because I'm not afraid to talk about it. Everyone important in my life knows that I'm dieting, and it's like having a little angel on my shoulder all the time, reminding me to eat healthy. Whereas before, I was almost afraid to tell people I was dieting in case I failed. NOW I know I'm succeeding and I plan on continuing to succeed, so everyone knows! And since everyone knows, no one is mean enough to encourage me to order dessert or french fries or a cheeseburger.

If you feel like you're dieting alone, and you feel like you can "get away" with eating whatever you want when no one's around, imagine me sitting next to you. Or imagine someone that you want to inspire to start losing weight. What would they think of you eating that? I know when I was struggling I imagined my friend Brittany (who lost 10 pounds in her first 3 weeks of Weight Watchers!!) sitting with me at every meal. It really helped me eat healthy when I was dying to go for that pizza. Or perhaps you're struggling to continue dieting because you're starting to feel comfortable at your current weight. Remind yourself why you started dieting in the first place - was it just to lose weight? Or was it to make your body and lifestyle healthier? Put a note on your fridge/pantry door/secret drawer of emergency candy that says something that inspires you, that might keep you away from unhealthy foods. Here are things that I think - I'm changing my life. TODAY is tomorrow - tomorrow will never come if I don't start today. Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels. You only get one body - make it last!!
Things like that - though they may be cheesy and motivational speaker-ish - they remind me WHY I'M HERE. When I was feeling unmotivated, I went back and read my first entry in this blog. I've been feeling so good lately, I almost forgot how horrible it feels to be fat and to feel like you're stuck there.

No matter where you are in your weight loss journey, it's possible that you'll hit a bump in the road. Remember that you're never alone on this journey.

Weigh-in day 9

This week I weighed in at 206 pounds, which is .2 pounds MORE than I weighed last week. So, I didn't have the greatest week. It took me a few days after my last post to get motivated again, and I'm sure that this weigh-in is a reflection of that. But, on the upside, I'm feeling MUCH more motivated again and I went to the gym yesterday and today! So, a tiny setback, but nothing I can't overcome. :)

In response to my own question about, "Why go to the gym when I can lose weight without it?" I did some research about the benefits of working out. Everyone knows that working out helps you maintain a healthy weight and helps you lose weight. But why else is it good? Why workout?

Benefits of working out:
1. You can eat more!!! This is my favorite reason - who doesn't want to eat more without gaining weight?
2. Aerobic exercise (anything that gets your heart rate between a moderate-high rate, also known as cardio) works your heart, which (in case you've forgotten from 8th grade health!) is a muscle. It needs to be worked to stay strong. The stronger it is, the more efficiently it can pump blood to all parts of your body. In fact, physical activity delivers oxygen and nutrients (important things) to all the tissues in your body, and helps your entire cardiovascular system work more efficiently. The more efficient your muscles and systems, the more energy that YOU have. Also, a strong heart helps prevent heart disease and decrease the possibility of heart attacks. In short - strong heart is good!
3. Strength training (lifting weights, crunches, etc.) builds strong muscles which helps support your joints and prevents injuries. For example - strong abs help support your lower back. Also, muscles burns more energy than fat when your body is at rest, so building muscles helps you burn more calories!
4. Flexibility training (stretching) reduces the risk of strained muscles and sprains.
5. Exercise of any kind produces endorphins, which can help you feel more generally peaceful and happy. It also combats depression and low self-esteem, as well as helping you sleep more deeply. By sleeping better, you can improve your concentration, productivity and mood. (Who wants to be grumpy and scatterbrained?) Be careful not to exercise too close to bedtime, though, or you might be too energized to fall asleep!
6. Exercise lowers the risk of diseases like high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes by decreasing your body fat percentage.
7. Exercise can help you age well by preventing diseases like osteoporosis. This might seem like a small thing if you're in your twenties, but your body will thank you later! It's the only body you're ever going to get. And adding exercise as a routine will give you more energy and keep your body strong as you get older. It's much easier to continue exercising than to suddenly start in your 40's.

So, knowing this, consider the other options. If you DON'T workout, you become weaker, fatter, lazier, more tired and more prone to disease and injury. Why NOT workout?! On a weight loss journey, why wouldn't you do something that's going to help you lose weight faster? Not to mention look more toned, have more energy and generally feel better? There's so many reasons to workout, and the only reasons I can think of NOT to workout is if 1) you're busy, or 2) you're tired/lazy. Pretty crappy reasons when compared to all the benefits you get from spending a little time at the gym.

I know not everyone can spend an hour and a half in the gym every day - I don’t even have time for that all the time! Here’s a great website to help make your short workouts effective: http://zenhabits.net/2007/06/16-tips-to-triple-your-workout-effectiveness/
(Careful - this website says it's designed for people who already have a regular workout program. It has some good advice, but don't rush your body.)
Here are some of my favorites:
1. High Intensity -Focus on keeping your intensity high through your shorter workouts. The higher the intensity, the more calories you burn! High intensity = high heart rate, but be careful not to push your heart too hard. If it feels like it's going to pound out of your chest, you might be working too hard.
2. One set, to failure - If you're limited on time but still want to fit in strength training, do only 1 set of repetitions with heavier weights, instead of 2-3 with lighter ones. Lift until you can no longer keep a proper form - when you start to shake, it's too time to stop!
3. Mix it up - don't repeat the same workout forever! Your body gets used to this and starts to burn less calories than if you switch it up.
4. Hills - if you find your cardio workout getting easier, start upping the incline on your treadmill/elliptical machine. This makes you stronger as well as burning more calories.

Happy gym-going!! Thank you for reading and for your constant support!

Struggle and Support

MAN, I have the BEST FRIENDS EVER. I've received everything from tough love to logical love to just plain love since my post yesterday. For the record, I have no plan to quit my diet. The thought of going back to being fat and very unhappy did not even hang out in my head long enough for me to consider it a possibility. I've been feeling too good (I mean physically good, not necessarily emotionally good) since I started this healthier lifestyle. I don't get winded easily, I have more energy and in general I just feel physically capable to tackle things. Maybe it's a growing confidence, or maybe it's knowing my physical abilities better or a combination of both. Regardless, I can't imagine myself going back to eating french fries almost every day or gorging myself with fast food tacos whenever I feel like it. Even having a few unmotivated days didn't make me crave fast food.

I thought about not posting yesterday. I thought about waiting until the unmotivated slump had passed and acting like it wasn't there. But then I realized - who DOESN'T get frustrated when they're on a diet? Who doesn't have days or weeks where they just don't want to do it anymore? If my entire blog was happy and successful and "this is so easy!", that would be a lie. What I was feeling yesterday was true - and one of the reasons I posted it (besides needing inspiration for myself) was to show anyone who's struggling that they're not alone, and hopefully inspire them to push through it. Every dieter will hit a wall at some point. The key is to keep doing your best and NOT TO HIDE IT! If you don't ask for help, NO ONE CAN HELP YOU. I can't even explain to you how long it took me to figure that out. It's like the somewhat cheesy song "Lean On Me" says - "No one can fill those of your needs that you don't let show." I HATE admitting that I need help, that I'm struggling. But if I hadn't posted yesterday, would I be feeling better today? Would I have logged ALL my points for the bad food I ate yesterday? Or would I be in the same unmotivated place? I certainly know I wouldn't have gotten the kick in the pants I needed.

Now, I will say that some people just aren't ready. If you're trying to push your friend, neighbor, family member, etc. to diet with you, and they're not ready, then it's not going to work for them. No one can make that decision for them except themselves. You can encourage and support all you want, but they have to decide to hold themselves accountable. My mom used to encourage me to diet - I took it as some kind of insult, being my very proud and independent self. All I could hear was "You're fat" instead of "I know you're unhappy and you can be happier, please let me help you." Not everyone will see it this way, but it might discourage them slightly. Or maybe they're much more well adjusted than myself and will instantly move into a healthier lifestyle, who knows. But if you don't feel their enthusiasm, don't push. Set an example and perhaps when they see how great you look in your clothes or how quickly you're losing weight, they'll start to make changes too.

A VERY LARGE THANK YOU this week. It amazes me that just by writing this little blog I am affecting other people's lives in a positive way. Thanks for reminding me that I'm not just here for myself. And by here, I mean over 12 pounds down in 8 weeks.