Weekly Weigh-In: Week 11

It's Weekly Weigh-In time!  I don't have much time to post this week, so I'll just do my actual weigh-in results with no additional commentary.  However, you're welcome to post your weigh-in, then, "weigh in" with anything you've got on your mind regarding weight-loss, exercise or healthy eating.  Just post your results and your thoughts on your blog, then, come back here to link up.

I was hoping to lose at least 2 lbs. this week and that's exactly what I lost -- right on the nose!  That puts me at 24.2 lbs. in 11 weeks.  I'm very excited about that!  I'm sincerely hoping to be at 25+ lbs. lost next week -- week 12.  That seems like a really great start to me.  I can't wait to see what the next twelve weeks bring.

How did you do?

Do or Do Not Challenge: Week 6

Can you believe it's already Week 6 of the Do or Do Not Weight-Loss Challenge?  Wow!  I can't believe how fast the time is flying.  How did you do last week?  Did changing up your cardio work well for you?  Did you find some new breakfast favorites?  (If you did, I'd love to hear what they are!)

I hope you're doing great with the challenges.  Here are a couple of more to keep you motivated this week:

1.  Split up your calories.  Consider splitting up your calories to allow for 2-3 snacks throughout the day to keep metabolism and blood sugar even throughout the day.  Now, don't do this if you're doing well with your eating -- you don't want to fix what's not broken -- but if you're finding yourself hungry or battling cravings, you might want to give this a try.

One of The Biggest Loser books I've got suggests dividing your daily calorie budget by five (for three meals and two snack) or six (three meals and three snacks).  That way, you're eating about the same number of calories throughout the day, rather than eating a big meal late in the day.  The key to this, of course, is choosing healthy snack options.  Some of my favorites are:

• Yogurt
• Boiled eggs
• String cheese
• Veggies and dip
• Fresh fruits (I love apples and oranges)
• A bowl of cereal

What are some of your favorite healthy snacks?

2.  Walk at least 10,000 steps at least 5 days this week.  This one is going to push me.  Even when I walk the treadmill, I rarely get in 10,000 steps a day.  I'm at a place, though, where I could use a good challenge to push me.  What about you?  If you don't have a pedometer, just challenge yourself to be more purposefully active this week.  We can do this!

NSV: Jeans and Sugar

It's Saturday and that means it's time to celebrate non-scale victories -- all those weight-loss successes that take place somewhere other than the scale.  Are you fitting into a smaller size?  Noticing you've got more energy?  Exercised regularly this week or made great food choices?  This is the place to brag on yourself and let us celebrate with you!

I had a few NSV that stood out in my mind this week:

1.  I got into a smaller size jeans!  When I started my weight-loss efforts back in November, I couldn't get this particular pair of jeans past my thighs.  I wore them a couple of times this week...and I could take all the big, deep breaths I wanted.  ;-)

2.  We've cut our sugar consumption in half.  I used to buy 10 lbs. of sugar at the store each week...and sometimes we'd run out.  For the past several weeks I've only been buying a 5 lb. bag -- and there's usually still several cups left in the sugar container when I add the new bag.

3.  More energy.  I've been noticing lately that, in general, I have a lot more energy and just feel better, overall, than I have in a long time.  If I'm noticing such a big difference at 22 lbs. down, I can't imagine how great I'll feel when I'm at my goal weight.  Why, oh why, did I let myself get so overweight?  And, why didn't I get serious about getting the weight off sooner?

4.  I didn't realize, when I posted my weigh-in this week, that this week's weight loss means that I've lost over 10% of my body weight already.  Woo hoo!!

What about you?  What NSV have you enjoyed this week?

Works for Me Wednesday: Visualization

When I was on Weight Watchers -- and even now -- I'd sometimes get really frustrated with those one pound loss weeks.  It's kind of funny because it sort of reminds me people who only play the lottery when it's several millions dollars...because, you know, it wouldn't be worth a dollar to win a measly million.  (I never play, btw, but I do sometimes find myself thinking maybe I should...when it's a big number.)

I mean, really, a pound of fat lost is a pound of fat lost.  It's a step in the right direction.  One thing that helps me put those one-pound weeks in perspective is this:

Butter.  Four sticks of butter or one average-sized tub is a full pound of fat.  That's what fat looks like.  Four sticks of butter or one regular tub is roughly what I removed from my body in one week.  I want to lose a total of 95 lbs.  Can you imagine what ninety-five tubs of butter looks like?  That's a lot of fat.

So is one pound.

Every bit of fat that I remove from my body is worth celebrating.  Even when it's just one measly pound.  The visual tool of one pound of fat helps me keep my weight loss in perspective...even on weeks when I wish it were more.

Visit Kristin at We are That Family for more Works for Me Wednesday tips.




image courtesy of google images

Weekly Weigh-In: Back on Track!

It's weigh-in time and I'm excited this week!  After losing less than a pound in the past two weeks combined, I am finally back on track with a 3.8 lb. loss this week!  Not only am I back on track, but that means I met my goal for this month and I hit an exciting milestone -- I lost 20+ lbs. by the end of January and I am under 200 lbs.!

I can't believe I just posted that one the Internet, but seriously, trying to keep being 200+ lbs. a deep, dark secret wasn't helping anything, so I might as well celebrate my success.  I think two major things -- which were really just small changes, but major for me -- helped me reach my goals this week.

Change #1: Switching up my exercise routine.  I posted in the challenge this week that what I read on the Apex Fitness (bodybugg) website says that you should change up your routine every two weeks.  Well, I knew that, but my only other in-home option besides the treadmill is the bike, which I hate because it's so hard for me.  Really, that's a good thing, though, because it's hard as in "tough workout," not as in "something I can't do."

Despite know that I should change things up, I've been walking the treadmill since I started my weight-loss journey back in November.  It was definitely time for a change.

Change #2:  Stop obsessing.  Last week a very dear friend sent me a helpful link about plateaus.  She said she was sending it because it had good tips, but as I read through the tips, I knew they were nothing I hadn't heard before.  Then, I read the closing paragraph and realized why she sent me the link.  The last part of the post said this:

Some of us seem to have more adaptive bodies than others. I remember when I was eating a fairly rigid diet, having three strength training sessions per week, and as much as seven (often intense) cardio sessions a week. After 3-4 weeks - the fat simply stopped coming off. The frustration was enough to make me take my meal plans (stuck to the fridge), screw them up and throw them away in disgust. I was furious and disappointed. I felt that I was doing everything "right". So what was the answer?

Chill out and back off... I was becoming obsessional. I started eating more, and gradually reduced my cardio levels. I gave my body and mind a break. In the process I have learnt to eat more intuitively.

The emphasis in that last paragraph is mine.  This particular friend knows me very well.  She is well aware of my propensity to become a little OCD about things.  So, you know what I did last week?  I chilled out.

A couple of days (Tuesday, since I work out more than once that day and Friday because I'm typically tired after my Thursday night workout at the gym), I did what I consider to be a much less intense workout DVD than the ones I usually do.  When I fixed the kids pizza on Tuesday, I ate two slices of regular pizza instead of making myself a pita pizza...and instead of the four pieces I used to eat.  I enjoyed a big salad with my favorite low-fat dressing along with my pizza.

On Wednesday, when we ate lunch at Chick-Fil-A, I got my usual Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich and side salad, but instead of choosing one of Chick-Fil-A's low-fat dressings, which I don't like, I ate blue cheese.  I just didn't eat the entire packet, which is 2.5 servings.  I tried to use less than half the package and shoot for a single serving.

I think those changes really made a difference in both my weight-loss and my mental outlook about my weight-loss and eating habits.

Oh, and if you're interested in my favorite low-fat dressing, it is so easy and delicious.  I make the Good Seasons Italian dressing mix, except I swap the amounts of oil and vinegar, using 1/2 cup of vinegar and only 1/4 cup of oil.  Yum!

So, what about you?  How did your weigh-in go this week?  I can't wait to hear!

Do Or Do Not Challenge: Week 5

Is anybody still with me on the Weekly Challenges?  Tell me you're still out there.  We're getting to the part where the initial excitement is starting to wear off the and the reality of the scope of the commitment this journey is going to take is starting to set in.  Don't quit!  If we just keep moving forward, we can reach our goals.

How did you do with last week's challenges?  If you had a successful eat out challenge, I'd love to hear about it.  I've got a few place where I know I can have an enjoyable meal for under 500 calories, but I'd love to have some new ideas to tuck away for future reference.

Let's get to this week's challenges...

1.  Change your cardio routine this week (and next). I read an article on the Apex (bodybugg) site that said you should change your cardio routine every other week in an effort to avoid those infamous plateaus.  I will be posting more on my experience with that this past week in tomorrow's post, but for now, I'll suffice it to say that it does work.

If you've been walking, switch to an biking (exercise or actual bike).  Maybe you've been biking and you'd like to try the elliptical machine.  Whatever you've been doing, switch it up, both to avoid the plateau and to avoid boredom.

2.  Find two or three healthy breakfasts that fit your lifestyle.  All that you've heard about breakfast being the most important meal of the day is true.  Eating breakfast jump starts your metabolism and helps you avoid overeating at lunch.  Sometimes, though, our morning are crazy and we don't have time to think about breakfast.  Find something that you enjoy that is easy for you to prepare each morning.  Some of my favoirtes:

• A bowl of Honey-nut Cheerios (not necessarily the top choice, nutritionally, but one of my faves and not bad enough that I feel guilty.
• A bowl of Special K with sliced banana.  Even the new Protein Plus variety, which tastes like shredded cardboard on its own is good with a banana.
• Yogurt
• Oatmeal (quick and easy in the microwave)
• Boiled egg and a piece of fruit

What are some of your favorite healthy breakfast choices?

NSV: I Did It Anyway

It's time to celebrate those Non-Scale Victories -- those weight-loss moments that occurred somewhere other than the scale.  Take some time each week to reflect on those small successes that add up to huge weight-loss results for you.  Share them here and let us celebrate with and be inspired by you.

I can't think of any huge NSV this week, but there was one small one that made me feel better about myself.  I worked out Tuesday morning when I really didn't want to.  I told myself that I didn't really need to because I'd be working out at the gym that night -- even though I decided when I first started going to the gym that I would still work out in the mornings in case something happened to keep me from making it that evening.  I didn't want to workout, but I did it anyway -- and I felt better, mentally and physically, afterward. 


What NSV did you enjoy this week?