Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Shocking? Not really.


Well, I gained this week. However, it’s not a surprise. And it’s not that much (0.8 lbs).

And it’s not because I’ve been eating particularly poorly. I started graphing my progress from each weigh-in, and it’s been really interesting to note that I will lose big (2-3.5 lbs) for a couple weeks in a row, then lose very little or gain the next week, then start the cycle over. Between the last two weigh-ins I lost 5 pounds so I was due to go up this week! I’m not sure why this is though. Any ideas??

On the plus side, I earned my 10% weight loss (20 pounds, though I’ve lost a little more) achievement last week- it’s this neat keychain and I just got it this morning. Hooray for shiny rewards!

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Starting off...

            First off, hi and welcome! I got the idea of doing a journal of my weight loss journey, then thought, “maybe people I know would be interested in knowing the details, and not just seeing random Facebook updates.” And then I thought, “maybe it would also be helpful for anyone who is struggling through the same situation of trying to lose weight- this might give them some perspective or someone to relate to.” So here it is- this blog is all about my journey. It will include my progress so far, any stories related that I deem amusing, and probably some tips that are good for anyone trying to keep an eye on their weight, even if you’re not trying to lose.
            I should have started this when I began, about four months ago, but I didn’t. So this first entry is kinda lengthy and not in any real order. They shouldn’t all be like this. So if you want to encourage, sympathize, or perhaps find motivation for yourself, read on!!

My weight loss journey began on November 15, 2010. That’s not to say I haven’t attempted it before. I had been unhappy with my weight for several years- the last time I remember being pleased with it was around 2003-2004. I never seemed able to stick with a plan that worked though- I would work out, but not consistently. I wouldn’t pay much attention to what I ate, or I would but I would have too much. And at times it was a matter of emotional eating, whether that meant being happy or being sad. For a number of reasons, I was never able to make it stick.
But this time!!! This time is different. This time I have several things working for me:
            -An internal motivation. Without that, I would go nowhere.
            -A support network, both at meetings and at home.
-Food knowledge I have gained from Weight Watchers. (My insurance decided that we as a people are too fat (fair enough, insurance!) so they gave everyone on their plans a free year of Weight Watchers. I had never done WW before, but I thought I might as well try it. It’s been a very important part of my success.)
-Consistent workout routines. Mike suggested I go work out right after work so I wouldn’t get home and be tired and not want to leave. Very good idea.

There is no fad diet in here, and no magical way to get the weight off that will actually work. That’s why it’s always been so damn hard! Cause you actually have to put the work into it. And it can be disheartening to feel like you’ve been working hard but not see results right away. I think that’s one expectation that has caused me to fail in the past. So this time, I’m doing it right. It’s not overnight, and it’s always going to take work.
I should also mention that I detest the idea of dieting. That implies that once you get where you want to be, you are done. It also implies that you are making temporary changes to your diet, only to revert back to your old ways once you reach your goal (or get tired of eating a specific way, whichever comes first). That’s why WW has really worked for me- it’s all about eating more sensibly, but not being restricted in your diet. That has been a big learning curve for me but it’s worked out great so far.
So I started at the heaviest I have ever been (though I have hit that point a couple different times in the last few years). I am now down 21.6 pounds! My ultimate goal is a loss of 50-60 pounds. Probably closer to 60, but we’ll see as I get closer to that. I weigh in officially once a week, so that is the number that I’ll be reporting.
Something I think is important to document is what has changed. This is one of the things that, should I ever revert again, will help me to regain focus. Since it’s been a big loss from the beginning point to now, there are multiple things:
-         Flexibility. I have always been flexible, but I’ve been able to reach so much further since there’s a lot less getting in the way. For instance, I can once again sit with my legs apart and touch my head to my knee. I couldn’t do that even a few weeks ago, because there was padding preventing it.
-         Strength. I have been weightlifting as part of my workouts. I may not have bulging muscles, but I can tell that I am stronger on a regular basis.
-         Stamina. I’ve been doing a lot of cardio and therefore can outlast even some of the smaller girls in my dance classes. Woo!
-         Appearance. Of course this is an obvious one, but what a difference! I have gone down 3 pants sizes and look much better already. I cleaned out my closet and pulled out everything that didn’t fit (or that just needed to go because I didn’t like it anymore). Mike now has some free hangers. :-)

As far as tips go, I have one that I’ve been using recently to great success. Any time I go out to eat at a chain restaurant (Olive Garden, Applebee’s, etc.) I go online with my phone and pull up the nutrition facts. I look at them before I even look at the menu. That way, I know what I’m getting myself into and don’t allow anything else on the menu to tempt me without me knowing the full nutritional story. You would be absolutely shocked by what you find! There are spinach/artichoke dips out there that are almost twice your daily allowance for fat. (Daily recommended allowance for a 2,000 cal diet is 65 g, this stuff was 107 g!!!)

And to add photos to the journey, here is one from Thanksgiving (a couple weeks after I started) and one from today. Same shirt!


That’s all for now. Feel free to leave comments, questions, etc. Til next time!