weigh in 13

week: 2
total: -9.5

Bah, humbug. Anytime I have a bit of stress, my body seems to want to hold onto the weight. Well, as of today I'm officially on Christmas break, so the relaxation can set in, and the stress can go away. Except for the stress of finishing up that Christmas shopping. And finalizing our travel plans. And spending time at the in-laws (whom I really do love and get along with, but ...). Oy.

2 in 1 day!

I just realized, I hit a major goal yesterday, and did not comment on it. I reached another 5% loss from my previous bodyweight. I'm now 77% of the woman I was last January. I'm aiming at 60% ultimately.

To celebrate, I ordered some CDs I've been eying for a while. It might be time to get some new clothes too.

LG08 week 12

week: -2
total: -11.5

w00t! a new badge!

I have taken a week off from everything (except making proper food choices). Last Wednesday, in the evening, I suddenly felt my throat get raw and scratchy -- it was the weirdest thing. I guess usually that happens while I'm asleep, so I wake up sick. So I haven't been to the office (well, there was scheduled time off anyway), or the gym, or even tang soo do class. I did have to drag myself out to get groceries and more medicine. Mostly I feel okay, maybe a little tired, but then I'll have a horrible coughing fit, which just - won't - stop. I won't feel well till those stop.

LG08 #11

week: -0.5
total: -9.5

Well, the holidays are really here. I have Christmas tunes stuck in my head. I've been to two parties on campus. Classes are winding down, and we're getting ready for the big push to exams. Somewhere in there I need to figure out our travel plans. I go through the same thing every December, putting off the making of a decision, because all the variables just overwhelm my little brain. The things I'm sure of: we will take good snacks with us, we will not overdo it at Christmas dinner -- wherever we are --, and we will enjoy visiting our families.

I think we visited his family in June, and we'd had some weight loss, but nothing dramatic; then I saw my parents in July. At that time I'd lost about 25 pounds. I've nearly doubled that loss since. This trip might be a little dramatic.

LG08 #10

week: -3
total: -9

Ahh, Thanksgiving weekend was easy for me. No parties, no family, just me and the hubs lounging around and drinking hot coffee to stave off the autumn chill (which has finally arrived on the south coast). Didn't make a turkey (have done in the past, way too much work for 2), but did have mashers (oh how I love them) so by themselves they make it Thanksgiving.

The hardest part of the long weekend (as I mentioned before) was that the martial arts school and the campus gym were both closed -- except that I found out the gym was open on Sunday for regular hours! So we did get in one workout. It was tough after even just that little break. But I'm reinvigorated and re-inspired.

Broke out the breadmaker, to try going w/out store-bought bread for a bit. Then discovered that my flour is old, and makes the top cave in. Haven't had a chance to get new flour yet, but I haven't abandoned the home bread challenge just yet.

LG08 #9

week: +2
total: -6

The last two weeks weren't kind. My schedule, which is usually pretty basic and routine, suddenly got very full, and didn't always leave me with a lot of time or opportunities to make good choices. I'm actually happy that Thanksgiving is here -- I can catch up on my sleep, and no one will have any demands on me until Monday morning.

Of course, the bad thing about the long weekend is that both our gym and our martial arts school will be closed. Time to bust out the dumbbells hiding under the couch, and get back on track. Again.

LG08 #8

week: -2.5
total: -8

Wow, finally some action on the scales there. I think it was the afternoon snack I was having at the office that was messing me up. I think -- it's so hard to make a determination for a system as complex as the human body.

At Target, I found Apple Cinnamon Almonds. YUM! They aren't overboard on sodium or sugar (and no HFCS in the ingreds at all). We've decided they won't replace plain old raw almonds most of the time, but they'll be good for a change periodically. I also love that Target carries raw cashews, my favorite kind of nut. I always find them in the deli/produce area, not in the nut aisle.

weigh-in 7

week: 0
total: -5.5

Essentially the same weight for the last five weeks. Going to have to change something, surprise it back into reacting. Going back to logging all my foods is one option. Doing a little iron work after Tang Soo Do is another. Going all-out at the sushi bar certainly doesn't help the process -- must learn restraint!

weigh in: week 6

week: -2
total: -5.5

I kind of liked my old scale that did everything in whole numbers. However, I didn't like squinting to read what tiny line the pointer was aimed at. So, I'm getting used to the new machine.

I'm really out of things to report here. I just bought my Halloween candy yesterday, and only one bag, since we have to go out to class before the witching hour is really over. Oh yeah, mental note: do not run over any trick or treaters.

look great in 08: #5

week: +2.5
total: -3.5

January of 2007, I bought a bathroom scale, the cheapest one I could find. It served me well, but here's the weird thing: the tread started slipping off the edge of the scale. Increasingly, I found my foot really sticky after weighing, from the glue that was supposed to be holding the tread to the scale. So, last week I bought another scale, one that appears to be a solid piece of plastic, and which has a digital readout. Unfortunately, it insists that I've gained 2.5 pounds in the last week. And maybe I have: we've been working out pretty frequently, and I'm sure I'm building muscle. Plus, my waist to hip ratio is the same as it was 2 weeks ago (although I'm never quite sure how accurate I am in taking those measurements).

So, I will reiterate something I know I've said before: I am not a number! I'm a free (wo)man!

Visit other participants at Tales from the Scales

get pumped for exercise

I have my motivations for getting exercise. I want to have and keep a healthy body; I like having muscles; I'm enjoying Tang Soo Do so much, I'm always excited to go back and learn something new. But there are people out there who have trouble getting the gear on and doing the deed. For those, the website Lifehack offers some tips.

My favorite from the list:

Reward Showing Up, Not Weight Loss - Some people have gotten the idea that they should reward themselves for losing weight or gaining muscle. I disagree. Instead, I think you should reward showing up to the gym and exercising regularly. There are many ways you can lose or gain weight in unhealthy fashions. Rewarding exercise is rewarding your commitment to health.

(Elsewhere the list does address the issue of showing up but then wandering around aimlessly without actually accomplishing anything. Remember to have goals and standards!)

Good luck!

LGi08: check in week four

week: -0
total: -6

I realized yesterday that I've lost half the total weight of my goal, a journey which I began in January of this year. So in view of that fact, one week of maintenance seems like not such a big deal. The master instructor at our training hall comments that we look slimmer every time we see him. When I first got back to work after summer break, I got some comments about how good I look too.

The most striking change I've noticed -- not counting the reduction in jeans size -- is the fact that I have arm muscles. I'm lying in bed holding a book; I glance down, and my bicep is literally popping off my arm. And I like that the muscle is there, so I want to keep exercising to make sure it doesn't go away. There's my motivation.

Visit Tales from the Scales to meet more people participating in the Look Great in 2008 Challenge.

half

I see by my ticker way at the bottom of the page that I've reached the halfway point on my overall weight-loss goal. 44 pounds in 41 weeks. Now that I consider it, I guess I reached half-way last week. My big ticker and my LGi08 ticker are different by a day, so they don't always get the same input. I suppose I could make the differences potentially less drastic by using my 5-day average instead of the raw weight score, but I started with the one, it's far too late to change now.

Half-way is a pretty significant milestone. Maybe I'll reward myself with a trip to the bookstore.

week 3 weigh in

I was looking at my calendar, and realized that I started my ticker over there on the right on the wrong date, and therefore: at the wrong weight. So officially:

week: -2
total: -6

I gets a button!

Clearly five days a week of exercise are doing me some good. That and the proper food choices. I'm so glad I saw Mama Bear June's post on the Abs Diet plan, because without it, I think I'd still be in a weight-loss rut. Lately I don't even have to go through the mnemonic to remember the core foods anymore: they're pretty much the foods that I have in the pantry now. I'll admit, I'm off the smoothie wagon though. I still love them, but I don't have the facilities to whip them up while I'm at work. That, and the bananas at the grocery store have been really crummy lately. What's up with that?

weigh-in #2

week: -2
total: -3

Off to a good start here. I'm enjoying Tang Soo Do a lot more now that I have a handle on some of the moves. The kicks are still a complete challenge for me though. The only problem with TSD is the schedule. I have to rush home from work to change clothes and grab a smoothie -- and my husband, who is doing this with me -- before heading back to the training center. Then we have a proper dinner afterwards. Somewhere I read "hunger is the best seasoning for food" or something, and I'll say that's certainly true. I won't say I sleep like a log every night, but I fall asleep much faster now. Monday night I wanted to watch the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, to see David Boreanaz (Angel, Bones), but I don't think I made it through three minutes of the monologue.

LGi08 weigh-in one

week: -1
total: -1

A new challenge, a new counter. Sort of sad, to lose the big number from the previous challenge and start all over. But it's a clean slate, time to see what else I can do to keep getting healthy.

The Tang Soo Do is really working well to get us out of the house, but so far it's not killing me like I expected it to. Our instructor keeps asking if we're sore, and I keep saying "no, not really." I think it isn't very intense yet, because I don't have the right skills. When I learn to keep my balance better (like learning to ride a bike in some ways) then better form -- and sore muscles -- will follow.

your eyes do not deceive you

Figured no one would believe this without visual evidence. Husband and I shelled out the bucks the other night and joined a do jong -- that's a training hall for martial arts, if you couldn't guess from the picture. Tang Soo Do is our art, Moo Duk Kwan is our style. Moo means "stop conflict," and apparently the goal is "one hit, one kill," take your opponent down as efficiently as possible.

Earlier this summer we heard a presentation on the differences between historical and theatrical swordplay. Historically, the sword was not used for a lot of parrying and fancy footwork, but again, one hit one kill (clearly, this would remove a lot of the drama that goes into movie swordfighting).

Enough of that tangent for now though. We've attended two Tang Soo Do lessons. It reminds me a lot of the ballet lessons I took as a child, in that they both require a lot of balance and grace, neither of which come particularly easily to me. There was a lot to ballet intellectually that I just didn't "get" at the time either, which, in retrospect, I now understand (especially spotting), but would no longer attempt.

The master of our do jong also teaches yoga, so we gave that a try tonight. I wasn't really sure what to expect, and I'm not sure I'd say I liked it. But, if everyone else was concentrating as hard as I was, then I know none of them saw how awkward I was in some of those poses.

the end of one thing is just the beginning of something else

end of May Day Challenge
week: -2
total: -22

I already posted my end of challenge thoughts, so I won't bore you by reiterating them.

I would like to note that in this last week, I reached another mini-goal. According to my BMI calculations -- which are notoriously inaccurate for the very fit or the very overweight, but which I suspect are okay for average Joes like me -- I am out of the OBESE category and am now merely overweight. yay me!

Clearly though, there is still work to be done here, so MY GOALS FOR THE NEXT CHALLENGE:

• I will continue to make good food choices
• I will continue to exercise (we're thinking of taking up a martial art in the near future, and we are going to visit the class tonight, which will help us decide whether this activity is right for us)

If I have counted correctly, there are 16 weeks in the new challenge. In that time, I think I can probably continue my 1lb/wk loss, so I'll be setting my goal at 20 pounds. I won't be running off on vacation as often during this new challenge, so I'm sure I'll be checking in every week. I can't promise to always write something witty and inspiring though -- by the end of the May Day challenge I was running out of words.

oops

Looks like Beth at tales from the scales got a little ahead of herself. Next week is our final weigh-in, and the start of a new challenge.

It also looks like I miscounted on my weight tracker over there on the right. Ah well, I was never a math major.

Last Week evaluation

week: -0
total: -20

Well, when I started this May Day Weight Loss Challenge, I stated my goals for weight loss in general, and not for the challenge in specific. So for the next challenge, I will try to do that part better. I did better (slightly) than one pound per week. Thanks to the other ladies of the challenge who muscled through and checked in every week to the end, I've seen lots of examples of women being determined through good days and bad. Even if they didn't lose as much as they would have liked, they are still inspiring. Over the course of this summer, I've learned HOW to make good choices in both eating and exercising (particularly thanks to Mama Bear June and The Abs Diet.

I haven't reached my ultimate goal yet, although I have accomplished several short-term goals. I intend to continue this weight-loss journey, via the next Challenge, and I will always remember that every day is a new day to make good choices.

weighing in for week 17

may day challenge week 17
week: -6
total: -20

Last week's up week must have been a bad reading, because the day after, I was back down to something more reasonable, and I've lost again since then. As always though, the five day average is making a nice steady decline (and if you had that information, you'd see that, on average, I've only lost about 3 pounds since last week, but I'm using the Tuesday morning scale number here). Being at home, in my own kitchen, able to get to my gym, really makes such a difference, at least mentally. I'm sure it also helps that it's back to school (work) time for me, and a little more walking never hurts.

See more inspiration at the Tales from the Scales.

back on the wagon

So many excuses keep people out of the gym or away from exercise. I went over a week without formal exercise -- broke that chain on Sunday, happily. Out of town, too tired, too busy, gym too crowded, dental work (that one's for real, and I think is valid -- first I was numb, and was afraid I'd bite something in my enthusiasm, then I wasn't numb, and didn't really feel well).

I'm not a morning person, and forcing myself out of bed to hit the gym before I go to the office just ... well, I'm a failure on that front. I try to go right after work a few times a week, but inevitably it's the most crowded time for the gym, and some musclenut is hogging some machine that I want (I hate to ask him to move too, because he's been sweating all over, and I don't see him carrying a towel... ew!).

I'm trying to change my routine, to be a dumbbell user, instead of a machine user, but on at least one occasion all the girlie weights that I needed were missing too. I also have to say that it's a big jump from a 10 pound weight to the fifteen. I almost dropped a fifteen on my face trying to do a bench press last week.

But if I use that fifteener, even for just a few reps, eventually my body will adapt and I'll become adept. Just hope it doesn't take too long to get over that hump.

Where did I stand today?

plank: 60 sec
side plank: 20 sec
cobra: x20

dumbbell squat: 10 lb x 15 reps (go up)
chest press: 10 lb x 20 reps (go up)
bent-over rows: 10 lb x 20 reps (go up)
side arm raise: 6 lb x 12 reps
triceps kickback: 8 lb x 15 reps (go up)
biceps curl: 10 lb x 16 reps (go up)
leg curl machine: 70 lb x 15 reps (go up)

16 down, 2 to go

week: +1
total: -14

A lot of things came together this week to make for an up week (and I'm not talking about my attitude here). We were out of town for the weekend, so I missed two gym dates. Since we were out of town, we didn't have access to the foods we normally eat, and we were hitting fast food. I spent most of Saturday outdoors (good) but I didn't get my regularly scheduled snacks, so when we finally did get to the fast food, I overdid it. I just couldn't help it, I was so hungry.

Well, it's a new week now, and a new opportunity to start over.

weigh-in #15

week: -1
total: -15

Up early today for a meeting. Feel like crap. Can't tell whether it's because I slept poorly, or nerves. Or the cheat meal pizza that turned into a two-day extravaganza. Ugh.

Must fly.

Remember to see how the others are doing at Tales from the Scales

intervals

another intervals workout today on the erg (rowing machine). 20 seconds work 10 seconds rest, for 15 cycles -- which is tough, let me tell you. Worst set was 64m, best was 70m.

a new weight tracker

I read on some other blog the other day (maybe Lifehacker) about this Google widget that some might find useful. It's a weight tracker for your Google Homepage (iGoogle), but it's not one that you're familiar with. Yes, you input your daily weight, but rather than seeing only the hills and valleys of your irregular weight, the widget calculates your running average, so you can see whether you are tending to lose weight, gain, or hold steady. I am not actually using it, as I have seven months of material stored in an excel file that's already showing me the 5-day average. But, I thought maybe the community would like to hear about this.

I think one thing it does require is a daily entry of data (weight) in order to give an accurate average. I just think of it as a piece of scientific information. It is not a definition of who I am, or my worth as a person, or anything more than a datum for finding a current trend. That keeps me sane, and it sure helps to see the average line pointing downward.

week 14

week: -0
total: -14

Don't really have much to report. Nauseous all day Sunday (darn vitamin), which threw off that day's exercise plan. I'll admit, I can't remember everything we had for supper last week: salad, shrimp and rice, turkey wrap, pita pizza, and ...? The good news, of course, is that there is better food in general in the house, so even when I can't remember, I know it must have been not horrible.


See other participants of the May Day Challenge at Tales from the Scales.

MDC 13

since last weigh: -3
total: -14

Was out of town again last week. I did find a scale while I was there, but it was old and didn't give consistent readings, so I ignored it. It was hard to make good choices when I was at my parents, since they really don't stock a lot of the things I've started eating. I guess I did well enough though, so I'm not going to dwell on it.

I reached the mini-goal of a few weeks ago, which means I've lost another 5% (mentioned this earlier in the blog). The next short-term goal must be to hit the next lowest number ending in zero. That's seven more pounds, and I'm only averaging a pound a week, so that will probably be a goal that extends beyond the end of this Challenge.

target reached

I weigh once a day, first thing in the morning. I use a spreadsheet to track not only the daily weight, but also the five-day average, which generally gives a better picture of where I stand than the single daily number does. The goal I achieved today was the loss of another 5% of the weight I started with (probably not the best way to phrase it but so it goes). The first five percent took about two weeks. The second five percent took 4.5 months. Reaching the third marker took another 2.5 months.

May Day Week 11

week: -1
total for challenge: -11

I'm on track, roughly one pound per week gone, but I still have this sense of spinning my wheels this week, which is totally ridiculous, since I'm down a pants size (woo).

My shopping and eating habits were kind of sporadic last week -- at one point we were out of everything, and when I went shopping, I still forgot key things, like bread!

Maybe it's just a restlessness and wanderlust that usually hit me about this time of summer. In fact, I'll be skipping another post next week since I'll be out of town again.

workout notes

worked out today with 30 second intervals -- that's 30 seconds of hard work (rowing, specifically) followed by 30 seconds of rest. 20 intervals total. Kicked my butt. My best interval was 107m, my worst was 102m.

noting this for progress and tracking.

not so short

The shorts currently in my shorts drawer are a mix of elastic band style and button and zipper khakis and denims. There's a lot of gap in my button shorts lately, and since I'm an anti-social cheapskate and didn't want to go to the store unless I absolutely needed to, I dug out an old pair of shorts from storage to see how they fit.

Just fine, thank you very much.

These are not exactly the same shorts that I wore around the time of my wedding (probably), but they're the same size. They're what's known as Mom jeans (shorts) and I was kind of surprised at just how high up my waist they go. I am typically a modest person, clothes-wise, and the low-rise hip-hug-her style has never really suited me -- I was wearing Mom jeans in high school -- but it's all I've been able to find recently. Yay for the old skool clothes in storage! But I digress.

After I got married, I took a summer job at Blockbuster Video, which kept me busy while my brand new husband was working. The next summer, we decided that the BBV job was unnecessary, and we could afford for me to have the summer off. That was a big mistake, because I did nothing that summer except play video games and get fat.

Why wasn't I spending my time outside? Except as a young child, I have not typically been one to enjoy running around in the sun and the heat. It actually affects me quite badly and I frequently become overheated and dehydrated -- I learned this early and have adopted this "avoid the sun" attitude, which has mostly served me well, especially since moving to the Deep South. It's also why I tend not to join outdoor sports leagues or jog.

I wouldn't say that I accepted the weight without question or complaint, but I never really had the tools to do anything about it. I tried working out last summer (06), but I didn't change my eating habits at all. I changed my eating habits this New Year, and that helped initially, but I hit a long plateau when I felt too busy and stressed to work out, and didn't make time for it. So I see now how the two go hand in hand, and I'll keep striving to eat less, move more.

weight loss inspiration from the ancient world

here

a sample:

LESSON 1

"Some men live to eat and drink. I eat and drink to live."

-- Socrates, Greek philosopher, 5th century B.C.

Modern lesson:

Be sure to try a new interest or two. Eating shouldn't be your only hobby.

weighing in: week 10

week: -1
total: -10

I just realized that we are past the halfway point in the challenge. I clearly won't be smashing any records, but as long as I continue this downward trend, I will be satisfied.

I'll admit that last week my motivation slipped, and instead of going to the gym on Wednesday, I just lazed around the house watching TV. I maintained a little discipline and didn't eat the whole pantry though, so we'll call that good news and bad news.

I have wholeheartedly embraced the eating plan in The Abs Diet Eat Right Every Time Guide by David Zinczenko. That's how I am, jump into something with great enthusiasm, which will hold for a while, and then (usually) fades away. I expect that by the time my enthusiasm fades, I will have done the plan for long enough that the habits stick anyway. The plan's strength lies in allowing one to eat anything on occasion and in moderation, but guiding one toward natural unprocessed foods, especially foods high in fiber. Nothing is completely forbidden. I was able to use the precepts of the plan while I was away on vacation earlier this month, and even while eating out a lot, like at Macaroni Grill -- twice -- I didn't overdo it.

Last week, in keeping with the plan, I stopped buying Honey Bunches of Oats, and picked up Fiber One w/ Honey Clusters at the grocery. Biggest surprise to me: it doesn't taste like cardboard at all! It's just as good as honey bunches. This week the Fiber One was out of stock, so I tried Bran Flakes with Yogurt Clusters (vel sim.), and that variety is okay too. Who'da thunk that I'd ever like bran cereal? Certainly not me! Also on this list of new things I've tried and liked:

• fiber/bran cereal (keeping my bullet list neat and complete)
  
• whole wheat toaster waffles (good plain or with fruit and REAL maple syrup)
• spinach (well, like might be a little strong for this, but it makes good filler on sandwiches)
• fruit smoothies (I guess that's not truly surprising, but the last one that I bought -- from Subway long ago -- was very watery and not flavorful).

Read other women's stories at the master list: Tales from the Scales.

back in the game (8 July check-in)

weight change since 19 June: +1
weight change since 8 May: -9

You might notice the last time I checked in was two weeks ago. Had a lovely holiday traveling around this great country, visiting friends and family. And I was able to put in practice all that I have learned about portion sizes and good choices at restaurants, hence essentially maintaining my previous weight. I was not able to squeeze in any real exercising, other than some sporadic walking to various destinations. We got back Thursday, and already we have hit the gym twice, which felt really good, so we're back in the groove and ready for more healthy living.

declaration of independence!

I declare myself free from the unhealthy lifestyle I have followed for too long.

I recognize that my old habits will always be lurking in the recesses of my mind, waiting to drag me into unhealthy living once again. I will stay vigilant and on guard, and if I slip once, I will not overreact, but I will renew my vow to persevere.

I will aspire to eat unprocessed and natural foods and to avoid both high fructose corn syrup and saturated fats.

I will exercise three times per week. I like the feeling of having muscles and power. I like knowing that my body will perform well when I call on it.

I recognize that this is not a battle easily won, or quickly, but I am determined to follow it through until I have regained a healthy weight, as long as it takes, and for the rest of my life.

I thus declare that I am free from mindless eating, and that I am absolved of all allegiance to the snack machine; that as a free, healthy, and young(ish) woman, I have the full power to earn pain-free knees, to be comfortable in my body (whatever its shape), and do all other Acts and Things which Independent Women may of right do..

(inspired by Tales from the Scales and The Declaration of Independence.)

the great summer road trip

June 25 we went out of town, on a vacation of sorts. I had planned to attend a professional conference, which happened to be located fairly close to where some friends live, and also not too distant from my in-laws. We got back from this great adventure Thursday night (5 July). This morning I checked my weight first thing, as per usual, and I have not gained any significant weight, despite lots of eating out and road food.

I am so proud of myself.

I was able to make good choices when we went out, and not overdo it when my mother-in-law offered us fresh apple cake a la mode. I wasn't able to do serious exercises while out of town, although there was a fair bit of walking at the conference, since many of the buildings were not situated close together.

And we've already been to thy gym today, getting back into our good habits. Again, I am so pleased!

checking in: Week 6

week: -3
total: -10

• exercised: three times


• kept track of portion sizes: daily


• took vitamin: daily


• water: 3L and 12 glasses

Milestone week. Nice. Around June 9, I got two packages in the mail from Amazon. One was a stick blender that had been heavily discounted. The other was a little pocket-sized handbook called The Abs Diet Eat Right Every Time Guide by David Zinczenko. I had added the book for two reasons: a, to get me up to free shipping; and b, because I had read favorable things about the method in various places.

It's called a diet, but it's really a food plan, with lots of emphasis on good unprocessed natural ingredients. Nothing is absolutely forbidden, and that's the kind of plan that I need, as long as you get lots of your daily foods from the core list (the ABS DIET POWER 12). Turns out that on this food plan, smoothie snacks are highly encouraged, so the purchase of the stick blender was fortuitous -- I find the stick part a lot easier to clean up than the blender pitcher.

I'll admit, I felt a little overwhelmed my first time in the fancy organic food store, trying to find flaxseed powder and extra-protein powder (the only supplement that the plan supports). I'll also admit, I have to learn a new style of shopping entirely, to keep my fresh foods from going bad before I get around to eating them.

I'm sure I have some new good habits. Must stay vigilant and not get lazy.

week 5

week: -2
total: -7

According to my Goals Log at Joe's Goals, my stats this week:

• exercised: 3 times


• kept track of food diary: 7 times


• took vitamin: 7 times


• drank water: 7 litres and 12 glasses

It was like the perfect week. It may be all in my head, but I feel like I have more energy. My knees are definitely not a creaky as they once were. There is confirmed muscle development in my arms and legs. Now to unearth all these new muscles from beneath the flab.

WEEK 4 WEIGH-IN

weekly change: -1
overall change: -5

In the last seven days, I:
kept track of food (portion size, calories): 7 days
exercised: twice
took a vitamin: 6 times (a new personal record)
drank water: 7 glasses and 5.5L (glasses are really plastic Mardi Gras cups usually, which I use when taking my vitamin or an ibuprofin)

The Good

I'm drinking plenty of water. Don't berate me about the water. 8 8-oz glasses is an excessive requirement, and the researchers who made that cryptic statement also said (and it gets lost in our sound-bite era) that a lot of this water is delivered to us in our food. So I think my daily intake is fine. At least it's not sugary soda (an old addiction of mine which I must constantly struggle against).

I'm almost taking my vitamin every day. It helps that I threw out the generic horse-chokers that my doctor originally recommended and went with the name brand, which is a slightly smaller pill.

The Okay

I only reached the gym twice. But still, I went twice and did good work, so that counts for something.

Where can I improve?

I'm trying to buy less pre-packaged food and make more use of fresh ingredients. It's hard for me though, because I'm no fan of vegetables mostly (dislike the textures, raw and cooked). Also, I'm not a wizard in the kitchen, but I'm determined to change that.

tracking

There's a simple website called Joe's Goals that I use to keep track of various daily tasks. It's quite customizable, tracking good habits and bad. I don't think the "Reports" are very well implemented, and you can only view it by the week, but for my purposes that is sufficient.

So, for example, in the 7 days before our Week 3 Weigh-In, I can tell you that I:

• kept track of my food intake: seven times


• exercised: twice


• took vitamins: five times


• drank this volume of water: 9 glasses and 2.5L

I think I'd like to start making this a regular part of my weigh-in, as it really pulls into focus what I have accomplished, more than a (not-so) little number on a scale.

checking in: Week 3

Weekly change: 0
Net Loss: 4

I seem to be on a plateau again. What is different about now and two weeks ago, when I had a spurt of weight loss?

I actually visited the doctor yesterday (my birthday in fact; bad planning on my part), for an unrelated issue. We talked a bit about my trying to lose weight, but it wasn't the main topic of the conversation.

Week 2 Weigh-in

well, I had a net gain of 1 since last week. Guess when my weight shot up? The day after my wedding anniversary. The day after my darling loving husband convinced me to go out for both breakfast and dinner. We did go to the gym the next day too, but it was too late. My exercise schedule was also thrown off last week.

New Leaf!

ooh pretty

May Day Week 1

Wow, so looking back at my weight logs (a tip I stole got from Jeremy Zawodny, just as a method of collecting data), I was on a plateau since April 1 to -- you guessed it -- May 9. What causes a plateau? Why does it break? Maybe it has to do with stress, or how I wasn't able to hit the gym so often on account of work. Maybe my body just had to adjust.

In any event, I'm down five whole pounds from where I was on May 8.

Here's my reward!

a purpose for this throwaway blog....

How does it work? On Tuesday, May 8th, you post on your blog how much weight you want to lose, and your weight history, what other goals you may have for this challenge (creating activity, cutting out soda, etc.) and any weaknesses you have. Come back to this site and sign Mr. Linky. Begin your diet. You have one week from today to plan your diet and prepare yourself for finding the skinny girl inside of you. She's in there and she wants out.

okay I'm a day late here.

Goal: lose at minimum 50 pounds, maximum 75 pounds.

History: I have never been small, but I recently saw a picture of myself as I was about to graduate high school, and in comparison I looked surprisingly trim. At the time I was size 16 in jeans, 12? in dresses. I was moderately active thanks to marching band, but not athletic. Now, 17 years later, mostly through inattention and inactivity, I've gained quite a bit.

Plans: I started taking steps in January (watching my diet, keeping track of my intake and weight, moving more), and lost 17 pounds, but for the past month or two, I've been on a solid plateau. Work is definitely to blame for this, as I'm just too tired to exercise after leaving the office. Soon the pressure will be off, and I should be able to get back to the gym regularly.

Weakness: prepackaged foods that make preparing dinner less complicated. I feel like I have to keep up with my husband, or else he'll eat it all (clearly not good for him if it's not good for me). I either need to learn how to make less, or I need to train him not to eat everything in sight.

go go gmail

thanks to gmail I have an automatic account here at blogger. just what I needed, another blogspace. to see my real thoughts you should go to my livejournal. except I'm not going to tell you what it is. nyah.