The damage

So my 5 days away has resulted in a net wait gain of........*drumroll please*..........

1.8 lbs.

I finally got brave enough to check this morning. I am bummed out for sure, but it isn't surprising. I was really distracted and away from home. Although I did use a treadmill a couple of times while I was away, it wasn't enough to negate the crap I ate and the stuff I drank. It's my own fault and now I gotta do the work to fix it.

So going with that....last night I did 30 Day Shred. I felt accomplished after, as I was definitely sweating (sweating makes me happy; it makes me feel like I really worked hard). Not sure what I can do tonight, as it's a kind of busy night, but I will try to do something. Unfortunately our treadmill is out of commission - the belt is kind of "crooked" and manual adjustment by my husband was not enough to get it centered right. So he called and they are going to come to take a look at it, but it might be several days and until then they recommended we not use it. From what I gather, it is not uncommon for the belt to be "un-centered" right off the bat, so hopefully once the professionals come out and get it right, we won't have any more troubles. Good thing for a warranty, anyhow! *PHEW*

Tomorrow night I am going out to eat and then to a concert...no kids, no hubby. Just silly girl time. I am excited, I really need a little silly girl time to get away from it all. It has been quite an overwhelming last week or so.

And my most current weight-loss goal? To be at the 20 lb mark one week from today.

I'm still here....

I apologize it has been so long since I've been around. We had a busy weekend planned anyhow, with my older daughter's birthday on the 17th and her party that weekend. Unfortunately busy became busier when my grandma passed away (on the 17th). Our travel plans for 3 days turned into 5 days. Then my daughter got sick and couldn't be at her own birthday party. It has just been a whirlwind lately, so that is why I have not been around.

To be honest, I have not weighed myself at all. I suspect I gained a little, because I didn't eat nearly as healthy while away from home as I should have. I had some alcoholic beverages (mostly wine and Raspberry Smirnoff Ice...girlie drinks you know) and those are full of calories as well, and always make me retain water. I weighed myself while away and it was quite a difference (though part of that is going to be due to different scales, different time of day it was, and retaining water because trust me no way did I gain that much in FAT back over just a few days). However I am happy to say that with the exception of a couple Girl Scout cookies last night, I am back on the wagon.

I am still sad and there is kind of a lot going on (sick family members, the fact that most of our stuff from being away is still not unpacked, working long hours, left my suitcase back at my parent's house), so I cannot guarantee daily blog entries for a few days yet, but I will try my best. On the plus side, I am excited for this weekend...going to a Blake Shelton concert so that should be fun...

I really need something fun.

Am I going to get stuck?

Ok. I know it has only been 24 hours since I weighed in yesterday and hit 19 lbs. But! I really, really wanted to get that 20 today! I worked so hard yesterday, but...booo....this morning I weighed exactly the same as yesterday. It could be worse, yes. I am fine with this really, I am just so impatient!! I ate well, I did crunches, I did a little bit of weights, and I did 30 minutes on the treadmill. Including running...at my own wimpy pace...for 10 minutes straight. That is my record! It started out I was only able to do a couple minutes before feeling like I was about to die. Then one day I did 5, then 6, then 7, and yesterday I jumped from 7 to 10. So anyhow I just wish all that effort had pushed me to the 20 lbs mark. It didn't.

Maybe I will wait to weigh-in until Friday morning. Give it a couple of days.
Good luck to me. 20 lbs is an exciting mark that I want to hit!

I weighed in...

And I didn't hit 20 llbs. Yet.

I did, however, hit 19 :-)

It's 4 am on a Monday

And I pull my crazy ass outta bed so that I can go jog on a treadmill in a chilly basement? This is SO not like me.

But I did it today - my first early morning work out. It was hard to get up, of course. Once I got going, it went well though. Sure, the basement is chilly, but the chill doesn't last long when you are working out. Before long I was sweating up a storm. I did my normal 30 minutes, and then went on about my morning as I normally would.

Tomorrow morning I will weigh myself. If I get a chance....I work at 5 am tomorrow, and I ain't about to get up at 3:30 for exercising. (I plan to do my 30 minutes on the treadmill tonight, instead). But I'm sure I can fit in 2 minutes to turn on the Wii Fit and do a basic weigh-in.

I am crossing my fingers that I will hit the big TWO - OH - 20 lbs lost. Wish me luck - 24 more hours to make it happen!


"What you have to do and the way you have to do it is incredibly simple. Whether you are willing to do it, that's another matter'.
-Peter F. Drucker

Resetting the weigh ins.

The reason I was weighing myself in the evening, even knowing weight fluctuates daily, was because I worked out primarily using the Wii, and so I used the Wii to weigh myself and it was most convenient to just do so at the beginning of my work out.

Now that I will be working out more in the morning, I decided to finally make the switch and start weighing in the morning. I'm still going to use the Wii though - I love it for my weight. It is very accurate too - I tried it twice this morning and both times it gave me the exact same weight and exact same BMI (I realize the BMI might be off from reality but I'm sure it's not too terribly off). I have mentioned before how I love that it shows you a graph of your progress. I love looking at that line going dooooown. It also takes into account your clothing. Before weighing it asks you to chose between heavy, medium or light clothing.

So, yes, I said I weighed myself this morning. Taking into account of course, that it is bound to be less because the last time I weighed in, it was in the evening. But even so, I think another 2 lbs is a good deal. I full expect that by tomorrow morning I might be another pound down. ;-) Yes, I have high expectations. Maybe that is why I've been successful?

Anyhow, with that 2 lbs I surpassed a mini-goal I had, which was to get to the weight I was before I lost 40 lbs for my wedding back in 2004. It was a weight I was at for a long time, my body liked it. So of course I'm a little concerned about getting into a rut here, but I am determined to get through it and reach my next mini-goal. Here goes. My next mini-goal is to get below 200 lbs. I set it as a goal on the Wii, to lose my next 10 lbs (which will put me at 199) in a month.

I know. You can do the math. I am at 209 right now, and have lost 18 lbs (see ticker, wooooot!). My official starting weight was 227. Thanks to another friend who was brave enough to post her own starting weight on her blog!

Today is setting up to be another busy one - we've got errands to run, a ton of laundry to do, and it is so nice outside we have to get the girls out to play. I also decided I liked my new work out outfit so much that I'm going to buy another one (same one in a different color). It was just so nice not worrying about my pants falling down or riding up for once. Anything I can do to keep my momentum is worth it, and it doesn't hurt that we just got taxes back, its almost the season for a bonus, and I will have 33 hours of overtime on my next check. A $30 outfit is well worth it to keep myself motivated and happy and comfortable.

The first time *wink*

No. This blog is not suddenly getting very personal. I'm talking about my first time working out on the new treadmill.

I. LOVE. IT!

I went and bought a pair of shoes that are strictly for treadmill use. I didn't want to go spending a ridiculous amount of money on shoes (some can be what, $200?) but I wanted something good too, and didn't want to just buy some $10 cheapies. I came out with a pair of New Balance shoes, they were on sale so I felt I got a pretty good deal on a decent pair of shoes. One more amazing thing? I chose my shoes based on how they felt and not how they looked! This is an accomplishment for me - what I chose are cute too, but there was this to-die-for pair of black, gray and pink Nike's...but they didn't feel as good as the New Balance ones I chose. Too bad, because the Nike's were cheaper. Oh well - I wanted something that I could feel good in. And going with that thought, I bought a new workout outfit too...until now I've been working out in...lets just say it's crap. Shorts that don't stay up, shorts that ride up, shirts that are way too big and uncomfy. So I thought it was time for something nicer. All of these things may seem trivial, but to me they are bit motivators and will help me to get on the treadmill each day...and enjoy it!

So anyhow, I did 40 minutes on the treadmill. Much of it I did at a 2% incline, and I alternated walking from 3 - 3.5 mph, and jogging at 4.5. One time I kicked it up to run at 5.5, but only for a minute towards the end. It's sounds small, but...one step at a time, right?!

I already have some favorite feature of the treadmill we chose. First of all, the one-touch speed and incline controls. Instead of scrolling through to get the speed or incline you want, you can touch the 4 or the 3 or whatever it may be. If you touch 4 and 5 in fast succession, you get 4.5. I love it! Another thing I love is that it is ipod/iphone compatible. I spent my workout tonight listening to Pandora through my iphone, which was plugged into the treadmill and the music played out of the speaker on the treadmill. Love it!!

So I don't plan on weighing myself tonight. I think I will wait until tomorrow night. Stay tuned!

I'm just SO excited!

Andy is downstairs as we speak finishing up the treadmill. Then we just gotta go out and buy a mat for underneath it (so it's not directly on the basement floor). And I've had cash in my wallet for several weeks that I am saving specifically for buying good treadmill-only running shoes which I will go do today. Tonight, I'm gonna ROCK IT on that treadmill.

Last night I got home from work at 8:45 pm. I had left for work at 5:40 am, so that was a long day. I was way too exhausted to exercise, but I did weigh myself and went down almost another .5 lb. I'm thisclose to changing my ticker again, and I have a feeling that once I start my treadmill routine, my numbers will do down a lot for a few days. At least, I hope. A great motivation is seeing numbers go down.

Now that I've been doing this for a good month, I can say that I am very proud of myself so far and hope to keep being successful. Knowing I have a long way to go can be discouraging at times...it's not like I have 10 or 20 lbs to lose...no, I had 77-80. At least. Once I meet that goal, I will re-evaluate. Because honestly, at that point I will be at a weight that I haven't been at since...I don't know. Ever? So I have no clue what I will look and feel like at that point, or what my BMI will be. Who knows, when all is said and done I might lose more around 90 lbs. I don't know if 100 lbs would be possible - that might make me too skinny. But again, I don't know.

I feel like I'm doing this in the healthiest, most sustainable way possible. I realize there are lots of diets out there, and programs. Some work for some people, some don't work...and it's all up to the individual as to what feels right. But to me, good ol' fashioned healthy eating combined with exercise is the best, by far. It might be the hardest (oh is it ever hard sometimes), but I feel like it is the healthiest. And cheapest too! No joining a program, no buying special stuff! Just eat better and get some exercise in. Even without the Wii Fit, or exercise videos, and treadmill which I realize are not possible for everyone to have....you can still find things to do. Go out for a walk. If it is cold, go to walk to the mall (a whole group of people do that every weekday morning - I've seen them). Use some cans to do weights. Do some crunches. Just DO something!

I not only want to just "lose weight' but I want to become healthy and fit. You can't get fit by just simply losing weight, you have to put in some hard work too. So I work long hours, keep the house clean, have 2 little kids, and still make sure exercising is one of my priorities. I say "no" to pizza and donuts we've been having at work. We barely eat out anymore (good for my waistline AND the wallet!!) I have become aware of what I put in my mouth. If I eat something "bad"...I tried to make up for it by eating very clean the rest of the day/pushing myself harder when I exercise.

It is hard. It is hard to say no to the delicious carb-alicious, sugar filled, fat packed crap. I mean, it's so bad but it's SOOO GOOD It is hard to make myself exercise sometimes. But it is getting easier, and it will be worth it.


"One must eat to live and not live to eat"
-Moliere

Hangin in there

I had a long day at work today, but ate well and got in a little exercise tonight. My weight went down - slightly - but not enough to change my ticker. Still, better than nothing. To be honest, I am surprised my weight hasn't gone up, because I'm retaining a little water (love being a woman...ugh). So really, I am pretty happy with how things are going!

Tomorrow I am working from 6 am to 8:30 pm...so I doubt I will get in any exercise. This weekend though, I will kick some butt and hopefully knock another pound or two off. I've got that new, magical number 20 in my sights!

Is this dumb?

Here is a link to the 5k we want to do:
Fitzgers 5K

I figure by posting it here, it might make it harder for me to change my mind.

FIVE

No...that's not 5 lbs lost since yesterday. Ha! I wish! Actually since yesterday, my number stayed exactly the same right down to the BMI. I weigh myself on the Wii Fit and I love how it shows me my exact weight, my exact BMI, and I can view a chart that shows my progress since the beginning.

Confession. I'm inspired by a friend who recently posted her own stats on her weight loss blog, and think it's about time I start posting stats. Not going to post weight yet... that will come very, very soon. There is a certain turning point I want to hit, and then I will post where I started. For now I will go with BMI. My BMI when I started was 36.73 (or something close). My BMI as of right now is 33.98. So 16 pounds has brought a BMI drop of almost 3!

So what does the FIVE mean in my title today? My husband wants to run a 5K in April and asked if I want to do it with him. After contemplating it awhile, I decided sure why not. As long as we can get a babysitter, that is. It's not that far really...but a great start possibly on the path to do a 10 K someday...a half marathon...and way down the line, who knows, maybe a full marathon. I'm shrinking, feeling better, eating better, exercising harder....and my inspirations are rising.

Quick update

This is just a quick one, because I worked early this morning (5 am) and again tomorrow - so I need to get to bed. It's a long 62 hour work week this week!

Anyhow, I did fit in a short workout tonight and a weigh-in. I lost another pound! I'm off now to do some crunches, and then it's bed time for me :-)

Results!

I weighed myself tonight again to see what my "official" damage would be. Imagine my excitement seeing that the number is actually slightly lower than what it was before the weekend! Not enough that I'm going to change my ticker, but a little bit. I guess I worked hard enough to help combat the extra calories. I am SO pumped!

And speaking of pumped...our treadmill came early! It was not supposed to be in until the 17th, and instead it arrived on the 7th. Amazingly, the hubby and I were able to get it inside and down to the basement. It took every little bit of strength either of us had, and it took a lot of maneuvering (and temporarily taking down the handrail). But we did it, without losing any fingers or toes, without anybody cracking their head open, and even without damaging the treadmill. We get the "treadmill bitches of the month" award for this!

Assembling it will be another day - it is said to take 2 hours, and there is no time for that right now. That is okay - I am just relieved to have it in the house, in the basement, in one piece (so to speak - its not actually in one piece, its actually lots of pieces).

So all in all, it was a good Monday. I have a 62 hour work week this week...12 down, 50 to go. And hopefully by next Monday, I can start my early morning treadmill routine!

One more little cheat

Yeah, so, I did not weigh myself last night. Partially because I was busy and had company over, partially because I was scared. I didn't need the scale to tell me that I did badly - I knew that.

However I did weigh myself this morning...keeping in mind that my normal weigh-in is at night, so it is bound to be who knows how much less than it could be by the end of the day. Anyhow, the number this morning was 1.5 lbs down from what it was Thursday night. I'm considering it an un-official weigh in, because my guess is that it will be up a couple pounds tonight when I weigh in. Mostly I was curious to see if it would go up, even weighing in the morning. It didn't, phew!

I guess we shall see what tonight brings. I have a looong day at work ahead...and I plan to eat as clean as clean can be.

Ooops.

Saturday I started out good with eggs and toast. Supper was good as well, with roast chicken and a nice big salad. The problem was the cookies, and the movie theater popcorn, and the drink. I ate worse and more calories than I have in a good month...and my stomach was very upset with me. I was startled awake at 1:30 AM on Saturday night with acid reflux so bad I ran to the bathroom thinking I was gonna throw up. And I almost did a few times in the next half hour. Then my stomach proceeded to gurgle and make terrible noises as if it was saying to me "You bitch, what did you DO to me?!".

Sorry, stomach. Now I know that you were used to eating better so I can't just go eating like total crap without considering you first.

On the plus side, on Saturday I did work out using the treadmill for 33 minutes, the exercise bike for 15 minutes, plus 50 crunches and a few minutes of 8 lb weights. On Sunday I helped shovel literally 3 feet of snow off of my parent's back deck, and helped rake as much snow off of their garage roof as well. That was pretty decent exercise!

However I ain't ready to weigh myself today. I'm scared, and I won't do it. Tomorrow I will be eating pretty strictly and working out hard at night (I work a long shift though, 6 am to 6:30 pm, so hopefully I can make it....) I am hoping to undo some of the damage I probably did, and at least come out even by the time I weigh myself tomorrow night.

More than 14, less than 16.....

Today I am officially 15 pounds lighter than I was when I began this blog and my weight loss journey. I am determined not to start slacking like I have in the past (normally well before this point).

I am super, duper excited!

Yeah, scale, whose yer daddy?!!?!

Finally a good day!! I lost another pound and some odd points, putting me (finally) at a total 14 lb loss. (I can change my ticker!).

Last night I went back to the basics of how I started this journey - 20 minutes of Wii Fit free run, followed by 30 minutes of step. I threw in 50 crunches just for fun, as well. (I'm talking over a period of 20 minutes, not in a row. But hey, it sure didn't hurt).

I know that the Wii is no replacement for the gym. There was a point in time when I did go to the gym regularly so I know that first hand. However, I am making the best out of what my circumstances allow me to do. I make sure to consciously push myself as hard as I can while doing the Wii, and basically it is what I make of it. I have lost 14 pounds using Wii games and exercise videos...I can't wait to see what I can do once we get our treadmill!!

So, one more pound to go for the good ol' FIFTEEN mark. I worked hard on the Wii free run already tonight (throwing in some jump rope and jumping jack intervals while I was at it...Jillian Michaels likes em'...so therefore I have to, too!). Writing this blog is my opportunity to rest, and then I am going to do 30 minutes step and possibly the crunches again.

I totally think I've got the 15 in the bag by the end of this week.

"We must become the change we want to see."
-Mahatma Gandhi

Up. Down. Up. Down

Unfortunately "up. down. up. down" is not me jumping for joy. It's the pattern of my weight, all within the same pound. I go up .4, I go down .3. I go up .3, I go down .5. That has been the story of my last handful of days, and I want out of this stupid rut I'm in!

Stay tuned.