Update on Progress

So… It’s June. The first pic, me at 172 pounds in January of this year. The second pic is me at 135 pounds in June of this year.

I’ve got another 5 pounds to lose, but I’m not really “working” it right now. I’m still watching what I eat during the day, but generally eating a bigger dinner than I ought to for weight loss. So I’ve been hovering at the 135 mark for a few weeks… and I’m ok with that.

I need to get back into my water-and-stairs routine daily and stop eating out so much to shed those last few pounds, but I just haven’t been in the “zone” lately to want it enough. Not to worry- I’m so close I won’t drop the ball now! Especially when next weekend is earmarked for a new wardrobe purchase!

The bottom line is that I feel great, better than I’ve felt in years. My skin is better, my heartburn issues are much less than they were, even my cracked heels are healing up some. With a predominant history of diabetes in my family, the extra weight I was carrying was just asking for trouble. And I have more energy!

The Last Weigh In

I’ve got a long way to go still, but this has been an excellent motivator to get me launched. I am halfway to my goal weight.

Today’s weight: 151.0

I have dropped from a size 14 to a size 10 with the goal of size 6 by June. I will repost my “before” pic along with an “after” pic as soon as I find the cord to download pics from my camera. (My good camera didn’t survive my London trip… I left it in the hands of fellow conference-goers when I went to the restroom and it hasn’t worked since.)

Easter Candy!! Everywhere!!

So, what do YOU do when there are two marshmallow chocolate eggs left over and 2 peeps?  I mean, you can’t give some kids more than the others… they KNOW.

All this Easter candy around is driving me crazy.  I’ve absently eaten a handful of M&M’s, a small peanut butter egg and a couple jelly beans so far… I didn’t even want them.  They were just there.

I will be glad to get back home and back to work and back in my routine!

Weekly Weigh In

Without further ado:

152.6

Un-freakin-believable. It’s been a rough week with soccer practice starting and dance classes for my kids so I feel like I’ve hardly eaten at all. I’ve been living on fast food salads and granola bars for the most part.

In addition to the daily stair climbing, I’m coaching my 8-year-old’s soccer team this season, so my exercise has gone way up. For me, part of serious dieting includes getting to the point where I’m not too interested in eating anyway, so it’s really easy to refuse a bite of someone’s cookie or “clean up” the kids’ extra food. Honestly, that’s a huge source of useless calories in my past.

The boredom eating has been replaced with flavored waters and a quick flight of stairs and I’m in no danger of losing steam at this point. I’m hyped up and ready to get the remaining 20 pounds off.

More Wardrobe Malfuntions

First of all, luck ‘o the Irish to ya!  Erin go braugh and go kiss someone because they are Irish.  Hey if you can get away with it…

So, yesterday I pull on some typical weekend pants… and they won’t stay up.  I can literally put them on and take them off without unbuttoning them.  No, they don’t have elastic in the waist.

So this morning, I decide to see if I can fit into a pair of size 8 wool slacks just for the heck of it.  They are tailored and lined and were expensive, so they tend to run a little larger.  Can you believe they fit?  Oh, yes they did!

OK, so I have a serious muffin top wearing them but that’s easily covered with a blousy shirt  that ties at the waist.  How silly is it that I insist on wearing these pants today just because I can?  Turns out it’s very silly as I just caught sight of myself in the full-length mirror in the bathroom and realized they are too short.

So what, did I gain height when I lost weight?  Or have I always worn these as high waters?  Either way, these are going in the donate box when I get home!

Ow, Ow, Ow

My recent zeal for stairclimbing has temporarily backfired.  My calves are on fire and I can hardly walk today! OW!

No pain no gain, I guess.  Hopefully I’ll be able to get back to it Monday- just going to keep stretching and relaxing those muscles this weekend.

I’ve also signed on for the 5-mile Heart Walk to be held here in May, so I need to start getting in shape for that.  Since I have no real clue what 5 miles feels like, I’m going to drive the neighborhood today and map out a 3-mile and a 5-mile route for training.

March 14 Weigh In

I’m so excited, so excited, so excited!!

Today’s weight: 156.0

Measurements: 5 inches lost (waist, hips. chest)

Body Fat: Down from an initial high of 44% body fat to 35% body fat. Still in the overweight category, but just by a hair. 23%-34% is considered a healthy range and I’ll be there before this is over!

I started on January 10 (before the contest started) at 176.4… That’s 20.4 pounds lost year to date!!

I still haven’t made it to the gym ONCE even, but I’ve started taking the stairs to the roof and back every time I go to the bathroom. (With 6 bottles of water a day, that’s a lot!) I can make it to about 2.5 before I slow down. The trick: take my shoes off and leave them at the basement level. Work shoes are not so good for exercise!

An Interesting Diet Strategy

An unexpected outside force has impacted my dieting these last two weeks. The one thing that can put me in knots and actually make it hard to eat.

I’ve been dating.

Whether or not it works out, doesn’t really matter when it comes to dieting. The nerves of being out with someone for the first time in, um… forever or so… means I can hardly choke down a bite.

I had actually sorta planned to think about maybe kinda trying to get out more in June, when I’m at my goal weight, but not now. And to be honest, the June plan was about planning to think about going out more, not actually go or anything.

But… planning doesn’t really cover everything does it? So when this guy asked me to go salsa dancing with him I thought, why not? You don’t find guys who dance very often, so I didn’t want to pass that up. And he seems pretty nice.

Funny weight-loss related story: Last night, we’re playing pool and he says, “Um, I think you need to go check your pants, I think the hooks in the front have come undone.” ROFL!! I bought clothes in December for going back to work. They fit then… but the pants I was wearing last night had gotten too loose. (YAY!) Because I’m not buying any clothes until I reach my new size, I just kind of pulled them tighter and put a safety pin in to hold them shut… but the edge rolled over and the silver hooks were just hanging out there for all to see. Wardrobe malfunction…

Too soon to say if this will turn into anything more permanent, but it’s given me a clear advantage… not only can I hardly eat, I’m getting out instead of sitting in front of the computer. Who knew the real world could be sorta fun?

It’s Weigh In Day, March 7

We are 5 weeks in to the contest!

Weight: 160.2

Measurments: No change.

I really, really have to find the time to start exercising!

Exercise, Exercise, Exercise!

Food: OK.  Water: Very good. Exercise: Pitiful.

While I’ve dropped the ball on counting my calories, I’m in a routine now where I pretty much have a good idea of what I’m eating and I’m keeping it in line.  Adding fruits and veggies to my proteins and starting to balance it all out now that I’m past the induction phase of low carbing.

I drink my water faithfully, about  100oz a day and I’m really starting to see a difference in my skin.  I’ve always had bad skin and lately, age has started showing as well but after 7 weeks of daily water I’m really pleased with how it looks.  Smoother, less red, overall healthier! Yay, water!

When it comes to exercise, I stink.  I walk or do a flight of stairs at lunch and that’s pretty much my whole routine.  I do think about moving all day and take the long way when I walk around the office, etc. but I haven’t gotten serious about exercising.

So last night, I did the numbers:

At my current level of activity/eating, I’ll reach my goal weight in 20 weeks.  Yuk…

If I step it up to 3 days of at least 30 minutes of intense exercise, I’ll reach my goal weight in about 16 weeks.  A little better…

If I really get serious about exercising and put in 5-6 workouts a week, I can be slim and healthy in 12 weeks.  12 weeks!  3 short months and I can be pulling the size 6’s out of the back of the closet!  Now that’s motivating.

I’m off work today and off to the gym!