I had a rough time from May - July. I just wasn't going anywhere as far as my weight loss was concerned.
In August, I kicked it up by hiking almost every day and really sticking to my points allowance. I'm excited to say that I'm at the lowest weight I've been in about 2-1/2 years. So yay for me!
I have a new boyfriend (we are both head over heels -- how exciting!!) and that always seems to throw me off track. But I've lost weight since meeting him and will continue to do so. I'm determined. It's great that he likes me just the way I am, but I am doing this for me.
If I had given up in May after hitting a few bumps in the road, I would probably weigh 30 pounds more than I do now. So, just keep in mind that if you aren’t making great progress on your weight loss, it’s okay. Just do the best you can. Even if you just maintain your weight for a couple of months, it’s better than gaining!
So, that's a little update. I hope to blog a lot more often.
HUGS to everyone out there who is fighting the same battle I do everyday!
Today, I decided that I will use my scale at home (in the mornings) for my weigh-ins at extrapounds.com, instead of the WW weight that is at 6:30pm at night.
I've been so frustrated because in the morning, for example, I would weight 193.4 (naked). Four hours later, I'll weigh myself and it's 197.6. WTF? Grrrr.
So I decided to use my "at home" weight in the morning to track my weight here. I figured that I'll be extremely happy when I'm 120.0 pounds (naked) on my scale at home even if the WW official weight is 123.4, or something.
So, as of this week, (according to my home scale), I only have 73 more pounds to go. Yay!!
I've been horrible about keeping up my blog. It seems that I don't really feel like blogging when I don't have good news to share. But I need to correct that line of thinking and blog no matter what kind of news I have.
Anyway, April was not so good to me. According to my official weigh-in last week, I'm up 1.8 pounds since April 5. I've been weighing in every week, but it's up a pound, up 0.8 pounds, staying the same, etc. I think I'll finally register a loss this week. But grrrr, it's all my own doing.
It started with my trip to San Francisco. I ate like crazy that weekend. And haven't really been on track since. I haven't gone back to my old habits, though, otherwise I'd be up at least 5 pounds, so I'm still hanging in there.
Exercise is non-existent, unless you count the one hike I went on for the whole last month. But, I keep reminding myself: Don't let small setbacks sabotage your entire journey.
Anyway, since I've last blogged, I've been diagnosed with PCOS (polycystic ovaries syndrome). I FINALLY found out what's been wrong with me all these years. It's amazing how none of my HMO doctors made a connection between my weight gain, my acne, facial hair, hair loss, irregular periods, etc. I've been complaining about those symptoms for over 10 years! My HMO doctors would just give me acne cream and tell me to get laser hair removal. They didn't bother to find out WHY I was having all those symptoms. Grrrr!!
The very first doctor I saw after I switched to a PPO recognized the symptoms for what they were and ordered a bunch of tests. My ob/gyn did an ultrasound and found cysts on both of my ovaries and a polyp on my uterus. Nothing too serious, but at least now I can get treatment. Yay!
The weight gain I've had (especially in my belly area) is one of the symptoms of PCOS. Maybe taking the proper medication will assist me in my weight loss efforts. Maybe the PCOS was a contributing factor in my gaining all this weight so quickly in the first place. Who knows? But I'm getting treatment. Yay!
I will log in my weight tomorrow after my WW meeting. I hope I'll get back to losing soon. I just gotta stick with it. And I will. =)
I am 0.2 pounds away from getting my 25 pound magnet from Weight Watchers! YAY!!
I'm not so sure I'll get it next Thursday because this weekend, I'm in the San Francisco Bay Area visiting my friend, Francisco. And we have been eating out a lot. And eating A LOT. I still have today and tomorrow to deal with, so I'm hoping I'll be okay. But, I won't be surprised if the scale registers a gain next Thursday.
If it does, OH WELL. I know I won't be gaining 5 pounds or anything like that, so I can deal with a little gain.
I just have to get right back on track when I get home. And I will. Yay!
Whoa. I have actually given up Diet Coke! I haven't drank any soda since Thursday, March 22. It's been 10 days!
For those who know me in real life (Adrea), you know how difficult this task could have been. I was drinking 3-4 Diet Cokes per day -- at least one of those late at night every night.
It's no wonder it was hard for me to fall asleep each night, which in turn made it harder for me to get up early to exercise.
I've had many people tell me how bad Diet Coke is for the body, but I was addicted. I loooooooove it.
I thought it would be really difficult to give it up. But it was actually pretty easy! I don't even remember getting the "caffeine-headaches" everyone warns you about. I survived. Yay!
Now, I drink water almost exclusively. I also drink a lot of those Crystal Light On-the-Go packets, which are only 5 calories each. My favorite flavor so far is Fruit Punch -- it tastes just like Kool-Aid. Yummy!!
So, if you're addicted to soda like I was, I challenge you to give it up for a week. Just try it out. If it's too difficult, go back to it after 7 days. I betcha you won't need to!
I lost another 2.0 pounds for a total of 23.0 pounds. Yay!! PLUS, I reached the first mini-goal that Weight Watchers sets for you (when you lose 10% of your body weight). So everyone clapped for me and I was presented with a WW keychain. It was a great feeling. Maybe next week, I'll get to receive the "25 Pound" magnet. Well, for sure in two weeks. =)
I really like this quote that my WW leader shared with us: "Satisfaction doesn't come from indulgence, it comes from achievement." So true -- when you indulge (with food), you either end up feeling bloated and blech, or you feel guilty for indulging. But achievement brings true satisfaction.
Anyway, I was thinking the other day about how long it's going to take me to lose the rest of these 79 pounds. I probably won't reach goal until about a year from now. And so I started whining to myself about how much time it takes and how hard it is, etc. etc..
But then I thought about the alternative...a year from now, I can be overweight, unhappy with myself, and miserable OR I can be at least 50 pounds lighter. Who cares how long it takes, right?
I lost another 0.6 pounds last week for a total of 21.0 pounds!
This week is going great so far. I worked out Friday, Sunday and today. And I'm planning on working out at least 5-6 days a week.
I also started my weight-lifting program. Lifting weights is a great way to boost your metabolism -- the more muscle mass you have, the faster your metabolism (even while you're sleeping!)
I learned some great tips from The View on Friday. If you missed it, here are a couple of great ones:
30 minutes before you go out to eat, eat either 6 whole walnuts OR 12 almonds OR 20 peanuts. (If you're on Weight Watchers, the almonds or peanuts are only 2 points.) 30 minutes after eating them, your brain will get a signal that you are not hungry. So that should help with overeating while dining out.
Also, if your rub a little grapefruit oil on your skin and smell it, that will send the same signal to your brain that you're not hungry.
After last week's disappointing loss of only 0.4 pounds, this week was a great comeback: 3.4 pounds!
I had out-of-town guests, so we ate out all weekend. But I made wise choices at every restaurant. Plus we went on a grueling hike and went out dancing 2 nights.
I haven't worked out as much as I'd like to, but I'm doing a little each week, which is better than nothing at all.
Tonight at my Weight Watchers meeting, the theme was "positive self talk". I think we all get into the habit of saying negative things to ourselves and that just perpetuates our failures. We need to learn the power of positive self talk. If we can visualize it, it will come to pass.
Set a (realistic) mini goal for yourself. Visualize what it will be like when you reach that goal. Think about how it will make you feel. Then, take the approriate actions that will move you towards that goal. It's that simple. Now, let's do it!
First and foremost, I lost another 2 pounds this week for a total of 14.8. WOO HOO!!
I really didn't get much exercise this past week, except for a really long, difficult hike last weekend. It was a good workout, but I need to get back to my daily exercise.
I've gone off track (not with the food-side of things) mostly because my routine has changed. I started a couple of new evening classes, which makes it harder to go to bed early on those nights (which makes it even harder to get up at 5:45am to work out before work).
So, this week, I'm going to make a point of being in bed no later than 10:30pm. I will have all my work out clothes ready the night before, my water bottle will be refilled and in the fridge, and my MP3 player will be recharged. (I make up all sorts of creative excuses not to work out -- one morning, I was up in time, dressed and ready to go when I realized that my MP3 player was out of battery life. That was all I needed to say to myself, "oh well - I'll recharge the batteries and go back to bed for another hour." GRRR @ myself. Hehe
One day at a time, one pound at a time. We can do it!
"Stop!" screams your conscience as you swipe a handful of mini-candy bars from your co-worker's communal candy dish. If no one actually sees you take them then the calories don't really count, right? Some call it "cheating." Sneaking. Closet eating. But one of the reasons dieters "cheat" is that they're often so strict with themselves that they end up feeling deprived.
Remember that healthy eating includes lots of "good" choices with a few "naughty" ones as well. Devising some strategies to help you enjoy treats rather than "cheat" will help keep you on the straight and narrow. Here are some suggestions to try:
1. Plan for treats. Making sure you get to enjoy your favorite treats every once in a while will help you from feeling deprived. Pick a night each week when you can indulge in something decadent like a piece of chocolate mud cake. Give yourself permission to truly enjoy your dessert! Taking time to savor a treat is always more satisfying than gobbling it down with feelings of guilt or shame.
2. Put your pantry on a diet. If most of the foods in your house are healthy, then you're already halfway there. If you must have tempting foods around for a special occasion, store them out of sight or buy them at the last minute. On the big day, enjoy your favorite foods and send any leftovers home with your guests.
3. Choose your friends wisely. Beware of any "friend" who continually tries to coerce you into "just a cappuccino" which you know really means a cappuccino and a slice of carrot cake with frosting an inch thick. Put these friends on hold until you're feeling strong enough to say "no." Or suggest a different kind of get-together such as a walk in the park or an afternoon at the movies.
4. Count the cost as well as the calories. Allocate so many dollars per pound you plan to lose and save the money in a separate account or piggy bank. Or "pay" yourself so much every day you stick to your weight-loss plan. Then treat yourself to something fabulous like a new outfit or a day at a beauty spa.
5. Picture yourself. Find some not-so-flattering photos of yourself and place them strategically at prime temptation spots — the fridge, the cookie jar, or in your desk drawer. That way you will be reminded of the positive changes you're trying to make to your life whenever you're tempted to overindulge.
6. Surround yourself with witnesses. Tell everyone you are changing your eating habits. Give them permission to remind you of your dedication to better health if they catch you transgressing. Make sure you have chosen friends who will support and encourage you. The last thing you need is someone who will try to trip you up.
7. Check up on yourself. Write down every single thing that passes your lips each day. If you often eat when you're upset or stressed, try to record this too. If you gobbled up a candy bar after arguing with your partner, you probably need to find alternative ways of coping with your moods. Next time try phoning a friend or going for a stress-relieving walk.
8. Keep a sense of proportion. We all slip up from time to time. We all forget our best resolutions and bend the rules. It's not the end of the world. The worst thing you can do is give in and say "Well, I blew it. Let's forget it. I'm never going to succeed."
Now, that would really be cheating. Not just cheating on your diet, but cheating on yourself and your health as well.
