I hit the 10 lb mark this morning! This means I'm a third of the way there to meeting my initial goal. Yay! To celebrate, when I go to the gorcery store for next week's meals, I'm going to stand in the cooking aisle and hold two 5lb bags of flour just to feel the sweet release of putting them down again.
Two items of note for this morning: a new exercise routine and the way my cravings have changed.
1) I have a Netflix account, so I have been ordering workout DVDs because I am so bored with the gym. I have had "The Biggest Loser" workout on my desk for about a month now, so now that I've proven to myself that I'm really committed to a life change, I popped it into my tv yesterday morning. I LOVED IT. It's a six week program that has 4 alternating workouts with trainer Bob and some of the contestants. I love the fact that these are real people. When I'm feeling the burn, they are feeling the burn as well, and showing it. And I think I'm a little in love with Bob. I don't watch the show much (though now I think I'm going to have to!), but he is the perfect trainer for someone like me. Very encouraging, yet challenging; even as just a viewer in my own living room, I didn't want to let him down. The DVD also has inspirational story clips that truly got me motivated all over again. Yesterday was low-impact cardio, and today I'm going to start strength training. Woo!
On the food front, it's funny how people are beginning to treat me a little differently as the weightloss is beginning to show. I had a girl in my class offer me gummy bears the other night, and when I said "no, thanks," she responded with "There's, like, one gram of sugar!" "yeah, per 1/2 bear," I wanted to say, but I didn't. Then last night she offered me a granola bar, saying that I wasn't eating enough. I know to her it doesn't look like I'm eating enough, but because the class is potentially 4 hours long, I bring low-cal snacks and munch during breaks instead of having dinner.
I am also very proud of myself for my decisions last night. I have a group of friends that meet every Thursday night at a house for a large dinner and copious amounts of alcohol. I love this night, and I always look forward to it. Since starting this night class, though, I haven't been able to make it to the dinner portion, so I haven't been tempted. Last night, though, I got out of class early. I was starving, and I din't want to sabatoge myself by going to the house on an empty stomach, so I stopped at Trader Joe's and picked up a chicken salad, a bottle of red wine, and a big box of raspberries. By the time I got to the house, they were getting ready to break out dessert - a Coldstone's ice cream cake - so I happily munched on my salad, and opened the bottle of wine for everyone to share. Everyone wanted some raspberries, so I happily shared those as well. It was one of the guy's birthday, and I didn't want to be rude, so I asked for "a half of a half" on the icecream cake slices, and even then, I only ate half of that. Three bites or something. It was just enough for the rich chocolatey flavor. Strangely, I wasn't even tempted by the rest on my plate, but I threw it away just in case. In the end it all paid off - just by the looks of the scale!
I'm off to my workout - have a fantastic weekend, everyone. Keep up the good work!
I lost another 1.5lbs today. My goodness. That seems to be my body's M.O. - lose a half pound, stay the same, stay the same, drop. I weigh-in everyday at home so that I can monitor the fluctuations as well as stay motivated. Sometimes, it seems like forever before I lose even half of a pound, but when I look back and see how far I have come already... this makes 9lbs lost since starting this program almost 3 weeks ago. That feels like a lot of weight for such a short amount of time , especially since I haven't really picked up the exercising component yet. I don't want it to just be water and muscle mass lost. I've been so good about scheduling what and when I eat, that I need to start scheduling my workouts. I think I also want to start taking measurements of my body so that I can measure the difference, even if I can't always see it.
Anyways, those are my thoughts this morning. Happy Wednesday!
Shocker of Shockers, I somehow managed to lose 1.5 lbs in the last two days in Palm Springs. I'm almost afraid that it is too good to be true, and worried that when I weigh-in again tomorrow it'll be back up pre-trip. We'll have to see...
The trip was fantastic, by the way. We had some really great girl time, bonding over healthy snacks, frequent trips to the swimming pool, and long conversations about living an empowered life. I even won some money at a casino out there, so I came back a very contented girl.
One of the best parts was visiting with her grandparents, and just having them be so supportive about our goals and achievements. Yesterday morning we went to a Mexican bakery to pick up some amazing pan dulce for breakfast, and we shared it with heaping plates of fruit and overflowing cups of coffee. It was so unbelievable rejuvenating to not be stressed out by an agenda. If we felt like swimming, we went swimming. When we were tired, we napped. I found that I wasn't as hungry as I usually am, and when I was, it was a true hunger from all the exercise. That was an eye-opener for me, and just made me realize how much stress affects my eating habits.
I am going to have to keep this trip close in my mind because tomorrow I am back to work and then starting a night class that meets 4 nights a week for 4 hours. Eeep! Nothing I can't handle, though. ;) I think I'll start swimming in the mornings before I go into the office. Just have to get over my bathing suit fears!
Yesterday I hit the 5 pound mark!! Woohoo! In the past, I have always struggled while setting smaller goals; I tend to look at the overall mountain of 30lbs, and then get overwhelmed. But not this time! I still want this sooo badly. There have been a few slip-ups over the last few weeks because I'm trying to work through some emotional things in my life, but I think this is actually for the best. I am really trying to practice "intuitive eating," and recognize my hunger and satisfaction levels. Having to deal with a little bit of depression has really shown me that I can work through problems, not eat my way through them. And my friends and family have been really supportive, which has helped tremendously. Today I am leaving for a trip to Palm Springs with my best friend. While I'm still not super excited about wearing a swimsuit, I look forward to swimming. This friend has lost over 40 pounds on WW in the last few years and now runs half-marathons. She has really inspired me, and I look forward to a healthy, relaxing weeked for mind and body. Here's to the next five!
Yesterday was my first "test" since starting this new life journey - a good friend's birthday dinner. In the past, I have always given in to that mental voice that says, "Oh, you've been so good lately. What harm would a piece of cake/another beer/appetizer do?" Apparently a lot, because that is where the past diets have always gone downhill. I have found my weakness: not stopping at just one bite. In fact, yesterday morning, I attended a colleague's goodbye party, only to find a large tray of buttery, sweet cinnamon rolls wafting into the hallway. Hooray. It was hard. I wanted to try one. Even just a half. But I knew that I wouldn't stop right there. Plus, I wanted to save my "guilty pleasure" calories for whatever dessert festivities would abound in the evening. So, I piled up my plate with fruit. And of course, everyone was raving about those darn cinnamon rolls! I stayed strong though, and when the 3rd person offered me one, I said, "Y'know, I really should get back to my office now." I was smiling on my way back down the hallway!
As for the dinner outing, the Birthday Girl is vegan, so I knew that I would at least have some healthy options no matter where we went. I got a fantastic low-fat Mexican tostada, and then my only difficulty was not eating the whole thing in one bite! I'm really trying to listen to my body and not eat until I'm stuffed. For once, I truly want to leave room for dessert! Luckily I did, because we stopped by Coldstone's. Not my favorite place, but Birthday Girl wanted a fruit smoothie. I opted for a kid's size scoop of the 25 calorie, lowfat "Tart and Tangy" (tastes just like Greek yogurt!) with a fresh strawberry mix-in! It was the perfect size, and when we went to the movie theatre, I was not ONE BIT tempted to get some popcorn.
Now, if only I can be so good for my own birthday tomorrow...
Here we are. The first day of what is inevitably going to be a roller coaster ride toward the new ME. It started with a bowl of bran and fiber twig cereal and it ended with a walk at sunset around the neighborhood. I feel good. I feel excited. I hope these feelings stay.
I'll admit, I'm a little scared too. I really want this. What if I fail? I've allowed the stress of the last two years - a full-time job, full-time grad school, and family issues - run my eating habits. Sometimes it's easier to cry with a Kleenex box in one hand and a spoonful of chocolate cake in the other. It's not that I haven't had diets work before, but I think I'm beginning to understand the difference - I'm not looking to shed a few pounds, I am looking to make a life change. One where I don't mention to my physician that I have gained a few pounds, only to have her gaze up from my file and say, "Twenty." Cue the look.
Alright, Alright. I can take a hint.
I'm hoping that this blog can become the emotional outlet that would have once been a bag of puffy Cheetos. It'll keep my creative juices flowing as well as squash any temptations to eat away the pain, stress, boredom, etc. And it doesn't taste very good, either. Not that I licked the monitor or anything.
So, here's my proverbial toast (sparkling water, of course) to new beginnings and to all those who will undoubtedly encourage me along the way. Bring it on.
