London

 I just got to London from a week in Paris, Brugges, and Brussels. This past week has been the craziest week I have had in a very very long time, but I am loving it. I think alcohol is like seeping out of my pores because of how much I drank. I just signed up for the gym at the student center here in london, so I will get to swim tomorrow, which I have been looking forward to all week. Anyways I want to write more, but i am still unpacking and getting my apartment together. I am hoping to weigh myself tomorrow at the gym. Wish me luck :)

Month #2 stats, results, and overview

 So the beginning of this month I was kind of lagging on my weight loss effort, but I know the last 2-2 and a half weeks I have been really watching what I have been eating, journaling, and swimming. I am kind of nervous to see how I did... but here is goes....

                      Month 1               Month 2               Month 3

Weight        176.8 lbs             169.5 lbs             165.9 lbs (4 lbs lost)*

Body Fat      36.1%                  33.9%                  32.5% (1.4% body fat lost)

Bicept          14.0                      13.0                      12.2 (0.8 inches lost)

Bust              41.6                      40.5                      40.0 (0.5 inches lost)

Back             36.0                      34.0                      34.0 (0 inches lost)

Waist            35.0                      32.2                      31.0 (1.2  inches lost)

Stomach      43.7                      41.0                      40.0 (1 inch lost)

Hips              44.5                      43.5                      42.0 (1.5 inches lost)

*inch lost is just from this month, not total)

Last month I had lost 7.3 lbs and 11.2 inches. This month I lost 4 lbs and 10 inches. I am really happy with my progress. I am sticking to the healthy weight loss of 1-2 lbs a week and I am losing inches and feeling great. I know that I am going to have to watch myself the next few months because everything will be new to me and I will have to readjust my schedual, but I know if I work hard, i'll be able to do it.

Goals for This Month

-Swim/work out AT LEAST 3 times a week

-Journal AT LEAST 5 times a week

-Get below 160 lbs (lose 6 lbs) and under 30% body fat

-Lose at least 9 inches

All those poor clothes!

 I have been trying to pack for London, and it just really was not working out very well. All of my fat clothes are too big, and all of my skinny clothes are too small. Basically I have been shopping for the past 3 days, trying to find clothes that can be mixed and matched and layered in order to save space. Well basically, now that I am a working woman, and I can't keep convincing my parental unit that they should pay for my spoiled self, I have been shopping discount and sales and it just drives me nuts! I was at Nordstrom Rack today, and there were clothes everywhere, on the floor, in the wrong place, tangled all together, had stains on them.... people are running over them with their shopping carts. I really just wanted to scream. I saw an Oscar de la renta nighty, with makeup stain all over it..... and then i saw some woman step on a pair of awesome white ralph lauren wide legged jeans, it really just made me want to cry, people need to respect the clothes! ugh... it rubbed me the wrong way. grrrr. 

Well now that i've got that off my chest.... i've been pretty good with my eating and swimming and I have been relatively calm and organized considering all of the stuff I have to do this week.... let's hope it stays that way lol. 

Yesterday Food (we celebrated labor day a day early)

Cereal with mixed dried berries and yoplait light yogurt. 3 halves of deviled eggs. Tofu/garden burger with light cheese and whole wheat bun. greek salad. brownie. 

Work out: Swimming/1.5miles/60min/685calories

Net Total: 1604(consumed)-683(burned)= 921 cal 

Today Food

Cereal and milk. papaya and cottage cheese. cheese sandwich. brownie. V8. greek salad. pasta primavera. sugar free jello. granola bar. carrots.

Work out: Swimming/700yards/15min/200calories

Net Total: 1300(consumed)-200(burned)= 1100 cal 

Weigh In... very happy too

 so I had been sneaking a few weigh ins in during the week and they have all been bad... I was getting pretty frustrated because I had not been losing even though I have been working really hard this week. BUT today is my official weigh in day, and it says I am down 2 lbs. I think I had been retaining water during the week because of stress, not sleeping very well, and the heat wave. But yes, I am very happy about it. 

My goal for this week is to lose 2 lbs. I am leaving on the 6th, so I'll do my 2 month weights and measurements the day before to see where I am at :)

Just today

 Today went well, I only swam about 600 yards, but I was pretty good about what I ate and I got more fruit and veggies in.

What I ate today (goal: 1200-1600 calories)

high fiber oatmeal, apple, banana, soy hot dog, 1 oz cheddar cheese, protein bar, string cheese, cookie, high fiber/whole wheat tortilla, 2 V8, celery, carrots, light yogurt, lean pocket, nonfat milk

Total: 1,450 calories 

more swimming

 I swam for 2 hours today... not sure how many laps I did, it was moderate intensity and I only took about 4, 3-4 minute breaks (mostly because there were little kids swimming in my way and i was waiting for them to move). I am trying to get in shape to do the Alcatraz swim next summer. Open water training starts in January, so I definitely want to keep in shape until then, so I won't die when it starts lol. When I am in London, I am planning on joining the gym with a pool, and maybe do a swimming class or 2 while I am there. 

I have been watching what i've been eating, but I am not journaling, so I have a feeling I am having a case of "food amnesia" and sneeking lots of extra little bites of things that should not be there. I'm going to try to journal every day this week.

Food For Today (Goal 1200-1600)

1 egg 2 egg whites and toast (210), nonfat chai tea (120), milk (90), cheese stick (80), enchelada (300?), hot chocolate (100), cookie (150), weight watchers mac and cheese (250?), soy hot dog (80)

Total: 1,380 calories 

In your face you stupid self conscience!

So basically every time before I get in the pool to do laps, I always say "Oh god, I am so out of shape".... it is true, but i always talk about how much i use to swim, and how good i use to be, i just feel like i have to say it so that they don't think i am making it all up or something lol. So, tonight, I get in the pool with my coworker and we are just messing around in the pool, doing some leisurely laps, and she goes "We should totally race" and i was just like "oh god, i am totally going to lose, but i'll do it anyway just to see how bad i've gotten" (yes, more negative self talk.) So we decide to do a 100 IM (which was actually one of my events in high school).

She starts off ahead of me with butterfly, but I easily catch up to her and pass her (which was very very surprising to me, but I have always been pretty good at fly). Then backstroke (my other event i swam in high school) I totally kicked her booty and got a really good lead, which I needed because I knew that she was really good at breast stoke, and that is my worst stroke. So she almost catches up to me during breast stroke and the last lap of free was sooooo close, and i was sooooo tired i wanted to slow down but then my competitiveness kicked in and I did not give up. We hit the wall at just about the same time, but my other co worker out of the water said I definitely won. 

I seriously was just like "WHAT?!?! are you serious?" and she was joking around with the other girl like "yea adrienne, Jess beat you and she hasn't raced anyone in 2 years, what is your coach going to say" and I don't know, I was just SO HAPPY. It totally wasn't a big deal, it was all just for fun, but it meant something to me and my self esteem, which has been lacking. I beat a 16 year old "athlete" who is like 115lbs and has a six pack.... INSANE in my eyes. 

This just shows me something though. Even though I am out of shape, and I have gained a good 20-25 lbs since I was in my prime, being athletic, and being competitive is just a part of me that can't just go away. That is why, if I don't go to the gym for a really long time, and then i get into it again, it doesn't take long for me to get back into shape and be able to do all the same stuff I use to do. I have always wanted to join a club swim team or a Masters team, but I never thought I was good enough and I was always very intimidated. After tonight though, it makes me want to get back into it, and it shows me that I can do it.

I'm still doin' it

 Hi everyone! I'm sorry I havn't been around much lately... but I just wanted to let ya'll know that I am still doin' this, I have not given up. Things have been hectic getting ready to go over to London but this weeks I have been really focused on making my body as healthy (and as fit) as I can before I go over there, so I can boost my confidence, have a good mindset and continue my "lifestyle change" while over there.

oh yea.... I lost 2 lbs this week! I feel really good about it. I hope to lose 2 more lbs by next saturday.

horrid

 I just saw pictures of myself from my birthday party.... and i look so unbelievably HUGE i don't even know what to say. Seriously though... like someone would say "wow, now she is a big girl...". I really didn't think I was that big. I basically was so depressed today I just ate myself into oblivion. 

apple bottom jeans.... boots with the fur... lol

 so basically, i never wear jeans. None of my old jeans fit me (most of them are about a size 10 or 30/31 european sizes), about 6 months ago (when i was at my biggest) I bought one pair of FAT ASS OLD LADY jeans that like go all the way past my belly button and are way too big on me now, and i refuse to buy new ones. This whole summer all I wear is my lifeguarding attire, a bathing suit, or, if i do go out, i'll wear a sundress. Anyways, so I decided to go out, find a cheap pair of jeans (I am sorry, but i am not going to spend over $100 of a pair of pants if I plan on losing more weight) just so I don't have to look like a complete frump anymore. I went to Macy's and I was looking through some of the pants and there were these cute black jeans with some yellow stitching. I try on a size 12 and I really did not think they were going to fit but they were actually too big, so then i get the same pair in a size 10 and they were totally cute on me! And they were only $50. lol so anyways, the brand of them is called "Apple Bottoms".... and basically they are made for.... ladies with a larger bum I guess you could say. I think that is why they fit me so well, because they were bigger around the thighs, and, even though i have the flattest butt in the world, I do have bigger hips. Basically, you would not normally see this brand being worn by a white girl like myself. Anyways, moral of my story is..... you just gotta work with what you have and try new things.... even if it is totally out of the ordinary haha.