12/26/14 Weigh-In 12/28/2014

I really wasn’t sure what to expect at this weigh-in. I had gone to the doctor’s office two weeks before and it said that I was eight pounds more than I weighed at home two weeks before, which is a big difference, even though it’s a different scale, I was wearing boots, and it was in the afternoon.

I have been eating three meals a day regularly instead of sometimes only two, like I was doing the month before. I wasn’t sure if eating more, smaller meals would help my weight or not, but I knew I would feel better physically if I didn’t eat so much at my meals and I would feel better mentally if I was eating more often (after all, I do fast for 16 hours a day anyway).

I exercised intensely in the beginning of the month, but then I got sick and that slowed down my workouts. However, I did do more running and I ran a race. I’ve also been stretching more often and I looked into doing yoga at home by streaming YouTube videos to my TV, instead of going to exercise classes, including a yoga class, which is where I believe I caught the cold that I had in the beginning of the month.

So the results of my weigh-in were a loss of 1.4 pounds, 0.5 inches, and 0.2% body fat. I’m exactly the lowest weight I’ve been since doing Paleo/Intermittent Fasting. Maybe I’m on a downward trend and will continue to lose a little more weight in the coming months. It would just be great to lose this belly fat! I’ve been working with my holistic doctor about it, which I’ll save for my next post.

I’m happy about the weigh-in and I’m happy with my weight. In fact, I don’t care whether I lose more weight or not. I will just continue my lifestyle and see where it takes me. To continue to improve my health and wellness is my goal.

How are you in your health journey? Have you made any improvements/changes lately? Or are you stuck? Stay strong!

11/29/14 Weigh-In 12/10/2014

Hello, everyone! I hope you’re having a good week so far. I meant to write this post sooner, but I’ve been busy with work and weekend responsibilities. I’ve had a lot of posts I’ve wanted to write, so I’m catching up with them slowly 🙂

November 29th’s weigh-in is very special to me, which is why I want to write about it even though it happened 1.5 weeks ago. I lost 1.4 pounds, 2.5 inches, and 0.4% body fat. I had gained weight at my weigh-in last month, so I am very happy to be losing weight again and getting back down to my lowest weight – only 1.4 pounds to go! 🙂

During the last month, I ate less and amped up my workouts. I skipped meals when I didn’t feel like eating (which is okay for me because I’m doing intermittent fasting and I know the benefits of fasting), began going to a boot camp class twice a week, and running (I even ran a race!). All of that activity and less food helped me to lose weight, inches, and body fat 🙂

To recap, I’m still doing a modified version of the Paleo Diet (Paleo minus fruit/berries, nuts/seeds, and starchy vegetables, due to my doctor’s advice and my personal preference), and intermittent fasting, like I just mentioned. I’ve been fasting for longer periods (18-20 hours, instead of 16), and working out five days a week, consistently, doing the workouts I’ve already mentioned, plus a yoga class once a week. I really do like the balance of my workouts 🙂

I’ve actually been feeling a little sick this last week, so I’ve cut back on my workouts until I recover. And from running every day, due to some December fitness challenges I’m doing (highly recommended for those in need of motivation), I hurt my hip a little, so I’ve been resting it. Now it’s better, so I will resume running soon!

Lately I’ve felt like I haven’t been eating often enough, and that, plus not relaxing enough, is why I think I got this cold. My body is trying to tell me something! Plus, I was eating really large meals when I did eat, eating past fullness.

So I’ve decided to go back to three smaller meals a day so that I won’t be overeating at my meals, and my body will have nutrients more often. I think I can improve my health in this way when it comes to weight loss, because I’ll be listening to my body more and that will allow me to eat just what my body needs.

Yes, I’m still trying to lose weight, and fitness is going to be a big part of it. I’d like to lose 10 pounds, but more importantly, get fitter (cardiovascular and strength-wise) to lose body fat. Losing body fat will be more important to me than losing weight.

I also intend on relaxing more, meditating, and continuing to do my yoga. I’ve already cut back on my workload so that I will be less stressed 🙂

How has your health journey been going? What have you been doing for your health lately?

Hopeful 08/01/2013

The positive changes in my body have been happening slowly, but at least I’m heading in the right direction. I lost 3.4 pounds and 2 inches in the past month. I’m so happy to be at the lowest weight I’ve been since I was 19 (I’m 32!). I still have 26 lbs to lose to reach the weight I was when I was 18, which is my goal weight. I’ve lost 84 lbs in the last 15 months, and the weight/inches are coming off more slowly now.

In addition, I’ve reached a plateau in my workouts. I was doing the same three workouts repeatedly every week. I was doing strength training mostly. The three workouts were for my core, arms, and legs. I tried out some new core exercises, but it wasn’t enough variety. I began missing some workouts, because I wasn’t looking forward to them.

I evaluated my workout routine and realized I needed a change. I increased my dumbbells from 12 lbs to 15 lbs, which challenges me perfectly. I’m just doing that in the meantime, until I receive my brand new workout program, which I will tell you about below.

I feel advanced fitness-wise. I have a lot of muscle, and my cardiovascular health is good from all the running I did over the last three months. I’m still significantly overweight, but I know I can handle a challenging workout program.

So, yesterday I searched Amazon.com for workout programs. I already had a desire to try a Beachbody program. I found a workout program on Amazon (not Beachbody) for $30.00, but the workouts were one hour long (I would find an excuse not to workout with such long workouts), and even though most of the reviews were good, the reviewers said things about the program that were unappealing to me.

My second option was the ChaLEAN Extreme program by Beachbody. In the past, I was turned off by Beachbody programs, because they are expensive. But I needed to be challenged by my workouts, and I thought a program – one that would provide a structured workout routine – was just what I needed to keep me interested in working out. I wanted the workout program to be of high-quality – something I would enjoy so that I’d be more likely to stick with it.

The ChaLEAN Extreme program seems perfect for me. The workouts are only 30-40 minutes, which is the length of my workouts now, and are designed to get more results in a shorter amount of time. So, I ordered the program, even though it cost me just over $100.00. I think and hope it will be a good investment in my health. I’m hoping I will be more interested in working out, because of the change, challenge, and structure. I also hope I stick with the program for the full 90 days. That’s three months, which seems like a long time, but I’ve been working out regularly for the last nine months, so I can probably do it.

In addition to being more motivated to workout, I think the program will help speed up my weight loss and fat loss. I’m not at a plateau, but I think the change in my workouts, when I do this program, is what I need to increase my metabolism so that I’ll be able to reach my goal weight.

I can’t wait until the program arrives and I can begin! Wish me luck!

June results and running 07/01/2013

Hi everyone!

I’m so happy to be writing this and I have good news! I lost 2.2 lbs at my last weigh-in. That means I lost 1.8 lbs for the month of June and I also lost 1.5 inches. I’m happy for the downward trend and I learned some things this month. I learned that exercise helps me lose more weight and inches. It increases my metabolism, increases muscle, and burns fat. I absolutely need exercising to be a part of my weight loss program if I want to continue to get thin and fit. I am pretty sure of this, because when I hardly worked out for two weeks I gained a couple of pounds. But when I worked out regularly the following two weeks, I lost about 4 lbs. So, not only did I turn the scale in the opposite direction, I lost double what I gained! So I fully intend to workout regularly.

I have been running on a regularly basis. I have drastically increased the amount of time I can run. Just one week ago I could only run for 3 minutes at a time. The next time I ran, I ran for 7.5 min. The next time I ran, I increased that time to 16.5 min. And the last time I ran (yesterday), I increased my time to 17.5 min. I am so happy to be seeing more progress with my running ability. I believe I have surpassed my goal of running for one mile. I feel so happy and proud of myself, but I want to continue to beat my times.

Running is not easy, though. It’s hard work! After I’ve been running for one minute I feel discomfort. I want to stop. Maybe it’s because I feel like I can’t do it, or I don’t believe in myself, or I’m just not used to running, or I haven’t accepted the fact that I’m a runner, since I’ve never been great at running. The hard work I speak of is that I get out-of-breath, my heart beats fast, my legs get tired, and I feel like I can’t go on, but I do. I keep going until my heart rate monitor tells me that I’m above my recommended heart rate zone.

I try not to think about my discomfort or tiredness. I try to focus on my form and breathing. I daydream. I look at the passing cars, people, and scenery. I say affirmations to myself. I try not to look at my stopwatch or HRM until my HRM beeps, telling me I’m out of my “zone”. But sometimes I have to look at my HRM, because I don’t always hear the beep because of the traffic.

It’s easiest to run for longer on cool, cloudy days. Running on hot, sunny days and running uphill increases my heart rate a lot, so I’m unable to run for very long. But I run for as long as my HRM allows me to, then I stop running and walk really slowly until my heart rate goes back down to a lower level, then I run again, regardless of hills or the heat. My HRM is my trusty running buddy.

Well, that’s about it for now. Tomorrow is my weigh-in day, but I haven’t decided yet if I’ll weigh in, since I’m not participating in a weight loss challenge right now. Maybe I’ll try weighing in every other week instead and see how that goes. Have a great day and keep working out and eating healthy!

Weigh-in, Measurements, and BMI 05/28/2013

I am SOOO happy right now! Today was my weekly weigh-in and monthly measurements. I’ll cut to the chase. I lost 2.8 lbs this week! My total for the month is a loss of 5 lbs and 3 inches. I also checked my BMI and I am now officially “overweight” and no longer “obese.” I am SO proud of that. As of today, I’ve lost 79 lbs! It took me 13 months to lose that weight. Not all of it was peachy keen weight loss. I plateaued for almost 3 months at one point, which was kind of disheartening. But I learned from the experience and made changes that led me to where I am today. When I was at the plateau, I did not think I would make it this far. It’s been years since I’ve been down to this weight. And it’s all downhill from here! I’m on the homestretch and it’s a relief. I am very motivated to reach my goal weight, so I know I will.

I have 31 lbs left to lose to reach the weight I was when I was 18. I know it may seem a little farfetched to weigh what I weighed as a teenager, but I was comfortable at that weight and I wasn’t extremely thin, so it’s a good goal for me. My goal weight is actually just within the “normal” BMI range, on the high side, so it is not expecting too much. In addition to being a healthy weight, I want to be in good shape physically: I want to be strong, have a healthy heart and lungs, and be fit. If I continue my workouts, I know I will reach my fitness goals too.

I’m looking forward to doing my best this week by eating healthy and sufficiently all the time, working out and/or being active everyday, relaxing and taking time for ME everyday, using my time wisely, and being productive. I hope you all have an awesome week!

Exciting News… 04/29/2013

I can barely contain myself. I weighed myself this morning with the thought that I stayed the same weight over the past week – not because I hadn’t eaten well or exercised enough, but because I didn’t feel much different, and I don’t like to get my hopes up. I stepped on the scale and couldn’t believe the number. I had lost 4.2 lbs! Oh my gosh, I was so happy.

I’ve now lost 74 lbs since April 20th, 2012 and I’ve gone from a size 3X/24 to a L/14. Even some of my larges and 14s are too big! I can’t wait to be a M/12. I haven’t been a medium in 13 years! When I ate low-carb and lost weight from 2010 to 2011, I got as low as 1.3 lbs more than what I weigh now. I haven’t weighed this little since May 2009. This is a really exciting day for me. At the end of last year, I was maintaining my weight or losing really slowly, so my goal was to lose 20 lbs by the end of 2013. I’ve already surpassed that goal and it’s only April! I feel hopeful that my weight loss will continue at a steady pace.

Last week I stayed the same weight as the week before, even though I was doing well with eating and exercise. This week, I did just as well as last week, but I’ve done faster walks; I began focusing on walking as fast as I could, and I made my 15-minute mile goal! The increase in cardiovascular exercise could have helped my weight loss this week. Or my body finally reacted to my healthy habits by letting go of some weight. I still firmly believe that sometimes the body just doesn’t want to let go of weight, which is why people’s weight plateaus sometimes in their weight loss journey; but if we keep doing the best we can with our healthy lifestyles, as well as make adjustments slightly when needed, eventually the body will respond by letting go of some weight, which is what could have happened for me this week.

Either way, I am ecstatic that I lost over 4 lbs in a week! It is such a nice reward for my hard efforts. I’ve been eating 1,500-1,600 calories a day on average, working out several times a week, and being active everyday. My increase in weight loss started in February 2013, which was when I decreased my calorie intake and added starchy vegetables. I added grains in the beginning of April, which made my weight loss even more significant. I believe that giving my body more carbs has helped me lose weight faster, because my body doesn’t think it’s starving anymore. The additional carbs I’ve had so far are: idaho potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, peas, steel cut oats, organic whole grain couscous, and whole grain rice. I have only 1-2 servings of these carbs a day. My daily “net” carbs (total carbs minus fiber) are between 100 and 150. That is still low-carb, in my opinion, since most people eat 300 carbs a day, and many of those carbs are processed.

In addition, I did my body measurements today. I lost 4.5 inches in the last month. It feels so good to see improvements in my body. I’m looking forward to working out, eating right, being active, and losing weight this coming week 🙂

Slow progress is still progress 03/27/2013

Good morning, everyone.

I weighed in and measured myself today. For the last four weeks, I lost 3 pounds and 4 inches. Considering all the work I did during that time, I am not happy with the weight I lost. I decreased my calorie intake from 2,200+ calories a day to 1,900 (daily average). I burned 2,600 calories a day (on average), so my deficit was 700 calories a day. That would mean that I should have lost 1 1/2 pounds a week – a total of 6 pounds. I am very accurate and honest with my food and exercise tracking, so I know my numbers are accurate. But I should have lost double what I did. That tells me either I have a slow metabolism or there are things I can improve upon (or both).

Every day I eat a little more than what my body is hungry for, especially at night, which I’m not happy about. I can eat a light breakfast and feel hungry in the morning, but if my stomach feels empty at night, I can’t stand the feeling. I snack a lot during the later part of the day (after lunch and especially after supper). I have a big supper, so I know it’s not physical hunger. I can’t fall asleep at night if my stomach is feeling empty. I have food on my mind a lot at night (after supper). I wish I could shed this attachment to food. I feel pleasure from eating and the taste of food, and I wish I wasn’t so hooked on it. I shouldn’t be craving food when I’m not hungry. I should be eating to fuel my body, not to satisfy my taste-buds. I really hope I can grow out of it, because I get so disappointed in myself when I eat when I’m not hungry. And I feel crazy when I’m thinking about food a lot or when I’m not hungry.

So, I’ve been keeping track of my diet and exercise every day. I took a couple of extra rest days from my workouts during the last four weeks. My workouts are usually for one hour, six days a week. But I am pretty sedentary the rest of the time. I know I should – and I want to – lead a more active lifestyle, but I work from home on the computer, so I spend a lot of time sitting at the computer. My body is meant to move, so I should be moving more. I don’t know how to change. Maybe I could get up and move around every hour to raise my metabolism.

Two weeks ago, I made a change in my diet that might have affected my rate of weight loss: I added potatoes, corn, and peas (high-carb vegetables) to my diet; however, I did not eat more calories. I believe I am sensitive to carbs (they make me put on weight), so I wonder if adding those foods slowed my weight loss. I thought it might have been alright to eat them, because they are vegetables; plus, I didn’t notice a physical change in how I felt after I added them to my diet. I don’t eat grains or sugar – those are big no-nos for me – but I didn’t think the starchy vegetables would have a negative affect on me.

The month before, I lost 7 pounds, so I’m disappointed with this month’s weight loss. I think I could eat less calories if I get my overeating under control, and I should be more active. It’ll just be hard to make those changes. What do you all think about this? I am very happy with the inches I lost. I think I should also do more cardio to help my weight loss, which I plan on doing, especially now that spring is here and I’ve improved my legs with physical therapy. I just want to be able to reach my weight loss goals, but at this rate I’m not sure I will.

Sorry for the negative post. I’m just feeling disappointed right now. But I am happy that I lost some weight and substantial inches. I’m going to keep on keeping on!

Progress is what’s important 01/01/2013

It’s time for an update. I’m excited to write this post, mostly because I’m in the mood to write, but also because I’m happy to share my accomplishments in my health.

I mentioned in my last post that I wasn’t losing any weight. And that was true. Since October 11th (almost 3 months), I hadn’t lost any weight and actually gained one pound from all the strength training I’ve been doing. BUT, I have GREAT news! I weighed in yesterday for a weight loss challenge group I’m in and the scale moved! Not one pound…but THREE pounds in TEN days! I couldn’t believe my eyes! I wasn’t overly thrilled, but I definitely was happy.

It made sense too, because the last week or so I began trying on some of my size large clothing for the heck of it because I wanted something different to wear…and it fit! And I was losing inches too the entire time that I wasn’t losing weight. So even though I wasn’t losing weight, I still felt rewarded for my efforts. But seeing the scale change yesterday was just awesome.

Unless I join another challenge, I won’t be weighing in for a month. That was my usual schedule and I’d like to get back to it. I also do my measurements each time I weigh in. The last challenge, which just ended yesterday, was what got me going with exercising again. I am so grateful for joining that challenge and for the great group of people in it. If it wasn’t for that challenge, I might still not be exercising. But for the last two months, I’ve worked out almost every day! In fact, I only took three days off in December! My goal is to keep it up, and my short-term goal is to workout more days in a row than the last time. Last time, I worked out for ten days straight. So far, this time, I’ve worked out for nine days. So if I workout for two more days, I’ll have beat my record.

My thighs are so sore right now from squats! I’m thinking a walk or yoga is in order for tomorrow to give my muscles a break.

2012 was a great year. I started my lifelong commitment to healthy living in April; I lost 52 lbs and many inches; I found the joy in exercise and made it a permanent part of my life; and I stuck with healthy eating since I started in April (not one cheat!). I feel like it’s a blessing or truly a miracle. It might seem that way to others, but really it’s a lot of hard work, dedication, and making healthy choices. I have won the battle with my mind that carbs made it hard to fight. I’m speaking of my food addiction. Since I have eliminated the “drug” (sugar, refined carbs, starches), I have become more powerful. It is pretty easy to stay away from those foods now…easier than trying to bounce back from cheating on carbs.

It’s also easier to continue my exercise program everyday than to stop for two days and try to workout again. I have learned who I am and how I work, so I know what to do to stay on track.

I wish you all success this year with your health. I will be posting a couple of book reviews in the next few days for fitness books I’ve read recently. I can’t wait to see how far I can get with my workouts. My goal for 2013 is to get as fit as I can. I know I can do it.

Check in! 07/08/2012

Hi everyone,

I haven’t been posting as often as I would like. But that’s probably because not much new stuff is happening. I’ve been exercising often and sticking to my diet every day.

Actually, that brings up an interesting topic: I’m a sugar addict, so I’ve found that if I stick to my diet all the time, I don’t have to deal with sugar withdrawals from trying to get back on the wagon. In fact, once I stray from my diet, I can go months before getting back to healthy eating (I know this from past experiences). So I am better off not cheating and just putting in a little extra effort to deal with cravings.

I know not everyone is like me. Some people (even ones who have maintained their weight loss for years) treat themselves occasionally and then get back to healthy eating the next day. For me, treating myself totally throws off my program, weakens me, and I’m bound to derail completely within a matter of months.

It’s the sugar. It makes me want more, and if I let myself cheat once, then it’s okay to do it again in my mind. That is why I am going to stick to my diet religiously, like people in OA (over-eaters anonymous) do. Sugar and flour is their addiction and must be avoided at all costs, or else a relapse happens, which can mean trouble. I’ve never been a part of OA, but I’ve heard a little about it from an old therapist who practiced OA’s principles.

Well, I planned to check in today, as it’s been one month since my last weigh-in. I weighed and measured myself this morning and I lost 8 lbs and 4 inches during that time. I’m happy with that. That is decent progress. I just hoped that at my weight I would be losing faster. I might have to cut back on corn, carrots, and fruit, as they are high in carbs. Maybe I shouldn’t put lemon in my water. I don’t mind making those changes, because they are just extras that I could live without. Maybe not now, but eventually, I will instill those changes. This weigh-in makes me feel happy for my accomplishments and makes me want to eat healthier and workout even more!

The past two days I have mostly slept. I was working 12 hour days, 7 days a week, and it seems to have caught up with me. I’m sure I’ll be back to my normal, productive self soon enough. Well, I’m going to go get a glass of water and consider doing a workout. Adios!