Week 7 Results

I, once again, wasn't expecting much from this week's weigh-in. I've been sick all week long with a cold and my workouts haven't been great. In fact, I ended up not getting my usual Thursday night workout. I opted to let my body get a good night's sleep so that I could get up early and exercise this morning. And even though my workouts themselves weren't very intense (due to being sick), I still did see a small drop in weight. For the week, I ended up down 1.5 pounds. This is actually one pound below my previous low, due to the .5 gain last week. It brings my total weight-loss to 16.5 pounds. Yay me!!

It was bound to happen . . .

Yep, it's weigh-in day; and for the first time, I've had a gain. I gained .5 pounds this week. I'm kind of bummed about it, but after looking back on the week, I can see how it happened. First of all, I think last weekend caught up with me early on in the week. A few other factors also contributed to it. I had a lot more cravings this week, and a little less will-power to avoid them. Also, I seem to remember that when my husband was losing weight last year, at around the 6 week mark, he hit a plateau and had to change this up a bit to shock his body into weight-loss mode. So, here I am at week 7. It's likely time to shake things up a bit. All-in-all, I am a little discouraged by the gain, but I think it could have been a lot worse. Plus, I've come this far already; this is not going to stop me from accomplishing my goals. Here's to a new week and a fresh start.

Valentine's Weekend & Question

Last weekend was the first time since I started losing weight that I wasn't in the comfort of my own home for all or most of my meals. I knew it was going to be a challenge. To start, my husband took me to a movie and a nice restaurant for Valentine's Day. Now, before this year, I would never go to a movie without getting popcorn. Instead, since we knew we needed something to eat, we chose to get soft pretzels instead. Then, at the restaurant, I ordered a petite filet mignon and some grilled asparagus. I did splurge and had a few spoonfuls of potatoes, which were amazing. We did end up getting a creme broule for dessert, but we split it between the two of us. We stayed at my husband's parents' house that evening and spent Valentine's Day there where we had a birthday party for my almost 4 year-old and one of my nephews. The hardest part of the day was trying to stay away from the abundant treats and V-day goodies. However, I found it really hard to turn down a cookie that my daughter gave me for Valentine's day because she said "I needed it." So, I indulged in the name of love. I did well on my portions during our family dinner, and had a small slice of pumpkin pie and one scoop of ice cream.

The one thing I didn't do well on was my water consumption and getting my proper snacks. So, this morning, I didn't really know what to expect when I weighed in. I was shocked to find out I weighed the same as I did on my Friday weigh-in. I was stoked, but curious as to why I hadn't gained after I had splurged a little over the weekend. I think there are a few factors: 1) I didn't drink much water which may have dehydrated me a little and caused a lower number on the scale (gaining back that water weight is worth it to me) 2) Since I didn't have my regular snacks, I hadn't eaten as many calories which balanced out my small indulgences, 3) My husband and I tried to make better choices when we were out of our regular environment. This is a big step for us, and we both acknowledged the change, and 4) Although I didn't have a formal workout over the weekend, I did feel as though I didn't just sit around and vegetate, we stayed active; and I was usually carrying my 17-pound baby, which can be a good workout anyway.

Okay, so now I am back on track and ready to lose some weight this week; but I do have a question for my vast readership (thanks, Josie!). My husband wanted to give me a Valentine's gift that would help me meet my weight-loss goal. He left it pretty wide open and let me choose what would be most helpful. So, I think I want to get some sort of exercise DVD to mix things up a bit and encourage different movements. Are there any DVDs you would recommend? I don't really have a lot of equipment at home, but I could probably get something inexpensive if the DVD required it. Thank you, in advance, for your input!

Week 6 Weigh-In

My husband and I have been battling it out this week--weight-wise. Since he lost a lot of weight last year, and I was pregnant, it has been over a year since I have weighed less than him. So, this week, my focus has been on finally weighing less than him. AND I DID IT!! Hopefully, I will be able to leave him in the dust now since he doesn't have a whole lot more to lose and I am just beginning, not to mention the fact that he is about 7 inches taller than me and that I should weigh A LOT less than him--but it's a start!


So, for my totals: This week I lost 2.5 pounds! Which brings my total weight-loss to 15.5 pounds and my percentage to 7.5%. I have 5.5 pounds left to lose in Phase 2. Happy Valentine's Day everyone!!

Evaluation of Goals

I was reading back on one of my first posts about how I intened to meet my weight-loss goals, and since I am in a new weight-loss phase, I decided it would be a good time to evaluate my goals and make sure I'm doing what I should to get results. Click here to see my original goals. Here are my updated goals:

Exercise: I need to exercise at least 3 times per week for at least 30 minutes on the treadmill or elliptical. On the other days (other than Sunday), I need to do something active or use the Wii Fit Plus.


Improved Eating Habits: I need to control my portion sizes, avoid snacking all day (three meals with a snack between breakfast & lunch and lunch & dinner), make good choices for snacks, avoid desserts except for very special occasions. Sundays are more "relaxed" days, but I still need to control my portions.

Water Intake: Drink at least 96 ounces of water every day. Ideally, drink 128 ounces each day.

Now that I am well into this whole weight-loss things, I have a confession to make. I think I have had an eating disorder since I graduated from high school and moved out of my parents' house. Now, before anyone gets alarmed and concerned, it wasn't a major disorder. In my opinion, everyone, at some point in their lives has some sort of eating disorder, be it big or small. Mine is that I let myself believe that I could eat whatever I wanted whenever I wanted it. Growing up, my parents were always good about not having a whole lot of junk food or sugar cereals around. My mom was good about feeding us good meals every day, and we didn't do a lot of snacking. And, I'll admit, it drove me crazy! So, when I left home, and became and "adult," I figured that I should be able to do whatever I wanted (within reason, I was raised with good morals), and eat whatever I wanted. Thirteen years and probably 70 pounds later, I figured out that my mom wasn't restricting my food intake; instead, she was trying to teach me that I needed to have self-discipline over my eating habits. I see the error of my ways now, and I am paying for it. I think I have made good progress about what food choices I am making; and honestly, I haven't had a whole lot of cravings for junk food, or other unhealthy things.
 
Now, I have a lot of friends who tell me that I should "live a little" and enjoy the sweeter things in life, and they are right to some extent. My problem is that I have been enjoying them too much and not using self-control. I know that once I have lost the weight I want to lose, that I will be able to enjoy Oreo's and cake and ice cream again. But when that time comes, I will be smarter about how much I let into my mouth and how often I choose to eat it.

Weigh-In -- Week 5

Well, at least I'm consistent! My weigh-in this morning had me down 1.5 pounds again. I was actually suprised by the extra 1/2 pound. I was betting on a one pound loss this week, so 1.5 is pretty sweet. Even though the weight is coming off slow and steady, at least it is coming off. And not only that, I think it is coming off in a healthy, sustainable way. I need need to have patience and realize that all of the ultimate goals that I have for myself are worth waiting for and working for, because it will take both . . . one day at a time!!

New Pictures

Time again to take pictures; which means that I've been at this for 1 month. And in that month, I have lost 11.5 pounds which is a 5.58% loss. I can't complain about that!! I do have to admit that it started to get frustrating only seeing a half-a-pound loss or no loss at all for several days. But when I look at it as a whole, I have really accomplished something this month. And I am excited to see it continue! Anyway, here are my pictures, not a huge change, but I do feel like my clothes are getting looser. If you want to see the original pics, click here.