I'm Back!!

Before I say anything, I just need to get something off my chest--I fell off the wagon. And I fell hard! Turns out I gained back almost 10 pounds in about a month. Totally scarey!! But I am happy to report that I am back!

I realized that I needed something to work toward and once the 1st quarter of our family goal competition came to an end, I'm sorry to say that most of my goals did too. But now I have something else to work toward and look forward to. This year is my hubby's and my 10th anniversary, so we are going to take a little trip toward the end of the year to celebrate. I am hoping to get down about 20 lbs. between now and then. My husband is also going to try to lose some weight, so we are going to compete against one another.

I think my biggest obstacle is going to be finding time to devote to hard-core exercising. My 1-year-old has been on a sleeping strike for a couple of months, so I have been choosing to get extra sleep rather than get up early or stay up late to exercise. I need to figure out how to squeeze some good cardio in. One good thing about the summer is that I have been going on a lot of walks with my kids. I have my girls ride their bikes and I push the baby in the stroller and try to keep up.

I have updated my weight-loss ticker and I am happy to report that I am down 2 pounds since Monday. Here's to healthier living and looking better on the beach for my trip!

Weigh-In

Sorry, still no pictures. Things have been pretty crazy around our house lately. I am hoping to get some taken soon. As for the progress this week, I am pleasantly surprised to say that I broke through my plateau! This week, I had a loss of 3 pounds! It would have been 3.5 pounds if that pesky 1/2 pound hadn't come back this morning. Grr! Anyway, I have now lost 24 pounds! 7 more pounds to go until I hit my 3rd goal. I'm pretty excited about it.

I thought I should also mention that I got my fitbit this week. It is really cool! I love how it tracks my activity level all throughout the day. And it motivates me to try to keep it out of the evil sedentary state! It also tracks how well I sleep at night (or how poorly I am sleeping, which is probably more accurate). For example, it told me that I woke up 10 times last night. Granted, some of those times were just me rolling over, but a good chunk of them were spent rocking my little guy back into dreamland. At any rate, it is an interesting study of how I spend my day and night. That's all for now.

Pictures to Come

I just realized that I haven't posted any new pictures yet. Things have been a little crazy around here, so I will get them soon, I promise.

Hmm . . .

Well, I think my body is on about a week delay. Last week was a good week, yet I had a pretty significant gain. This week was a not-so-good, very busy week, and I lost 2 pounds. So, next week, I had better be extra good or things could get really bad. I am excited to get my Bountiful Basket tomorrow. I think that will help me make better food choices. We've actually taken 2 weeks off from it (one by choice and the other because the co-op took a weekend off), so I am looking forward to planning my menu for the week around the goodies we'll get in our basket.

I've got to be honest . . .

I wish I could skip writing this post, but I want this blog to be an honest record of my weight-loss journey. So, this week was really bad. More accurately, last week was really bad, but it caught up with me this week. I gained 2.5 lbs. The funny thing is that I actually had a good week with eating and drinking my water this week. My exercise has yet to pick up again, due to my little guy still not sleeping well. I thought I got away with having a bad week without seeing negative results, but in truth, they just took a little longer to show up. But, rather than get discouraged, I need to just chalk it up to having a bump on the road and continue on rather than take the next exit to head back to my old bad habits. I'm hoping to get outside more now that the weather is improving and I think that if I am spending more time outside working and playing, it will be easier to eat better because I won't be bored. (I have discovered that when I'm bored, I eat.) Anyway, onward and upward. Here's to turning things around.

YIKES! (Weigh-in)

I was not looking forward to this weeks weigh-in. As of Monday, I was up 3 lbs. from my weigh-in last week. Not only that, my cardio exercise has been non-exsistent all week long. I don't want to make excuses, but here's why the week was so rough: My baby has decided that he does not want to sleep and if we try to put him down at night, it is always a big fight that he has been winning. So, since I exercise on my elliptical at night, that hasn't been happening. My husband has been really good to help out with the baby, but I have to admit that when he tells me I can go and exercise, I just don't have the eneregy. It is physically draining to deal with a baby that cries as much as mine has for the past week or so. However, I have been trying to watch what I eat and drink my water, but I have to admit that I have not been as diligent as I have been in the past, but not horrible. Also, I have gone on some long walks this week. Once to and from my daughter's school, which is about a 60 minute walk; and I walked for another hour with my daughter at her Relay for Life. I also walked home from the dentist yesterday, but not at a very brisk pace. So, this morning when I weighed myself, I was sad to see a gain, but happy to see that it was only a 1 pound gain. Back to where I was two weeks ago. Oh well, I'll try to put this behind me and try to do better this week.

Weigh-In

Yay! Another pound lost. This brings my total weight-loss to 22.5 pounds. I was hoping it would be a little more, but I wasn't able to get my work-out in last night and my baby was up too early this morning to allow me to exercise this morning. All in all, I feel good about it. I do need to be more aware of my water intake though, especially since we are heading into the warmer months and I will be spending more time outside.

Wish I had more to report, but that's all for today.

Pictures

I know these pictures are a few days late, but I have been busy. Better late than never, I guess. I am happy to say that I can finally see some results if I compare my first pictures with these.

Weigh-in

I feel pretty good about my weigh-in this week. I've had some major cravings and some unhealthy food choices around me all week. I won't lie, I did indulge a little. I really tried to not overdo it, and for the most part, I think I did okay. If I was having a really strong craving for something, I tried drinking a big glass of water first to control the amount of food I was eating. So, on to the results. I maintained this week. No loss, no gain. Although, yesterday I did hit a new low, so I am going to try harder this week so I can see some more results next week. Also, I need to post some new pictures, so I will try to get to that once my baby is awake (because I use his room for my backdrop).

On to Phase 3

I guess I need to introduce my goal for Phase 3 of Operation Burn the Baby Fat. I'm on to the weight I gained with my first baby. She will turn 6 years old this next week, so I've been hanging onto this extra weight for way too long. I gained 10 pounds with baby #1, so after I've completed this goal, I will have lost 31 pounds. Wow! That will feel so good!

New Haircut

Here are my before and after pictures of my new haircut, which is my reward for meeting my Phase 2 goal.

Before: (sorry about the lighting)

After:

Phase 2: Mission Completion

FINALLY!! This day came about 2 months after I hoped it would. But even after a long wait, I am happy to report that I have accomplished Phase 2 of Operation: Burn the Baby Fat!! With my weigh-in this morning, my weekly loss was 2 pounds! But I was 1.5 pounds below my previous low weigh-in. This brings my total loss to 21.5 pounds! And my percentage lost at 10.4%. And for my reward, I think I will treat myself to a new hairstyle. I am hoping to get my hair cut this next week. I'll post before and after pics at that time. Here's to another good week--one day at a time!

Weigh-in and a few changes

Well, at least I'm maintaining! Too bad I'm maintaining about 30 pounds above where I would like to be. Oh, well! I'll try to look on the bright side of things. I weighed in .5 pounds above last weeks weigh-in. It's not too bad. I just find it strange that I haven't lost anything in over a month.


So, I've decided to make a few changes. The first change is actually not a change at all, and I can't even start it yet because it hasn't arrived. My husband ordered me a fitbit for Mother's Day and it has been on back order for a while and likely won't even arrive until long after Mother's Day is over. This little device is to be worn throughout my day to track my active vs. inactivce periods to help me know when I need to make changes so I can be more active. It will also tell me how restful my sleep is at night--or, more appropriate, how unrestful it is! It will be interesting.


Next change, my SIL started a 1000 minute club with our family (although, I think it might be just her and I that are going to do it). The idea of this is that over the next 10 weeks we will walk 1000 minutes in addition to our regular exercise. I think this will help me break through those moments of inactivity that I'm experiencing throughout my day. Also, it will be nice to get my kids out on their bikes to get them moving as well.

Last, I think I need to be eating more. Sounds funny to say, but I think it's true. Now, I've never been a doctor or even enjoyed or even taken the classes they have taken to become one. But it seems to me that losing weight is hard work for a body. And, if it doesn't have enough fuel to help burn that fat away, then it won't be able to do it; and it will just hold onto that extra fluff that I'm trying to get rid of. (Correct me if I'm wrong Josie!) So, I need to start eating more fruits and vegetables. To help in this endeavor, I'm doing two things. The first is that I am planting a garden. In fact, I planted my peas, broccoli, and cauliflower just last week. This will be a good way for me to be active as well as get some great veges into our house. Also, I have joined a co-op called "Bountiful Baskets" where I go on Saturdays and pick up a big basket of fruits and vegetables for a fraction of the cost of getting it at the grocery store. I am looking forward to googling different recipes so I can cook up my new veges and get them in my body and my families' bodies so that we can be more healthy. I am really excited about it!

Okay, that's it for now. Thanks for letting me get all of this out so that I can be accountable for these changes. One day at a time!

Late Weigh-in

I know I'm late with this post, but I did weigh-in, and I had a 1/2-pound loss, so I'm back to having lost 20 lbs. I should be saying this with a lot of excitement and gusto, but I know what kind of a weekend it was and that it wasn't kind to me on the scale this morning. So, I'm hoping to kick things into gear this week and finally break through this barrier that I've hit over the past month. Luckily, the weather is nice, so I've been spending more time outside. However, I need to remember although just being outside and being more active is a good thing, I can't slack on my regular workouts. Just being outside and playing with my kids doesn't get my heart-rate up, so I need to be more aware of that.

I did move up another belt-loop over the weekend. The bad news is that I refuse to actually cinch it up that far because the extra bulges in my jeans are not appealing. So, until I break down and buy some new pants, I'll just have to get by with my belt on the second loop.

Here's to a good week!

Weigh-in

It has been a long week. Every time I saw the scale I was tempted to step on it, but I did resist until late last night--I just couldn't wait to see where I was at. Then this morning, I was kind of surprised to find that I had a loss this week. It was only a .5 lb. loss, but it was a loss. Also, considering that I had a pretty rough week and gave into the Easter bunny candy on more than one occasion, I am happy to see a loss. I did have a measured improvement in my water intake and I did have some good workouts early on in the week, but didn't get in my big Thursday night/pre-weigh-in workout due to one lame excuse or another. It was nice to not have to worry about weighing in every night and morning, but instead, I worried that I was going to have a huge gain when I finally did weigh-in. So, I guess this experiment just shows me that I'm going to worry whether I weigh everyday or not, so I'll weigh myself when I feel like it and hopefully I won't obsess about it anymore.

Belt Loop Tracking

Since I won't be weighing myself daily for a while, I decided I could also track my progress by using belt loops. When I started this weightloss thing in January, I couldn't get my one and only belt on at all. I wasn't even close to getting to the first loop. Now that I am down 19 pounds, I can reach to the 2nd loop without sucking in or even having much "muffin-top" hangover. In fact, I bet I could even get to the 3rd loop, but the only jeans I have are probably 2 sizes too big, so I have a lot of folded over jeans for my belt to get over, too. I have to admit, I'm really excited about it!

Now, another issue that I am facing right now is that I am finding all of my clothes too big; but I am not where I want to be yet, so I don't want to (nor can I afford) to go out and buy a lot of new clothes right now. So, for all you "losers" out there, what are you doing for clothing during your time in-between sizes?

Pictures & New Resolve

I'm actually a day late posting my pictures. For anyone who has been eagerly awaiting them (ya, right!), I apologize for my tardiness.

Even though I haven't seen much of a difference on the scale, I can tell a difference in how my body looks. I finally have people telling me that they can see a difference, too. And that really helps to motivate me. I think that, for me, losing weight is a cyclical thing. I do well for a while, then I fall back a bit. The true test, though, is to deciding to put the past behind me and try again. I think the bad times when I do fall off the wagon, so to speak, serve a purpose as well. I can always tell a difference in how I feel when I don't eat well, and I don't want to feel that way. So, everytime I feel that way, it motivates me to do better the next time. Even though I do have hard times and weak times; overall, I can say that my habits are better. In looking at the big picture, I am making healthier choices than I was four months ago. So, I am on the right track, but recognize that I will have setbacks. I choose to not let my setbacks define my progress.

 One last thought, up to this point, I have been weighing myself twice each day--once in the morning, right when I wake up and once right before I go to bed. For this week, I've decided to not weigh myself until my weigh-in on Friday morning. Realistically, I want to be able to live my life as healthy as possible and not be so concerned about what the scale is telling me. I do think it is important to measure your progress occasionally, but I don't want my day to live and die by what the scale is telling me. It will be a challenge to stay away from the scale, but I think this will be a good test for me. That's all for now.

Frustrated! -- Trying to Look on the Bright Side

What's the point? I've been working my tail off, and I still gained again this week--another .5 pound. That puts my total loss for the month at a big, whopping 1.5 pounds. Lame! The only differences I can pin-point right now are that I started a new workout--the 30 Day Shred--and I haven't been drinking all of my water--but I've been drinking at least 64 ounces a day, for the most part. I guess, to look on the bright side, if I hadn't been trying so hard, it could have been a lot worse and I could have gained for the month rather than lost. I'm just frustrated--enough said.

Stuck

Weigh-in was this morning. I was hoping to get back to my low from 2 weeks ago. But, alas, I am stuck with no loss this week. No gain, but no loss either. I guess that is a plus. I'm wondering if it has something to do with the new workouts I've been doing the last few days. I started the 30 Day Shred with Jilllian, which is the workout DVD I decided to get for my Valentine's Day gift from my husband. After the 1st day, I could barely move my arms. Actually, now that I think of it, I could barely move anything. I was so sore. So, rather than wait for any soreness to go down, I decided to fight through it and do the workout again the next day. The soreness in my arms after that workout was nearly unbearable. However, the next morning, I was feeling quite a bit better. So, during my workout last night, I felt pretty good. I was actually able to do some of the more advanced moves they were showing me, and I am just a little sore this morning. (Enough to know I worked hard.) Anyway, the point is, I'm wondering if I have been adding more muscle; thus, the lack of change on the scale. Even if that's not true, the funny thing is that my body feels more toned this week, and my clothes (especially my shirts) are fitting even better after this week. Well, hopefully, if I keep working out hard and eating right, it will result in a loss for next week. Here's hoping.

Blah!

Daylight Savings has wreeked havoc with me this week. I couldn't figure out my schedule all week. This morning was the first time I actually got on my elliptical because of other things going on. So, it wasn't too surprising when I ended up with a .5 pound gain. Although, even though I wasn't on the elliptical, I had been outside enjoying the weather. On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, I worked outside trying to rake up all the dead grass out of my lawn. There was a lot of it, so I only ended up getting the front yard and a little of the backyard. It was a good upper-body workout, and by Wednesday, my arms were really feeling it. Also on Wednesday, I walked to my daughter's school so she and her sister could ride their bikes home. I had to walk pretty fast to keep up with them. I was also pushing a stroller, so I thought that was a good workout. My diet has not been as controlled as it should have been and especially my water intake has suffered. So, thus the gain. Oh well, it is what it is. It sure would have been nice to knock off that last pound to reach my 2nd goal. Maybe next week.

Weigh-in & Milestone

Today is weigh-in. I've been trying really hard this week to focus on my diet, water intake, and generally being more active during the day. It seems to have worked as I have lost 2 pounds this week. That is a total of 9.7% loss. The milestone is that I have now lost 20 pounds! Hopefully next week I will meet my Phase 2 goal, which is only 1 pound away. After having a rough week last week, it felt really good to be back on my game this week!

A Little Success

I know it isn't a big deal to a lot of people, but I just had to post a little success I had today. I was making brownies to take to a friend who just had a baby, and I kept thinking to myself, "I just want a little lick of this batter. I would taste so good! One little lick isn't a big deal. . . ." BUT I DIDN'T DO IT!! As soon as I was done, I rinsed out the bowl to rid myself of the temptation and had a banana and some almonds instead. Yay me!!

Seriously?!?

Well, if you couldn't tell by my last post, I've had a bad week. I'm not sure I'm out of the woods yet, but my weigh-in this morning was the highlight of the week. I had been up and down all week long seeing .5 lb. changes up or down each time I'd weigh-in. So, I wasn't expecting much this morning. In fact, I wasn't expecting anything, but to chalk up a bad weigh-in to a bad week. Well, when I stepped on the scale this morning, I saw a new low. I lost 1.5 pounds this week. So much better than I was expecting! And a bright spot in on a snowy, cold day. This bring my total weight-loss 18 pounds in 2 months + 1 day. My % weight-loss is 8.74%. Thank goodness for a little motivation to keep going.

Pictures

It's picture time again. I have to admit that I'm just not feeling any motivation right now. Maybe I'm just a whiner, but I'm just not feeling it lately. Hopefully it's just a phase and I'll get back on the wagon soon. Anyway, here are my pictures for the month.

As far as my monthly loss, I lost a total of 4 pounds (from Feb. 4 - Mar. 4). Not great, but it's something. I'll report my weekly "loss" tomorrow.

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.

Weigh-In and On to Phase 2

Weigh-in today--I lost 1.5 pounds this week. Not too spectacular a number, but a loss nonetheless. The bigger news is that Phase 1 of Operation: Baby Fat is complete!! When I started this goal, I seriously thought that it would take me three months to lose these 11 pounds. Now, only 4 weeks later, they are gone! I can't tell you how fulfilling that is--not to mention motivating.

So, on to Phase 2 . . . . with baby number 2 (who is almost 4 now), I gained ten pounds. I'm looking forward to continuing this journey. Oh, and I should mention that Karilynn at Losing to Win, has added me on her "Support other Losers" section on her weight-loss competition blog. I didn't get a chance to sign up for her competition, but I look forward to following the progress of those who did. Also, anyone coming here from her blog, I welcome your comments and encouragement. We can do this together, one day at a time!!

Miracles of Miracles!

I actually made it through a weekend without gaining any weight!! In fact, I actually hit a new low this morning on the scale! The real success in all of this is that I did it with a lot of temptation around me. On Saturday, I attended a Women's Retreat that served lunch. I happily ate the pasta salad, roll, and carrots, but I passed on the dessert. Then on Sunday, we had a family birthday party with my husband's family. And his family always has delicious food at these parties, not to mention some sort of birthday cake. I was really careful with my portion sizes, and felt okay about having a tiny slice of birthday cake--it was my relaxed day, after all! I felt really good about my choices over the weekend, because the me a month ago would have eaten lots and lots of everything available at both of those functions. I've really come a long way with this new lifestyle already, and I'm really liking it!! Not only that, my kids are starting to request healthier food choices. Hooray!!

Week 3 -- Weigh-In!

Y'all ready for this? I wasn't sure whether or not I was ready for this weigh-in. My progress for the week had been slow and I had gained a pound back after last weekend, so I didn't return to my last Friday low until Wednesday. So, I wasn't planning to see big losses for this week. In fact, my pace had been losing about a half a pound a day, so I was expecting to see about a 1 pound loss from last week. Don't get me wrong, I would have been happy with any kind off loss, but was hoping for a little bit bigger number than that. So, last night, I decided to sneek in an extra work-out on the elliptical, then I also woke up early this morning to work out (as I normally would have). So when I stepped on the scale, I was excited to see that I had lost 3.5 pounds for the week! That brings my total up to 10 pounds in three weeks!! I have to say that I am encouraged by the progress I'm seeing. My clothes are fitting much better, and I feel like I have more energy (which is a new thing for me). And, just in case anyone is keeping track, that puts me 1 pound away from my phase one weight-loss goal, and I technically have another 2 months to complete the first phase. Hey, maybe I'll be able to complete Phase 1 & 2 before the end of the quarter. One day at a time!!

Weekends are HARD!

I need to figure out how to do weekends without blowing all of my goals out the window! Today, I am up a pound from my Friday weigh-in, but it almost feels like I am back at square one. I was not good about drinking my water and I felt like I was hungry all the time. (I think there might be a connection there.) So, I think I need to focus on drinking my 96-128 ounces of water every day, and continue eating better and exercising. Then maybe I'll start seeing better results, and I won't feel so hungry all of the time. Here's hoping!

The Second Week Curse

Well, as I suspected, the second week curse is alive and well. My losses were not near as impressive as last week. However, I am encouraged that I continue to lose weight. Interestingly enough, I contribute most of it to my diet. I always used to think that if I exercised, I could eat whatever I wanted and be able to lose or at least maintain a healthy weight. It turns out that diet is the key to losing weight, but I do think that the combination of the two is the key to shedding it more quickly. I have only been able to exercise 3-4 times each week so far, but I have been able to make some healthier decisions in regard to my diet. So, I am still encouraged.

So, for my numbers. I lost 2 pounds this week! Which brings my total weight-loss to 6.5 pounds. I have to admit that is better than I expected to be doing this early in the quarter. The best news of all is that I hit the milestone that I was hoping to hit this week. I now weigh less than 200 pounds. (Yikes, did I just admit that I weighed in the 200s. Yep. I did. Scarey, I know!) I hope to never weigh that much again! Hopefully I can stick to the lifestyle changes I am making--one day at a time!

Checking In

I'm still here. Had a crazy week with all of my kids getting sick. So far two of the three are better. My 6-month-old is hopefully pulling out of it soon. However, I am happy to say that I am still making good food choices. Exercise, on the other hand, has not been happening. I am hoping to get some in during the next few days. However, I am still seeing small decreases in my weight. Although, from what I've heard, the second week losses are always less-impressive than the first week. I have found that to be true, so I don't expect huge numbers tomorrow at weigh-in. But, even small losses are still losses.

Something that I need to improve on is drinking more water. My goal is to drink between 96 and 128 ounces of water a day, and I've barely made it to 96 on most of the days this week. Yesterday, I only got to 64. I think if I drink more water, it will translate to good things on the scale. Onward and upward!

New Week

I am actually up one pound from yesterday, but surprisingly enough, I feel good about it! Sounds weird, huh? Well the reason behind my contentment, is because I've made Sundays my relaxed day. So, instead of being militant about my diet on Sunday, I let myself indulge a little. To clarify, it is not a "free" day, I am not allowing myself to eat whatever I want whenever I want on Sunday, but if I feel like having a couple of cinnamon bears, I don't beat myself up over it. This also helps me get through any cravings I may have throughout the week. So only being up one pound this morning was nice because I know that I didn't overdo my little indulgences.

Another success is that I am still down 4.5 pounds from one week ago! Not only that, but I am hoping to hit a major milestone this week with my weight. (I'll write about it when it happens.)

Still taking it one day at a time, one thing at a time!

Weigh-In & New Mantra

I originally was going to report my weight progress on Mondays, but I decided it might be discouraging to report after a weekend (especially because Sundays may turn out to be "free" days); instead, I decided to report on Fridays. So, when I weighed myself, I discovered that after five days of Operation: Burn the Baby Fat, I have lost 4.5 lbs.!! I have to admit that I am really excited about the results so far! I am trying to be really committed to this and it is nice to see some results quickly. I know, however, that it won't always be this way, but it's nice to have some positive reinforcement.

As for my resolve to keep working, I have adopted a new mantra in my life right now, and that is "One Day at a Time." In the past when I've set goals or tried to do something new, I always look at the big picture and doing that new thing every single day; it honestly makes me really discouraged because I tell myself there is no way I can keep it up for long periods of time. So, now I just think, "Can I do this today?" And most of the time I can say "yes." Now, I don't know if I will be able to do it tomorrow; but if I just focus on today, it is a lot more manageable and not so overwhelming for me. I know I will have good days and bad days, and if I have a bad day once in a while, I will start a new day and leave it in the past.

Day 3 Progress

I wish I could say that the last few days have been easy. I honestly expected them to be because I've just barely started and still have the "new goal" motivation. However, day 1 was HARD! Day 2 was HARD! But, I think I succeeded because I didn't do what I normally would do, and that is reverting to my comfort zone which includes eating whatever I want, whenever I want. I really tried to plan out what I was going to eat for each meal/snack. I'm trying to make concious choices about what goes in my mouth and how much of it. So, for me, that is a small victory; although, it would sure be nice to have one easy day in there somewhere. I kind of feel like my world is spinning out of control in a lot of different areas, so I am hoping to reign in everything and find my footing so that I can move forward.

As for my weigh-ins, I have been weighing myself everyday, just for recording sake; but I am going to post my weight results weekly. So, on Mondays I will post my weight results. I will say that I have seen a little change for the better. Hopefully that will continue.

And We're Off!

As I squeezed into my jeans today, I am reminded why I want to do this in the first place. I need to have a more active lifestyle, in general; but to be able to have that kind of lifestyle, I need to lose the extra fluff I've collected from years of not being vigilant and assuming that what I was doing (or not doing) was good enough. Well, it turns out, it's not; so it's time to make a change. I think one of my issues is that I continue to view my body as it was when I was 21, but my body has changed a lot since then. Not considering the extra weight I've added, but I've had three kids. That alone make some major changes. But because my mind has been telling me that I have my 21-year-old body, I have become complacent. I liked how my body was when I was 21, so I've been happy with myself for the past ten years, which is a good thing. The problem is that in my complacency, I didn't maintain the type of fitness regimine I did in my early 20s. And now that my metabolism has slowed down, I need to change the way I eat and I need to exercise more. Not an easy task, but a doable nonetheless.

So, to start everything off, here are my pictures on day one of Operation: Burn the Baby Fat. (They are pretty scarey, so be warned! Also, they were taken by my 5-year old, so disregard the fact that they aren't centered.)

Phase 1

Here is my plan: I gained between 5 & 15 pounds with each child, so I plan to burn the extra weight they left me with one at a time. So, first I will be working on burning off the extra weight from baby #3, which is about 11 pounds.

This is how I'm going to do it:
Exercise: I need to exercise 3-5 times per week. I will receive 1 point for every 30 minutes of exercise. With a total of at least 3 points per week.
Improved Eating Habits: I need to control my portion sizes, have set times for meals to avoid snacking all day (three meals with a snack between breakfast & lunch and lunch & dinner), make good choices for snacks, drink lots of water, and limit myself to one dessert per day.

I also intend to take pictures of my journey so that I can see my progress. I will post the pictures on this blog.