new year, new plan

I've decided to track my weight loss this year because it really helped me be accountable last time.  I'm following the same strategy as I did last year - working out 4-5 days a week (mostly cardio, but some weights too), drinking lots of water, and watching what I eat.  I hate counting calories and I fail miserably when I try so that is not part of my plan.  I do keep a "general" idea in my head of who many calories I am eating, but I don't track, count, or anything like that. 

I typically weigh myself everytime I am at the gym, but will only track on my blog once a week.   Tuesdays seemed to work well last time so I'm going to try Tuesdays again this time.

Date:1.5.2010
Starting Weight: 160.4
Weight Last Week: NA
Weight This Week 160.4
Weight Loss: NA

Summer Weekend

Matt and I tried to remember this week the last time we actually went out for "date night" on a Friday night. This was a tradition we started when we were first married and every Friday night when neither of us have other plans we go out together. Sometimes we try new restaurants, and sometimes we got without old favorites. Sometimes we go do something else in addition to dinner.

Last night we tried out Ted's Nebraska Grill. A few weeks ago we got a $10 coupon in the mail for Ted's and thought we would try it out. The menu was really extensive (as long as you want meat) and both Matt and I tried the a bison burger - mine with guacamole, green chilis, and pepper jack and Matt's with bacon, cheese, bbq sauce. I really enjoyed mine and did not find the bison to be much different than beef - but the lower fat content keeps it from holding together as well - it was really nice and tender. The nice thing is we got the coupon back to continue using if we want to.

I headed to the gym for a consultation with my new trainer, Josh, this morning. We talked about the nutrition plan I will be following along with my exercise plan. I have my first workout with him on Monday. The nutrition plan and cardio plan are a new thing for me - my previous trainer just worked with me on weights but left cardio and nutrition up to me. I'm now eating 5 small meals a day and watching my protein, fat and carb intake at every meal. Tracking my meals will be a new thing for me and I am excited to see how it works.

We have a couple of errands to run today (Target, Hobby Lobby, etc) and may head to the Countryside Art Festival later.

Resolutions

One of my New Year's resolutions this year was to begin blogging more.
I even set a goal for myself that I would blog at least three times per week.
I thought this seemed like a reasonable goal.

Apparently not.

So I decided that before I get halfway through the year without blogging, I should get a start on that resolution.

On the subject of resolutions, I have also decided to get back on the weight loss kick I was on last summer. I have realized that my life is just far too out of control from January through mid-April to be too hard on myself about losing weight. I'll be happy with maintaining through the craziness that is interview days and file review time. Now that it is summer and my work life is much less crazy, I'll be returning to my weekly weigh-ins in Tuesdays because that seemed to work really well last time. I have hired a trainer at the gym Matt and I joined a few months ago, and I am committed to reducing my portion sizes and focusing on more fruits, vegetables, good proteins, and whole grains. I am trying to shed processed foods, and junk from my diet. I will always have weaknesses (salt for me), but I can learn how to control them.

We enjoyed a fun-filled and very busy weekend. I joined my friend and co-worker Mackenzie for some sushi at the Urban Wine Company and then sat in the THIRD ROW for a performance of Wicked! It was phenomenal! Amazing show, incredible cast - I would have watched it twenty times if I could have!

Saturday we enjoyed a nice trip to the farmer's market for tomatoes, salsa, cottage bacon, and ciabatta roles - YUM! I love, love, love the farmer's market. After we walked around, made our purchases, and enjoyed a gorgeous spring/summer morning, we met up with Pell and Bren for a trip to the Urban Wine Festival (hosted by the Urban Wine Company - are you getting the weekend theme, here?). We were able to taste several different wines and enjoyed more of a gorgeous day. Our day of fun did not end there though - we enjoyed a late lunch at M's Pub (yes, I had to have some lavosh!) and then headed to Lincoln for some Ivanna Cone and to watch my friend Michelle compete in a women's rollerderby match. I can honestly say it was my first rollerderby match - and I am very thankful that they included a demonstration of how it all works prior to the start of the match. Those girls are viscious! There was one girl taken off on a stretcher during the match and Michelle told us that two girls on her team are out with broken legs, and one is out with a separated shoulder - all caused by roller derby! Michelle's team did not win, but it was a unique and interesting event to attend.

We hosted a small gathering at our house last night and had a great night celebrating the beginning of summer with friends and family. Matt made some homemade ice cream (vanilla and maple-grapenut) and we grilled hamburgers, chicken, and sausages and everyone brought something to share! Fun times!

My camera is out of commission at the moment so I don't have any photos of our fun weekend to share :(

Starting Weight: 175.9 lbs.

Last Weigh-In: 161.2

New Weight: 160.0
Loss during travel: 1.2
Total Loss: 15.9

I haven't weighed in for awhile. After returning from travel I relished time with Matt, and my trips to the gym grew few and far between and then the holidays hit and we got incredibly busy.

I returned to work after 12 wonderful days off and renewed my weight-loss journey. So, weighed in today ready to accept that I had probably gained weight.

However, I didn't gain - I lost. Which makes it a little bit easier to keep going - knowing that I didn't backtrack.

I did better than maintain!

Starting Weight: 175.9 lbs.
Pre-Travel: 163.0

New Weight: 161.2

Loss during travel: 1.8

Total Loss: 14.7

I'm back home and wanted to update on my weight loss. As I have said before, I post these to hold myself accountable and so I can remeber the hard work I have done. I'm almost 15 lbs. down and almost into the 150s. Even better than the numbers, I have a whole new wardrobe of clothes that I was not able to wear last winter. Matt is less than pleased with my requests to go shopping - but I'm rapidly approaching some major issues with my wardrobe. This includes my favorite pair of jeans that I can take off without unbuttoning! They are becoming my "not-so-favorite" pair because they are really too big to be wearing, but I don't desire to buy clothes now and then having to shop again when I have settled at a weight/size later on.

I'm pleased that I not only managed to maintain my weight loss through travel season, but actually lost a little. Travel season is tough - most of my meals are eaten out, and my schedule is unpredictable.

Pre- Travel

Starting Weight: 175.9 lbs.

Last Week: 163.4
New Weight: 163.0 lbs.

Loss for the Week: 0.3 lbs
Total Loss: 12.9 lbs

As I won't be able to weigh in every Tuesday as I have been while I am on the road, I thought that I would post my weight loss pre-travel and then evaluate again when I am done. I may weigh in periodically while I am on the road, but it definitely won't be weekly. The above numbers were from Monday, 9/15 - my last work out before I left Omaha. I'm going to try to get in as many workouts as I can and eat as well as I can while I am on the road. My schedule tends to be unpredictable, but I think I can maintain the good work I have done.

Weighing in...

I wasn't able to make it to the gym on Tuesday or Wednesday this week, so I weighed in a couple of days late. Not a big loss like last week, but I'm still happy with my progress.

Starting Weight: 175.9 lbs.
Last Week: 163.8

New Weight: 163.3 lbs.
Loss for the Week: 0.5 lbs

Total Loss: 12.6 lbs

Thanks for the support!

WOOHOO!!!

Starting Weight: 175.9 lbs.

Last Week: 166.0 lbs.
New Weight: 163.8 lbs.

Loss for the Week: 2.2 lbs.

Total Loss: 12.1 lbs!

So Close!!!

Starting Weight: 175.9 lbs
Last Week: 166.2

New Weight: 166.0
Loss for the Week: 0.2
Total Loss: 9.9 lbs.

Close!

Starting Weight: 175.9 lbs

Last Week: 168.1

New Weight: 166.2

Loss for the Week: 1.9

Total Loss: 9.7 lbs.

Starting Weight: 175.9 lbs
Last Week: 168.1
New Weight: 168.9 lbs

Gain for the Week: 0.7 lbs
Total Loss: 7 lbs

I'm not surprised nor discouraged. I haven't had a week of gain yet, and at some point my body needed to "freak out" a little about my consistant loss. I've also been craving salt like crazy lately, so I think I'm retaining water.

I walked into the gym tonight ready to accept the consequences of a weekend letting myself go a little. I didn't work in gym time this weekend and probably should have. I also didn't watch what I ate the entire weekend ( I definitely enjoyed a piece of choclate pecan pie and some homemade ice cream). However I ended up getting a pleasant surprise when I checked my weight. I'm not taking the numbers for granted. I am absolutely keeping in mind that my weight loss is a long term commitment, but that in the long run I need to learn how to have a "fun" weekend, and then get right back to it.

Starting Weight: 175.9 lbs

Last Week: 168.1

New Weight: 167.3 lbs
Loss for the Week: 0.8

Total Loss: 8.6 lbs

I would love to break 10 lbs this week and I think I might be able to do it. While I am far more interested in how I feel, how my clothes fit, how healthy I am - losing 10 lbs. is still a milestone and I'll be happy to get there.

Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'

Starting Weight: 175.9 lbs
Last Week: 169.4 lbs

New Weight: 168.1 lbs
Loss for the Week: 1.3
Total Loss: 7.8 lbs - WOOHOO!!

I'll include pictures and measurements next week!

My beloved black capris, which were too small at the beginning of the summer, now fit perfectly!

Good-Bye 170s!

I crossed my first "weight" milestone tonight by leaving the 170s behind.

Starting Weight: 175.9 lbs

Last Week: 170.5 lbs

New Weight: 169.4 lbs

Loss for the Week: 1.4

Total Loss: 6.5 lbs - YAY!

I feel very comfortable and relaxed about this weight loss. Typically, losing weight is a stressful process for me because I become consumed with what I should, and should not be doing (or what I should, or should not be eating) and when I become consumed I become overwhelmed and chicken out. But this time I feel in control, but I also feel that it is a much more natural process. I'm not counting calories, or points or anything else. I'm merely looking at food in an entirely different way. I'm actually enjoying food more now than I did before - even though I didn't think that was possible.

This journey is a long-term one for me. I know that it has to be in order for me to be content with myself and with my body. I complete understand the concept of being content with your own body, and I reached a point where I was not comfortable in my own skin. This discomfort lead to great change and it feels great.

I'm exhausted today so my post will likely not be too long. I had a terrible case of insomnia last night and definitely remember 1am coming and going before I finally fell asleep. Needless to say, the 6am alarm was not very welcoming.

I'm not sure what caused this as my weekend was pretty calm. Matt and I went out for Date Nite on Friday. We decided to eat a Granite City, one of our favorites when we lived in Lincoln, but we had not yet been to the one here. The menu is different and my favorite salad, the buffalo chicken one, is gone. I had to settle for a dinner salad and a cup of Cheddar and Ale soup. Matt really likes their Chicken Parmesan and must have been craving it because he didn't even look at the menu when we got there.

I went to work out on Saturday morning then met a friend for lunch, shopped for a baby gift, and went to the baby shower. It was incredibly hot out on Saturday - we defintely experienced a typical July day in the midwest.

Matt and went to see Hancock on Saturday night. I was aware of the basic plot of the movie, but was surprised by the direction it took. I won't give any more away, but I thought it was good. It is funny, serious, and a little dark at times.

We had family dinner at my parent's last night. Jim and Matt were both missing so we invited Grandma along. We enjoyed my favorite Cajun Shrimp and had pound cake, peaches and ice cream for dessert - the first good peaches I have had this year. We also pulled out old family pictures and had a great time looking through them.

Although tomorrow is Tuesday I will not be posting my new weight because Mackenzie and I will be at the Dave Matthews Band concert at the Qwest. I have never seen/heard DMB in person and I am really excited. However, I checked my weight tonight to see where I was at, and I am expecting a good number on Wednesday when I check in!

I'm headed to bed - let's hope that tonight is a better night than last night!

On the road again...

I tried to update this last night since it was Tuesday and I've been trying to update my blog regarding my healthy campaign on Tuesdays. However, we experienced a horrible storm (again) that caused our internet to go haywire and I couldn't post. So, here is the update.

Starting Weight: 175.9 lbs
Last Week: 172.5 lbs
New Weight: 170.5 lbs
Loss for the Week: 2.0 lbs
Total Loss: 5.4 lbs - YAY!

I'm excited to be on this path again. It actually seems easier this time becuase my viewpoint is much more holistic regarding a healthy lifestyle. I'm eating better, working out, and trying to drink more water daily.

Lifestyle Update

I've decided that I will try to post a weight loss update every Tuesday as I usually make it to work out on Tuesdays and I can use the scale at the gym. I like the idea of tracking my progress as a constant reminder to myself that I am working hard and that it will take hard work to make this happen.

Starting Weight: 175.9 lbs

Last Week: 173.5 lbs

New Weight: 172.5 lbs

Loss for the Week: 1.0 lbs

Total Loss: 3.4 lbs - YAY!

Two years ago, I was able to run at least three miles on the treadmill everyday and this was consistantly my workout because I could get on the treadmill, run three miles and be done in about 45 minutes including a cool-down.

I tried to run on a treadmill a couple of months ago and barely made it a quarter of a mile without feeling horrible. I decided to give it a try tonight and decided that I would try to work my way back up to at least 3 miles. Tonight I briskly walked one mile (4.2 mph), ran a mile (5.3 mph), then then walked another mile (4.3 mph). It felt great to be running again!

I did finally take some before pictures to post.

Okay, now they are public - time to commit to change

so I never have to post pictures like this again!

Weight - 7.1.2008

Original Weight: 175.9
New Weight: 173.5
Loss: 2.4lbs

I went to a Turbo Kick Boxing class tonight that was fun and very fast-paced. The teacher was great at making sure that everyone was able to keep up and gave great instructions during the class. Luckily this class is offered several times a week so I'll be able to go and I think it will be easier next time because I will have done the kick boxing moves before.

Considering I basically took three days off of working out while we went to KC this weekend, I'm pretty pleased with my one week loss.

I'll post pictures soon, I promise.

Confessions...

My husband is out tonight and I have to admit that I am really enjoying it. Not that I don't love spending time with him, but I do enjoy being by myself sometimes. I'm somewhat jealous of him this summer because he is able to spend alot of time home alone since he isn't teaching or working this summer. I like being able to watch what I want to watch on TV - which usually means flipping channels for me as I hate commercials, and being able to have my own schedule. This evening, for example, I ate a small snack when I got home (shredded wheat with milk), ran something over to my parents, and then headed to a Pilates class. After the class I came home, made my lunch for tomorrow and then finally got around to eating dinner at about 9:15pm. I always feel guilting having a schedule like this when Matt is around because I know he likely does not want to wait to eat that late, but we like to have dinner together so their is a conflict. Matt started holding open field nights for the softball team on Monday and Thursday nights this week so I will be able to enjoy a little time alone a couple nights a week now. I'm sure I will get used to it, as Matt will be gone frequently once softball season starts in August.

I titled this blog confessions and you just got my first one. Here is the second - I'm really unhappy with myself right now. Two years ago, in preparation for fitting into a wedding dress in front of a huge group of people, I started working out, hired a trainer, and lost about 15lbs. in about 8 months, while gaining a ton of muscle. I was absolutely in the best shape of my life. Then I got married, moved in with Matt (whom I had lived apart from for over 6 months), and completely ditched working out. Needless to say, I gained all the weight back (and then some) and have been generally pretty unhappy with myself since then. I actually manage to "convince" myself most of the time when I look in the mirror that the way I look isn't that bad, and I also tend to ignore signs I get when I am easily out of breath, or feel uncomfortable in my clothing.

However, I was recently looking at photos of myself and realized that I can no longer ignore the signs. I spent hours upon hours of time working out two years ago, felt great the day I got married, and then reversed the whole process for absolutely no reason other than the fact that I always decided I had something better to do than work out.

So, I have vowed that I will begin working out again and I have also decided that I am going to completely overhaul my diet. My diet really did not change two years ago, which is likely the reason that I only lost 15lbs. I'm also holding myself accountable by making the results public via this blog. I plan to post everthing - from measurements, weight, pictures, the whole works. Last time, it was far too easy for me to forget all of the progress I had made, and this time I want proof!

I pulled out the tape measure tonight and went to town. I'll probably only be doing this monthly and I'll probably adjust to the first of the month from now on.

Right Arm: 11.75

Left Arm: 11.25

Upper Chest: 37

Chest: 41.5

Lower Chest: 34.5

Waist: 36

Hips: 42.5

Right Leg: 26.75

Left Leg: 26

Weight: 175.9

I'll probably take pictures later this week and post them. I actually find it very relaxing to pack my lunch for work and take it. I've never really done this before as I ate at the Union most of the time at Truman, I ate in downtown Lincoln most of the time when I was at UNL, and at the Student Center or out prior to now at Creighton. For the last week I have been planning out my lunch and taking every day and it is such a relief to not have to worry everyday about where I will eat lunch and what will be available. I also find I actually get to spend more time "at lunch" rather than getting lunch. All in all - a win-win situation :)

Tonight when I got ready to leave the gym after my class (a great class, btw) the car that parked to my left was parked so close to my car that I could not open the door more than a couple of inches. The parking lot at the gym is often very crowded and people tend to park everywhere, and not necessarily in the lines. However, I know the particular spot was empty when I parked and I know that the spot was plenty big enough for a car the park within the lines. I walked back inside and asked the guy at the desk to page the owner and ask them to move their car, and after waiting about 10 minutes realized that no one was going to move the car. So, I went out and climbed over the passenger seat of the car into the driver's seat - which is no easy task considering my car is a small, manual shift. I thought about leaving a note telling them to be more considerate when parking, but I didn't. I should have, because the whole situation was completely rediculous, but I didn't.