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Apr 18, 2011

Stalled

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On Saturday my trainer put our class through a workout so intense that we wondered what had happened to put her in such a mood. She made me use 10lb weights this time, really drilled us for proper form, and for some of the advanced people in the class, made them wear weighted vests and during push ups placed 20lb dumbbells on their backs.

It was crazy. But I survived and even felt pretty good at the end. (OK, truthfully I felt beat up. But after a protein shake and some rest I felt pretty good.)

What I didn’t like was my weigh-in. The scale is stubbornly holding on, refusing to move any lower. Expressing my frustration, I whined that I was upset in seeing roughly the same number for the last month. My trainer then suggested I do a three-day diet to “shock” my body back into losing weight.

The three-day diet is a plan the gym suggests to clients who need a little kick in the metabolism. It involves eating a little bit of grains and a heck of a lot of fruits and vegetables over a three day period and nothing else. Fats during that time come only from olive oil used on salads. Protein is next to nothing, which is the complete opposite of the high-protein diet they recommend most of the time.

Honestly? I’m tempted to try it. It’s insane that my weight is stalling out so close to 170. Many years ago, when I lost nearly 80 lb the first time, this was the point I stalled out. The lowest number I ever remember seeing was 168 and that was short-lived. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t because I liked what I was seeing and got too comfortable – I remember trying to lose more and getting nowhere. It was as if I was at war with my body, and it was stubbornly hanging on to everything it had.

But I also know that I feel ridiculous for even thinking of trying it. Sure, it would be great to get more fruits and veggies in my diet, but I know that it’s likely just three days of very low calories. Anyone would lose weight like that, right? Also, what are my chances of following it precisely for three days? It’s amazing how long three days can feel when you stare at your dinner of steamed mixed veggies and salad.

I can’t decide if I should try it or not. I did take my measurements and compared them to my earlier measurements, and haven’t really lost much in inches, either. I don’t know if I can squeeze any more time out of my schedule to workout more. So at this point I’m open to trying nearly anything different to force my body to melt some fat, even if it is digging into some farmer’s market produce for three days.

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Mar 28, 2011

As Good As It Can Get?

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Saturday at my boot camp class I stepped on the scale expecting to see no change again. After all, this past week hadn’t been the best: I’d had deep dish pizza one night, ate several small bites of sweets, and other than my Tuesday and Saturday boot camp classes, my butt had been firmly parked in a chair. Even on weeks when I’ve put in extra effort for the gold star, the scale has rarely given me more than a quarter or half pound loss.

So I was a little surprised when the scale showed I had lost three pounds in a week.

My current weight is 171 pounds. That means in the last seven weeks I’ve lost ten pounds. I’m so very, very close to the magical 160’s. Why magical? Because I’ve only seen the 160’s once in my adult life, and it was for a very brief moment in 2002, when the scale went no lower than 168 in my quest to look good for my early 2003 wedding. Back then, I considered that just about as good as it could get.

But that’s not as good as it can get. I’m going to reach 168 soon, and then I’m going to pass it. The BMI charts recommend a weight of no more than 158 pounds for someone my height, and I’m not stopping until I’m no longer considered “overweight” by the medical community. I’ve gone from obese to overweight, so I know I can do this as well.

Let’s review for some motivation, shall we?

Highest weight post-kids, BlogHer06:

(On the left, obviously. Note: NOT my highest weight ever!)

How I looked when I first made the decision to turn this ship around, March 2009:

And now me in a bathing suit, March 2011:

(And I’m surprised I’m not bursting into flames from embarrassment right now!)
I’d call that progress. I still won’t be winning any awards in a bathing suit at the moment, but I’ve graduated away from the bathing suit dress at least. I can look at that photo and see a lot of hard work accomplished, while also still seeing a lot of potential for the future.
I’m starting to feel semi-comfortable in my own body, and it’s a nice feeling. Too bad it took me 34 years to get there.  
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Mar 1, 2011

Weigh-In

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I stepped on the scale on Saturday morning, and was greeted with a number I haven’t seen in a long time: 175.

The last time I was 175 pounds, I was a newlywed. I looked like this:

(Honeymoon at Disney, 2003)

Although now my body doesn’t look the same at 175 pounds as it did then. (New photo coming soon, I promise!) Stretch marks, loose skin, more fat – not exactly the body I thought I’d be seeing at this weight.

Some of that may be in my mind, too. Because when I went shopping this weekend, I was thrilled to slip on a pair of size 10 Lee jeans. I haven’t worn size 10, since…well…since I was 175 pounds. So even though I feel like my body is bigger than it was before at this weight, apparently the clothing still fits.

Since starting my bootcamp classes four weeks ago, I’m down six pounds. I often feel like it’s not going fast enough, but I know these things take time. I’m within 20 pounds of my goal weight now, so naturally it’s going to get harder to lose each pound. But I’ve already stripped away almost 8 years of weight, so I know I’m on the right track and need to fight off feelings of discouragement.

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Jan 17, 2011

Remember Me?

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Hi. Oh, yeah, I did have a fitness blog here, didn’t I? Whoops.

OK, brutal honesty: December sucked. I didn’t exercise, I didn’t watch what I ate, and I certainly didn’t step on the scale. I ate with reckless abandon, enjoying all of the baked goods of the season gleefully. As the holidays got closer and free time was shorter, fast food became a staple as well.

And then it was the week after Christmas and I stepped on the scale. Ouch. I gained five pounds back.

So here we are, January, the month of fresh new starts, and I’m once again completely serious about losing weight. I’m using the Lose It app to track my eating, keeping myself under my calorie goal each day. I’m also relying on Healthy Choice meals once a day – they really help me feel full without the excessive calories. After a week of tracking, I think I’m getting good at remembering just how big an appropriate portion size is – turns out those pints of ice cream are not individual servings. And my stomach, while still grumbling a little at the changes, is adjusting to less food and shrinking to meet my current needs.

Exercise is a little tougher to control. I’m getting over a cold and still so very tired. My third-shift work hours don’t help this, either. I’m lucky to get 6 or 7 hours of sleep on a really good day, and when given the choice to exercise or get more sleep, I tend to choose sleep. But I’m trying to fit it in where I can. Last week I did an exercise DVD on Monday, and then went to the gym to run on Friday. Baby steps, right? Sadly, we still have a lot of snow and ice outside, so I don’t feel comfortable running outside yet. A treadmill at the house would be a wonderful thing to have, but I doubt we have any room for a treadmill at the moment.

After only a week or so of making active healthy choices, I’ve already been rewarded with a three pound weight loss. I know it won’t continue to go that fast, but it felt good to be a little bit closer to my lowest weight before I gave in to the season of gingerbread and buttercream frosting. As of my last weigh-in, I’m at 179.2 pounds.

Somehow I’m going to find the motivation to keep this momentum going. I want to be healthy. I want more energy. And I want to look stunning by summer. (Or hot by BlogHer, if you prefer.)

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Oct 20, 2010

Better for BlogHer – Three Months Later

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Three months ago I took on the Better for BlogHer challenge by Healthy Choice. I was asked to replace one meal a day with a Healthy Choice meal for three months to see if it would aid in my goals of losing weight and getting healthier. I already liked Healthy Choice meals, so I gladly accepted this challenge.

Now, at the end of three months, I can report my success. Since starting the Better for BlogHer challenge, I’ve lost 10 pounds. This was after being stuck at 187 pounds for more than 2 months prior to the challenge. Sure, it’s not a tremendous amount of weight, but it is 10 pounds that I no longer have to deal with.

What’s really impressive is that I continued slowly losing weight throughout a three month period that was filled with stress and temptation at every turn, especially during the last month. I’ve had to put in a lot of extra time at work during the past month, and all of that extra work has often meant convenience foods and practically no exercise whatsoever. And then I went to Las Vegas a week ago for BlogWorld Expo, and after indulging in some of the excess of Vegas, still managed to come home without gaining any weight.

I don’t have to tell all of you what stress can do to a body. It makes me want to eat nonstop, and it makes my body store every calorie it takes in. Yet during this past month I lost 3 pounds. While I fully pat myself on the back for this accomplishment, I also give a lot of credit to Healthy Choice for this loss for a couple of reasons.

First, the frozen meals are quick and easy to prepare without skimping on taste. When I needed to eat fast, I could toss one into the microwave and have a healthy, complete, portion-controlled meal in under 5 minutes. (And still get other things done while it was cooking!) It was so simple to toss one in my bag as I was walking out the door to go to work and know I didn’t need to spend more time thinking about what to eat for lunch.

Second, each Healthy Choice meal helped me learn about portion control. The meals are filling and tasty, but at the same time not too much food. One tip Tara Gidus taught me was to eat only enough to get you through until your next meal, and Healthy Choice meals are the perfect size to provide enough food to feel satisfied without feeling overly full. When I did go to BlogWorld in Vegas, it was far easier for me to enjoy all of the delicious foods there and stop eating when I was satisfied, rather than keep eating until I felt stuffed. I feel like I better understand what a meal portion should be now.

Overall, the Better for BlogHer challenge has been an extremely positive experience. I’ve enjoyed trying new varieties of Healthy Choice meals – including their new Steaming Entrees – and finding so many delicious flavors to add to my list of favorites. Eating one Healthy Choice meal a day was probably the easiest challenge I’ve ever accepted, and that one small change did help me lose the weight, along with making sure I got more veggies, fruit and whole grains into my diet.

Even though the challenge is coming to an end, I have no intention of stopping my new habits. Working third shift, my lunch choices are often limited, and in choosing between late-night takeout pizza or bringing a Healthy Choice frozen meal, I know the latter option is the one I will turn to most of the time. It’s easy, it’s delicious, and I know it’s better for my body and my health goals.

I certainly wasn’t perfect through the whole challenge. I had days where fast food won out, or office parties filled with pizza and cake, and of course the entire past month I’ve had no time to exercise. It’s possible I could have lost more weight had I stuck to the plan closely, but let’s be honest – I’m not a saint, and life is going to get in the way of the best plans.

I’m thrilled that despite my slip-ups and mistakes, I’m still 10 pounds lighter than where I started. It came off slowly and I have every intention of keeping it off for good. If you saw me dancing at BlogWorld on Friday night, then you know I’m loving my new weight and feeling more comfortable in my own skin.

I’ve learned that small changes can have a big impact. If you’re starting this journey of losing weight, and you’re worried about failing, start with small changes that can become permanent lifestyle changes. It’s so much easier to commit to one small change, master that change, and then make another small change.

Thank you, Healthy Choice, for the Better for BlogHer challenge! I’m grateful for your support in helping me lose weight and explore healthier eating habits, and I think the lessons of the past three months will continue on as permanent lifestyle changes.

Full disclosure: I was selected to participate in the Healthy Choice Better for BlogHer challenge, and as a participant I was provided with compensation for my time as well as coupons for free Healthy Choice meals. All opinions of Healthy Choice and the challenge are my genuine and honest opinions, and are most definitely influenced by my losing 10 pounds over the past three months.

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