Good days and Bad

I've had a terrific week. A friend who doesn't know I'm losing weight commented that I've lost weight and look good. I had a new low weight yesterday (but as it's not official weigh in day it doesn't count on here) and ... drum roll please... I started a jogging program. You know the ones that are set up for 'Couch Potato to 5km' interval run/walk types? One of those. We (bf and I) walked for 5 minutes, then jogged for 1min, walked for 90secs, jogged again for 1 min etc for 30 mins. I felt terrific afterwards - and ok during it - but the next day my legs were aching! I was suprised as I'm on my feet all day every day and thought I had ok strength in my legs. I thought the pain would be in my chest and lungs but felt ok there - it was my legs that struggled. Well, that was day one and day two was meant to be yesterday but instead we were helping a friend move house after work.

Lordy!

I've never come across blokes who take so long to discuss which box to move first and how to stack the furniture in the elevator better... Me being the bossy but super efficient woman I am started to take over as soon as I got there and lo! we were done 5 hours later. The boys took us to Red Robins after and although I'd planned on the apple chicken salad, and was even looking forward to it, I was so tired and had burnt so many calories already, that i was swayed by the idea of a burger. I guess I'm not used to eating such greasy food anymore because it sat heavy in my belly all the way home. I really regret not getting that salad. Especially because after my all time low weight yesterday, it was up 1.5lbs today. Ack. Today will be better.

Official weigh in 1

This mornings was down from yesterday at least...
192,4

Accountability

This is week 6 of my efforts and I feel I need to provide a progress update.

I can't recall promising myself to weigh in once a week. I think i need to start though.

I jump on the scales every day and see my progress but I watch as it zigs up and zigs down again. I expect this so it isn't disheartening at all. I enjoy it even. Each morning I lie in bed and think if it will go lower or higher and take a bet with myself. I love being pleasantly suprised when it hits a new low but don't mind if it goes up. Each day brings potential new low weigh-ins. I have found it also helps me to keep focused as each day I step on that scale I remember what it is I'm trying to do. Accountability!

Because i am zigzaging and eating more calories than when I first started, my weekly losses slowed down. It was a quick first 5lb, then the last 4 have been slow and up and down a bit. I have decided that Wednesday is a good day to weigh in (seeing as it is tomorrow) and then each Wednesday I'll record my official weight - more Accountability. This is good.

I also took my measurements the first week I started. I took them again 2 weeks ago but didn't get around to posting them. Here they are (better late than never) in cms:
Navel - 112 down to 109
Hips - 112 down to 110
Chest - 104 UP to 105 (i'm not sure I measured this right??)
left upper arm 37 down to 36
calf - 42 down to 41
neck - 36.5 down to 36

I was impressed with the overall shrinkage and feel it in my clothes being looser. I will attempt to post measurements every month around the 18th as this is the day I started. More and more Accountability!

And one last thing...

Photos. I am not a keen photographer and don't go out happy snapping but I believe a picture tells a thousand words. Progress photos are fun and essential to measure yourself with as the camera doesn't lie. I was trying to find a vaguely flattering photo where it was clear I had a bit of weight to me. All of a sudden these photos where I used to think I looked decent or even good, are jumping out at me screaming pudgy bits here for all to see!!! How did I think I looked good? The evidence of my obesity is right in front of me - and now you...

So along with weekly weigh ins, monthly measurements and regular blogging, I am going to start taking progress photos. I'm not sure how often I can upload them, but I will aim for at least a couple per month. ACCOUNTABILITY!!

Here's me before I started getting fit... i hate my arms


And again...



Until next time...

What does it mean to me?

I had a poor week eating wise last week. I am back on the wagon and feeling confident but the little stumble has made me question what I'm trying to do again. My original goals included 'to be thin' and 'to wear smaller sized and super stylish clothes'. But i need more than that. Those goals are tangible but...

I have always enjoyed exercise but do not currently do much. My budget currently doesn't stretch to include gym membership so I don't go to classes. I used to jog and had improved my fitness and endurance but this too fell aside when I moved overseas. I'm not trying to make excuses for why I haven't been exercising. It's a big part of why i'm so chunky now though. That and portion control.

I'm now ready to reassert my healthy priorities. I want to be fit and healthy and able to go jogging to clear my head of the days dramas. I want to feel proud of achieving something - although I already feel proud of coming this far, and still wanting to go forward. I want to look in the mirror at this incredibly sexy bitch and know I created her.

Official loss

So it was my 29th birthday on Wednesday. I had aimed to lose 5lbs by my birthday and i hit that mark a couple of weeks early. As it's been a super crazy busy week at work and with extra commitments happening after work, I hadn't posted anything about my progress at all - so here it goes.

I weighed in this morning at 191.4 lbs. That is 8.6 loss since i started. My measurements have gone down at least 1cm everywhere, and sometimes 2cm. I fit my current clothes better and my fat pants are falling off me. I've had to retire two pairs of comfy fat cargo pants that I used to adore but now just make me feel gross to put them on. People have noticed a change and been complimenting me (mostly at work) and I'm not sure if it's the weight loss or if because of the weight loss, I feel better about myself and am projecting a good glow instead. hmmm. either way i'll take it!

I haven't been eating great this week. Obviously being a birthday week I'm going to go out more - but still try to make healthy choices. But it has honestly been the Bitchwork week from hell at work and I haven't been able to think about grocery shopping or menu planning - essential things in order for me to stay on top of this lifestyle diet. I have the day off today (after a 6 day week) and can really figure out the next week (another 6 day week). I need to get more vegetables, salsa, beans, chicken, spinach (for my green monsters!), oats, milk, eggs, yoghurt and goodness knows what else. I'll drag my boyfriend along to carry it all home.

One thing in all this craziness is that I am still logging everything (even the bellinis) into my calorie counter. Every day. Every item. Even if I'm making bad choices, I'm still recording it and am accountable to it.

It is getting easier to come up with this stuff as the food choices are becoming second nature to me now.

This diet thing is working

I need to buy some new work bottoms as my standard black pants (my
favourite pants as they are comfy yet stylish) were constantly riding
low and looking baggy around my bum. This is not cool. We are having a
high level corporate member visit our store next week to meet us and I
can't be hitching my pants up while shaking his hand.

So yesterday I went shopping. Or tried to. I wanted to buy a new skirt
as I figure while i lose weight it wouldn't bag at my bum - just ride
lower on my hips. Colour me astonished when I can do up all of the
size 14 things I tried and even a couple of 12's. Of course the 12's
didn't look right at all but hey it's progress!

This diet thing is working!

I wanted to take photos but as it was I didn't like the clothes I had
picked out. For a girl who works in fashion, I can be a bit helpless
when it comes to my own wardrobe. I'm great with accessories, and I
guess have always resorted to them when clothes don't fit right. Not
anymore!

back on track

I like the days when I get back on track. I feel refreshed and excited about things again. I haven't fallen too far off the get-fit wagon so I'm not really recovering too much lost ground. Yes, i did eat a bag of pretzel m&m's. I needed chocolate and it calmed me down.

I spent yesterday refocusing on what I am trying to achieve. I looked at my goals and realised they are still very fluid so I want to tighten them up a bit. I am conscious of what I'm eating, and I'm trying to eat right every day - not just on my low cal days. I want to inject some fun into this process though. More food for thought....

At the mercy of my hormones

To describe the completely insane-pyscho-craziness I have been feeling the last few days would be cruel and unusual punishment for you, dear reader, so I'm not going to update any progress stories or diatribes of my latest food adventures. I'm going to post this picture of chocolate and pretend I ate it instead.

Revisiting my calorie count

Ooops. I miscalculated. I've been starving myself by cutting too many calories. No wonder I dropped 5 lbs so quickly. I'm down over 7 lbs currently and although I'm glad of the quick loss I know it's not sustainable and that it will in fact damage my chances of losing in the near future.

I calculated my Daily intake using an app on my iPhone (Lose it! - it's really handy and I'll do a product review at some stage) and it asked me how many pounds I want to lose. I said 2 and it told me to eat 1300 cals/day. I know it's healthy to lose 1lb a week which equates to a 500 calorie cut p/day so I need to eat more around the 1750 mark to lose weight. I don't want my metabolism to slow and my body to go into starvation mode so I'm trying to vary things a little - eating different foods, at different times of the day, alternating between just over some days and just under others. I'm going to try out cycling my calories and averaging the week. Of course I still need to eat right and make better choices but this cuts some slack in the routine a little.

Also, as I've been undereating all week, I'm treating myself to Pizza Hut and trying their new 'Eat well' menu. I'm getting one chicken pasta - 450 calories a serve. I hope it worth it.

Too much salad? I thought that was impossible?!

I just ate my lunch at work but I couldn't finish it. It was a salad - filled with cabbage, tomato, carrot, apple and some black beans and utterly delish! I just could not eat more and I realized how well I've been paying attention to my body lately. I mean it's common sense right? When full, stop eating. In the past I would have kept on pushing through that barrier and finished it then gone and bought a coffee and cookie as an afternoon perk me up.

So I'm paying attention to my body now. It's a wonderful feeling.  

I've lost over 5 pounds and feeling chuffed. I'm also pleased with how I have been preplanning several days in advance. With my work schedule, it's hard to be firm with a routine so I have had to create beautiful looking spreadsheets that tell me what my day will be like several days in advance. This appeals to the an*l retentive split personality inside me.

   

Goal (mini one at least)

I lost 5lb. This morning I weighed 194.4. I put my mind to it, have eaten nutritiously and exercised moderately (lots of walking, without breaking a sweat so far). I'm stoked :)

Today is my planning day. I am reviewing the week just past and planning for the week ahead. I know I had a couple of hiccups during the week and on those days, I was lucky to manage and not eat too poorly. But I know being prepared will work better than relying on luck.

My diet has consisted of eating a lot of whole foods (vegetables, salads, fruits) along with some seeds, meat and some grain products - bagels occasionally and oats for the most part. It occurred to me I'm on a low carb diet, but this wasn't intentional. I focused on reducing my caloric intake. Trying to get the most substance out of those calories defined the foods I've been gravitating towards. I can eat platefuls of vegetables/salads or I can eat 1/2 a chocolate bar or bag of chips. It seems so clear to me now.

I knew my food choices in the past haven't been brilliant (you don't get fat by eating celery) but in a typical day in the past I would have eaten both the chips and the chocolate without the vegetables.

I'm craving chocolate at the moment and I believe it's coz I'm due for my monthly troubles. I'm hoping with the reduced amounts of crap in my diet that my blood sugar and salt levels are ok and won't make the cravings insurmountable. I've also started taking a B-complex multi-vitamin which is supposed to help.