Weigh In (Week 13) & Beach Challenge Results

I CHANGED DECADES!  I wanted it SOOOOO badly for this week!  Starting May in the 150's...bye-bye 160's foreverrrrrrrr!  As for the Beach Challenge, I began at 163.4 and now I weigh 159.8 so I didn't lose the 10 anticipated pounds.  And that is OK...I still had a great month with a 3.6 lb weight loss.  And I really did give it my all - I kicked up my exercise and worked out almost everyday (except the few sick ones I had), I drank a TON of water, cut back on my sodium, found some new workouts, and stuck to my diet plan much more consistently.  So with that said...I can't be disappointed in myself!

One thing that pisses me off is I don't think my scale is 100% accurate.  I think its close, but if I get on it 10 times in a row...it will give me 10 different numbers.  I do think I weigh 159.8 because yesterday morning I weighed the same.  But...maybe I will start weighing myself at the gym in the same clothes each time....I haven't decided yet.  And maybe it isn't that big of a deal.  I mean the scale isn't WAY off - I just wish it were more consistent.

So now for this weeks reflections...I realized that my body does not lose weight easily.  I mean I worked out 14 of the last 16 days, drank nothing but water (at least 8 glasses every single day) and STILL didn't lose as much as a person who follows my plan would.  I finally recognized that I was having too many "cheat" meals & snacks mainly because I was combining the FSD with calorie counting - which for many MANY people would probably work, but not me!  I had to buckle down and stick to my plan much more closely than I had been doing - although I still had some cheat days.  Actually on Tuesday I had a double cheeseburger meal from McDonald's - my first fast food meal since 2009.  I planned on having Subway, but ended up not finishing my day until after 9 p.m. - all the Subways were closed and I was hungry enough to gnaw off my left hand.  I know that it is imperative that I do not allow myself to become that hungry, and for the most part I have prevented it from happening.  But even despite that meal - I had a great weight loss this week (for me).  So I am thinking that cutting back on salt may have been the reason for my big number.

For example, yesterday I grilled fresh chicken tenders on the George Foreman instead of having my usual Butterball processed chicken strips from the grocery store.  I seasoned them only with pepper, garlic & onion powder and left out the Seasoned Salt which would have been the first thing I added before.  They tasted so good and I stayed wayyyyyyyy under my sodium consumption for the day.  Instead of having Progresso's Lentil Soup (canned) I made my own.  Rather than having lunch meat I had a Morning Start Black Bean Burger - still a convenience item, but it had much less sodium.  It was difficult at first but I feel I am starting to find my stride with the salt reduction.  Thank God for MyDailyPlate.com though because I would not be tracking the sodium on my own!  LOL.

I loved reading your comments on yesterday's blog.  Clearly I was in "I'm going to take over the world" mode...but I meant every word!  Thanks!

Weigh In (Week 13) - Great week!

DOWN 1.8 LBS = 161.6 lbs.
I had a pretty good week!  After my 1 lb gain last week I really kicked it into high gear.  The words from my trainer helped and also (as mad as he made me!) and DEFINITELY my new smaller measurements were encouragement to continue going!  So this week, I re-read a couple of chapters in the FSD book and tried to re-direct my eating.  And as for the scale, I am ecstatic!  This is the most amount of weight I've lost in a week and the 150's are sooooo close!  I am going to be there next week, before May, I can feel it and I am claiming it!

Okay, so I have no chance at meeting the Beach Challenge goal...but hey, I did get a personal record out of it.  1.8 lbs is a HUGE number for me!

Hits:

• Drank at minimum 2L (64 oz) of water per day, usually more
• Exercised everyday this week, longer than 30 minutes each day!
• Starting to enjoy exercising....finding myself making it a priority, finally.  YAY!!!!

 Misses:

• Didn't eat as many fruits & veggies as normal...need to get back to 6 servings per day
• Cannot control overeating on sweets.  Whenever I bring in a snack item (pecan rolls, brownie bites) I can't seem to stop at one serving.  So I have to go back to not having it at all until I can control myself.  Really sounds pathetic, but I'm just being real.
• Still have to cut back on salt even more, but I am definitely more conscious of it.  I'll get there...

Here's what I did this week:
Sunday:  Walk/Jump rope interval outside
Monday:  Personal Training Session
Tuesday:  500 jumping jacks + 500 Jump rope
Wednesday:  PT session + 500 Jump rope
Thursday:  Zumba class (1 hr) + ab work + elliptical 20 minutes
Friday:  Zumba class later...not sure of what else

Weigh In (Week 12), Beach Challenge, AND Zumba!!!!

Ok - My first official gain!  SMH.  163.4 (up 0.8 lbs).  But no worries, I am back on track.  The scale kicked me in the rear to get my life together!  lol.  After being sick and slacking on exercise for a week, I also wasn't cooking.  I got super busy and with being under the weather just didn't feel like putting the energy into meal-planning and cooking.  So all of that contributed to my gain, I'm sure.  I'm most likely not going to get 10 lbs in 2 weeks, so the Beach Challenge will be a "technical" fail, but it doesn't matter, I will still work hard for the remaining 2 weeks for a respectable number!  lol.

I have been back to my daily exercising.  Yesterday I went to my first Zumba class (I know, I know, I'm late) and I am hooked!  I absolutely loved it!  Got up this morning for another class!  And surprisingly I sweat and felt like I got a great workout.  Plus, instead of my normal 30 minute shot, I worked out for an hour.  Several community centers around my city offer fitness classes, some free others cost a whopping TWO DOLLARS!!!!  That's what I'm talkin' bout!!!!  So - I have renewed enthusiasm about working out!  Next week I will be doing water aerobics, belly dancing and zumba. Watch out now!  I've been back on my game with my food plan also.

Pam (from The Rest of the Journey) posts regularly about her visits to the Farmer's Market, which inspired me to seek out my local market.  I got a bunch of goodies at less than grocery store prices so I was very happy about that.  Thanks Pam!

It is such a beautiful day, I think I will go for a walk in the park...that'll be 2 workouts today!  YAY!  :-)

Weigh-In (Week 11) & Challenge Updates

162.6 lbs, down 0.8 lbs from last week, 10.8 lbs lost total.  I'm still having trouble accepting how slowly my body is losing the weight, but I am no longer disappointed with small losses.  Slow and steady (as you guys have told me via comments!!!).  I'm proud that I've not gained any weeks so far and that is a victory for me in 11 weeks!

I was a part of Trina's Cute as a Bunny Challenge.  The goal was to lose 7 lbs in 7 weeks.  I began the challenge at 167 lbs and since I weigh on Wednesdays today is the final weigh in for me.  Altogether I lost 4.8 lbs.  I had some weeks where I didn't lose an entire pound and others that I stayed the same.  However, although I didn't get the 7 pounds, I am happy with my performance in my first ever challenge!!!

Which brings me to my next point - Tammy's Beach Challenge!  Read the post I did on it if you missed it!  I'm going to switch my weigh in days to Friday for the rest of the month for the purposes of the challenge.  The goal is to lose 10 lbs in 1 month.  I will be a grinning, skipping, giggling fool if I achieve that!!!  Since the start of the challenge, I've been exercising daily to help meet that goal and I plan to exercise 2x/day three times per week.

• Thursday (April 1) = only 20 minutes on the elliptical (hadn't seen the challenge yet)
• Friday = 30 day Shred with Jillian Michaels
• Saturday = 45 minutes at the gym on treadmill (intervals, walking, jogging, running)
• Sunday = 45 minute walk at the park
• Monday = personal training session at 5 p.m.
• Tuesday = didn't have time to workout but cleaned my apt, took all the trash down to the compactor on foot, not by car as usual.
• Wednesday = have a P.T. session at 5, will do 30 shred in a few minutes...

I've been drinking pretty much nothing but water, so that is one thing that I struggled with in the beginning that I really have made leaps and bounds of improvement in.  I just wanna see that scale move just a bit faster, but so long as I don't gain, I'm happy!

Thank you ALL so much for your comments on my last ranting post.  Some were so touching, they brought tears to my eyes.  It was such a moment for me, realizing that you not only sympathized but empathized with me.  Thank you very much.

Here are some pic's of what I've been eating lately.

Homemade Spicy Seafood Soup & Side Casear Salad (note only 5 croutons!)

Beach Challenge - I'm IN!

I'm always up for joining a new challenge if I know it is one to which I can commit.  Tammy at From Fat to Fab is hosting a Beach Challenge.  From my knowledge the basic rules are to commit to losing 10 lbs by April 30, in anyway you choose to achieve it.  Now, given my track record of loss, this is a VERY ambitious goal for me!  Maybe not even practical by some people's standards...but I am going to give it everything I have.  I weigh 163 right now, and just the idea that by May I could be 153 seriously encourages me.  My birthday is at the end of May and if I could be in the 140's by then (also my mom, and a couple of aunts and cousins are coming to visit) I would be absolutely ecstatic.  I think it is possible!  I really do, down in my spirit.  I've inspired others to start the Fat Smash diet and in 2 weeks they've lost about 7 lbs.  It doesn't make me upset, it motivates me.  Its nice to know others on the same plan and to know they are having such great success makes be believe it is possible for me to get 10 lbs in 30 days!

My plan of attack - continue to exercise 5 days per week.  3 of those days, do 2 workouts, morning and evening.  I have the time for this (single, no kids - all I have is my books!!!) if I make the time.  I have finally been drinking water consistently - I plan to continue to have at least 32 oz of water per day.  1 bottle per workout is 16 oz...1 with dinner and another throughout the day would give me 48 oz, I should be able to hit that.  And I'm going back to journalling on LiveStrong.com my food.

I also did Trina's "Cute as a Bunny" challenge for Easter.  I will be posting the results of that on Wednesday (my official weigh in day).

I did Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred this morning...this evening I may do it again or I will hop on my elliptical.  For breakfast I had egg scramble (with low fat cheese) and a half Flat Out Italian bread.  Already had 16 oz of water and dinner is made - veggie stir fry with beef.  :-)