This update is long overdue but I've been on vacation and you know how that can just turn your life upside down.
Before I get to the update, let me recap my whole blood sugar situation. I had followed the Blood Sugar Solution to the letter (food wise) from
mid-March to the end of May. That's when my blood sugar dropped the
most (19 points) and I also dropped around 13 pounds.
Starting in June, I slowly transitioned into one of the suggested strategies outlined at the end of Dr. Hyman's book.
I continued to eliminate gluten, dairy and refined sugar. I was,
however, mostly grain free. Meaning 70-80% of the meals I had were
grain free. I did allow myself honey, maple syrup, and stevia which I
usually used in cooking.
I cooked easily 90% of everything I ate. If I went out to eat it was either Hugo's
(they list all of their ingredients on their website) or sushi (pretty
easy to maneuver). And on special occasions, I would also order from
this local Thai place around the corner from my apartment. My fiance
(who's half-Thai by the way) went to talk to them about some of their
ingredients and it turns out, one of my favorite dishes passed the
gluten challenge (yellow curry). I tried not to eat this too frequently
because I'm well aware of how Thai food and sugar go hand in hand.
I also started weight training (Drop 2 Sizes) June 1st.
So at the end of July I had a follow up appointment with my doctor. My blood sugar had only dropped one more point. My doctor was happy with that but I had hoped for lower because it still was at high normal. I also hadn't dropped any more weight.
We surmised that perhaps my weight training offset any changes in scale weight due to muscle gain because while I hadn't lost any weight I HAD lost one jeans size. She had me keep my diet the same and we instead focused on some things to help my hormones a little more.
From July to mid-September, I continued to eat 100% gluten and dairy free, and I was eating around 60-70% grain free. And I stayed away from the refined sugar.
As you can see, I started really strict and with time loosened the reigns. It's really hard to maintain that level of discipline for an extended period of time because it is VERY restrictive. And while I wasn't in that crazy restrictive mode, I was doing pretty great by comparison.
I had another appointment with my doctor last week. We went over the usual but I still haven't lost any weight since May. She wasn't happy about that either. So we discussed the last 6 months to see what we could come up with.
I log my food everyday using Loseit and they have this great tool where you can see 30 day averages of your calories and macros. So I looked at my calories and carbs from March to April and from April to May. Then I compared each subsequent 30 days. What I found was that while my calories were consistent across the board, my carbs were not. In those first 2 months I was averaging around 85 grams of carbs per day. And then after May, it starting creeping up. In June it was up to 100 grams, then 125 grams, then 150+ grams.
So she suggested I go down to 80 net carbs (total carbs minus fiber count). The nurse drew my blood to check my insulin, blood sugar, and thyroid levels. She also put in a test to check for something called a MTHFR mutation. It may or may not be inhibiting my weight loss and I may or may not have it. So, if I end up having it I'll let you know.
So as of right now, I'm really trying to focus on keeping within that carb count to see if maybe that's the magic spot for me. It's low but not crazy low - completely doable in my opinion. Yesterday was my first day and I hit it easily. I'm also still gluten and dairy free. And it looks like I ended up completely grain free too. That's something that's also pretty easy when the carb count is that low. I don't like to "waste" my carbs on grains.
Yesterday's Menu:
B: almond flour pancakes with sliced strawberries and bacon
L: stuffed poblano peppers with chicken and salsa
D: lettuce wrapped sliders with sweet potatoes fries and watermelon
Showing posts with label Results. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Results. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Drop 2 Sizes: Phase 2 (Again)
Third time is the charm right?
Yes, this is my third time trying to Drop 2 Sizes.
My first try was in January of 2014. I had just gained 30 pounds out of the blue and was feeling pretty lousy so I was desperate for something to work. Alas, I didn't make it all the way thru.
I then started working with my current doctor and was diagnosed with hormonal imbalance, hypothyroid, adrenal stuff, deficiencies etc ... So my brilliant self thought it was a good idea to try again. My second attempt was June of 2014. I was only about 2 months into my treatment. I finished. I remember it being underwhelming. In retrospect, I don't see how I could of thought I'd get ANY sort of results because I can now see how bad off I was. But according to that post, I lost inches. I did NOT, however, lose 2 sizes. Not even close.
And then finally I decided to try AGAIN. Tonight will start my second week of Phase 2. I can tell that this time I'm getting more out of it. There are moves that I can do without modifying this time. In fact, the first move of the first workout was one that I had to modify EVERY TIME during the previous 2 tries. So I was actually SHOCKED when I started this time and didn't have to modify it at all. And I think that's because I have made that much progress with my doctor. Thank God. So I really feel like this go round will be the first legitimate try.
I took starting measurements and pictures back in June. I haven't posted any updates yet because I haven't taken any update measurements at all. I've thought about doing it but honestly, I've been afraid. This may sound weird, but I've been feeling SO GOOD lately, I was afraid that if I took measurements I would see that nothing had changed. And I didn't want to do anything that might make me feel bad. But as I explained in my last post, I've been on a plateau and I believe now is the time to at least take the measurements to make sure I'm moving in the right direction. Because you can't change what you don't measure. Right?
Right.
Oh and one last tiny, little thing. I just placed an online order over the weekend for a new pair of jeans because my old ones ripped. I ordered them one size smaller.
WHAT?!?!
:)
Yes, this is my third time trying to Drop 2 Sizes.
My first try was in January of 2014. I had just gained 30 pounds out of the blue and was feeling pretty lousy so I was desperate for something to work. Alas, I didn't make it all the way thru.
I then started working with my current doctor and was diagnosed with hormonal imbalance, hypothyroid, adrenal stuff, deficiencies etc ... So my brilliant self thought it was a good idea to try again. My second attempt was June of 2014. I was only about 2 months into my treatment. I finished. I remember it being underwhelming. In retrospect, I don't see how I could of thought I'd get ANY sort of results because I can now see how bad off I was. But according to that post, I lost inches. I did NOT, however, lose 2 sizes. Not even close.
And then finally I decided to try AGAIN. Tonight will start my second week of Phase 2. I can tell that this time I'm getting more out of it. There are moves that I can do without modifying this time. In fact, the first move of the first workout was one that I had to modify EVERY TIME during the previous 2 tries. So I was actually SHOCKED when I started this time and didn't have to modify it at all. And I think that's because I have made that much progress with my doctor. Thank God. So I really feel like this go round will be the first legitimate try.
I took starting measurements and pictures back in June. I haven't posted any updates yet because I haven't taken any update measurements at all. I've thought about doing it but honestly, I've been afraid. This may sound weird, but I've been feeling SO GOOD lately, I was afraid that if I took measurements I would see that nothing had changed. And I didn't want to do anything that might make me feel bad. But as I explained in my last post, I've been on a plateau and I believe now is the time to at least take the measurements to make sure I'm moving in the right direction. Because you can't change what you don't measure. Right?
Right.
Oh and one last tiny, little thing. I just placed an online order over the weekend for a new pair of jeans because my old ones ripped. I ordered them one size smaller.
WHAT?!?!
:)
July Fireworks and Working Out!
Hello world. I hope everyone had a spectacular July 4th.
I don't know how it is where you live, but in Los Angeles there are just way too many people who get their hands on fireworks. And not those pew pew tiny fireworks, those BIG BOOM BOOM fireworks. And they are usually drunk and not qualified to handle such items.
My assistant's apartment almost burned down because of said people. Thank goodness both he and all his worldly possessions made it out alive. Seriously people, cool it with the fireworks. You will be JUST as patriotic without them.
Lots of things to talk about on this fine Wednesday morning. First lets talk about my weight. I am still holding steady. In fact, I still pretty much weigh the same as I did at the beginning of May. And I'll be honest, I'm heart broken. Now, I'm trying to not let it get to me because I'm aware there are many things that still need to be fixed in my body, but I thought I was making headway. In fact, I felt like I DESERVED to make headway. But alas, life had other plans. In any case, sitting and pouting will absolutely get me nowhere so lets try to troubleshoot what is happening.
Lets look at some of the factors:
Food wise, I'm eating the same things and save the 4th of July weekend where I splurged, I have been eating around 100 grams of net carbs per day since February. Calories are roughly the same, protein and fat are roughly the same, I'm still avoiding the foods I've been avoiding and everything. So I don't think food is the problem.
Workout wise, I'm STILL doing the Drop 2 Sizes program. In fact, today starts Phase 2 week 2 and I feel like I'm really killing it this time. Probably because I have more energy. In any case, I really feel like I'm getting stronger. So perhaps the plateau is a building muscle thing.
Health wise I hit a little snafu. In June I started to feel pretty lousy again. Old symptoms were creeping back in too frequently (fatigue, sleeping problems, hair problems etc ..). So after a dialogue with my doctor, we realized I was not taking enough progesterone. In fact, I was taking 75% less than what she wanted me on. That's a big difference. I was taking 25mg and she had wanted me on 100mg. She sorted it out with the pharmacy and I'm one week into my new dose. So far so good.
Now when I lay it all out on the line like that it just becomes glaringly obvious doesn't it? So what's probably happening is that I'm gaining a little bit of muscle which has offset any real loss on the scale AND with my meds a little messed up, my body hasn't been working as efficiently as it could.
I have to be honest, I hadn't really put 2 and 2 together until I just typed that all out. Probably should have thought that thru a little more before I had my pity party.
Ok, so here's what I'm going to do: I'm going to take some measurements. If I HAVE been gaining some muscle then I should be down. And secondly, I'm just going to give it some time. Which in my opinion is one of the WORST THINGS EVER. I don't know about you but there is nothing worse than when my doctor tells me "you just have to give it some time to work". There is no comfort in those words because all I hear is "There is nothing you can do. You have no control over this". Those are not the words you want to tell a control freak, which I am.
But that's what I have to do.
I don't know how it is where you live, but in Los Angeles there are just way too many people who get their hands on fireworks. And not those pew pew tiny fireworks, those BIG BOOM BOOM fireworks. And they are usually drunk and not qualified to handle such items.
My assistant's apartment almost burned down because of said people. Thank goodness both he and all his worldly possessions made it out alive. Seriously people, cool it with the fireworks. You will be JUST as patriotic without them.
Lots of things to talk about on this fine Wednesday morning. First lets talk about my weight. I am still holding steady. In fact, I still pretty much weigh the same as I did at the beginning of May. And I'll be honest, I'm heart broken. Now, I'm trying to not let it get to me because I'm aware there are many things that still need to be fixed in my body, but I thought I was making headway. In fact, I felt like I DESERVED to make headway. But alas, life had other plans. In any case, sitting and pouting will absolutely get me nowhere so lets try to troubleshoot what is happening.
Lets look at some of the factors:
Food wise, I'm eating the same things and save the 4th of July weekend where I splurged, I have been eating around 100 grams of net carbs per day since February. Calories are roughly the same, protein and fat are roughly the same, I'm still avoiding the foods I've been avoiding and everything. So I don't think food is the problem.
Workout wise, I'm STILL doing the Drop 2 Sizes program. In fact, today starts Phase 2 week 2 and I feel like I'm really killing it this time. Probably because I have more energy. In any case, I really feel like I'm getting stronger. So perhaps the plateau is a building muscle thing.
Health wise I hit a little snafu. In June I started to feel pretty lousy again. Old symptoms were creeping back in too frequently (fatigue, sleeping problems, hair problems etc ..). So after a dialogue with my doctor, we realized I was not taking enough progesterone. In fact, I was taking 75% less than what she wanted me on. That's a big difference. I was taking 25mg and she had wanted me on 100mg. She sorted it out with the pharmacy and I'm one week into my new dose. So far so good.
Now when I lay it all out on the line like that it just becomes glaringly obvious doesn't it? So what's probably happening is that I'm gaining a little bit of muscle which has offset any real loss on the scale AND with my meds a little messed up, my body hasn't been working as efficiently as it could.
I have to be honest, I hadn't really put 2 and 2 together until I just typed that all out. Probably should have thought that thru a little more before I had my pity party.
Ok, so here's what I'm going to do: I'm going to take some measurements. If I HAVE been gaining some muscle then I should be down. And secondly, I'm just going to give it some time. Which in my opinion is one of the WORST THINGS EVER. I don't know about you but there is nothing worse than when my doctor tells me "you just have to give it some time to work". There is no comfort in those words because all I hear is "There is nothing you can do. You have no control over this". Those are not the words you want to tell a control freak, which I am.
But that's what I have to do.
Friday, May 8, 2015
The Blood Sugar Solution continues ... Blood Tests are IN!
Lots to talk about. So I apologize in advance for the length.
It's been just about 3 weeks since last I posted.
First of all, I can't believe it's been almost 50 days since I started the initial 10 day Blood Sugar Solution. It's crazy how time flies.
So as I said in my first post, I had started the Blood Sugar Solution mainly because of suspected PCOS, insulin resistance, and my high blood glucose test results. Secondary reasons of course include weight loss, hormone balancing, and health but I initially bought this book for the sole reason of getting my blood glucose levels DOWN.
And as you know the initial 10 days were a success. Well, as far as the things I can measure at home they were a success. I lost 4 pounds, a good amount of inches and I felt great. It was around this time that I received a book in the mail that I had forgotten about. I had signed up via a promotion months ago for a free book by Dr. Sara Gottfried (whom I love) called "The Hormone Reset Diet". As I have stated previously, I have Estrogen Dominance by way of low progesterone. I've known this for over a year now because my initial test results with my practitioner showed this. But we didn't try to combat it til recently because my thyroid was the first thing on the list and it took us almost a year to get that at a manageable place. Anyway, so I'm in the midst of tackling my blood sugar when I get this book and I'm excited because in my gut I just KNOW that if I could get my hormones balanced it would make a world of difference.
But I was conflicted because I had committed to doing The Blood Sugar Solution (from hence forth to be known as TBSS) until my next blood test. Well imagine my surprise when I sit down and open her book and the foreword is by Dr. Mark Hyman (author of TBSS) so I'm hopeful that perhaps I'm already on the right track. And then as I dig deeper and deeper into the book I realize I'm already doing like 99% of what she suggests for hormone balancing. And as far as diet was concerned, it was almost spot on with what TBSS was having me do. I was super excited because that meant what I had already been working on was doing double duty for me. It was helping my blood sugar AND my hormones. Not to mention that my doctor had JUST prescribed me a bio-identical progesterone cream. Now all I needed was time to work it's magic.
And then came the end of my first 30 days. I hit 10 pounds lost. That's huge for me. Granted, that big loss of 4 pounds in the first 10 days really helped make that number so big but still, I was ecstatic. But I knew I still had another 3 weeks to go until my blood test and so I stayed the course.
Those weeks went fast. I had my blood drawn on April 24th and then we immediately went on vacation the next day. We took a trip to the Grand Canyon and Sedona because neither one of us have ever been. It's a pretty long drive (7-8 hours) but totally worth it. Seriously. It was awe-inspiring.
And even though my blood had been drawn, I STILL stayed the course. It wasn't the easiest thing on earth but it was definitely beyond doable. Especially because my fiance has been doing this with me the ENTIRE TIME (FYI he has lost TWENTY pounds so far and NO he is not overweight). I packed LOTS of snacks and did some googling on restaurants so I knew what I was in for. It worked out great. The only thing I had to make tiny exceptions for was sugar. I allowed it in certain foods because I thought it was for the greater good. For example, I packed us some organic beef jerky that was gluten free but it had been cured with sugar. I also packed larabars, sweet potato chips, baby carrots, homemade ham spread, grain free granola, lots of water, and unsweetened almond milk. And when we got there we were pleasantly surprised to find that there were a lot of healthy options everywhere. We only went to restaurants for dinner and it was easy enough to find steak/chicken and vegetables. Menus were even marked for gluten! In Sedona, we hit up a Whole Foods and replenished our snacks for our drive home.
That brings us to May and I'm STILL on point with food. Besides the sugar I allowed on our trip, the only other "discretion" I had was on May 2nd. We went to see Avengers: Age of Ultron (we are HUGE Marvel fans) and in celebration of the movie, we took some non-GMO popcorn (grain) that we bought from Whole Foods. Yeah, that last sentence there makes me sound like such a hipster but I kid you not, we felt like we were sneaking handfuls of candy from the candy jar.
And then finally, I had my doctor's appointment on May 5th. I'm not going to lie, I was pretty nervous. I had been working so hard on getting my blood sugar down. And all I could think the day before was "What if it didn't work?". Seriously, crazy nervous. I didn't care that at this point I was now down 11.2 pounds I just wanted my blood sugar to be down.
And it was. It went down NINETEEN POINTS. That's HUGE! I do need it to go down just a little bit more to a place that she's more comfortable with but she feels CONFIDENT that it can be done. My insulin also went down. In fact, almost ALL of my numbers were rocking the normal range. And not high-normal, NORMAL-normal. Well, ALMOST all of my numbers. My testosterone is a little high but she feels like that is a result of my progesterone cream and it should resolve itself in a couple of weeks. And besides, she said what I'm doing already is what she would tell me to do to get it down otherwise. So the plan now is to wait THREE MONTHS til I see her again. That's the longest we've gone between appointments in over a year. Trust me, it's a good thing.
As for my diet, I told her what I had been doing and she agreed it was best to just keep on keeping on. She said my insulin resistance is improving and the hope is that with more time under my belt with my diet I will eventually REVERSE it. Can you imagine!!?? After that, she would adjust my diet for maintenance.
So there you have it. I have 3 more months but I'm not worried one bit. I'm so excited about my results that I'm hopeful for the future now. I can honestly say that hasn't been the case for awhile. Oh and since my doctor's appointment I've lost another 2 pounds.
So since I started TBSS on March 23rd, I've lost 13.2 pounds and dropped my blood sugar by 19 points.
It's been crazy but honestly it's been worth it. I'm always hesitant and nervous about the future but I'm going to do my best to keep at it because I SO want to see those numbers down even more when I get my next blood test in August.
I'll keep you posted!
It's been just about 3 weeks since last I posted.
First of all, I can't believe it's been almost 50 days since I started the initial 10 day Blood Sugar Solution. It's crazy how time flies.
So as I said in my first post, I had started the Blood Sugar Solution mainly because of suspected PCOS, insulin resistance, and my high blood glucose test results. Secondary reasons of course include weight loss, hormone balancing, and health but I initially bought this book for the sole reason of getting my blood glucose levels DOWN.
And as you know the initial 10 days were a success. Well, as far as the things I can measure at home they were a success. I lost 4 pounds, a good amount of inches and I felt great. It was around this time that I received a book in the mail that I had forgotten about. I had signed up via a promotion months ago for a free book by Dr. Sara Gottfried (whom I love) called "The Hormone Reset Diet". As I have stated previously, I have Estrogen Dominance by way of low progesterone. I've known this for over a year now because my initial test results with my practitioner showed this. But we didn't try to combat it til recently because my thyroid was the first thing on the list and it took us almost a year to get that at a manageable place. Anyway, so I'm in the midst of tackling my blood sugar when I get this book and I'm excited because in my gut I just KNOW that if I could get my hormones balanced it would make a world of difference.
But I was conflicted because I had committed to doing The Blood Sugar Solution (from hence forth to be known as TBSS) until my next blood test. Well imagine my surprise when I sit down and open her book and the foreword is by Dr. Mark Hyman (author of TBSS) so I'm hopeful that perhaps I'm already on the right track. And then as I dig deeper and deeper into the book I realize I'm already doing like 99% of what she suggests for hormone balancing. And as far as diet was concerned, it was almost spot on with what TBSS was having me do. I was super excited because that meant what I had already been working on was doing double duty for me. It was helping my blood sugar AND my hormones. Not to mention that my doctor had JUST prescribed me a bio-identical progesterone cream. Now all I needed was time to work it's magic.
And then came the end of my first 30 days. I hit 10 pounds lost. That's huge for me. Granted, that big loss of 4 pounds in the first 10 days really helped make that number so big but still, I was ecstatic. But I knew I still had another 3 weeks to go until my blood test and so I stayed the course.
Those weeks went fast. I had my blood drawn on April 24th and then we immediately went on vacation the next day. We took a trip to the Grand Canyon and Sedona because neither one of us have ever been. It's a pretty long drive (7-8 hours) but totally worth it. Seriously. It was awe-inspiring.
And even though my blood had been drawn, I STILL stayed the course. It wasn't the easiest thing on earth but it was definitely beyond doable. Especially because my fiance has been doing this with me the ENTIRE TIME (FYI he has lost TWENTY pounds so far and NO he is not overweight). I packed LOTS of snacks and did some googling on restaurants so I knew what I was in for. It worked out great. The only thing I had to make tiny exceptions for was sugar. I allowed it in certain foods because I thought it was for the greater good. For example, I packed us some organic beef jerky that was gluten free but it had been cured with sugar. I also packed larabars, sweet potato chips, baby carrots, homemade ham spread, grain free granola, lots of water, and unsweetened almond milk. And when we got there we were pleasantly surprised to find that there were a lot of healthy options everywhere. We only went to restaurants for dinner and it was easy enough to find steak/chicken and vegetables. Menus were even marked for gluten! In Sedona, we hit up a Whole Foods and replenished our snacks for our drive home.
That brings us to May and I'm STILL on point with food. Besides the sugar I allowed on our trip, the only other "discretion" I had was on May 2nd. We went to see Avengers: Age of Ultron (we are HUGE Marvel fans) and in celebration of the movie, we took some non-GMO popcorn (grain) that we bought from Whole Foods. Yeah, that last sentence there makes me sound like such a hipster but I kid you not, we felt like we were sneaking handfuls of candy from the candy jar.
And then finally, I had my doctor's appointment on May 5th. I'm not going to lie, I was pretty nervous. I had been working so hard on getting my blood sugar down. And all I could think the day before was "What if it didn't work?". Seriously, crazy nervous. I didn't care that at this point I was now down 11.2 pounds I just wanted my blood sugar to be down.
And it was. It went down NINETEEN POINTS. That's HUGE! I do need it to go down just a little bit more to a place that she's more comfortable with but she feels CONFIDENT that it can be done. My insulin also went down. In fact, almost ALL of my numbers were rocking the normal range. And not high-normal, NORMAL-normal. Well, ALMOST all of my numbers. My testosterone is a little high but she feels like that is a result of my progesterone cream and it should resolve itself in a couple of weeks. And besides, she said what I'm doing already is what she would tell me to do to get it down otherwise. So the plan now is to wait THREE MONTHS til I see her again. That's the longest we've gone between appointments in over a year. Trust me, it's a good thing.
As for my diet, I told her what I had been doing and she agreed it was best to just keep on keeping on. She said my insulin resistance is improving and the hope is that with more time under my belt with my diet I will eventually REVERSE it. Can you imagine!!?? After that, she would adjust my diet for maintenance.
So there you have it. I have 3 more months but I'm not worried one bit. I'm so excited about my results that I'm hopeful for the future now. I can honestly say that hasn't been the case for awhile. Oh and since my doctor's appointment I've lost another 2 pounds.
So since I started TBSS on March 23rd, I've lost 13.2 pounds and dropped my blood sugar by 19 points.
It's been crazy but honestly it's been worth it. I'm always hesitant and nervous about the future but I'm going to do my best to keep at it because I SO want to see those numbers down even more when I get my next blood test in August.
I'll keep you posted!
Friday, April 17, 2015
10 More Days and 10 More Days and 10 More ....
Just a little update on my 10 days.
So, after my initial 10 days ended, I did another 10 days. I followed the diet completely and did my walking workouts more often than not, and I lost 2 additional pounds.
That puts me at 6 pounds lost since March 23.
So I figured I might as well keep going and decided to do ANOTHER 10 days. So far, I'm 6 days in and I'm fluctuating around 1 pound lost. I say fluctuating because in the last 3 days the scale has been doing up and down things and it hasn't settled on a number yet but I feel confident that I'll end the 10 days down more. I HOPING for 2 pounds but I'll honestly be happy with any amount because, sadly enough, this is the most weight I've lost since I can remember.
What have I been doing? I've been following the diet about 99% of the time. I've been eating grain, dairy, white potato/starchy vegetable and sugar free. I say 99% because I have allowed for a tiny bit of honey to be used in a recipe I've been making the last 2 weeks or so. I also just started eating sweet potatoes to help keep my carb count up. Believe it or not I have been having a hard time eating ENOUGH carbs. Never thought I'd say that. Overall, as time goes on, I am NOT finding this hard at all. Well, at least for right now I'm not. All I know is that I'm so happy that something seems to be working that I'm more than willing to do this for however long it takes.
I've also been going on walks every week. I'd say about 4 days a week I'll do a very fast, moderate effort 30 minute walk. Just to give you an idea of intensity, they are usually with hills and require some effort. It is not, however, the hardest workout I've ever done in my life. My next step workout wise will be adding in some circuit training (think 30 day shred kind of workouts). I'm hoping to start that either today or this weekend.
And that's it. April 21st will be day 10 of my current cycle. It will also be day 30 since I began. I'll let you know what happens. My goal is 8 pounds total!
So, after my initial 10 days ended, I did another 10 days. I followed the diet completely and did my walking workouts more often than not, and I lost 2 additional pounds.
That puts me at 6 pounds lost since March 23.
So I figured I might as well keep going and decided to do ANOTHER 10 days. So far, I'm 6 days in and I'm fluctuating around 1 pound lost. I say fluctuating because in the last 3 days the scale has been doing up and down things and it hasn't settled on a number yet but I feel confident that I'll end the 10 days down more. I HOPING for 2 pounds but I'll honestly be happy with any amount because, sadly enough, this is the most weight I've lost since I can remember.
What have I been doing? I've been following the diet about 99% of the time. I've been eating grain, dairy, white potato/starchy vegetable and sugar free. I say 99% because I have allowed for a tiny bit of honey to be used in a recipe I've been making the last 2 weeks or so. I also just started eating sweet potatoes to help keep my carb count up. Believe it or not I have been having a hard time eating ENOUGH carbs. Never thought I'd say that. Overall, as time goes on, I am NOT finding this hard at all. Well, at least for right now I'm not. All I know is that I'm so happy that something seems to be working that I'm more than willing to do this for however long it takes.
I've also been going on walks every week. I'd say about 4 days a week I'll do a very fast, moderate effort 30 minute walk. Just to give you an idea of intensity, they are usually with hills and require some effort. It is not, however, the hardest workout I've ever done in my life. My next step workout wise will be adding in some circuit training (think 30 day shred kind of workouts). I'm hoping to start that either today or this weekend.
And that's it. April 21st will be day 10 of my current cycle. It will also be day 30 since I began. I'll let you know what happens. My goal is 8 pounds total!
Thursday, April 2, 2015
The Blood Sugar Solution: 10 day detox Final Results
Yesterday was my 10th day of the detox. And I'll tell you, I was so in the groove with this thing, that I hardly remembered that it was the "last day".
So in 10 days, I lost 4.0 total pounds, 3 1/2 inches off my bust, 1.5 inches from my belly button, 1.5 inches from my hips, and 1/2 an inch from my thigh.
Those are the only areas that he instructs you to measure. But I added 2 areas of my own, my natural waist (I'm naturally short waisted so my belly button is definitely not my waist) and my ribs (area right beneath bust). Oddly enough, I lost ZERO inches from those 2 areas. I say oddly enough, because I definitely felt like I had.
In all truthfulness, I did not do every protocol that he asked. I tried very hard but there were a lot of steps each day and honestly I just didn't get to them all. I wrote in a journal and did detox baths most of the time for the first half, but once the weekend came I was so busy I completely forgot about them. I NEVER did the breathing exercises that he suggested mainly because I always remembered them right as I was falling asleep and at that point, I did not care. I did NOT use any of his recipes because the few I did try, I did not like at all. I also did not take every one of his prescribed supplements, particularly the PGX he pushes pretty hard. My own NP has me on supplements and most of them are the ones he recommends but I didn't want to stray from anything she's doing just because a book told me to. I also did not walk/exercise 30 minutes every day.
Now for the things I DID do. I stuck to his dietary guidelines the entire time. No sugar, no grains, no dairy, and no starchy anything. For breakfast I did a detox shake. For lunch, I typically did a salad or soup of my own making that followed his guidelines and for dinner I had protein and veggies. I also got my 7-8 hours of sleep per night. That part was easy because I usually always get this much sleep if not more. I love my sleep. I also had a support system. My fiance did the entire thing with me even though he has zero problems with blood sugar or weight. So if I had doubts or was having a bad day, I had someone to talk to. And while I didn't do 30 minutes of walking every single day, I did do 30 minutes most days.
Conclusion?
I absolutely think that if you follow the diet protocol, get your sleep, and walk (or get exercise) when you can, you'll get results, whether it's feeling great, losing inches, or losing pounds. Or maybe even all 3 (like me!). Everything else that is required is definitely helpful especially if you are a person who is crazy stressed out but if all the work looks overwhelming just stick to those 3 and do your best with the other stuff.
Now what?
At the end of the book, he recommends some strategies for once you finish the 10 days. I've chosen the 'Super Advanced Plan' (a fancy name for what I've been doing the last 10 days). So I will continue to avoid processed foods, sugar, dairy, gluten/grains, starchy vegetables, and most fruit (I'm allowed berries or kiwi in the morning). I'm also supposed to continue with the 30 minutes of exercise, the breathing breaks, detox baths, journaling, tracking, hydration, 7-8 hours of sleep, and hefty list of supplements every day.
That's a lot of stuff right? Let's see, I definitely want to do my best to get in 30 minutes of walking every day and to get my sleep so I will focus on those. The breathing breaks, hydration and tracking stuff I probably won't worry with. I don't like tracking my measurements every day because I tend to let that kind of stuff get inside my head. The detox baths are awesome and help me sleep so I will try to get as many in as I can but I don't personally feel the need to have one every single night. What's left? Oh the journaling. I didn't journal the whole 10 days the first time so I want to try to do that for the next 10 days. In the book, each day he lists questions/topics for you to consider and to write about. Some of them are very thoughtful subjects so I WOULD like to try to do that. And finally, the supplements. Again, I will only take what has been prescribed to me by my doctor.
And that's it. I'll report back in 10 days so we can see what happens when you continue. Hopefully it's good stuff.
So in 10 days, I lost 4.0 total pounds, 3 1/2 inches off my bust, 1.5 inches from my belly button, 1.5 inches from my hips, and 1/2 an inch from my thigh.
Those are the only areas that he instructs you to measure. But I added 2 areas of my own, my natural waist (I'm naturally short waisted so my belly button is definitely not my waist) and my ribs (area right beneath bust). Oddly enough, I lost ZERO inches from those 2 areas. I say oddly enough, because I definitely felt like I had.
In all truthfulness, I did not do every protocol that he asked. I tried very hard but there were a lot of steps each day and honestly I just didn't get to them all. I wrote in a journal and did detox baths most of the time for the first half, but once the weekend came I was so busy I completely forgot about them. I NEVER did the breathing exercises that he suggested mainly because I always remembered them right as I was falling asleep and at that point, I did not care. I did NOT use any of his recipes because the few I did try, I did not like at all. I also did not take every one of his prescribed supplements, particularly the PGX he pushes pretty hard. My own NP has me on supplements and most of them are the ones he recommends but I didn't want to stray from anything she's doing just because a book told me to. I also did not walk/exercise 30 minutes every day.
Now for the things I DID do. I stuck to his dietary guidelines the entire time. No sugar, no grains, no dairy, and no starchy anything. For breakfast I did a detox shake. For lunch, I typically did a salad or soup of my own making that followed his guidelines and for dinner I had protein and veggies. I also got my 7-8 hours of sleep per night. That part was easy because I usually always get this much sleep if not more. I love my sleep. I also had a support system. My fiance did the entire thing with me even though he has zero problems with blood sugar or weight. So if I had doubts or was having a bad day, I had someone to talk to. And while I didn't do 30 minutes of walking every single day, I did do 30 minutes most days.
Conclusion?
I absolutely think that if you follow the diet protocol, get your sleep, and walk (or get exercise) when you can, you'll get results, whether it's feeling great, losing inches, or losing pounds. Or maybe even all 3 (like me!). Everything else that is required is definitely helpful especially if you are a person who is crazy stressed out but if all the work looks overwhelming just stick to those 3 and do your best with the other stuff.
Now what?
At the end of the book, he recommends some strategies for once you finish the 10 days. I've chosen the 'Super Advanced Plan' (a fancy name for what I've been doing the last 10 days). So I will continue to avoid processed foods, sugar, dairy, gluten/grains, starchy vegetables, and most fruit (I'm allowed berries or kiwi in the morning). I'm also supposed to continue with the 30 minutes of exercise, the breathing breaks, detox baths, journaling, tracking, hydration, 7-8 hours of sleep, and hefty list of supplements every day.
That's a lot of stuff right? Let's see, I definitely want to do my best to get in 30 minutes of walking every day and to get my sleep so I will focus on those. The breathing breaks, hydration and tracking stuff I probably won't worry with. I don't like tracking my measurements every day because I tend to let that kind of stuff get inside my head. The detox baths are awesome and help me sleep so I will try to get as many in as I can but I don't personally feel the need to have one every single night. What's left? Oh the journaling. I didn't journal the whole 10 days the first time so I want to try to do that for the next 10 days. In the book, each day he lists questions/topics for you to consider and to write about. Some of them are very thoughtful subjects so I WOULD like to try to do that. And finally, the supplements. Again, I will only take what has been prescribed to me by my doctor.
And that's it. I'll report back in 10 days so we can see what happens when you continue. Hopefully it's good stuff.
Friday, March 27, 2015
The Blood Sugar Solution: 10 Day Detox
Hello internet.
I had no idea it's been 7 months since I posted.
So lets do some updates.
After I finished my Drop 2 sizes challenge I ran into a snag with my thyroid treatment. During the months of September, October and the first half of November my body went haywire. I hadn't changed anything with my prescription, supplements, diet or anything when I just started feeling kind of bad. And then bad changed to horrible. My hair started thinning/shedding, I required at least 2 naps a day just to make it to 8pm for bedtime, and my ears were ringing all the time. Fun times right?
So mid November my doctor made some changes to my protocol. I switched to a new brand of thyroid with a new dose, added high doses of certain vitamins and (knock on wood) by December I felt great. Fast forward to February and while I was still feeling pretty good, I had ZERO weight loss and for the first time, the letters PCOS became apart of the conversation. So we have now added progesterone cream to see if that will help improve things (I'm low).
Now, while most of my numbers are now ok, my blood glucose is not. And with the PCOS conversation comes insulin resistance and all of the fun things that comes with that.
So I've been working on trying to get those numbers down with diet and exercise in order to avoid going on any other medication because I don't want any more pills.
Enter Dr. Mark Hyman and the Blood Sugar Solution.
In a nutshell, I'm doing a 10 day detox to see if I can get my blood sugar under control. That's all. And while he calls it a detox it's really unlike any detox I've done.
Basically you drink a "detox shake" for breakfast (aka a whole foods smoothie), eat a whole foods lunch and then a whole foods dinner. So basically you're just supposed to nourish yourself with lots and lots of vegetables, healthy fats, and proteins because there's no grains, no starchy vegetables (potatoes), no sugar (obv) and no dairy (hello Paleo). The detox part I think comes from the other things he wants you to do: detox bath every night (Epsom salt bath), writing in a journal, breathing exercises, walking 30 minutes every day, and taking supplements to support your body. So by detox, it's clear he means detoxing from stress which I like. I'm not a fan of those detox juice cleanses or fasts or anything.
Before I started I was already gluten free and refined sugar free (I still used coconut sugar or 100% maple syrup on occasion) but other than that I WAS still eating gluten free grains, dairy, and starchy vegetables, so I didn't have to make too many changes. I'm usually dairy free anyways.
How's it going you ask?
Today is Day 5 so I'm actually already halfway done. The first 5 days were just fine. I avoided the usual withdrawal symptoms like headache and crazy fatigue because I had already cut out sugar and my body had already done that. The only thing I experienced was just a TINY bit of fatigue. But it wasn't anything that stopped me from doing anything.
How's the food?
Well, I'm not a fan of the recipes he offers up in his book, but I'm quite satisfied with what I've been making (which meet all of the requirements). Like I said before, it's pretty much just a strict version of Paleo. I HAVE been drinking one of his recipes for the detox shake because it's pretty good AND it keeps me full all the way til lunch. It's just a bunch of seeds, nuts, almond milk, coconut oil, and fruit. Nothing too fancy. Now look, it's NOT the most delicious smoothie I've ever had in my life (my fave used to be the orange dream machine from Jamba Juice - delicious!) but I LOVE that when I drink it I FEEL like I'm being nourished AND it keeps me full. Lunches have been a big salad with protein and olive oil and vinegar for dressing or soup (I made 2 of his and honestly, I did not like them either). Dinner has been chicken curry (he also has a recipe for this but I used my own which only differs in the spices), breakfast (eggs and such), or chicken/steak with vegetables. Basically, everything tastes fine, I always have enough to eat and I'm not really experiencing any hunger. All pluses if you ask me.
Any results so far?
Well, my stomach feels flatter, my energy is good and I'm sleeping well. All good things in my book. And in four days I've lost 2.6 pounds which is nice. What I find interesting is that in the month before I started, I had already cut out sugar AND had been limiting my carb intake to under 100g/day per my doctors orders, and I feel like I'm getting better/faster results doing this. The crazy part is that I'm eating the SAME amount of calories and the SAME amount of carbs, protein, and fat. Interesting right?
and finally ....
Will I continue past 10 days?
Probably. I did this for my blood sugar and I'm not scheduled to get my blood taken for another 3 weeks and I REALLY want to see what kind of effect this way of eating has on my blood sugar. At the end of the book, he gives you options for what to do when you come to the close of the 10 days. There are 4 options but they are only minimally different. My gut says it's best to just stay the course and see what happens. Either way, come day 10, I'll report back and let you know what kind of results I got!
I had no idea it's been 7 months since I posted.
So lets do some updates.
After I finished my Drop 2 sizes challenge I ran into a snag with my thyroid treatment. During the months of September, October and the first half of November my body went haywire. I hadn't changed anything with my prescription, supplements, diet or anything when I just started feeling kind of bad. And then bad changed to horrible. My hair started thinning/shedding, I required at least 2 naps a day just to make it to 8pm for bedtime, and my ears were ringing all the time. Fun times right?
So mid November my doctor made some changes to my protocol. I switched to a new brand of thyroid with a new dose, added high doses of certain vitamins and (knock on wood) by December I felt great. Fast forward to February and while I was still feeling pretty good, I had ZERO weight loss and for the first time, the letters PCOS became apart of the conversation. So we have now added progesterone cream to see if that will help improve things (I'm low).
Now, while most of my numbers are now ok, my blood glucose is not. And with the PCOS conversation comes insulin resistance and all of the fun things that comes with that.
So I've been working on trying to get those numbers down with diet and exercise in order to avoid going on any other medication because I don't want any more pills.
Enter Dr. Mark Hyman and the Blood Sugar Solution.
In a nutshell, I'm doing a 10 day detox to see if I can get my blood sugar under control. That's all. And while he calls it a detox it's really unlike any detox I've done.
Basically you drink a "detox shake" for breakfast (aka a whole foods smoothie), eat a whole foods lunch and then a whole foods dinner. So basically you're just supposed to nourish yourself with lots and lots of vegetables, healthy fats, and proteins because there's no grains, no starchy vegetables (potatoes), no sugar (obv) and no dairy (hello Paleo). The detox part I think comes from the other things he wants you to do: detox bath every night (Epsom salt bath), writing in a journal, breathing exercises, walking 30 minutes every day, and taking supplements to support your body. So by detox, it's clear he means detoxing from stress which I like. I'm not a fan of those detox juice cleanses or fasts or anything.
Before I started I was already gluten free and refined sugar free (I still used coconut sugar or 100% maple syrup on occasion) but other than that I WAS still eating gluten free grains, dairy, and starchy vegetables, so I didn't have to make too many changes. I'm usually dairy free anyways.
How's it going you ask?
Today is Day 5 so I'm actually already halfway done. The first 5 days were just fine. I avoided the usual withdrawal symptoms like headache and crazy fatigue because I had already cut out sugar and my body had already done that. The only thing I experienced was just a TINY bit of fatigue. But it wasn't anything that stopped me from doing anything.
How's the food?
Well, I'm not a fan of the recipes he offers up in his book, but I'm quite satisfied with what I've been making (which meet all of the requirements). Like I said before, it's pretty much just a strict version of Paleo. I HAVE been drinking one of his recipes for the detox shake because it's pretty good AND it keeps me full all the way til lunch. It's just a bunch of seeds, nuts, almond milk, coconut oil, and fruit. Nothing too fancy. Now look, it's NOT the most delicious smoothie I've ever had in my life (my fave used to be the orange dream machine from Jamba Juice - delicious!) but I LOVE that when I drink it I FEEL like I'm being nourished AND it keeps me full. Lunches have been a big salad with protein and olive oil and vinegar for dressing or soup (I made 2 of his and honestly, I did not like them either). Dinner has been chicken curry (he also has a recipe for this but I used my own which only differs in the spices), breakfast (eggs and such), or chicken/steak with vegetables. Basically, everything tastes fine, I always have enough to eat and I'm not really experiencing any hunger. All pluses if you ask me.
Any results so far?
Well, my stomach feels flatter, my energy is good and I'm sleeping well. All good things in my book. And in four days I've lost 2.6 pounds which is nice. What I find interesting is that in the month before I started, I had already cut out sugar AND had been limiting my carb intake to under 100g/day per my doctors orders, and I feel like I'm getting better/faster results doing this. The crazy part is that I'm eating the SAME amount of calories and the SAME amount of carbs, protein, and fat. Interesting right?
and finally ....
Will I continue past 10 days?
Probably. I did this for my blood sugar and I'm not scheduled to get my blood taken for another 3 weeks and I REALLY want to see what kind of effect this way of eating has on my blood sugar. At the end of the book, he gives you options for what to do when you come to the close of the 10 days. There are 4 options but they are only minimally different. My gut says it's best to just stay the course and see what happens. Either way, come day 10, I'll report back and let you know what kind of results I got!
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Drop 2 Sizes Results
Sorry it has taken me so long to get to posting my results.
I finished the Drop 2 Sizes challenge a couple of weeks ago and I ended up liking it a lot more this time around. I really got into the lifting part and I definitely gained some strength.
I worked out every week usually 3-4 times but the average came down to just 3 times a week. I made sure to lift heavy and upped my weights with each phase.
Just for an example on lifting, I started the program doing some squatting exercises with no weights - now I can easily do squats holding 40-50 lbs (probably more). For shoulders, I would do single arm presses with a 5lb dumbbell, I just used a 20lb dumbbell last week. Same with rows, started around 8lbs, can use a 20lb no problem now.
My measurements:
Beginning:
Chest: 45"
Ribs: 36"
Waist: 38 1/2"
Hips: 49"
Thigh: 27"
Knee: 19"
Left Arm: 13"
End:
Chest: 41"
Ribs: 34"
Waist: 35"
Hips: 45"
Thigh: 24"
Knee: 18"
Left Arm: 12"
Total Inches Lost: -20.5"
So while I apparently lost quite a few inches, I've got to be honest, I really can't personally see that big of a difference in my after pics. However, I do FEEL better than I did when I started. I also gained strength, and I definitely can tell a difference in my clothing but mainly just my tops. Due to my hormone problems, my belly fat is what increased what seems like 10-fold. I was hoping that with all the work I've been doing with my doctor I would see a bigger difference in my belly and hips but alas I did not. I did NOT lose a pants size of any kind. And even though I have personal issues with my hormones right now, I think that even if everything was working properly, I would not have lost TWO pant sizes.
But there's hope, I am currently on a new regime from my doctor to try to get that belly fat to go away :)
It's quite the process.
Oh and as for scale weight, I lost 0.8 pounds.
Like I said, I ended up really enjoying the lifting aspect of the DVDs. So much that I am still doing the lifting. In fact, right now I'm doing a combo of 30 day Shred and Drop 2 Sizes. I'm doing 2 days of lifting from Drop 2 Sizes, and 3 days of 30 Day Shred a week.
I'm very excited to see my results for a couple of reason. First, I'm working out 5 days a week. This is truly amazing because when I started the Drop 2 Sizes three months ago, I could barely workout three days a week because I was so tired. So my energy is clearly improving! Secondly, there's just something about the 30 Day Shred that I love. It's quick, simple, and the last time I did it I had some really good results so I'm excited to see what happens. And lastly, with my new regime, I'm really hoping that this time I'll see some reduction in my HIPS.
I finished the Drop 2 Sizes challenge a couple of weeks ago and I ended up liking it a lot more this time around. I really got into the lifting part and I definitely gained some strength.
I worked out every week usually 3-4 times but the average came down to just 3 times a week. I made sure to lift heavy and upped my weights with each phase.
Just for an example on lifting, I started the program doing some squatting exercises with no weights - now I can easily do squats holding 40-50 lbs (probably more). For shoulders, I would do single arm presses with a 5lb dumbbell, I just used a 20lb dumbbell last week. Same with rows, started around 8lbs, can use a 20lb no problem now.
My measurements:
Beginning:
Chest: 45"
Ribs: 36"
Waist: 38 1/2"
Hips: 49"
Thigh: 27"
Knee: 19"
Left Arm: 13"
End:
Chest: 41"
Ribs: 34"
Waist: 35"
Hips: 45"
Thigh: 24"
Knee: 18"
Left Arm: 12"
Total Inches Lost: -20.5"
So while I apparently lost quite a few inches, I've got to be honest, I really can't personally see that big of a difference in my after pics. However, I do FEEL better than I did when I started. I also gained strength, and I definitely can tell a difference in my clothing but mainly just my tops. Due to my hormone problems, my belly fat is what increased what seems like 10-fold. I was hoping that with all the work I've been doing with my doctor I would see a bigger difference in my belly and hips but alas I did not. I did NOT lose a pants size of any kind. And even though I have personal issues with my hormones right now, I think that even if everything was working properly, I would not have lost TWO pant sizes.
But there's hope, I am currently on a new regime from my doctor to try to get that belly fat to go away :)
It's quite the process.
Oh and as for scale weight, I lost 0.8 pounds.
Like I said, I ended up really enjoying the lifting aspect of the DVDs. So much that I am still doing the lifting. In fact, right now I'm doing a combo of 30 day Shred and Drop 2 Sizes. I'm doing 2 days of lifting from Drop 2 Sizes, and 3 days of 30 Day Shred a week.
I'm very excited to see my results for a couple of reason. First, I'm working out 5 days a week. This is truly amazing because when I started the Drop 2 Sizes three months ago, I could barely workout three days a week because I was so tired. So my energy is clearly improving! Secondly, there's just something about the 30 Day Shred that I love. It's quick, simple, and the last time I did it I had some really good results so I'm excited to see what happens. And lastly, with my new regime, I'm really hoping that this time I'll see some reduction in my HIPS.
Friday, June 27, 2014
Test Results and a Drop 2 Sizes Reboot
Hello world.
I got my test results back yesterday. My thyroid numbers aren't moving so my dose is getting doubled. I actually was expecting that to happen so it wasn't a shock. I also found out that I am low in Vitamin D. Like really low. I thought that living in Southern California would have given me an edge with all the sunshine but alas, no. So I'm also on a large dose of that.
I'm hoping that with getting my Vitamin D levels up my energy will also come back up because that would be super awesome. I started supplementing with Vitamin D just under 2 weeks ago and I had noticed that my energy was slightly improved during my workouts. Enough so that I actually WANTED to do them. Maybe wanted is too strong of a word :)
My doctor threw the Vitamin D test onto my blood work late last week to see where I was at and I'm so glad she did. I'm not positive that's what caused the improvement in my energy but if it gets even better I'll be thrilled.
I'll keep you posted.
I also I told you all that I would try to revisit the Drop 2 Sizes challenge and I finally did.
Actually, I'm in the last half of phase 2 right now. I started it about 6 weeks ago. So you lucky folk will get to see what kind of results someone with hypothyroidism, fatigued adrenals, wonky female hormones AND low levels of Vitamin D will get :)
All I know is that if I get ANY sort of results, then all you normal people out there should be getting MAD results :)
And yes, I did lose inches at the end of phase 1.
I, of course, will post the numerical results when they come in. I have just under 6 weeks to go I believe.
How is it going this time?
Much better. The first time I attempted it, I was frustrated with the LACK of exercise. But since then and the fallout of my energy and ensuing medical discoveries, lack of exercise is apparently what I needed. Having to maintain 4 days a week of exercise was actually the absolute maximum I could handle. In fact, there were at least 2 weeks that I could only handle 3 days. But I am hopeful that with each week that passes I will gain more energy and will be able to add more days a week. I really can't wait to feel like my old self again.
I'm not weighing myself at all. The program tells you not to anyway. Usually I cheat but I seriously have no desire to do so this time around. I'm only taking measurements at the end of each phase.
I'm also not really following the food program outlined in her book. I am on a strict gluten free diet (doctors orders due to thyroid) and besides, I feel pretty confident in my food choices. I'm also still under doctors orders to keep calories between 1500 and 1700. I personally prefer to err on the lower side of that but I don't always. (She did a "body scan" thing with some machine in her office and calculated my calorie requirements based off my lean body mass. The machine calculated me at a higher intake but she lowered it due to the hypothyroidism.)
And that's it for today kiddos. Have a great weekend :)
I got my test results back yesterday. My thyroid numbers aren't moving so my dose is getting doubled. I actually was expecting that to happen so it wasn't a shock. I also found out that I am low in Vitamin D. Like really low. I thought that living in Southern California would have given me an edge with all the sunshine but alas, no. So I'm also on a large dose of that.
I'm hoping that with getting my Vitamin D levels up my energy will also come back up because that would be super awesome. I started supplementing with Vitamin D just under 2 weeks ago and I had noticed that my energy was slightly improved during my workouts. Enough so that I actually WANTED to do them. Maybe wanted is too strong of a word :)
My doctor threw the Vitamin D test onto my blood work late last week to see where I was at and I'm so glad she did. I'm not positive that's what caused the improvement in my energy but if it gets even better I'll be thrilled.
I'll keep you posted.
I also I told you all that I would try to revisit the Drop 2 Sizes challenge and I finally did.
Actually, I'm in the last half of phase 2 right now. I started it about 6 weeks ago. So you lucky folk will get to see what kind of results someone with hypothyroidism, fatigued adrenals, wonky female hormones AND low levels of Vitamin D will get :)
All I know is that if I get ANY sort of results, then all you normal people out there should be getting MAD results :)
And yes, I did lose inches at the end of phase 1.
I, of course, will post the numerical results when they come in. I have just under 6 weeks to go I believe.
How is it going this time?
Much better. The first time I attempted it, I was frustrated with the LACK of exercise. But since then and the fallout of my energy and ensuing medical discoveries, lack of exercise is apparently what I needed. Having to maintain 4 days a week of exercise was actually the absolute maximum I could handle. In fact, there were at least 2 weeks that I could only handle 3 days. But I am hopeful that with each week that passes I will gain more energy and will be able to add more days a week. I really can't wait to feel like my old self again.
I'm not weighing myself at all. The program tells you not to anyway. Usually I cheat but I seriously have no desire to do so this time around. I'm only taking measurements at the end of each phase.
I'm also not really following the food program outlined in her book. I am on a strict gluten free diet (doctors orders due to thyroid) and besides, I feel pretty confident in my food choices. I'm also still under doctors orders to keep calories between 1500 and 1700. I personally prefer to err on the lower side of that but I don't always. (She did a "body scan" thing with some machine in her office and calculated my calorie requirements based off my lean body mass. The machine calculated me at a higher intake but she lowered it due to the hypothyroidism.)
And that's it for today kiddos. Have a great weekend :)
Monday, February 10, 2014
Drop 2 Sizes: Week 4
Hello everyone. I hope the weekend was wonderful to you all. Mine was very nice but definitely not long enough.
It never is.
Today marks day #1 of week 4 for my Drop 2 Sizes Challenge which means this is the last week of Phase 1 for me!
I'm doing ok with it. I've missed a few workouts here and there but I'm still in the game. I'm working out hard and doing my best to up my weights with each week that passes. I can tell I'm getting stronger which is very encouraging. I'm modifying moves less and less and I am able to push harder in the metabolic workouts.
Have I lost any inches? Honestly, I have no idea. I can definitely tell that my clothes fit better than they did January 2nd. My tops look better on me and I've even had to start wearing a smaller bra (1 cup and band size smaller). Oh and I've gone down a dress size. So yes, clearly things are shrinking. But pant sizes?
After a workout a little over a week ago I was feeling overly confident and grabbed 2 pairs of my "control" jeans to try on. I think the adrenaline was still surging through my veins or something because I was positive my "goal" jeans were going to fit like a glove.
Yeah, they didn't. In fact, I am almost positive they fit even worse then before I started. Seriously, I couldn't get them off fast enough. I'll be honest, it was deflating and a little heart breaking. So I walked around my apartment and came up with a list of reasons why this might have happened. These were completely based on no basis of fact or reality but apparently it's what I needed to tell myself to not give up.
1. My muscles were crazy swollen from lifting like the beast I am.
2. I was retaining water due to my upcoming time of the month (this one ended up being true because I got it the next day).
3. I tried on the wrong pair of jeans.
4. My legs were really sweaty and that's why the fabric wouldn't pull up.
5. The jeans shrunk.
I don't know. I'm telling you this because this week is the week I'm supposed to do my jeans progress report and I don't want to do it.
I WILL do it because I need to know how I'm doing but I might put it off until the end of the week. Rachel says in her book that either way, you need to put them on because they'll tell you how you're doing. She says if you don't see a difference then you know you need to step it up.
It's like she is talking to me ;)
I do, in fact, need to step it up. I feel completely ok with what I'm eating so I know I need to not be so accepting of skipping workouts. So that's the goal for precious Week #4. Do all of my workouts.
Wish me luck.
Today's Menu:
B: Apple Cinnamon Almond Muffins
S: Apple
L: Baked Chicken with Broccoli Slaw
D: Steak and Roasted Vegetables
It never is.
Today marks day #1 of week 4 for my Drop 2 Sizes Challenge which means this is the last week of Phase 1 for me!
I'm doing ok with it. I've missed a few workouts here and there but I'm still in the game. I'm working out hard and doing my best to up my weights with each week that passes. I can tell I'm getting stronger which is very encouraging. I'm modifying moves less and less and I am able to push harder in the metabolic workouts.
Have I lost any inches? Honestly, I have no idea. I can definitely tell that my clothes fit better than they did January 2nd. My tops look better on me and I've even had to start wearing a smaller bra (1 cup and band size smaller). Oh and I've gone down a dress size. So yes, clearly things are shrinking. But pant sizes?
After a workout a little over a week ago I was feeling overly confident and grabbed 2 pairs of my "control" jeans to try on. I think the adrenaline was still surging through my veins or something because I was positive my "goal" jeans were going to fit like a glove.
Yeah, they didn't. In fact, I am almost positive they fit even worse then before I started. Seriously, I couldn't get them off fast enough. I'll be honest, it was deflating and a little heart breaking. So I walked around my apartment and came up with a list of reasons why this might have happened. These were completely based on no basis of fact or reality but apparently it's what I needed to tell myself to not give up.
1. My muscles were crazy swollen from lifting like the beast I am.
2. I was retaining water due to my upcoming time of the month (this one ended up being true because I got it the next day).
3. I tried on the wrong pair of jeans.
4. My legs were really sweaty and that's why the fabric wouldn't pull up.
5. The jeans shrunk.
I don't know. I'm telling you this because this week is the week I'm supposed to do my jeans progress report and I don't want to do it.
I WILL do it because I need to know how I'm doing but I might put it off until the end of the week. Rachel says in her book that either way, you need to put them on because they'll tell you how you're doing. She says if you don't see a difference then you know you need to step it up.
It's like she is talking to me ;)
I do, in fact, need to step it up. I feel completely ok with what I'm eating so I know I need to not be so accepting of skipping workouts. So that's the goal for precious Week #4. Do all of my workouts.
Wish me luck.
Today's Menu:
B: Apple Cinnamon Almond Muffins
S: Apple
L: Baked Chicken with Broccoli Slaw
D: Steak and Roasted Vegetables
Monday, February 3, 2014
Whole30 Round #2 Results
Happy February!
I hope everyone enjoyed the Super Bowl yesterday.
I thought it was very uneventful. Sad even. It was like the Broncos collectively all had their worst game ever. Like they were all drunk even. It was weird. Every time they showed Peyton close up you could tell from the look on his face that even he didn't know what was going on.
Like it was voodoo witch craft or something. I was hoping for an exciting, close game so I was very disappointed to say the least.
You know what I was not disappointed in? My Whole30.
January 31st marked my 30th day. So that means this past Saturday was my first "normal" Saturday in this fine year of 2014. And you know what I ate?
Rice. Yeah, that's it. I had some rice. I had some yellow curry and instead of forgoing the magic grain, I decided to go crazy and eat some for dinner. And that was the only naughty thing I ate for Saturday. It didn't affect me that much. I was a little more full than usual and I remember feeling sleepy (because I was so full) but other than that, it wasn't a big deal.
And then came Sunday. And not just any Sunday. SUPER BOWL SUNDAY. We went to a friend's house for the big event and as you can imagine there was food everywhere. And you know what I ate?
Some smoked pork, carrots, pea pods, broccoli, grape tomatoes, and fruit salad. Oh yeah, I also had a small dollop of dip from the veggie tray. And that's it. And you know what? I did it without thinking. Well, that's not quite true. I remember standing at the food table, surveying all my choices and as I looked at each food my brain automatically labeled it as a yes or no. And then I took all the yes items. And I did not feel like I missed out on anything.
This is so different then my first Whole30 last year. Do you know what I ate after I finished that Whole30? I ate everything. No lie. I remember just feeling like I needed to eat everything. I believe McDonald's and pizza rolls both played a vital role that time.
So what made this time different? I have no idea. It could be that I'm getting married later this year and I'm very motivated by that event. It could be that I'm sick of feeling sick when I eat certain food. It could also be something as simple as allowing white potatoes during my Whole30. Or what I'm hoping it could be is that I do enjoy this lifestyle. It's hard but I honestly do enjoy it.
All I know is that it's February and my menu for the week is very paleo indeed. I'm definitely not sticking to the strict rules of the Whole30 because like they said in their book:
It Starts With Food: Discover the Whole30 and Change Your Life in Unexpected Ways
This isn't a way to eat 365 days out of the year. And I totally agree with that. There is no way I could personally sustain a Whole30 for longer than 30 days. Heck, I technically didn't even do a "real" Whole30 because of the allowance of potatoes but I don't care. The last 30 days apparently worked for me and I'm ecstatic.
I lost 7.4 pounds. As for pics and measurements, those coincide more with my Drop 2 Sizes challenge so I'll post those further along. I kind of didn't care about the physical outcome (meaning weight and measurements) with my Whole30. I did it to get myself back on track after the holidays and I feel like I was 100% successful on that front.
So what now?
I guess I'm transitioning into a paleo/primal thing but I don't want to label it either way. I'll continue to leave grains out for the majority of the time. If I do eat them, you can bet they will absolutely be gluten free. I definitely will keep refined sugar out. There are too many great alternatives out there not to. As far as legumes. I'm not too diligent about that one. I'm not a big bean or peanut butter person to begin with. I bought sunflower butter last week and I believe that might be my replacement for the rare times I want peanut butter. And the only time I really eat beans is with chili. And I make that maybe once or twice a year during the cold months. So I'm really just not going to sweat it. And then there is dairy. My fiance does not do well with dairy so I'll leave that out when I cook. As for me, since he's not eating it that will pretty much mean I'm not since I cook for the both of us. And I have no problem with that.
This week I'll have at some point: tomato soup, a big salad to which I'll add meat, beef stir fry with vegetables, apple cinnamon muffins made with almond flour and the inevitable scrambled eggs. Man, I love some good scrambled eggs.
I also will drink my coffee with unsweetened almond milk which I like just fine. And beef jerky will make an appearance in the snack department as will an apple or 2.
And I'll just take each day and food choice one day at a time.
I hope everyone enjoyed the Super Bowl yesterday.
I thought it was very uneventful. Sad even. It was like the Broncos collectively all had their worst game ever. Like they were all drunk even. It was weird. Every time they showed Peyton close up you could tell from the look on his face that even he didn't know what was going on.
Like it was voodoo witch craft or something. I was hoping for an exciting, close game so I was very disappointed to say the least.
You know what I was not disappointed in? My Whole30.
January 31st marked my 30th day. So that means this past Saturday was my first "normal" Saturday in this fine year of 2014. And you know what I ate?
Rice. Yeah, that's it. I had some rice. I had some yellow curry and instead of forgoing the magic grain, I decided to go crazy and eat some for dinner. And that was the only naughty thing I ate for Saturday. It didn't affect me that much. I was a little more full than usual and I remember feeling sleepy (because I was so full) but other than that, it wasn't a big deal.
And then came Sunday. And not just any Sunday. SUPER BOWL SUNDAY. We went to a friend's house for the big event and as you can imagine there was food everywhere. And you know what I ate?
Some smoked pork, carrots, pea pods, broccoli, grape tomatoes, and fruit salad. Oh yeah, I also had a small dollop of dip from the veggie tray. And that's it. And you know what? I did it without thinking. Well, that's not quite true. I remember standing at the food table, surveying all my choices and as I looked at each food my brain automatically labeled it as a yes or no. And then I took all the yes items. And I did not feel like I missed out on anything.
This is so different then my first Whole30 last year. Do you know what I ate after I finished that Whole30? I ate everything. No lie. I remember just feeling like I needed to eat everything. I believe McDonald's and pizza rolls both played a vital role that time.
So what made this time different? I have no idea. It could be that I'm getting married later this year and I'm very motivated by that event. It could be that I'm sick of feeling sick when I eat certain food. It could also be something as simple as allowing white potatoes during my Whole30. Or what I'm hoping it could be is that I do enjoy this lifestyle. It's hard but I honestly do enjoy it.
All I know is that it's February and my menu for the week is very paleo indeed. I'm definitely not sticking to the strict rules of the Whole30 because like they said in their book:
It Starts With Food: Discover the Whole30 and Change Your Life in Unexpected Ways
This isn't a way to eat 365 days out of the year. And I totally agree with that. There is no way I could personally sustain a Whole30 for longer than 30 days. Heck, I technically didn't even do a "real" Whole30 because of the allowance of potatoes but I don't care. The last 30 days apparently worked for me and I'm ecstatic.
I lost 7.4 pounds. As for pics and measurements, those coincide more with my Drop 2 Sizes challenge so I'll post those further along. I kind of didn't care about the physical outcome (meaning weight and measurements) with my Whole30. I did it to get myself back on track after the holidays and I feel like I was 100% successful on that front.
So what now?
I guess I'm transitioning into a paleo/primal thing but I don't want to label it either way. I'll continue to leave grains out for the majority of the time. If I do eat them, you can bet they will absolutely be gluten free. I definitely will keep refined sugar out. There are too many great alternatives out there not to. As far as legumes. I'm not too diligent about that one. I'm not a big bean or peanut butter person to begin with. I bought sunflower butter last week and I believe that might be my replacement for the rare times I want peanut butter. And the only time I really eat beans is with chili. And I make that maybe once or twice a year during the cold months. So I'm really just not going to sweat it. And then there is dairy. My fiance does not do well with dairy so I'll leave that out when I cook. As for me, since he's not eating it that will pretty much mean I'm not since I cook for the both of us. And I have no problem with that.
This week I'll have at some point: tomato soup, a big salad to which I'll add meat, beef stir fry with vegetables, apple cinnamon muffins made with almond flour and the inevitable scrambled eggs. Man, I love some good scrambled eggs.
I also will drink my coffee with unsweetened almond milk which I like just fine. And beef jerky will make an appearance in the snack department as will an apple or 2.
And I'll just take each day and food choice one day at a time.
Friday, October 11, 2013
Weigh In: Week 56
In case anyone was wondering, the magic castle last weekend was FANTASTIC. It was so much fun. A little pricey but a good time nonetheless. If you ever get the chance, you should go. The dressing up part was also fun. Since I work in entertainment, I don't dress up. Ever. The most I do at work is jeans, dressed up blouse and heels. And more often than not, I'm not even THAT dressed up. But I'm definitely never in dresses, sparkly jewelry, and fancy hair and makeup. And that's what I did for the magic castle. Unfortunately no photography is allowed in the castle (which I guess is part of the mystique) so there is no photographic evidence of my fancy self. But trust me, I was fancy.
As for my plans this weekend ..
I have just a few things on my plate. I'm in the market for a new sofa, so I have a few stores I'm going to check out and then hopefully purchase a brand new sofa.
Hopefully.
Wanna see it?
Beautiful isn't it? I'm a little worried it might be too big for the space but whatever. I want it.
Other than that, we have a housewarming/engagement party to go to tomorrow night. Thankfully, the couple lives near us so it's close. I'm just aching for the day I can be a home-body again. You know, staying in on a Saturday night. Renting some movies, cooking some dinner, just snuggling up with your favorite somebody and relaxing. I have a few more weekends to go but I can feel it coming!
And now on to my weigh in.
Result: +0.0
That's right. I maintained.
How did I get there?
1. I know it doesn't seem like it but I did eat in a deficit. This week I ran, on average, a -285 calorie deficit per day. Again, not the 500 I'm aiming for, but a step up from what I did last week! I'm hoping to do better again this coming week.
2. I also ran. Only 1 day. I'm 6 weeks in on my 10k training program and I was supposed to take this week off. I ran 1 day and then decided to give in. I'll admit, it's a little scary to take this much time off. I'm supposed to pick back up this weekend and a little voice inside my head is wondering if I'm actually going to start again. Of course I will!! I hope I will ? Oh please God let it not be hard.
3. I drank my water. Good not great. It needs work.
4. What I ate? I made everything and it all was gluten free and in some cases dairy free. The menu included: pumpkin pancakes, bacon, eggs, chicken/vegetable teriyaki with rice noodles, tacos, sushi, salad, apples, turkey, grapes, cheese, and peanut butter. oh yes and coffee. Lots of coffee. And some kettle chips were in there as well. But honestly, kettle chips are ALWAYS there somewhere. I kind of stuck to the same foods over and over this week. I found that once I had the calorie count down, it just was easier to eat the same things so that I didn't have to keep looking things up. Also, it just so happens I was really into all the food I made this week so win-win.
As for my plans this weekend ..
I have just a few things on my plate. I'm in the market for a new sofa, so I have a few stores I'm going to check out and then hopefully purchase a brand new sofa.
Hopefully.
Wanna see it?
Other than that, we have a housewarming/engagement party to go to tomorrow night. Thankfully, the couple lives near us so it's close. I'm just aching for the day I can be a home-body again. You know, staying in on a Saturday night. Renting some movies, cooking some dinner, just snuggling up with your favorite somebody and relaxing. I have a few more weekends to go but I can feel it coming!
And now on to my weigh in.
Result: +0.0
That's right. I maintained.
How did I get there?
1. I know it doesn't seem like it but I did eat in a deficit. This week I ran, on average, a -285 calorie deficit per day. Again, not the 500 I'm aiming for, but a step up from what I did last week! I'm hoping to do better again this coming week.
2. I also ran. Only 1 day. I'm 6 weeks in on my 10k training program and I was supposed to take this week off. I ran 1 day and then decided to give in. I'll admit, it's a little scary to take this much time off. I'm supposed to pick back up this weekend and a little voice inside my head is wondering if I'm actually going to start again. Of course I will!! I hope I will ? Oh please God let it not be hard.
3. I drank my water. Good not great. It needs work.
4. What I ate? I made everything and it all was gluten free and in some cases dairy free. The menu included: pumpkin pancakes, bacon, eggs, chicken/vegetable teriyaki with rice noodles, tacos, sushi, salad, apples, turkey, grapes, cheese, and peanut butter. oh yes and coffee. Lots of coffee. And some kettle chips were in there as well. But honestly, kettle chips are ALWAYS there somewhere. I kind of stuck to the same foods over and over this week. I found that once I had the calorie count down, it just was easier to eat the same things so that I didn't have to keep looking things up. Also, it just so happens I was really into all the food I made this week so win-win.
Friday, August 9, 2013
Weight Watchers Weigh In: Week 47 & Whole30 Results
I haven't been this happy to see a Friday in a looooooong time.
Only because my Whole30 is officially over (HOORAY) and tomorrow is pizza day.
It's the little things in life.
Weigh in: +/- 0
Awww. I was hoping for at least a little loss. I even stuck to the rules of my Whole30 til my weigh-in.
Oh Well. I will say one of the best things about doing a Whole30 is that when I would have a weigh-in, I didn't sweat getting on the scale. At ALL. Simply because I knew I was eating pretty darn perfectly. So whatever happened on the scale, I just chalked it up to my body doing it's thing. I didn't really care because I was already working out and eating as clean as humanly possible so there was nothing left for me to tweak!
Add that one to the list of good things about the Whole30 folks.
Now what I did this week:
1. I earned around 18 AP. I did SIX Jillian Michaels workouts. And I kicked butt every single time.
2. I ate 214 points. WOO HOO!! Finally got that total up to where it should be.
3. Water is officially my beverage of choice these days! In fact, I haven't had a soda at all this year. My boyfriend actually pointed this out to me last night. I wasn't really a big soda drinker to begin with but still, I think that's excellent. I'm a big proponent of never drinking soda regardless of your weight. I have one family member who had a giant soda problem. He would go through a case of diet dr. pepper like every day or two by himself. BY HIMSELF. He never had a weight problem in his life but he now has a neurological disorder that his doctors attribute to over-consumption of artificial sweetener from the soda. Something to think about.
4. What I ate? I ate what I was supposed to eat. Breakfast casserole with veggies, zucchini noodles with a seafood tomato sauce, steak with veggies and mushrooms, salads, fruit, almonds, ... you get the picture.
And now for my Whole30 results.
I don't really know how to handle my Whole30 results. The rules of the program are you are NOT supposed to weigh yourself during the entirety of the 30 days. I obviously didn't do that and continued my weigh-ins as per usual.
That's where this gets tricky. If I had done the program to their rules, I would have weighed myself on the morning of July 9 (Day 1) and logged that number (which I did) and then waited until the morning of August 8 (Day 31) to weigh myself again (which I also did). And If I had followed that protocol, the numbers would have told you that I lost 10.2 pounds in 30 days.
But I didn't do that. I continued my weekly weigh-ins. I started the Whole30 on Tuesday July 9th but the tricky part is my last "official" weigh-in was Friday, June 28th so while I was blogging I used that last "official" number as the starting number. So if you go by my blog posts, I lost 3.2 pounds in 30 days.
Which is right? Both I guess. It just depends on how you want to look at it.
I know most people are going to try the Whole30 for weight loss even though a lot of the success stories in the book are from people who have body ailments that get healed (tendonitis, skin problems, digestive issues etc.).
I know one of the reasons I wanted to try it was because people were spouting about losing upwards of 15 pounds in 30 days. How can that NOT be motivating? In any case, I thought it was important to give you both sets of numbers.
I don't care which one is accurate because I lost inches. Which, for me, is more important. A 10 pound weight loss matters not if you don't get smaller in the process. So because I lost inches, I don't care if it was 10 pounds or 3 pounds, I still lost the same amount of inches. But don't forget, I was doing my Jillian Michaels challenge at the same time so I was working out too.
Here are the numbers:
Start
Chest: 39.5
Ribs: 32.5
Waist: 33.5
Hips: 41
Belly Button: 34
Upper Thigh: 22.75
Leg @ Knee: 17
Left Arm: 12.75
End
Chest: 39
Ribs: 32
Waist: 32
Hips: 40
Belly Button: 33
Upper Thigh: 22.5
Leg @ Knee: 17
Left Arm: 11.25
Total inches lost: -6.25"
And here are the pics:
The area I lost the most from is probably the least recognizable from the pics. It was from my waist and hip area. My hips aren't as wide now and my waist is a little more defined. I know I lost inches from that area because I can fit into pants that didn't fit prior. And the difference in my clothes is pretty amazing so I figured the pictures would definitely reflect that but I don't think it's as noticeable in a picture as it is to me. No matter. I'm pleased to be able to add some pieces of clothing to my wardrobe that were previously too tight!
And there you have it folks. Nothing too major for me. But as a disclaimer, I've never lost weight quickly or easily. It takes me longer than an average person to lose weight. It's something I've had to learn to deal with over the years. I don't always deal with it very well but I do my best to work with what I have.
Case and point. My boyfriend did the Whole30 with me. We ate the same foods every day except he would add in a couple pieces of fruit or extra protein to pad his calories because he eats more than I do. We both also workout usually 5 days a week. However, he does ride his bike to work 5 days a week so in addition to his regular workouts, he automatically gets in the extra cardio from his bike.
His Whole30 results? He lost 20 pounds. And he needed to lose maybe five. When I first heard his results I was, of course, jealous. But after some time, I decided to use his results as encouragement. I did the exact same things as he did. I ate the same food, I got in my workouts. Therefore, my results were the best that my body could give me. I was already aware of my body's sluggish metabolism (it's documented somewhere on this blog - I had it tested YEARS ago and they told me it was -18% slower than it should be). I am acutely aware that I've always had a hard time losing weight so I should be proud of my accomplishments. I didn't cheat on the diet. I ate as perfectly as a human being can eat and I did my workouts when I could. And no, I didn't lose 20 pounds but I lost some and I lost inches. So, I am very happy with my results. I mean, hey, I could have not done anything at all and gained weight during that time.
Right?
So, we're taking the weekend off and then I'm going to hit it again. I'm going to do an almost Whole30 as best I can until we leave for vacation at the end of the month. And after vacation, we're going to be at it again until I get to where I want to be. And he is determined to do it with me until I reach my goal.
Isn't he the best??
Have a great weekend!
Only because my Whole30 is officially over (HOORAY) and tomorrow is pizza day.
It's the little things in life.
Weigh in: +/- 0
Awww. I was hoping for at least a little loss. I even stuck to the rules of my Whole30 til my weigh-in.
Oh Well. I will say one of the best things about doing a Whole30 is that when I would have a weigh-in, I didn't sweat getting on the scale. At ALL. Simply because I knew I was eating pretty darn perfectly. So whatever happened on the scale, I just chalked it up to my body doing it's thing. I didn't really care because I was already working out and eating as clean as humanly possible so there was nothing left for me to tweak!
Add that one to the list of good things about the Whole30 folks.
Now what I did this week:
1. I earned around 18 AP. I did SIX Jillian Michaels workouts. And I kicked butt every single time.
2. I ate 214 points. WOO HOO!! Finally got that total up to where it should be.
3. Water is officially my beverage of choice these days! In fact, I haven't had a soda at all this year. My boyfriend actually pointed this out to me last night. I wasn't really a big soda drinker to begin with but still, I think that's excellent. I'm a big proponent of never drinking soda regardless of your weight. I have one family member who had a giant soda problem. He would go through a case of diet dr. pepper like every day or two by himself. BY HIMSELF. He never had a weight problem in his life but he now has a neurological disorder that his doctors attribute to over-consumption of artificial sweetener from the soda. Something to think about.
4. What I ate? I ate what I was supposed to eat. Breakfast casserole with veggies, zucchini noodles with a seafood tomato sauce, steak with veggies and mushrooms, salads, fruit, almonds, ... you get the picture.
And now for my Whole30 results.
I don't really know how to handle my Whole30 results. The rules of the program are you are NOT supposed to weigh yourself during the entirety of the 30 days. I obviously didn't do that and continued my weigh-ins as per usual.
That's where this gets tricky. If I had done the program to their rules, I would have weighed myself on the morning of July 9 (Day 1) and logged that number (which I did) and then waited until the morning of August 8 (Day 31) to weigh myself again (which I also did). And If I had followed that protocol, the numbers would have told you that I lost 10.2 pounds in 30 days.
But I didn't do that. I continued my weekly weigh-ins. I started the Whole30 on Tuesday July 9th but the tricky part is my last "official" weigh-in was Friday, June 28th so while I was blogging I used that last "official" number as the starting number. So if you go by my blog posts, I lost 3.2 pounds in 30 days.
Which is right? Both I guess. It just depends on how you want to look at it.
I know most people are going to try the Whole30 for weight loss even though a lot of the success stories in the book are from people who have body ailments that get healed (tendonitis, skin problems, digestive issues etc.).
I know one of the reasons I wanted to try it was because people were spouting about losing upwards of 15 pounds in 30 days. How can that NOT be motivating? In any case, I thought it was important to give you both sets of numbers.
I don't care which one is accurate because I lost inches. Which, for me, is more important. A 10 pound weight loss matters not if you don't get smaller in the process. So because I lost inches, I don't care if it was 10 pounds or 3 pounds, I still lost the same amount of inches. But don't forget, I was doing my Jillian Michaels challenge at the same time so I was working out too.
Here are the numbers:
Start
Chest: 39.5
Ribs: 32.5
Waist: 33.5
Hips: 41
Belly Button: 34
Upper Thigh: 22.75
Leg @ Knee: 17
Left Arm: 12.75
End
Chest: 39
Ribs: 32
Waist: 32
Hips: 40
Belly Button: 33
Upper Thigh: 22.5
Leg @ Knee: 17
Left Arm: 11.25
Total inches lost: -6.25"
And here are the pics:
The area I lost the most from is probably the least recognizable from the pics. It was from my waist and hip area. My hips aren't as wide now and my waist is a little more defined. I know I lost inches from that area because I can fit into pants that didn't fit prior. And the difference in my clothes is pretty amazing so I figured the pictures would definitely reflect that but I don't think it's as noticeable in a picture as it is to me. No matter. I'm pleased to be able to add some pieces of clothing to my wardrobe that were previously too tight!
And there you have it folks. Nothing too major for me. But as a disclaimer, I've never lost weight quickly or easily. It takes me longer than an average person to lose weight. It's something I've had to learn to deal with over the years. I don't always deal with it very well but I do my best to work with what I have.
Case and point. My boyfriend did the Whole30 with me. We ate the same foods every day except he would add in a couple pieces of fruit or extra protein to pad his calories because he eats more than I do. We both also workout usually 5 days a week. However, he does ride his bike to work 5 days a week so in addition to his regular workouts, he automatically gets in the extra cardio from his bike.
His Whole30 results? He lost 20 pounds. And he needed to lose maybe five. When I first heard his results I was, of course, jealous. But after some time, I decided to use his results as encouragement. I did the exact same things as he did. I ate the same food, I got in my workouts. Therefore, my results were the best that my body could give me. I was already aware of my body's sluggish metabolism (it's documented somewhere on this blog - I had it tested YEARS ago and they told me it was -18% slower than it should be). I am acutely aware that I've always had a hard time losing weight so I should be proud of my accomplishments. I didn't cheat on the diet. I ate as perfectly as a human being can eat and I did my workouts when I could. And no, I didn't lose 20 pounds but I lost some and I lost inches. So, I am very happy with my results. I mean, hey, I could have not done anything at all and gained weight during that time.
Right?
So, we're taking the weekend off and then I'm going to hit it again. I'm going to do an almost Whole30 as best I can until we leave for vacation at the end of the month. And after vacation, we're going to be at it again until I get to where I want to be. And he is determined to do it with me until I reach my goal.
Isn't he the best??
Have a great weekend!
Friday, August 2, 2013
Weight Watchers Weigh In: Week 46
Happy Friday one and all.
I come to you with a raging headache that no amount of medication seems to be touching. However, I am so dedicated to write this blog post I am foraging past the pain and misery in order to bring you this week's weigh in.
Actually, since nothing has worked so far to make it feel better, I figure I might as well do anything and everything I can to distract myself. And since nothing but a nap is going to help at this juncture (and I'm still at work so that's out of the question), blogging is all I have left.
So blog I shall.
Guess what I woke up to this morning?
Water pouring out of both the sink and dishwasher thus flooding my kitchen and dining room.
Huzzah!
Good times. Although I was in a mad panic trying to get it to stop, I'm thankful I went out there when I did. The water was just about to hit items that would have been seriously damaged or ruined had I not intervened.
But we managed to get it all fixed. Hopefully. It just made for an exciting Friday morning. Well, not really exciting. More like exasperating.
Weigh In: -0.6 lbs
Weekly Round-up:
1. I earned around 12 AP. That is from 4 workouts. 4 awesome workouts.
2. I ate 172 points. Now folks this is way too low for me. I had a rough week with food. I do this every now and again and I wish I knew why. I just get in this funk where NO food sounds good. The thought of food even makes me sick. I just have to force myself to eat and honestly it's not fun. Hopefully I'll come out of this soon.
3. Water. I love it!
4. What I ate: I am still on my Whole30. Tomorrow is day #26. I'll be honest, although I'm tickled pink with how I look and feel, I will be more than pleased for this to come to a close. I'll give my full opinion after it's over but know this: Day 30 can't come soon enough. Anyway, some of the items I ate: steak and eggs, chicken pot pie soup, kelp noodles with seafood sauce, and spinach salad with chicken breast. Blackberries, almonds, and sweet potatoes also made an appearance.
And now I have to go workout. I don't want to, but I'm going to do it anyway :)
today's menu:
B: coffee + handful of almonds (with a flooding kitchen it was all I could grab)
L: house salad + chicken
D: chicken pot pie soup
I come to you with a raging headache that no amount of medication seems to be touching. However, I am so dedicated to write this blog post I am foraging past the pain and misery in order to bring you this week's weigh in.
Actually, since nothing has worked so far to make it feel better, I figure I might as well do anything and everything I can to distract myself. And since nothing but a nap is going to help at this juncture (and I'm still at work so that's out of the question), blogging is all I have left.
So blog I shall.
Guess what I woke up to this morning?
Water pouring out of both the sink and dishwasher thus flooding my kitchen and dining room.
Huzzah!
Good times. Although I was in a mad panic trying to get it to stop, I'm thankful I went out there when I did. The water was just about to hit items that would have been seriously damaged or ruined had I not intervened.
But we managed to get it all fixed. Hopefully. It just made for an exciting Friday morning. Well, not really exciting. More like exasperating.
Weigh In: -0.6 lbs
Weekly Round-up:
1. I earned around 12 AP. That is from 4 workouts. 4 awesome workouts.
2. I ate 172 points. Now folks this is way too low for me. I had a rough week with food. I do this every now and again and I wish I knew why. I just get in this funk where NO food sounds good. The thought of food even makes me sick. I just have to force myself to eat and honestly it's not fun. Hopefully I'll come out of this soon.
3. Water. I love it!
4. What I ate: I am still on my Whole30. Tomorrow is day #26. I'll be honest, although I'm tickled pink with how I look and feel, I will be more than pleased for this to come to a close. I'll give my full opinion after it's over but know this: Day 30 can't come soon enough. Anyway, some of the items I ate: steak and eggs, chicken pot pie soup, kelp noodles with seafood sauce, and spinach salad with chicken breast. Blackberries, almonds, and sweet potatoes also made an appearance.
And now I have to go workout. I don't want to, but I'm going to do it anyway :)
today's menu:
B: coffee + handful of almonds (with a flooding kitchen it was all I could grab)
L: house salad + chicken
D: chicken pot pie soup
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Jillian Michaels Challenge: Update
Hello internet world.
I'm still doing my Jillian Michaels challenge. Man, I'm really starting to like her. I've always been a fan but I'm really loving her DVDs.
Since I'm doing so many different DVDs, I thought I'd review some of the new ones.
Killer Buns and Thighs: Level 1
The Facts:
This is a 30 minute workout PLUS warm up and cool-down. You'll need a set of dumbbells and a mat if you're working on a hard surface. (Actually, the dumbbells aren't desperately needed in this one. You could get away without using them say, if you were traveling or something.) This is a circuit workout. She runs you through a series of moves that, obviously, targets your lower body, you repeat that circuit and then you move on. She throws in some cardio moves every now and then but this is mainly a strength/toning video. But you DEFINITELY will be burning some calories.
I burned 362 calories according to my HRM.
I LOVE this DVD. Mainly because I LOVE working out my legs. Always have. But this is also a great workout. I love the pace, she changes poses quickly but you will definitely feel the burn in all the right places. If you do this one regularly enough, there is no way your butt won't look amazing. And I'm just on level 1!
No More Trouble Zones:
The Facts:
The workout is 40 minutes PLUS WU and CD. Get out your dumbbells and mat for this one. This is another circuit style workout. Each circuit targets something up top and something down below. You'll do a series of moves targeting said muscle groups, repeat the series and then move on to 2 other muscle groups. I believe you do this for 5 circuits total but I'll have to double check that. This DVD also is predominantly strength training.
I still need to wear my HRM while doing this to get a count. But I'll do that soon. I promise.
I also LOVE this DVD. Every since I did p90x last year, I've grown very fond of strength training. So this DVD is right up my alley. It's called no more trouble zones because she literally hits every zone in your body. Even if you're short on time and can only do half of it you'll still hit both upper and lower body and get in a good workout. The only caveat with this one is that there is just one workout. I plan on keeping it in my rotation sparingly so I won't get sick of it.
6 Week 6 Pack: Level 1
The Facts:
This is a 30 minute workout PLUS WU and CD. Like Killer Buns and Thighs you need a set of dumbbells and a mat (if on a hard surface) BUT you can definitely do this without the weights. It's another fast paced routine that targets the abdominal muscles. But don't think you'll be on the floor the whole time. She has you doing moves you wouldn't think target the waist but they do. In addition to my abs being worked, I also felt like my arms and shoulders got a decent (not great) workout due to moves like the plank. Just holding your body weight up is enough to give them a workout.
Need to do a HRM reading with this as well.
I very much like this workout. I'm not going to use the word love yet, but I feel like I MIGHT fall in love with this one too. I like that the moves are different. I was a little apprehensive about doing a workout that focused only on getting a 6 pack, but after doing it and seeing how well rounded the moves were, I was definitely up for keeping it in my rotation. And yes, I definitely think if you do this workout, your waist will shrink.
And now my disclaimer about all 3 videos. I firmly believe you will get excellent results with these videos. But only EXCELLENT results if your diet is clean. And when I say clean I mean just short of perfect clean. I didn't realize how much more effective workouts were until I changed my eating. There is a reason she includes menus with most of her DVDs and talks about eating. It's more than half the battle. That being said, I imagine you'll get really good results if your diet is still in progress.
I believe diet is the most important factor of getting a great body and also the hardest element. It is TOUGH. So take it a little at a time. It took me years of trying to get to a point where I was willing to change things. I had the info, my soul was willing but my brain wasn't on board. This year, things have fallen into place. I've made changes that I sincerely hope are lifelong. And I also hope I keep seeing results.
Mini Progress Report:
I'm about halfway thru week 3 of my 7 week challenge which is kind of like a halfway point so I took some preliminary measurements last night. I'm down around 6 inches all over. I also tried on some previously too tight pants/shorts and they seem to be fitting now. Week 1 was a great week. I did 4 workouts. Week 2 was less than stellar - only did 1 workout. And now I'm on Week 3 with my 3rd workout happening this evening. I'm pretty happy with the 6 inches considering I feel like I lost a week with Week 2. No matter, I will push forward. I'll give a real update next week with pictures and actual measurement numbers after my Whole30 is over.
I'm still doing my Jillian Michaels challenge. Man, I'm really starting to like her. I've always been a fan but I'm really loving her DVDs.
Since I'm doing so many different DVDs, I thought I'd review some of the new ones.
Killer Buns and Thighs: Level 1
The Facts:
This is a 30 minute workout PLUS warm up and cool-down. You'll need a set of dumbbells and a mat if you're working on a hard surface. (Actually, the dumbbells aren't desperately needed in this one. You could get away without using them say, if you were traveling or something.) This is a circuit workout. She runs you through a series of moves that, obviously, targets your lower body, you repeat that circuit and then you move on. She throws in some cardio moves every now and then but this is mainly a strength/toning video. But you DEFINITELY will be burning some calories.
I burned 362 calories according to my HRM.
I LOVE this DVD. Mainly because I LOVE working out my legs. Always have. But this is also a great workout. I love the pace, she changes poses quickly but you will definitely feel the burn in all the right places. If you do this one regularly enough, there is no way your butt won't look amazing. And I'm just on level 1!
No More Trouble Zones:
The Facts:
The workout is 40 minutes PLUS WU and CD. Get out your dumbbells and mat for this one. This is another circuit style workout. Each circuit targets something up top and something down below. You'll do a series of moves targeting said muscle groups, repeat the series and then move on to 2 other muscle groups. I believe you do this for 5 circuits total but I'll have to double check that. This DVD also is predominantly strength training.
I still need to wear my HRM while doing this to get a count. But I'll do that soon. I promise.
I also LOVE this DVD. Every since I did p90x last year, I've grown very fond of strength training. So this DVD is right up my alley. It's called no more trouble zones because she literally hits every zone in your body. Even if you're short on time and can only do half of it you'll still hit both upper and lower body and get in a good workout. The only caveat with this one is that there is just one workout. I plan on keeping it in my rotation sparingly so I won't get sick of it.
6 Week 6 Pack: Level 1
The Facts:
This is a 30 minute workout PLUS WU and CD. Like Killer Buns and Thighs you need a set of dumbbells and a mat (if on a hard surface) BUT you can definitely do this without the weights. It's another fast paced routine that targets the abdominal muscles. But don't think you'll be on the floor the whole time. She has you doing moves you wouldn't think target the waist but they do. In addition to my abs being worked, I also felt like my arms and shoulders got a decent (not great) workout due to moves like the plank. Just holding your body weight up is enough to give them a workout.
Need to do a HRM reading with this as well.
I very much like this workout. I'm not going to use the word love yet, but I feel like I MIGHT fall in love with this one too. I like that the moves are different. I was a little apprehensive about doing a workout that focused only on getting a 6 pack, but after doing it and seeing how well rounded the moves were, I was definitely up for keeping it in my rotation. And yes, I definitely think if you do this workout, your waist will shrink.
And now my disclaimer about all 3 videos. I firmly believe you will get excellent results with these videos. But only EXCELLENT results if your diet is clean. And when I say clean I mean just short of perfect clean. I didn't realize how much more effective workouts were until I changed my eating. There is a reason she includes menus with most of her DVDs and talks about eating. It's more than half the battle. That being said, I imagine you'll get really good results if your diet is still in progress.
I believe diet is the most important factor of getting a great body and also the hardest element. It is TOUGH. So take it a little at a time. It took me years of trying to get to a point where I was willing to change things. I had the info, my soul was willing but my brain wasn't on board. This year, things have fallen into place. I've made changes that I sincerely hope are lifelong. And I also hope I keep seeing results.
Mini Progress Report:
I'm about halfway thru week 3 of my 7 week challenge which is kind of like a halfway point so I took some preliminary measurements last night. I'm down around 6 inches all over. I also tried on some previously too tight pants/shorts and they seem to be fitting now. Week 1 was a great week. I did 4 workouts. Week 2 was less than stellar - only did 1 workout. And now I'm on Week 3 with my 3rd workout happening this evening. I'm pretty happy with the 6 inches considering I feel like I lost a week with Week 2. No matter, I will push forward. I'll give a real update next week with pictures and actual measurement numbers after my Whole30 is over.
Friday, July 26, 2013
Weight Watchers Weigh In: Week 45
Another week. Another weigh in.
I am -2.8 pounds for the week.
Things I've learned this week:
1. The human body is amazing. As is the brain.
2. The Whole30 is really hard.
3. My dog sleeps an awful lot.
#1 is a 2-parter.
First the body:
I've been going to physical therapy the past couple of weeks. Since March, I've had what, at times, feels like a debilitating pain in my hips and pelvic bones. Well, I know now that is where the pain was coming from but it took 2 specialists, 2 medical guesses, and months of online research from yours truly to find the right person who could point me in the right direction. Anyway, I went yesterday and she had to put my pelvic bones back into place. Seriously. This is why I say the human body is amazing. I mean, yeah, it can do that whole Wolverine healing thing, but have one tiny little thing out of place and it feels like you're dying. She had to rotate and pull my hips back into alignment. Yes, this was as painful as you'd think. However, the moment she was done, I immediately noticed that pain was gone. And not just pain in my hips, back pain, and neck pain too. However, it will take daily exercises and me keeping my hips in place to keep the pain away.
Now the brain:
That sucker is one powerful thing. It doesn't matter how strong you are physically, the brain is always stronger.
Which leads me to #2.
The brain is why the Whole30 is hard. As you know, I've been doing my Whole30. Today is Day #18 and I'm still going strong with keeping to the rules. But it's not easy. My brain is rebelling. I'm starting to think I know what addicts feel like. And it's sugar. I'm positive it's the sugar. My brain is telling me that I want it. And it's telling me I want it like I've never wanted it before in the form of foods I've never really wanted before. I feel like a 2 year old. I've told myself "No, you can't have it" - therefore, that's all I want. Honestly, it's the most annoying feeling on earth. It's not painful or anything. It's just this mind numbing thought that sits there in the forefront of my mind on a daily basis. And it won't go away. Or at least it feels like it won't go away. Now, I'm not trying to deter anybody from trying a Whole30 or from a leading healthier life, I'm just telling you how my week has been. From what I've read online in forums, this feeling takes some time to go away. And it's this feeling that makes or breaks someone during these 30 days. Don't worry, it's not going to break me. It's just really freaking annoying.
And #3.
My dog. Seriously, it's like all day every day.
And that's what I've learned this week. For some positive notes on these things, my physical therapy, while painful, is helping. More than anything it offered me mental relief to know what was going on with me. The Whole30, while also painful, is providing some serious results in both myself and my boyfriend. My body shape is changing in a good way. I put on a bathing suit last night to see if I could notice anything and I was very pleased with myself. It looked like I had been crazy working out (hint: I haven't). I wasn't all muscular or anything I just looked more toned if that's possible. I won't even get started on my boyfriend. It's like every day his body is changing. Like turning into hot guy on the beach changing. Yes, I hate him for it. I hate all males for that ability. But I'm happy for him because he works really, really hard. He works out hard, he eats what I make him and he is committed to do this with me because I need the support. Also, it's motivating. And finally, my dog. I don't care if she sleeps. She's the light of my life.
What I did this week:
1. I earned about 3 AP. I made my house sitting plan and I tried to follow it. I just was not prepared for the lack of sleep that I was getting. My last night there, I was so determined to workout that I got in my one (and only) workout. It was a GREAT workout but I was in so much pain the next day at work. Not muscle pain but pain from the sleep deprivation. That workout was Wednesday night. I got home Thursday, went to bed as early as possible and here we are. I gave myself permission to take today off as well because I feel like I need it. Seriously, if I agree to house sit for them again someone hit me in my head. I was miserable the whole time. Maybe that's why I found my cravings extra hard this week. Makes sense.
2. I ate 187 points plus. Again, off my pace of 200 points for the week but I ate until I was full every time. I promise.
3. Water. Still good here. The key is to take my "sippy cup" with me everywhere. I forgot it when I went to house sit and so my first day there I couldn't figure out why I felt so bad. It was because I hadn't had enough water. I promptly corrected it. I never thought I would get to a point where I love my water. Apparently it's happened.
4. What I ate: sticking hard and fast to the Whole30 rules. I eat meats, vegetables (no white potatoes), no sugar of any kind (or artificial substitute), and fruit. I made a vegetable quiche like thing for breakfast. A wonderful vegetable soup with ground beef. Had some sashimi (I do miss regular sushi). Eggs and bacon made an appearance and so did some watermelon. Here's the thing, I might be having a hard time with my brain telling me I want sugar, but the food I'm eating is super good. And while I'm eating it, I'm enjoying every moment immensely. It's just in those "quiet times" that it gets tough.
And that's it for this week.
Have a great weekend!!!!!!!!
I am -2.8 pounds for the week.
Things I've learned this week:
1. The human body is amazing. As is the brain.
2. The Whole30 is really hard.
3. My dog sleeps an awful lot.
#1 is a 2-parter.
First the body:
I've been going to physical therapy the past couple of weeks. Since March, I've had what, at times, feels like a debilitating pain in my hips and pelvic bones. Well, I know now that is where the pain was coming from but it took 2 specialists, 2 medical guesses, and months of online research from yours truly to find the right person who could point me in the right direction. Anyway, I went yesterday and she had to put my pelvic bones back into place. Seriously. This is why I say the human body is amazing. I mean, yeah, it can do that whole Wolverine healing thing, but have one tiny little thing out of place and it feels like you're dying. She had to rotate and pull my hips back into alignment. Yes, this was as painful as you'd think. However, the moment she was done, I immediately noticed that pain was gone. And not just pain in my hips, back pain, and neck pain too. However, it will take daily exercises and me keeping my hips in place to keep the pain away.
Now the brain:
That sucker is one powerful thing. It doesn't matter how strong you are physically, the brain is always stronger.
Which leads me to #2.
The brain is why the Whole30 is hard. As you know, I've been doing my Whole30. Today is Day #18 and I'm still going strong with keeping to the rules. But it's not easy. My brain is rebelling. I'm starting to think I know what addicts feel like. And it's sugar. I'm positive it's the sugar. My brain is telling me that I want it. And it's telling me I want it like I've never wanted it before in the form of foods I've never really wanted before. I feel like a 2 year old. I've told myself "No, you can't have it" - therefore, that's all I want. Honestly, it's the most annoying feeling on earth. It's not painful or anything. It's just this mind numbing thought that sits there in the forefront of my mind on a daily basis. And it won't go away. Or at least it feels like it won't go away. Now, I'm not trying to deter anybody from trying a Whole30 or from a leading healthier life, I'm just telling you how my week has been. From what I've read online in forums, this feeling takes some time to go away. And it's this feeling that makes or breaks someone during these 30 days. Don't worry, it's not going to break me. It's just really freaking annoying.
And #3.
My dog. Seriously, it's like all day every day.
And that's what I've learned this week. For some positive notes on these things, my physical therapy, while painful, is helping. More than anything it offered me mental relief to know what was going on with me. The Whole30, while also painful, is providing some serious results in both myself and my boyfriend. My body shape is changing in a good way. I put on a bathing suit last night to see if I could notice anything and I was very pleased with myself. It looked like I had been crazy working out (hint: I haven't). I wasn't all muscular or anything I just looked more toned if that's possible. I won't even get started on my boyfriend. It's like every day his body is changing. Like turning into hot guy on the beach changing. Yes, I hate him for it. I hate all males for that ability. But I'm happy for him because he works really, really hard. He works out hard, he eats what I make him and he is committed to do this with me because I need the support. Also, it's motivating. And finally, my dog. I don't care if she sleeps. She's the light of my life.
What I did this week:
1. I earned about 3 AP. I made my house sitting plan and I tried to follow it. I just was not prepared for the lack of sleep that I was getting. My last night there, I was so determined to workout that I got in my one (and only) workout. It was a GREAT workout but I was in so much pain the next day at work. Not muscle pain but pain from the sleep deprivation. That workout was Wednesday night. I got home Thursday, went to bed as early as possible and here we are. I gave myself permission to take today off as well because I feel like I need it. Seriously, if I agree to house sit for them again someone hit me in my head. I was miserable the whole time. Maybe that's why I found my cravings extra hard this week. Makes sense.
2. I ate 187 points plus. Again, off my pace of 200 points for the week but I ate until I was full every time. I promise.
3. Water. Still good here. The key is to take my "sippy cup" with me everywhere. I forgot it when I went to house sit and so my first day there I couldn't figure out why I felt so bad. It was because I hadn't had enough water. I promptly corrected it. I never thought I would get to a point where I love my water. Apparently it's happened.
4. What I ate: sticking hard and fast to the Whole30 rules. I eat meats, vegetables (no white potatoes), no sugar of any kind (or artificial substitute), and fruit. I made a vegetable quiche like thing for breakfast. A wonderful vegetable soup with ground beef. Had some sashimi (I do miss regular sushi). Eggs and bacon made an appearance and so did some watermelon. Here's the thing, I might be having a hard time with my brain telling me I want sugar, but the food I'm eating is super good. And while I'm eating it, I'm enjoying every moment immensely. It's just in those "quiet times" that it gets tough.
And that's it for this week.
Have a great weekend!!!!!!!!
Monday, June 3, 2013
30 Day Shred: Final Results
I finally finished!
Saturday was my final workout and I put everything I had into it. I tried to do all the advanced moves even if it meant I only did for them for a little bit.
I was so proud of myself because I could tell that I had made big progress. Especially when I was able to do full on jumping lunges for the first set. Big win for me!
I'll just jump right into the stats.
Measurements:
30 Day Shred
Day 1:
Chest: 40"
Ribs: 33"
Waist: 33.5"
Hips: 42"
Belly Button: 34.5"
Upper Thigh: 24"
Leg @ Knee: 18"
Left Arm: 12"
Day 30:
Chest: 39"
Ribs: 31.75"
Waist: 32.5"
Hips: 40.25"
Belly Button: 34"
Upper Thigh: 22.75"
Leg @ Knee: 17"
Left Arm: 11.5"
Total inches lost: -8.25"
And I'm totally loving it. I keep buying new clothes just because I'm starting to feel so good about myself. In terms of scale weight, I pretty much didn't lose anything. And I don't care :)
As long as my inches keep going down, then I'm a happy girl.
And finally, my pictures - - side note: please excuse the mess in the 2nd set :(
Day 1
Day 30
.JPG)
Not the biggest difference in the world, but I think I can see a little change in the side view pictures. To be perfectly honest, if I didn't take measurements, I probably wouldn't have thought I had made any progress at all!
Here's another fun fact, I weigh almost the same in both sets of pics.
And since you know how much I love doing this, I went back in time to check out some stats I had from doing p90x last year.
After 30 days on p90x last year, my weight was 3 pounds LESS than what I am now, however look at my measurements:
Chest: 43"
Ribs: 34.5"
Waist: 36.5"
Hips: 45"
Belly Button: 40"
Upper Thigh: 25.25"
Leg @ Knee: 18.5"
Left Arm: 13.5"
I've said it before and I'll say it again: take your measurements!
I'm so happy I do. It really does help me keep my head in the game. Otherwise, I probably would have given up by now.
Just sayin'
Today's Menu:
B: homemade larabar
L: roasted chicken + veggie salad
D: portobello mushroom pizza
Saturday was my final workout and I put everything I had into it. I tried to do all the advanced moves even if it meant I only did for them for a little bit.
I was so proud of myself because I could tell that I had made big progress. Especially when I was able to do full on jumping lunges for the first set. Big win for me!
I'll just jump right into the stats.
Measurements:
30 Day Shred
Day 1:
Chest: 40"
Ribs: 33"
Waist: 33.5"
Hips: 42"
Belly Button: 34.5"
Upper Thigh: 24"
Leg @ Knee: 18"
Left Arm: 12"
Day 30:
Chest: 39"
Ribs: 31.75"
Waist: 32.5"
Hips: 40.25"
Belly Button: 34"
Upper Thigh: 22.75"
Leg @ Knee: 17"
Left Arm: 11.5"
Total inches lost: -8.25"
And I'm totally loving it. I keep buying new clothes just because I'm starting to feel so good about myself. In terms of scale weight, I pretty much didn't lose anything. And I don't care :)
As long as my inches keep going down, then I'm a happy girl.
And finally, my pictures - - side note: please excuse the mess in the 2nd set :(
Day 1
Day 30
.JPG)
Not the biggest difference in the world, but I think I can see a little change in the side view pictures. To be perfectly honest, if I didn't take measurements, I probably wouldn't have thought I had made any progress at all!
Here's another fun fact, I weigh almost the same in both sets of pics.
And since you know how much I love doing this, I went back in time to check out some stats I had from doing p90x last year.
After 30 days on p90x last year, my weight was 3 pounds LESS than what I am now, however look at my measurements:
Chest: 43"
Ribs: 34.5"
Waist: 36.5"
Hips: 45"
Belly Button: 40"
Upper Thigh: 25.25"
Leg @ Knee: 18.5"
Left Arm: 13.5"
I've said it before and I'll say it again: take your measurements!
I'm so happy I do. It really does help me keep my head in the game. Otherwise, I probably would have given up by now.
Just sayin'
Today's Menu:
B: homemade larabar
L: roasted chicken + veggie salad
D: portobello mushroom pizza
Friday, May 10, 2013
Weight Watchers Weigh In: Week 34
Hey y'all.
Fun fact: I was born and raised in Virginia where the phrase y'all is used quite frequently, as you can imagine. I haven't lived there since 2000 and I still use y'all like it's going out of style.
And I probably always will.
It's been a long week. Nothing too stressful happened. It was more like time just seemed to move at a brutally slow pace. However, tis Friday and therefore I shall rejoice.
Hurrah! Hurrah!
Weigh In: -1.2 lbs
Rejoice again I shall.
Hurrah! Hurrah!
If my math is right (and it always is- Tony Stark) since January 2nd, I have lost 13.8 pounds. That's huge! If memory serves, that's the most consistent weight loss I've ever had in my adult life with relative ease.
For years I have always either counted calories or points. I always stayed within what was the appropriate calorie deficit for my height and weight but I rarely lost consistent weight. And if I did, seeing more than a pound loss total per month was a joyous occasion for me. And I ALWAYS worked out. HARD. I ran, I lifted weights, I played sports, I did it all. Up until January 2013 that has always been my plan. I followed my points/calories, I worked out 5-6 days a week and I'd pray for the weight loss to happen. And I usually felt horrible. I was usually hungry, craving some sort of take-out/fast food item. Or counting the seconds til the weekend when I could have my "cheat day" and finally be satisfied. I also felt like I had no control over the situation. I felt like I had no control over what I was eating.
When I was younger, this sort of worked for me. I was able to keep serious weight gain at bay but never really got the results I wanted. But as I got older (especially in the last couple of years) it eventually became this cycle that wore me to the bone. Monday thru Friday I was diligent. I always stayed within my daily points/calories and I got in my workouts (intense hour plus long workouts). But I was either always hungry or always wishing I was eating something else. I didn't want to touch those Weekly Points because I wanted them for the weekend. And then the weekend would come and I would eat those "naughty" items. I wouldn't go over my points (most of the time) but I would relish every last one. And then come Monday morning, I'd weigh 5 pounds heavier due to my weekend splurges. And then during the work week, I'd be diligent again and slowly would lose those 5 pounds and if I was really, really lucky maybe an extra quarter pound would come off too. But then the weekend would come and I would do it over again.
And that made for some terribly slow weight loss. Or rather, it made for some non-existent weight loss.
From mid September 2012 to the end of December 2012 I had been on WW for 15 weeks. At the end of those 15 weeks I had lost 0.2 pounds total.
See what I mean? Vicious cycle.
And while I knew this was going on I still felt like something was wrong with me. Like there was nothing left for me to try to lose weight because it just wasn't working for me.
Then in January of this year I changed everything about the way I ate. And if I'm going to be honest, I was pretty scared to do it. I'd like to say I was so frustrated about my weight (and I was) that I was just hell-bent on changing everything to get results. But even knowing that change was necessary to get what I DESPERATELY wanted (weight-loss), I was afraid to give up eating certain foods.
It was my own Sophie's Choice. Did I want to be miserable in my body (because I was starting to become that way) but be able to eat whatever deliciousness I wanted OR did I want to try to make some dietary changes which would most definitely make me healthier and just might make me lose some weight?
I easily made the decision to change my diet but in the weeks leading up to my designated date (I chose January 2), I had all sorts of negative feelings about it. I was doubtful it would work, I was scared I would miss food too much, I was nervous that my life would be miserable because I couldn't eat whatever I wanted.
I seriously had that thought. That I would have a miserable existence because I was cutting unhealthy food out of my life. That's just not right.
There are people who CAN eat whatever they want and maintain a healthy life and weight. I am not one of those people.
I have NEVER been one of those people.
So after a couple months of preparation and because of other on-goings in my life, on January 2nd, I started a particular elimination diet that would eventually change my way of thinking. I cut out the processed food and other items and ended up learning that my body doesn't do well on certain foods. Apparently my body does not like gluten, dairy and to a small degree soy and eggs.
And from there, my world changed.
I lost weight even though I wasn't exercising. I taught myself that taking things out of your diet doesn't mean you have nothing left to eat, in fact, there are usually too many choices! I learned that certain foods have an excessive amount of control over me and when I stop eating them, I take back ALL control. And I learned that it's still hard work.
There is no band-aid people. No matter which path your body takes you on, there will always be hard work along the way.
None of these revelations were overnight. I still struggle with feelings of success and failure. I still have moments where I wish I were "normal". But they aren't as bad as they used to be. Thank God. But the best thing I've learned is that changing my diet did NOT make me miserable :)
What I did this week:
1. I earned probably around 15 AP. I did five 30 Day Shred workouts. I took an extra day off due to crazy muscle soreness. I don't know what it is about level 2 but it makes my hips and lower back hurt crazy bad. I think it's the last ab exercise, the plank while bringing your knee over. Whatever it is, it makes for some serious body soreness.
2. I ate 214 points for the week (I do not count AP towards my total)
3. Water = :)
4. What I ate. This past week I made my homemade Big Macs, chef salad, soup au pistou (fancy name for vegetable soup to which I added chicken), roasted chicken lettuce wraps, and chicken scampi. I also indulged in some larabars, peanut butter, and sushi. But not at the same time. (I'll be trying my hand at homemade larabars this weekend. If I'm successful I'll let you know)
Today's Menu:
B: Larabar
L: Chef Salad + Apple
D: Soup au Pistou ** and probably some sushi ;)
Fun fact: I was born and raised in Virginia where the phrase y'all is used quite frequently, as you can imagine. I haven't lived there since 2000 and I still use y'all like it's going out of style.
And I probably always will.
It's been a long week. Nothing too stressful happened. It was more like time just seemed to move at a brutally slow pace. However, tis Friday and therefore I shall rejoice.
Hurrah! Hurrah!
Weigh In: -1.2 lbs
Rejoice again I shall.
Hurrah! Hurrah!
If my math is right (and it always is- Tony Stark) since January 2nd, I have lost 13.8 pounds. That's huge! If memory serves, that's the most consistent weight loss I've ever had in my adult life with relative ease.
For years I have always either counted calories or points. I always stayed within what was the appropriate calorie deficit for my height and weight but I rarely lost consistent weight. And if I did, seeing more than a pound loss total per month was a joyous occasion for me. And I ALWAYS worked out. HARD. I ran, I lifted weights, I played sports, I did it all. Up until January 2013 that has always been my plan. I followed my points/calories, I worked out 5-6 days a week and I'd pray for the weight loss to happen. And I usually felt horrible. I was usually hungry, craving some sort of take-out/fast food item. Or counting the seconds til the weekend when I could have my "cheat day" and finally be satisfied. I also felt like I had no control over the situation. I felt like I had no control over what I was eating.
When I was younger, this sort of worked for me. I was able to keep serious weight gain at bay but never really got the results I wanted. But as I got older (especially in the last couple of years) it eventually became this cycle that wore me to the bone. Monday thru Friday I was diligent. I always stayed within my daily points/calories and I got in my workouts (intense hour plus long workouts). But I was either always hungry or always wishing I was eating something else. I didn't want to touch those Weekly Points because I wanted them for the weekend. And then the weekend would come and I would eat those "naughty" items. I wouldn't go over my points (most of the time) but I would relish every last one. And then come Monday morning, I'd weigh 5 pounds heavier due to my weekend splurges. And then during the work week, I'd be diligent again and slowly would lose those 5 pounds and if I was really, really lucky maybe an extra quarter pound would come off too. But then the weekend would come and I would do it over again.
And that made for some terribly slow weight loss. Or rather, it made for some non-existent weight loss.
From mid September 2012 to the end of December 2012 I had been on WW for 15 weeks. At the end of those 15 weeks I had lost 0.2 pounds total.
See what I mean? Vicious cycle.
And while I knew this was going on I still felt like something was wrong with me. Like there was nothing left for me to try to lose weight because it just wasn't working for me.
Then in January of this year I changed everything about the way I ate. And if I'm going to be honest, I was pretty scared to do it. I'd like to say I was so frustrated about my weight (and I was) that I was just hell-bent on changing everything to get results. But even knowing that change was necessary to get what I DESPERATELY wanted (weight-loss), I was afraid to give up eating certain foods.
It was my own Sophie's Choice. Did I want to be miserable in my body (because I was starting to become that way) but be able to eat whatever deliciousness I wanted OR did I want to try to make some dietary changes which would most definitely make me healthier and just might make me lose some weight?
I easily made the decision to change my diet but in the weeks leading up to my designated date (I chose January 2), I had all sorts of negative feelings about it. I was doubtful it would work, I was scared I would miss food too much, I was nervous that my life would be miserable because I couldn't eat whatever I wanted.
I seriously had that thought. That I would have a miserable existence because I was cutting unhealthy food out of my life. That's just not right.
There are people who CAN eat whatever they want and maintain a healthy life and weight. I am not one of those people.
I have NEVER been one of those people.
So after a couple months of preparation and because of other on-goings in my life, on January 2nd, I started a particular elimination diet that would eventually change my way of thinking. I cut out the processed food and other items and ended up learning that my body doesn't do well on certain foods. Apparently my body does not like gluten, dairy and to a small degree soy and eggs.
And from there, my world changed.
I lost weight even though I wasn't exercising. I taught myself that taking things out of your diet doesn't mean you have nothing left to eat, in fact, there are usually too many choices! I learned that certain foods have an excessive amount of control over me and when I stop eating them, I take back ALL control. And I learned that it's still hard work.
There is no band-aid people. No matter which path your body takes you on, there will always be hard work along the way.
None of these revelations were overnight. I still struggle with feelings of success and failure. I still have moments where I wish I were "normal". But they aren't as bad as they used to be. Thank God. But the best thing I've learned is that changing my diet did NOT make me miserable :)
What I did this week:
1. I earned probably around 15 AP. I did five 30 Day Shred workouts. I took an extra day off due to crazy muscle soreness. I don't know what it is about level 2 but it makes my hips and lower back hurt crazy bad. I think it's the last ab exercise, the plank while bringing your knee over. Whatever it is, it makes for some serious body soreness.
2. I ate 214 points for the week (I do not count AP towards my total)
3. Water = :)
4. What I ate. This past week I made my homemade Big Macs, chef salad, soup au pistou (fancy name for vegetable soup to which I added chicken), roasted chicken lettuce wraps, and chicken scampi. I also indulged in some larabars, peanut butter, and sushi. But not at the same time. (I'll be trying my hand at homemade larabars this weekend. If I'm successful I'll let you know)
Today's Menu:
B: Larabar
L: Chef Salad + Apple
D: Soup au Pistou ** and probably some sushi ;)
Friday, April 26, 2013
Weight Watchers Weigh In: Week 32 plus 30 Day Shred Update
Weigh-In: -1.6 pounds
A couple of things: Even though my weigh-ins are on Friday mornings, two weeks ago, I decided to do a weigh-in on the following Saturday morning just for fun.
That fine Saturday morning, I registered my lowest weight for 2013. It was a nice surprise even though I'm acutely aware of how much my weight fluctuates. And just for reference, it was about 3 pounds lower than my weigh-in this morning.
Like I said, that ultra low weigh-in was TWO weeks ago. And you know what? I haven't really been able to get it out of my head. First, I had that giant spike last Friday (+3.6 pounds) and though I lost weight this week, it is still, like I said, about 3 pounds lower than that magical Saturday weigh-in. I'm really happy that I still had a loss this week but honestly that Saturday reading was still plaguing me.
Until yesterday and today.
I went bathing suit shopping yesterday. I tried on suit after suit but I couldn't find anything that fit. It took me 3 rounds in the dressing room before I realized the reason nothing fit was because I was grabbing the wrong size. On my fourth try, I grabbed one size smaller of everything and though I was skeptic that was the problem, I walked out that day with three different suits. Yes, three. All in the smaller size. I don't know about you but for me that is a giant victory. And it was a nice start to help me get over that whole lowest weight thing.
Then today, I decided to do a measurement update for my 30 Day Shred. The first numbers are my starting numbers, the second numbers are my measurements as of today:
Chest: 40"/40"
Ribs: 33"/32.75"
Waist: 33.5"/33"
Hips: 42"/42"
Belly Button: 34.5"/34.5"
Upper Thigh: 24"/23.75"
Leg @ Knee: 18"/17.5"
Left Arm: 12.25"/12"
As you can see, I've made a little bit of progress after only 8 workouts! I'll be doing my 9th workout of Level 1 tonight and if things go as planned, I'll be starting Level 2 on Sunday. I'm excited to move on to Level 2. I watched it last night and it's definitely a step up and I'm totally ready.
Anyway, as I was writing down my new measurements I realized something. Those starting measurements for the 30 Day Shred are actually my final measurements from Slim in 6. And you know what? Those were taken TWO DAYS after my magical Saturday morning weigh-in. You see where this is going? The new measurements are my numbers as of TODAY and even though I weigh some 3 pounds more than I did 2 weeks ago, I have actually lost 1.25 inches overall since that magical Saturday morning.
In fact, check out my measurements from February 15, 2013:
Chest: 41"
Ribs: 34"
Waist: 35"
Hips: 43"
Belly Button: 35.5"
Upper Thigh: 24"
Leg @ Knee: 18.25"
Left Arm: 12.5"
February 15th was also one of my Friday Weigh-In Days. And you know how much I weighed on February 15th? The exact same amount that I weigh today except that I am smaller by 7.75 inches.
The point is, TAKE YOUR MEASUREMENTS PEOPLE. As long as I keep losing inches, I kind of don't care what the scale says. The scale is just one form of feedback and probably not even really a good form at that.
Now, on to my Weekly Roundup:
1. I earned around 15 AP. I think that's a pretty good guess. I did six 30 Day Shred workouts. (NOTE: I DON'T EAT MY AP)
2. I ate 244 points. I was aiming for 220-225 but didn't quite hit the mark. I'm going to aim for 220-225 again this week. (No AP points are calculated in my weekly totals)
3. I drank water. In fact, it's getting easier so I'm hope that means it's becoming a habit.
4. I ate very well. I had my weekly sushi and I also ate out yesterday at Hugo's. I've mentioned this restaurant before. It's a god send. They serve all sorts of vegan, gluten free, allergen free options and everything is made organic and fresh. I had a club sandwich with a side salad. Other than that, I made everything else I ate. I made borscht, beef fajita lettuce wraps and portobello mushroom pizzas. Oh yeah, and I managed to keep the sweets at bay :)
Today's Menu:
I'm on vacation!! I didn't go anywhere so I guess it's technically a stay-cation but I don't care, I love not being at work.
I've only had lunch today and it was a portobello mushroom pizza.
Have a great weekend!!!!!!!!
A couple of things: Even though my weigh-ins are on Friday mornings, two weeks ago, I decided to do a weigh-in on the following Saturday morning just for fun.
That fine Saturday morning, I registered my lowest weight for 2013. It was a nice surprise even though I'm acutely aware of how much my weight fluctuates. And just for reference, it was about 3 pounds lower than my weigh-in this morning.
Like I said, that ultra low weigh-in was TWO weeks ago. And you know what? I haven't really been able to get it out of my head. First, I had that giant spike last Friday (+3.6 pounds) and though I lost weight this week, it is still, like I said, about 3 pounds lower than that magical Saturday weigh-in. I'm really happy that I still had a loss this week but honestly that Saturday reading was still plaguing me.
Until yesterday and today.
I went bathing suit shopping yesterday. I tried on suit after suit but I couldn't find anything that fit. It took me 3 rounds in the dressing room before I realized the reason nothing fit was because I was grabbing the wrong size. On my fourth try, I grabbed one size smaller of everything and though I was skeptic that was the problem, I walked out that day with three different suits. Yes, three. All in the smaller size. I don't know about you but for me that is a giant victory. And it was a nice start to help me get over that whole lowest weight thing.
Then today, I decided to do a measurement update for my 30 Day Shred. The first numbers are my starting numbers, the second numbers are my measurements as of today:
Chest: 40"/40"
Ribs: 33"/32.75"
Waist: 33.5"/33"
Hips: 42"/42"
Belly Button: 34.5"/34.5"
Upper Thigh: 24"/23.75"
Leg @ Knee: 18"/17.5"
Left Arm: 12.25"/12"
As you can see, I've made a little bit of progress after only 8 workouts! I'll be doing my 9th workout of Level 1 tonight and if things go as planned, I'll be starting Level 2 on Sunday. I'm excited to move on to Level 2. I watched it last night and it's definitely a step up and I'm totally ready.
Anyway, as I was writing down my new measurements I realized something. Those starting measurements for the 30 Day Shred are actually my final measurements from Slim in 6. And you know what? Those were taken TWO DAYS after my magical Saturday morning weigh-in. You see where this is going? The new measurements are my numbers as of TODAY and even though I weigh some 3 pounds more than I did 2 weeks ago, I have actually lost 1.25 inches overall since that magical Saturday morning.
In fact, check out my measurements from February 15, 2013:
Chest: 41"
Ribs: 34"
Waist: 35"
Hips: 43"
Belly Button: 35.5"
Upper Thigh: 24"
Leg @ Knee: 18.25"
Left Arm: 12.5"
February 15th was also one of my Friday Weigh-In Days. And you know how much I weighed on February 15th? The exact same amount that I weigh today except that I am smaller by 7.75 inches.
The point is, TAKE YOUR MEASUREMENTS PEOPLE. As long as I keep losing inches, I kind of don't care what the scale says. The scale is just one form of feedback and probably not even really a good form at that.
Now, on to my Weekly Roundup:
1. I earned around 15 AP. I think that's a pretty good guess. I did six 30 Day Shred workouts. (NOTE: I DON'T EAT MY AP)
2. I ate 244 points. I was aiming for 220-225 but didn't quite hit the mark. I'm going to aim for 220-225 again this week. (No AP points are calculated in my weekly totals)
3. I drank water. In fact, it's getting easier so I'm hope that means it's becoming a habit.
4. I ate very well. I had my weekly sushi and I also ate out yesterday at Hugo's. I've mentioned this restaurant before. It's a god send. They serve all sorts of vegan, gluten free, allergen free options and everything is made organic and fresh. I had a club sandwich with a side salad. Other than that, I made everything else I ate. I made borscht, beef fajita lettuce wraps and portobello mushroom pizzas. Oh yeah, and I managed to keep the sweets at bay :)
Today's Menu:
I'm on vacation!! I didn't go anywhere so I guess it's technically a stay-cation but I don't care, I love not being at work.
I've only had lunch today and it was a portobello mushroom pizza.
Have a great weekend!!!!!!!!
Friday, April 19, 2013
Weight Watchers Weigh In: Week 31
As of this morning I am + 3.6 pounds.
I am going to blame Jillian Michaels for most of this. I started the 30 Day Shred Wednesday night and I am SORE.
The big muscles are mostly ok. They are just tender enough to let me know that I got in some good workouts. However, those little muscles that you didn't know you had, those are the ones that are killing me.
So I'm going to say I'm retaining some water. And the thought of doing my workout again tonight. UGH. It's going to hurt isn't it?
Honestly, I'm not concerned about this weight gain at all (thank God) and I'll tell you why.
First, last night after work, I decided to go through my closet and try on my jeans. I've been rockin' a size 14 since Dec/Jan and I was able fit back into my 12s. Some of them looked good, some of them were tight (Don't you love the size differences between brands?). The important part is they FIT. And second, this morning I was rushing to put on something for work and grabbed a shirt from my closet that I have worn only once. Yes, ONCE. I wore it and before I knew it, I got a little fluffier so in my closet it sat. I don't know why I grabbed it but I just did. And it fit. Not a little bit but perfectly. Actually, I think it looks better on me now then when I first got it.
So there you have it, the reasons why I'm not too upset about the gain.
Now on to what I did to be so awesome ;)
Weekly Roundup:
1. I earned 12-ish AP. Well, I earned however many AP 4 Slim in 6 workouts and 2 30 Day Shred workouts will get me. All I know is I worked out 6 days this past week!! Go me!!
2. I ate 235* points. It's a little more than I should have. I'd like to see that number be lower next week by around 10 points. *Number does not reflect any AP*
3. Water. It's official, I am a water goddess.
4. What did I eat? Well, part of the reason I ate so many points is because I made some chocolate chip cookies last weekend. Do I really need to say anymore? Other than those cookies, I had fabulous meals. I cooked everything I ate except for the sushi I had for lunch yesterday (yes sushi again - I still can't get enough of it) and some bread products I decided to try. But examples of my meals include: Yellow Chicken Curry, Chicken Soup, BLT on English Muffin and Sloppy Joes! This was the first week I ventured out and bought some gluten free bread products. I chose the Food for Life brand english muffins which are surprisingly good. And I chose the Udi's brand hamburger buns for sloppy joes. Both had a decent ingredient list and fit the bill for me knowing what was exactly in them. For the sloppy joe meal I just used the bottom of the roll and ate my sloppy joe as an open faced sandwich but it was really, really nice to have bread again. I probably won't be buying these products very frequently because they are WAY expensive and also I'm really digging making everything myself. But it was a nice treat. If any of you are doing the gluten free thing, I recommend both of these items.
And even though I'm not torn about my gain, I am going to be tightening up my eating for this coming week (My Weigh-Ins are Friday so my points reset on Friday too). I want to be sure to log everything I eat, take a break from sugar (I miss you already cookies), and get in my exercise even if it hurts.
And with that I bid you Adieu.
Today's Menu:
B: english muffin + peanut butter
L: chicken soup
D: tuna salad
I am going to blame Jillian Michaels for most of this. I started the 30 Day Shred Wednesday night and I am SORE.
The big muscles are mostly ok. They are just tender enough to let me know that I got in some good workouts. However, those little muscles that you didn't know you had, those are the ones that are killing me.
So I'm going to say I'm retaining some water. And the thought of doing my workout again tonight. UGH. It's going to hurt isn't it?
Honestly, I'm not concerned about this weight gain at all (thank God) and I'll tell you why.
First, last night after work, I decided to go through my closet and try on my jeans. I've been rockin' a size 14 since Dec/Jan and I was able fit back into my 12s. Some of them looked good, some of them were tight (Don't you love the size differences between brands?). The important part is they FIT. And second, this morning I was rushing to put on something for work and grabbed a shirt from my closet that I have worn only once. Yes, ONCE. I wore it and before I knew it, I got a little fluffier so in my closet it sat. I don't know why I grabbed it but I just did. And it fit. Not a little bit but perfectly. Actually, I think it looks better on me now then when I first got it.
So there you have it, the reasons why I'm not too upset about the gain.
Now on to what I did to be so awesome ;)
Weekly Roundup:
1. I earned 12-ish AP. Well, I earned however many AP 4 Slim in 6 workouts and 2 30 Day Shred workouts will get me. All I know is I worked out 6 days this past week!! Go me!!
2. I ate 235* points. It's a little more than I should have. I'd like to see that number be lower next week by around 10 points. *Number does not reflect any AP*
3. Water. It's official, I am a water goddess.
4. What did I eat? Well, part of the reason I ate so many points is because I made some chocolate chip cookies last weekend. Do I really need to say anymore? Other than those cookies, I had fabulous meals. I cooked everything I ate except for the sushi I had for lunch yesterday (yes sushi again - I still can't get enough of it) and some bread products I decided to try. But examples of my meals include: Yellow Chicken Curry, Chicken Soup, BLT on English Muffin and Sloppy Joes! This was the first week I ventured out and bought some gluten free bread products. I chose the Food for Life brand english muffins which are surprisingly good. And I chose the Udi's brand hamburger buns for sloppy joes. Both had a decent ingredient list and fit the bill for me knowing what was exactly in them. For the sloppy joe meal I just used the bottom of the roll and ate my sloppy joe as an open faced sandwich but it was really, really nice to have bread again. I probably won't be buying these products very frequently because they are WAY expensive and also I'm really digging making everything myself. But it was a nice treat. If any of you are doing the gluten free thing, I recommend both of these items.
And even though I'm not torn about my gain, I am going to be tightening up my eating for this coming week (My Weigh-Ins are Friday so my points reset on Friday too). I want to be sure to log everything I eat, take a break from sugar (I miss you already cookies), and get in my exercise even if it hurts.
And with that I bid you Adieu.
Today's Menu:
B: english muffin + peanut butter
L: chicken soup
D: tuna salad
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