First Week on Weight Watchers

Today was my very first weigh-in w/ Weight Watcher and I'm down 2.8.

That's right:  -2.8.

And I'm very, very pleased.

I remember trying out the new pointsplus program when they first rolled it out on a 2 week free trial and I hated it.  But something must have changed because I didn't mind this at all.  I was right, it was a nice change of pace from my normal calorie counting.  And new things are always motivating!


I'm excited for what this next week brings.  I know I won't always have a big loss like that (I'm pretty sure my weight is still elevated from being sick and the Vegas binge) but I'm pretty positive I'll have another loss which is all I want.


There are a few things I would like to do a tiny bit better this week:
For Exercise:
I want to get just a little more exercise in.  Just a little because I did great last week.  I worked out 5 out of 7 days and I'm pleased with all my workouts.  The ONLY thing I want to do is utilize my weekends better.  I want to add more workout time to my weekend workouts because I don't feel like I'm taking advantage of all the time I have.  I will be adding one strength training routine on each day in addition to my cardio.  So one upper and one lower over the course of the weekend.  I usually do a strength routine over the weekend but I'd like to make it a habit to do one on BOTH days.

Eating:
I did great.  I know you can't see it but I'm patting myself on the back.  Maybe, if anything, I'll make sure to drink more water on the weekends.  Monday thru Friday I'm great at drinking my water not so much on Saturday and Sunday.

Tracking:
Continue to track EVERYTHING.  There was ONE instance where I wasn't going to count a couple of chips I had eaten.  I even purposefully sat on the couch next to my computer and thought "yeah, I'm not going to count those".  And then I realized that was stupid, so I did.  Cause you know, it only works if you do what you're supposed to.

I will be working out after work tonight so I will take my measurements and post them as soon as I can.

And in completely unrelated news:

The shuttle Endeavor flew over Los Angeles today.  We all stood on the roof of our office building waiting for it and it didn't disappoint.  It was quite simply, amazing.

Today's menu:
B:  Breakfast Rosti (which I will post about later on how to make because it is awesome) + egg + Coffee/Creamer
L:  Southwestern Salad + Vinaigrette (light) + Pepper Tomato Soup + Apple
D:  Perhaps a garden salad with something delicious.  I haven't figured it out yet.



 

*SIGH* Weigh-In

+2 lbs

I'm not going to say anything else about it because the very next morning I showed a loss.

Go figure.

I'm still on the wagon.  Still working out VERY WELL.  Still eating pretty good.  And I added another tool into the mix.

I don't know why I did it.  I didn't even really think about it but I hopped online last Friday (14th) and I joined Weight Watchers.  I think I wanted to mix things up a bit and for some reason it seemed like the right thing to do.

I've been counting calories FOREVER and it started to feel stale.  I didn't want to stop controlling my intake so it hit me - maybe counting points would freshen things up?

So far so good.  My weigh-ins are still on Fridays so nothing changes really.  It's just yet another way for me to track everything I'm eating.  Also, in a weird way, it's nice to not be obsessing over calories.  I have my daily points target and honest to God I have no idea how they come up with it.  I have no idea how many calories I'm eating (well, to a certain extent.  If I took the time to think it over I could figure it out in a second.) and it's kind of liberating.  And in 3 days I'll see the fruits of my precious labor.

I did not sleep at all last night so I'm going to cut this short because I can't concentrate.  There are so many things I want to post about (my measurements, weight watchers, my elbow which is still not perfect, and other things) but I can't think straight.

B:  Breakfast Rosti, Egg, Coffee + Cream + Sugar
S:  Santa Fe Salad + Dressing + Bell Pepper Tomato Soup + Apple + Cheese
D:  Something with tomatoes because I have some perfectly ripe tomatoes that are begging to be used.

Catch Up Weigh Ins

It's been 3 weeks so I have some catching up to do.

And my weight loss:

July 13: -3.8
July 20:  -0.6
July 27:  -1.2
August 3:  -1.2
August 10: -1.2
August 17:  +0.8
August 24: -1.8


And on the 25th I went to Vegas.  That's where things get interesting.  I did some damage in Vegas, had a little fun and even came home early.  And that next morning my boyfriend and I got sick.  BAD.  We both had the flu.  A whole week of sickness and no exercising after a long Vegas weekend makes for some major setbacks.

August 31:  +3.8
September 7:  -1.6

I'll be honest, I thought that 3.8 pound gain was not real due to being so sick but it's hanging around.  Here it is almost another weigh-in (it's tomorrow) and I'm still hovering around that Vegas weight.  I've been working out hard so I'm going to keep a better eye on my calorie intake and see if that works.

I need to also do a new measurement chart because after my Vegas weigh gain I decided to measure myself in hopes that it would help me feel better and it did!  I'll post that after my weigh-in.

B:  Cheeseburger (yeah, had extras that I made) + Coffee
L:  Enchilada
D:  ?

Weekly Weigh-In and Progess to Date

I'm a little late aren't I?

Anyway, last week I had a gain of 0.8 lbs.  My first thought was water retention but I didn't dwell on it too long as I'd had many weeks of losses prior.  However, I am 2 days away from my next weigh-in and things aren't looking too good on the scale.  I've peeked for a few days and things look wonky.

Am I worried?

No.  You know why?  Because I switched up my exercise routine and it took me a few days to figure things out.  Also, this past week I was house sitting, attending birthday parties (yes multiple), and planning my first of many vacations coming up.  And with all that going on, I'm pretty sure I missed some food in my log, therefore my calorie count is probably not as accurate as it has been in the past.  And when that happens, things can go awry.  Again, I'm not worried.  I need to be more diligent counting and I will be.  And who knows, Friday could get here and things could be fine.

I leave for Vegas Saturday morning for our annual trip.  The casino I'm staying at has a gym and I have all intentions of using it as there are buffets in my future.  I'm not planning to stress this too much as this is my first get away in over a year and I really want to relax and enjoy myself.  I will admit that I'm a little nervous too.  I mean, a whole weekend in Sin City could really do some damage!


On the exercise front:  I've been biking and swimming, swimming and biking, and occasionally rowing.  I hurt my foot! Yeah, have NO IDEA what's going on with it but it's out of commission for any weight bearing exercises.  Here's the thing, this happened to me in June of 2010 and I let it completely shut me down.  I'm trying very, very hard not to let that happen this time.  So, I've been biking, swimming and rowing.  And it's BORING and it takes a LONG TIME to burn a decent amount of calories but I'm still doing it.  How's the elbow you ask?  Definitely getting better but it screams at me horribly if I use my arm too much.  So, I have to really watch anything with my arms.

I'm a mess.  I really am.  But I'm persevering.

Anyway, here's my progress since July 6:

There is a n/a for my legs because I forgot to measure them!!  

-->

Day	1	8	30	60	90	150	TOTAL LOST
Waist	41	38.5	36.5	35.25	36	34.5	5.5
Chest	43	43	42	41.5	42	42	1
Left Arm	14	13.5	13.5	13	13.5	13	1
Neck	n/a	13.5	13	13	13	13	0.5
Rib	n/a	35	34.5	35	34	34	1
Belly Button	n/a	42.5	40	37.25	38	37	5.5
Hip	n/a	46	45	43	46	43	3
Left Leg-Knee	n/a	19	18.5	19	18.75	n/a	0.25
Left Leg-Upper	n/a	26.25	25.75	25.75	26	n/a	0.25
							18

And my weight loss:

July 13: -3.8
July 20:  -0.6
July 27:  -1.2
August 3:  -1.2
August 10: -1.2
August 17:  +0.8
August 24: 

Today's Menu:
B:  2 eggs + 1 piece toast + Coffee/Cream
L:  Chicken Enchiladas + Rice Pilaf
D:  

p90x - Weekly Weigh In

I didn't get all of my workouts this week, but I've been so busy that I've been moving and shaking like it's my job so I think it all balanced out.  I got in 4 of my workouts.  3 were strictly cardio and the 4th was what I call my Super Saturday Workout.  Which is odd because I do it on Sunday.  I honestly don't know how that name came about.  In any case, it's a full upper body, lower body AND cardio workout so it usually lasts a couple of hours and burns some really insane calories.  I really, really wanted to get another day of strength training in but I'm happy nonetheless.

I lost another 1.2 pounds.  YEAH!!!  Apparently my body is just stuck on that number because that's 3 weeks in a row but you'll get no complaints from me.

As for inches, as of this morning another inch is gone from my waist and a half inch from my ribs.  I only got in those 2 quick measurements because I was running late for work.  I'm hoping to do another chart soon because the visual reminder is a great motivator.  I'll try to make that a weekend project.

I'm telling you, calories are the KEY.  I've been hitting my target EVERY WEEK and I'm finally having success.  The hard part is just finding your own individual calorie target!

Here's to another great week!


Today's Menu:

B:  Breakfast Burrito
S:  Apple
L:  Wild Salmon + Mint/Yogurt Sauce + Orzo
D:  I'm unfortunately out of food but I'm hoping for a salad of some sort.  It's too hot out to cook!!!

Continued p90x Weight Loss Results

I've had 2 weigh-ins since last I posted so lets get to that first.  My first weigh-in, I was down 1.2 pounds and my second weigh-in, I was down 1.2 pounds!

Words cannot explain how happy I am with these results.  If you've been following my p90x saga, you'll notice that I didn't do too well with any weight loss.  It seems the secret is simply counting calories and eating less.  I have been pretty strict with my caloric intake and extremely strict with my exercise.  I'm working out 6 days a week with double workouts occasionally.  I did start back with my strength training 2 weeks ago and so far so good.  Both upper and lower body did well.  I am NOT doing push-ups because I don't think I'm ready for that stress on my elbow yet.

I'm still on board with p90x but with a few tweaks.  Simply put, when the p90x schedule has me doing cardiox, kenpox, or core conditioning, I do some sort of cardio:  biking, running, swimming, walking, or one of the aforementioned videos.  And when p90x has me doing legs and back, I do ... well, legs and back cause it's an amazing workout.  And when they have me do an upper body workout I do an upper body workout of my own or one from p90x.  It all just depends if I feel like being indoors or not.

I've realized that p90x isn't some magic weight loss/get in shape system.  p90x is just one of many really great workout schedules/systems.  The magic happens when you actually put in the time and effort AND count your calories (eat less).  The working out is incredibly important but what really seals the deal is figuring out how many calories it takes to lose weight and I, hopefully, have figured that part out.

I still need to take some measurements so I will TRY to get to that tonight.

Today's menu:

B:  Rostini with Egg + Coffee + Creamer
L:  Cod + Ratatouille + Wild Rice
S:  Apple
D:  maybe a burrito?  I really have no idea.

I'm a Machine: Strength Training and Weight Loss

It's been a little more than 2 weeks since I've posted.  My ribs are still sore so I've been working out around them.  After the doctor's office, I got one good workout in and it sent me straight back to resting.  So I took the following 4 days off and adjusted what I could do workout wise.

Since then, I have worked out every single day.  I have no idea what's gotten in to me but it's awesome.  That's 9 days in a row of some pretty grueling workouts.  For instance, this past Saturday I did a 90 minute workout.  What is that?!?

I have found that my ribs can handle 4 activities:  running, the elliptical, biking and of course walking.  So I've been concentrating on that.  I REALLY want to go back to strength training but I'm apprehensive only because I'm a little scared I'm going to seriously hurt myself.  I've laid off of my upper body for over 6 weeks now due to my elbow and I'm starting to think I need to start wading back into the water.

Again, it's a little scary because re-injuring injuries just plain old sucks.

But this week seems to be the week.  I'm going to try to do an upper body tonight.  Shoulders and Arms from p90x to be more specific.  However, I'm going for some light girly weights to see how my elbow reacts.  I'm thinking 5 pounders will be good.  It's kind of deflating because back before I hurt my elbow I was lifting pretty decent weight.  Anyway, if there is pain, I'll immediately stop, of course. If there is no pain, FINGERS CROSSED, then I'll finish it out and wait and see what tomorrow brings in terms of soreness.  Then, on Friday, I'm going to do lower body.  Yup, legs and back.  This one will be testing my ribs more.  My doctor told me that the lower body workouts will be what affects my ribs most.  But it's the same deal for the lower body.  As long as it doesn't hurt while I'm doing the moves, I'll finish and then see what the morning brings in terms of soreness.

Hopefully, all will go well and if it does, then I'm excited to start lifting again.

I last wrote about trying to be in a calorie deficit.  Well, I've been exercising like a mad man and apparently I've developed the restraint of a God.  I've been doing SO WELL with my calories!!

For instance, for the past 2 weeks I've been running over a 500 calorie deficit PER DAY.  And yes, it's really, really hard.  But totally doable.

I haven't measured myself (that's coming this Friday) but since I last posted I am down 4.4 pounds.  I haven't done any lifting in those 2 weeks, just cardio, so I'm a little afraid of muscle loss but only a little.  Honestly, I'm just too excited about having 2 weeks in a row where I LOST weight.

I don't want to toot my horn too much because maybe it was a fluke?  My weigh-in is on Friday and I have high hopes for yet another loss. 


As for my menus, I ended up doing 2 weeks of Vegetarian.  It was kind of hard to get enough protein but I REALLY enjoyed it.  This week, I added some meat back into the menu but only because I was seriously craving a hamburger :)

Also, an update on the Shakeology.  The first week was pretty good but I started getting sick the second week.  It tastes GREAT but I started getting an upset stomach and so I quit taking it.  I talked to my BB coach and she had some suggestions.  I still haven't tried her suggestions because I really don't want to get sick again.  If I do try it out I'll let you know how it works out.

But it seems important to note that that first week (the one where I was fine), the Shakeology would hold me from breakfast until lunch w/ NO HUNGER.  AND it gave me LOTS of energy.  AND at the end of the week I lost 3 of the 4.4 pounds that I mentioned above.  I'm not saying that was ALL the Shakeology because I've obviously been doing something right w/ my calories and working out.  I think the Shakeology just helped me keep my calories down which is what essentially caused the weight loss.  The second week (the one without Shakeology) I lost 1.4 pounds.  So there, success either way.

Today's Menu:

B:  Coffee + Creamer + Kashi Go Lean + Almond Milk
S:  Buffalo Jerky
L:  Salmon + Orzo + Veggies
D:  Hamburger + Lettuce/Tomato + Lite Mayo/Ketchup + 2% Amer. Cheese + Baby Carrots