What the what?
I gained 0.8 lbs
I've been positive this whole month but today I think you're going to finally see me flip my lid.
Children, please look away. This could get ugly.
Ok, I'm not THAT angry but I am FRUSTRATED. Why you ask? Because I finally started working out, I finally have my eating in check (not perfect, just in major check) and this is the first month that I have had seriously zero weight loss. And the best part? I have no idea why. I just wish there was an answer. You know, I wish I could hop on google and type:
"Working out, eating right, but gaining weight"
Then I'll hit "search" and then the first site that pops up would say: "Of course, here is EXACTLY what you need to do so don't worry" and then what follows is a very descriptive course of action that would alleviate my problem instantly.
No such luck. The human body, in all its miraculousness, does not work that way. There is not one answer for this question. Am I eating too much? Maybe, I don't know. Am I eating too little, Maybe I don't know? Am I working out too much? Maybe, I don't know. Am I eating a food that is causing problems within my system? Maybe, I DON'T KNOW!!!!!
And what's even worse is that I might not be doing anything wrong. I could be doing everything RIGHT and my body just wants to hang out with my excess fat for a little bit longer before it says goodbye to it.
I'm at a crossroads right now. Here's the thing. I woke up this morning, and as I was not gingerly hopping out of bed, I noticed something.
I felt good.
Like in the way after you've been exercising a bit and you feel like your body is tighter, fitter and maybe even a little bit smaller.
Even with my morning brain fog I was able to discern that one thought.
Yes, I felt really good.
And then I went into the bathroom to hop on the scale and blah blah blah. No, those numbers should not dictate your mood but come on. You can't help but be frustrated.
Back to my crossroads. What do I do? Do I switch something up or do I just keep the course? Is this just a moment/splash/second of homeostasis or am I just plain doing something wrong. I don't want to waste loads of time doing something that's not working but I also don't want to fix something that's not broken.
My friends, these are the hard times. It's easy to find my motivation
when things are going my way. It's easy to keep on truckin' when the
numbers dictate how you feel. So if any of you out there have any
advice, any glimmer of hope, I beg of you, please share. Not just for
me but for everybody. At the very least give me your thoughts on what I should do? Should I keep on doing what I'm doing for a week or two more OR should I think about changing something?
Sit and think about that while I present to you:
What I did to not lose weight this week:
1. I earned around 16-18 AP. Seriously I have no idea how to figure out that AP system. I've always just given myself 1 point per 100 calories burned. The reason it's a roundabout figure is that sometimes I forget to wear my HRM. I did 6 workouts this past week.
2. I ate 257 points. Again, I did NOT track my AP so they play no part in my point count.
3. I did NOT drink enough water. In fact, earlier in the week I had some problems because I had let myself get pretty crazy dehydrated.
4. I did pretty well. I cooked everything I ate except for some sushi I had. I did have a cinnamon roll over the weekend from a batch my BF and I made. They were NOT good, however, I ate it anyway. The rest of my meals consisted of deliciousness.
Today's Menu:
B: Turkey + Bacon + Lettuce Wrap
L: Hamburger + Lettuce Wrap + Caramelized Onions + Daiya
D: Spaghetti Sauce + Brown Rice Pasta + Zucchini
Friday, March 29, 2013
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Slim in 6: Week 4
I am officially at the halfway point. It hasn't been too hard but it hasn't been easy.
For the last 2 weeks I did the Ramp It Up DVD for 6 workouts per week. Here's the rub, it's really hard to do the same workout over and over. In fact, there were days when I had to give myself the 10 minute rule.
If I just made it thru 10 minutes, then I could quit.
It's a nice little tactic. You see, rarely do I ever get 10 minutes in and want to quit. But seriously, trying to just get myself to start those 10 minutes proved to be a struggle at times. No matter, I made it through.
I measured myself yesterday and true to form, I left my notebook at home so while I can't give you exact numbers, I can tell you that I definitely lost inches. Not tons of inches but a few. Specifically in my bust, waist, and hips. I do remember the hip measurement being the biggest change. And I can definitely "feel it" in my waist area. To me, my waist feels like the place that has tightened up the most which is awesome. Scale wise, I've lost about a quarter of a pound in the last 3 weeks. Also, a mirror check last night during my workout made me think my arms were looking a little more toned and my body had an overall slimmer, more shapely look.
Yesterday was my Day #1 of Week #4 and I started the Burn It Up DVD.
Here are my thoughts:
This 59 minute workout starts out almost exactly the same as the Ramp It Up. So if you've got the choreography down you can just hit the ground running. However, it's at double time. Yeah, she has picked up the pace and about 30 seconds in you can tell. And she doesn't stop. She moves swiftly from one exercise to the next while keeping this faster pace and before I knew it, I was jogging in place just to give myself a breather from torturing my legs. Seriously, the first segment after the warm-up is squats. I love squats. I really do. My legs have always been super strong so maybe that's why I like them - they have never been too difficult. But she made my legs BURN and by the end of the segment I wanted to punch her. Ok, not really. But the intensity is definitely up. On the plus side, because she moves so quickly, the segments move quickly.
I can't really tell you about the rest because I made it about 30 minutes in (255 calories). I got to the 30 minute mark and my body was tired. Instead of forcing myself through it I decided to turn it off and wait til my next workout to try to make it a little further. She says go at your own pace and that's what I'm doing. I have 3 weeks to do this workout and I don't have to be perfect on my first go at it.
Also it was 12:45am. The workout almost didn't happen at all. I got home from work and was sick to my stomach all night. Then finally around 12:00am I felt a little better and so I plopped in the DVD and got to work. Probably not the smartest move but the thought of missing my workout made me feel too guilty.
Also, I was sure my legs would be super sore today. You see, the 30 minutes I did do were mostly all squats, lunges, and kicks. Never fear, my legs are feeling pretty good.
And finally, my goals for this evening: start the workout earlier and try to get further.
Today's menu:
B: 3 slices bacon
L: mushroom stroganoff
D: hamburger + lettuce wrap + oven baked fries
For the last 2 weeks I did the Ramp It Up DVD for 6 workouts per week. Here's the rub, it's really hard to do the same workout over and over. In fact, there were days when I had to give myself the 10 minute rule.
If I just made it thru 10 minutes, then I could quit.
It's a nice little tactic. You see, rarely do I ever get 10 minutes in and want to quit. But seriously, trying to just get myself to start those 10 minutes proved to be a struggle at times. No matter, I made it through.
I measured myself yesterday and true to form, I left my notebook at home so while I can't give you exact numbers, I can tell you that I definitely lost inches. Not tons of inches but a few. Specifically in my bust, waist, and hips. I do remember the hip measurement being the biggest change. And I can definitely "feel it" in my waist area. To me, my waist feels like the place that has tightened up the most which is awesome. Scale wise, I've lost about a quarter of a pound in the last 3 weeks. Also, a mirror check last night during my workout made me think my arms were looking a little more toned and my body had an overall slimmer, more shapely look.
Yesterday was my Day #1 of Week #4 and I started the Burn It Up DVD.
Here are my thoughts:
This 59 minute workout starts out almost exactly the same as the Ramp It Up. So if you've got the choreography down you can just hit the ground running. However, it's at double time. Yeah, she has picked up the pace and about 30 seconds in you can tell. And she doesn't stop. She moves swiftly from one exercise to the next while keeping this faster pace and before I knew it, I was jogging in place just to give myself a breather from torturing my legs. Seriously, the first segment after the warm-up is squats. I love squats. I really do. My legs have always been super strong so maybe that's why I like them - they have never been too difficult. But she made my legs BURN and by the end of the segment I wanted to punch her. Ok, not really. But the intensity is definitely up. On the plus side, because she moves so quickly, the segments move quickly.
I can't really tell you about the rest because I made it about 30 minutes in (255 calories). I got to the 30 minute mark and my body was tired. Instead of forcing myself through it I decided to turn it off and wait til my next workout to try to make it a little further. She says go at your own pace and that's what I'm doing. I have 3 weeks to do this workout and I don't have to be perfect on my first go at it.
Also it was 12:45am. The workout almost didn't happen at all. I got home from work and was sick to my stomach all night. Then finally around 12:00am I felt a little better and so I plopped in the DVD and got to work. Probably not the smartest move but the thought of missing my workout made me feel too guilty.
Also, I was sure my legs would be super sore today. You see, the 30 minutes I did do were mostly all squats, lunges, and kicks. Never fear, my legs are feeling pretty good.
And finally, my goals for this evening: start the workout earlier and try to get further.
Today's menu:
B: 3 slices bacon
L: mushroom stroganoff
D: hamburger + lettuce wrap + oven baked fries
Friday, March 22, 2013
Weight Watchers Weigh In: Week 27
If I make my "unofficial" weigh-in last week my OFFICIAL weigh-in then according to those numbers, I lost 0.2 pounds this week.
Hoo-rah.
Hoo-rah.
When I got on the scale this morning, I felt like it was going to be a big number. That's because I've been feeling slimmer lately. A girlfriend of mine saw me last week and said I looked slimmer so maybe that has something to do with it.
Or maybe my Slim in 6 workouts are working.
Whatever it is, I'm super happy. In fact, check out my progress. Below is a list of my weigh-ins since the first Friday in January.
-1.6
-2.8
-1.2
-0.4
+0.4
-1.8
-0.4
0.0
-0.6
+1.0
-1.0
-0.2
Not too shabby huh? I'm pretty proud of myself.
Here's what I did:
1. I earned 18 AP. I've continued with my Slim in 6 program. I did all 6 workouts for the week. Woo-hoo! I have 2 days left of week #2 then I will take measurements and write an update on Tuesday or Wednesday. I'll save all the juicy details for the update ;)
2. I ate 238 points. As mentioned last week, I did not log any of the aforementioned 18 AP so I did not dip into any of those. I think I will continue to not log my AP because when I see them sitting all pretty at the top of my tracker it makes me get all weird. I don't really know why. I guess it just makes me feel a little more paranoid about overeating. Weird right?
3. I did a lot better with water this past week. I made sure to drink it every day in the appropriate amounts. I guess you could say I'm kind of a hero.
4. What did I eat? Well, I had a fantastic week if I do say so myself. I had lots of vegetables and lean meat with a dash of brown rice thrown in for good measure. That includes: pot roast, tomato soup, chicken salad, veggie burgers, and some turkey lettuce wraps. I kept my sugar intake to almost zero and the only item I ate that was unprepared by me was some salmon sushi. Good times.
So last night after work I spent most of my time cleaning out my closets. I had recently ordered some new clothes and realized it was time to sort through everything, donate what I could and get rid of the rest. It took awhile but I'm glad I did it. I also found a ton of clothes I forgot I had including some jeans. I tried on a few pair. Some of it was good, some of it was bad. Whatever the result, I'm glad I found all the pants because I think that will be another great indicator of my progress. So, I have one pair of jeans (tags still on) that I bought a couple of years ago that happened to be just a tad too small at the time. I never was able to fit into them, hence the tags still being on, and now they are about 2 sizes too small. So I will be using this particular pair and an in-between pair to try on every few weeks (or maybe once a month) to gauge my progress.
I'll be honest, it's a little hard to put on clothing that USED to fit. But one day they WILL fit.
And on that day, I will do a jig.
Today's Menu:
B: turkey lettuce wrap + daiya + coffee
L: veggie burger lettuce wrap
D: brown rice pasta + tomato sauce
Hoo-rah.
Hoo-rah.
When I got on the scale this morning, I felt like it was going to be a big number. That's because I've been feeling slimmer lately. A girlfriend of mine saw me last week and said I looked slimmer so maybe that has something to do with it.
Or maybe my Slim in 6 workouts are working.
Whatever it is, I'm super happy. In fact, check out my progress. Below is a list of my weigh-ins since the first Friday in January.
-1.6
-2.8
-1.2
-0.4
+0.4
-1.8
-0.4
0.0
-0.6
+1.0
-1.0
-0.2
Not too shabby huh? I'm pretty proud of myself.
Here's what I did:
1. I earned 18 AP. I've continued with my Slim in 6 program. I did all 6 workouts for the week. Woo-hoo! I have 2 days left of week #2 then I will take measurements and write an update on Tuesday or Wednesday. I'll save all the juicy details for the update ;)
2. I ate 238 points. As mentioned last week, I did not log any of the aforementioned 18 AP so I did not dip into any of those. I think I will continue to not log my AP because when I see them sitting all pretty at the top of my tracker it makes me get all weird. I don't really know why. I guess it just makes me feel a little more paranoid about overeating. Weird right?
3. I did a lot better with water this past week. I made sure to drink it every day in the appropriate amounts. I guess you could say I'm kind of a hero.
4. What did I eat? Well, I had a fantastic week if I do say so myself. I had lots of vegetables and lean meat with a dash of brown rice thrown in for good measure. That includes: pot roast, tomato soup, chicken salad, veggie burgers, and some turkey lettuce wraps. I kept my sugar intake to almost zero and the only item I ate that was unprepared by me was some salmon sushi. Good times.
So last night after work I spent most of my time cleaning out my closets. I had recently ordered some new clothes and realized it was time to sort through everything, donate what I could and get rid of the rest. It took awhile but I'm glad I did it. I also found a ton of clothes I forgot I had including some jeans. I tried on a few pair. Some of it was good, some of it was bad. Whatever the result, I'm glad I found all the pants because I think that will be another great indicator of my progress. So, I have one pair of jeans (tags still on) that I bought a couple of years ago that happened to be just a tad too small at the time. I never was able to fit into them, hence the tags still being on, and now they are about 2 sizes too small. So I will be using this particular pair and an in-between pair to try on every few weeks (or maybe once a month) to gauge my progress.
I'll be honest, it's a little hard to put on clothing that USED to fit. But one day they WILL fit.
And on that day, I will do a jig.
Today's Menu:
B: turkey lettuce wrap + daiya + coffee
L: veggie burger lettuce wrap
D: brown rice pasta + tomato sauce
Monday, March 18, 2013
Weight Watchers Weigh In: Week 26
I missed it.
HOWEVER ...
It's not an official number but I hopped on the scale over the weekend and I was down a pound. I will go ahead and say "Yeah, I lost a pound!" but in my heart, I don't feel like it's real because it wasn't on my official weigh-in day.
I will somehow manage to move on.
I can, however, still talk about what I did over this past week:
1. I earned 15 AP. I did 6 Slim in Six workouts. I even did them on days I didn't want to do them! Huge victory for me :)
2. I ate 241 points total. With my AP, I had 4 leftover for the week. I didn't do bad but I think next week (the week I'm in right now actually), I'm not going to add in my AP points to eat. Just as an experiment. I'll talk more about this below.
3. I did NOT drink enough water. In fact, there were some days I don't think I drank any. This got to be a problem on Sunday. I woke up and felt so bad. Like I had been binge drinking and eating (I hadn't). Also, my muscles were so sore that I did not workout yesterday. They felt like I had done p90x all day long the day before. I realized that I had not had any water for almost 2 days. I know this sounds weird but honestly, if I don't conscientiously make an effort to drink water (or any beverage) then I won't. Hence my need to make it a weekly priority. I don't know why I do that but I just do. Needless to say, Sunday was a day long water fest. I'm still not up to par with my hydration level so I'm making an all out effort to continue drinking water.
4. What did I eat? Well, I COULD tell you I continued with my whole foods extravaganza and leave it at that. But the truth is, using my whole foods, I did create some overly tasty foods. Enter, chocolate chip cookies. I made these bad boys gluten free, egg free, AND dairy free and they were amazing. Do you know how I know they were amazing? Because I gave one to my boyfriend's 10 year old nephew who didn't notice anything different about them. So throughout the week I had some of those. While they follow the whole foods protocol, I'm well aware they are not the healthiest. Also, I happened upon (yes, happened upon) some macaroni and cheese. Again, it followed my guidelines but still - it's mac and cheese. So needless to say, this week (of which I'm in day 4), I chose to tighten things up just a smidgen. So far so good. Not that treats don't have a place in my life, it's just that they shouldn't have a DAILY place in my life - no matter how badly I want them there ;)
Now about not recording those AP. Well, I got to thinking the other day, Weight Watchers has me at 26 points daily. That's the lowest I'm allowed to go. BUT, I still have some 40 pounds to lose. I just can't logically wrap my head around how that's possible. It says not to go below 26 daily points because you won't be eating enough to survive. I disagree. It's not like I'm losing 5 pounds a week. I'm losing a modest 0.5-1 pound a week at times. That will eventually stop unless I start eating less.
So since I can't adjust my daily points any lower, I'm going to adjust my activity points by not recording them. I just can't see myself losing another 40 pounds still eating the same amount I'm eating today. 40 pounds is quite a bit of weight. Anyway, it's just a thought. I'll let you know how it goes.
Today's Menu:
B: turkey + daiya + lettuce wrap
L: pot roast + veggies
S: carrot sticks
D: veggie burger + lettuce wrap + maybe sweet potato fries!
HOWEVER ...
It's not an official number but I hopped on the scale over the weekend and I was down a pound. I will go ahead and say "Yeah, I lost a pound!" but in my heart, I don't feel like it's real because it wasn't on my official weigh-in day.
I will somehow manage to move on.
I can, however, still talk about what I did over this past week:
1. I earned 15 AP. I did 6 Slim in Six workouts. I even did them on days I didn't want to do them! Huge victory for me :)
2. I ate 241 points total. With my AP, I had 4 leftover for the week. I didn't do bad but I think next week (the week I'm in right now actually), I'm not going to add in my AP points to eat. Just as an experiment. I'll talk more about this below.
3. I did NOT drink enough water. In fact, there were some days I don't think I drank any. This got to be a problem on Sunday. I woke up and felt so bad. Like I had been binge drinking and eating (I hadn't). Also, my muscles were so sore that I did not workout yesterday. They felt like I had done p90x all day long the day before. I realized that I had not had any water for almost 2 days. I know this sounds weird but honestly, if I don't conscientiously make an effort to drink water (or any beverage) then I won't. Hence my need to make it a weekly priority. I don't know why I do that but I just do. Needless to say, Sunday was a day long water fest. I'm still not up to par with my hydration level so I'm making an all out effort to continue drinking water.
4. What did I eat? Well, I COULD tell you I continued with my whole foods extravaganza and leave it at that. But the truth is, using my whole foods, I did create some overly tasty foods. Enter, chocolate chip cookies. I made these bad boys gluten free, egg free, AND dairy free and they were amazing. Do you know how I know they were amazing? Because I gave one to my boyfriend's 10 year old nephew who didn't notice anything different about them. So throughout the week I had some of those. While they follow the whole foods protocol, I'm well aware they are not the healthiest. Also, I happened upon (yes, happened upon) some macaroni and cheese. Again, it followed my guidelines but still - it's mac and cheese. So needless to say, this week (of which I'm in day 4), I chose to tighten things up just a smidgen. So far so good. Not that treats don't have a place in my life, it's just that they shouldn't have a DAILY place in my life - no matter how badly I want them there ;)
Now about not recording those AP. Well, I got to thinking the other day, Weight Watchers has me at 26 points daily. That's the lowest I'm allowed to go. BUT, I still have some 40 pounds to lose. I just can't logically wrap my head around how that's possible. It says not to go below 26 daily points because you won't be eating enough to survive. I disagree. It's not like I'm losing 5 pounds a week. I'm losing a modest 0.5-1 pound a week at times. That will eventually stop unless I start eating less.
So since I can't adjust my daily points any lower, I'm going to adjust my activity points by not recording them. I just can't see myself losing another 40 pounds still eating the same amount I'm eating today. 40 pounds is quite a bit of weight. Anyway, it's just a thought. I'll let you know how it goes.
Today's Menu:
B: turkey + daiya + lettuce wrap
L: pot roast + veggies
S: carrot sticks
D: veggie burger + lettuce wrap + maybe sweet potato fries!
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Slim in 6: Week 2
I made it to week two so you know what that means?
It's time to 'Ramp it Up'.
Yeah, that's the title of the second DVD.
But before I start talking about the second DVD lets take a look back at how I did with week 1 and 'Start it Up'.
I did all 6 (yes, SIX) workouts exactly as prescribed. I can honestly say it got better. I've decided that 25-30 minutes is probably the perfect amount of time for working out. You get in a good workout and on those days when you're not "feeling it", it's not that hard to make it through 30 minutes. Anyway, by workout #6 I definitely felt like I had made some progress. Not so much in how I looked but more in how I felt. It feels like I accomplished just a tiny bit of tightening here and there. Nothing major but definitely enough to make me feel good.
I took my measurements and while I personally don't think 1 week is enough to tell a major difference, I can report that I lost inches in 3 areas. 0.5" in my ribs (I measure right under my bust for this), 0.5" in my upper thigh, and 0.25" from the area right above my knee.
I was both surprised and pleased. Pleased because, lets face it, it's awesome to lose some inches. Surprised because while I feel pretty good I still don't see any difference in the mirror.
As far as weight goes, so far this week I am continuing to gain. I haven't changed my eating at all so the only correlation I can make is that it has to do with working out. Yes, this was one of my fears so part of me is freaking out. However, the other part of me understands this happens so I'm not trying to let it be too overwhelming.
Now lets talk about 'Ramp it Up'
It's just over 47 minutes long and it requires the use of exercise bands (but I don't see any reason why small dumbbells wouldn't work).
For being almost double the time of the 1st DVD, this one moves along pretty fast. She moves you from one exercise to the next pretty quickly so the first 20 minutes kind of go by fast (yeah!). The first portion is almost the same as the Start It Up, easy choreography and familiar moves. Then she moves on to using the bands for some light toning on your shoulders, biceps and triceps. All the moves are really easy and as long as you do them correctly you feel it working. Then you do a nice little floor workout (you know, Tae Bo style ... on all fours lifting your legs in the air one at a time til your buttocks are burning from the effort), some abdominal work and finally a small yoga portion for stretching at the end.
And that's it.
I burned around 300 calories with this DVD (according to my HRM) but I was very much going at my own pace. Your miles may vary.
Tonight is Day #2 of my second week of Slim in 6. I'm doing Ramp it Up for 2 weeks total and then I'll move on.
Until Then ...
Today's Menu:
B: pea rice protein + almond milk + ice
L: bison chil: bison + carrots + tomato + onion + red pepper + beans (lots) + my special blend of 11 herbs and spices (chili seasoning) + diaya for garnish
D: vegetable quesadilla: assortment of veggies + daiya + brown rice tortilla
It's time to 'Ramp it Up'.
Yeah, that's the title of the second DVD.
But before I start talking about the second DVD lets take a look back at how I did with week 1 and 'Start it Up'.
I did all 6 (yes, SIX) workouts exactly as prescribed. I can honestly say it got better. I've decided that 25-30 minutes is probably the perfect amount of time for working out. You get in a good workout and on those days when you're not "feeling it", it's not that hard to make it through 30 minutes. Anyway, by workout #6 I definitely felt like I had made some progress. Not so much in how I looked but more in how I felt. It feels like I accomplished just a tiny bit of tightening here and there. Nothing major but definitely enough to make me feel good.
I took my measurements and while I personally don't think 1 week is enough to tell a major difference, I can report that I lost inches in 3 areas. 0.5" in my ribs (I measure right under my bust for this), 0.5" in my upper thigh, and 0.25" from the area right above my knee.
I was both surprised and pleased. Pleased because, lets face it, it's awesome to lose some inches. Surprised because while I feel pretty good I still don't see any difference in the mirror.
As far as weight goes, so far this week I am continuing to gain. I haven't changed my eating at all so the only correlation I can make is that it has to do with working out. Yes, this was one of my fears so part of me is freaking out. However, the other part of me understands this happens so I'm not trying to let it be too overwhelming.
Now lets talk about 'Ramp it Up'
It's just over 47 minutes long and it requires the use of exercise bands (but I don't see any reason why small dumbbells wouldn't work).
For being almost double the time of the 1st DVD, this one moves along pretty fast. She moves you from one exercise to the next pretty quickly so the first 20 minutes kind of go by fast (yeah!). The first portion is almost the same as the Start It Up, easy choreography and familiar moves. Then she moves on to using the bands for some light toning on your shoulders, biceps and triceps. All the moves are really easy and as long as you do them correctly you feel it working. Then you do a nice little floor workout (you know, Tae Bo style ... on all fours lifting your legs in the air one at a time til your buttocks are burning from the effort), some abdominal work and finally a small yoga portion for stretching at the end.
And that's it.
I burned around 300 calories with this DVD (according to my HRM) but I was very much going at my own pace. Your miles may vary.
Tonight is Day #2 of my second week of Slim in 6. I'm doing Ramp it Up for 2 weeks total and then I'll move on.
Until Then ...
Today's Menu:
B: pea rice protein + almond milk + ice
L: bison chil: bison + carrots + tomato + onion + red pepper + beans (lots) + my special blend of 11 herbs and spices (chili seasoning) + diaya for garnish
D: vegetable quesadilla: assortment of veggies + daiya + brown rice tortilla
Friday, March 8, 2013
Weight Watchers Weigh In: Week 25
Heavens to Betsy!!
I gained a pound.
A single. Solitary. Pound
I'm sure that single pound is rife with pure, unadulterated muscle.
Don't you agree?
My Week:
1. I earned 9 AP! I got in 4 days of working out and am still on course with my Slim in 6. I am, however, pretty sore. I don't mind though. When I get sore from working out I somehow feel like that means it's working.
2. I ate 221 points and had 11 leftover for the week. I'm going to try to eat more next week. I felt hungry way too often.
3. I didn't do well with my water. I will try to take my cup with me more often. I left it at home a few days and that didn't help at all.
4. What did I eat? That's the thing. I ate great! I cooked everything, ate according to my guidelines, and was very pleased with everything I made. I guess that's why I'm not really sweating my 1 pound gain. I ate right and I got in some workouts. Yeah my water could have been better but it's not really that big of a deal. I'm very pleased with my "performance" this week. It's unfortunate that the scale wants to be mean but I feel certain I'm still headed in the right direction.
All in all it was a pretty good week. The more I think about how much I ate, the more I think I should have eaten more. Especially since I am starting to workout again. I'm not talking about adding meals but maybe just add a few more veggies or a little more protein to my meals. You know, small things. Just to round out my points and to make sure that I have enough fuel to function.
One thing I know I need to do better on is sleeping. This past week wasn't so great. I didn't sleep well but it's my own fault. I tend to get ready to go to sleep at a certain time and then I'll start playing games on my phone or watching tv and the next thing I know ... it's crazy late. So, this week, I'm going to turn off my phone, my ipad, my TV, whatever is distracting me, and make sure I go to bed.
Oh yeah, we also spring forward on Sunday. An even more important reason to get the sleep schedule back on track. We LOSE an hour.
So that's my plan for the week. I think it's a good one.
Have a great weekend!
Today's Menu:
B: none (BAD BAD BAD)
L: Japchae (a Korean sweet potato noodle dish) - it was my first attempt and it is awesome
D: breakfast for dinner probably
I gained a pound.
A single. Solitary. Pound
I'm sure that single pound is rife with pure, unadulterated muscle.
Don't you agree?
My Week:
1. I earned 9 AP! I got in 4 days of working out and am still on course with my Slim in 6. I am, however, pretty sore. I don't mind though. When I get sore from working out I somehow feel like that means it's working.
2. I ate 221 points and had 11 leftover for the week. I'm going to try to eat more next week. I felt hungry way too often.
3. I didn't do well with my water. I will try to take my cup with me more often. I left it at home a few days and that didn't help at all.
4. What did I eat? That's the thing. I ate great! I cooked everything, ate according to my guidelines, and was very pleased with everything I made. I guess that's why I'm not really sweating my 1 pound gain. I ate right and I got in some workouts. Yeah my water could have been better but it's not really that big of a deal. I'm very pleased with my "performance" this week. It's unfortunate that the scale wants to be mean but I feel certain I'm still headed in the right direction.
All in all it was a pretty good week. The more I think about how much I ate, the more I think I should have eaten more. Especially since I am starting to workout again. I'm not talking about adding meals but maybe just add a few more veggies or a little more protein to my meals. You know, small things. Just to round out my points and to make sure that I have enough fuel to function.
One thing I know I need to do better on is sleeping. This past week wasn't so great. I didn't sleep well but it's my own fault. I tend to get ready to go to sleep at a certain time and then I'll start playing games on my phone or watching tv and the next thing I know ... it's crazy late. So, this week, I'm going to turn off my phone, my ipad, my TV, whatever is distracting me, and make sure I go to bed.
Oh yeah, we also spring forward on Sunday. An even more important reason to get the sleep schedule back on track. We LOSE an hour.
So that's my plan for the week. I think it's a good one.
Have a great weekend!
Today's Menu:
B: none (BAD BAD BAD)
L: Japchae (a Korean sweet potato noodle dish) - it was my first attempt and it is awesome
D: breakfast for dinner probably
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Slim in 6: Reboot
I started this a little over 2 weeks ago but I'm calling a Mulligan.
Getting sick last week really threw me off schedule and I hate that so I'm starting over. Because honestly, it's just going to bug me when I finish because I won't feel like I really "finished".
So, I woke up this morning before work and did my new day #1.
It was invigorating. I kid, I'm a monster in the morning. Waking up in the morning is my kryptonite. It's horrible.
However, on those special days when I do manage to wake up early, I always am glad I did.
I did the first workout which is entitled "Start it Up"
A couple of things about this workout:
First the good:
1. It's just over 25 minutes so it's not too time consuming.
2. It does not require any equipment.
3. The "choreography" is super easy.
4. You will, in fact, feel a burn. Especially if, like me, it's been a bit since you last worked out.
5. According to my HRM I burned 200 calories.
6. The whole program is only 6 weeks!
Now the bad:
1. It's kind of boring.
2. It's kind of easy.
3. It's 6 weeks of this!
I remember why I both like and hate these DVDs. The good is that with the smallest movements you will definitely feel a burn: in your shoulders, arms, legs, abs. I remember the first time I did these workouts I thought "wow, these work". But I also remember why I never fully finished the series.
Because I got bored.
But the fact of the matter is I need to build a base. I can't just jump back into my old routine. It would be too much. And I need something that will keep it slow and easy until I'm ready and I believe this is it.
So, I'm doing it! The entire 6 weeks. And I'll blog as much as I can to let you know how it's going. I have my initial measurements ready to go and I'll be throwing those up here in a week or so.
I had to google the schedule for this program because the calendar that came with it doesn't really have that much information on it. From what I've found, I'm to do the Start It Up DVD for one week, the Ramp it Up workout for 2 weeks and then the Burn it Up DVD for the last 3 weeks. Or, I've also read that you're just supposed to move to the next DVD when you feel "ready". I think I'm going to go with the schedule. I like to be told what to do.
In addition, it also comes with a "Slim and 6 Pack" workout and a "Slim and Limber" workout. You're supposed to do the 6 pack DVD 3 times a week and the Limber DVD every day.
And that's it.
I'll let you know how it goes.
Today's Menu:
B: beef stew + coffee
L: vegetable soup + apple + pb
D: eggs + hash brown casserole
Getting sick last week really threw me off schedule and I hate that so I'm starting over. Because honestly, it's just going to bug me when I finish because I won't feel like I really "finished".
So, I woke up this morning before work and did my new day #1.
It was invigorating. I kid, I'm a monster in the morning. Waking up in the morning is my kryptonite. It's horrible.
However, on those special days when I do manage to wake up early, I always am glad I did.
I did the first workout which is entitled "Start it Up"
A couple of things about this workout:
First the good:
1. It's just over 25 minutes so it's not too time consuming.
2. It does not require any equipment.
3. The "choreography" is super easy.
4. You will, in fact, feel a burn. Especially if, like me, it's been a bit since you last worked out.
5. According to my HRM I burned 200 calories.
6. The whole program is only 6 weeks!
Now the bad:
1. It's kind of boring.
2. It's kind of easy.
3. It's 6 weeks of this!
I remember why I both like and hate these DVDs. The good is that with the smallest movements you will definitely feel a burn: in your shoulders, arms, legs, abs. I remember the first time I did these workouts I thought "wow, these work". But I also remember why I never fully finished the series.
Because I got bored.
But the fact of the matter is I need to build a base. I can't just jump back into my old routine. It would be too much. And I need something that will keep it slow and easy until I'm ready and I believe this is it.
So, I'm doing it! The entire 6 weeks. And I'll blog as much as I can to let you know how it's going. I have my initial measurements ready to go and I'll be throwing those up here in a week or so.
I had to google the schedule for this program because the calendar that came with it doesn't really have that much information on it. From what I've found, I'm to do the Start It Up DVD for one week, the Ramp it Up workout for 2 weeks and then the Burn it Up DVD for the last 3 weeks. Or, I've also read that you're just supposed to move to the next DVD when you feel "ready". I think I'm going to go with the schedule. I like to be told what to do.
In addition, it also comes with a "Slim and 6 Pack" workout and a "Slim and Limber" workout. You're supposed to do the 6 pack DVD 3 times a week and the Limber DVD every day.
And that's it.
I'll let you know how it goes.
Today's Menu:
B: beef stew + coffee
L: vegetable soup + apple + pb
D: eggs + hash brown casserole
Friday, March 1, 2013
Weight Watchers Weigh In: Week 24
I think (fingers crossed, knocking on wood) that I am finally better. After my last post, it got even worse. I was down for the count all day last Sunday and then slowly, slowly I started feeling better.
I have no idea what it was. Could have been something I ate, could have been a bug, could have been a combination of the two, I have no idea. In any case, you never fully appreciate feeling well until you get sick.
Today's Weigh-In: -0.6 lbs
Hooray!
I still get really nervous on Fridays. I mean, right before I step on the scale I envision losses of grandeur (you know, 2-3 pounds or even MORE), but as long as that number is less I usually just squeal with delight, give myself a hardy pat on the back and then dance my way into the shower.
I'm glad I still get super excited about losses no matter the amount. Hell, I get excited about maintaining! Because if I stop too long and think about the big picture, it can get discouraging. It's rough to lose weight slowly when you consider the big picture. Big picture being your grand goal whatever number that is. 50 pounds, 60 pounds, 100 pounds. I mean, ideally I would like to lose 58 pounds. If I look at that weekly it's overwhelming. For example, I lost 0.6 pounds this week. If I did that every week I will eventually get to my grand goal of losing 58 pounds. It just would take 96.6 weeks. That's just about 2 years.
See what I mean?
So I try really REALLY hard to focus on the week. Just the week. And not just what the scale says either. You can't focus on that little thing or it'll kill you. I try to find success in the WHOLE process. Doesn't matter what it is. It could be something as small as saying no to a second helping or going on a walk or getting in your vegetables for the week. That way, on the weeks that your scale is the enemy you can bask in the glory of at least one thing. Lets say for instance, you like to base your success on, oh I don't know, how much you exercise, how much you ate, what you ate, and how much water you drank. Chances are you'll have a victory on at least one of those thus giving you something to celebrate.
Which leads me to ...
My Weekly Roundup:
See what I did there? I thought it was clever too.
1. I earned 8 AP. WHAAAA? Yes, after Sunday I was feeling better so I went ahead and worked out. In fact, I got in 4 workouts. Pretty impressive huh? I am hoping to meet or exceed my 8 AP points this week. True story: I am crazy out of shape. I didn't realize how badly so until this past week. I'm talking huffing and puffing and sore muscles galore from barely doing ANYTHING. I hang my head in shame. I should never have taken that much time off. Oh well. Lesson learned. Hopefully I can use this knowledge as a catalyst to get back into the swing of things.
2. I ate 244 points. I noticed that the workouts I did made me CRAZY HUNGRY. I've already planned for that in my upcoming menu.
3. I did ok on my water. I've started using this new cup (my assistant calls it my sippy cup) at work and it has made it easier to get my water intake.
Ok so maybe it does look like a sippy cup, but an ADULT sippy cup.
4. What did I eat? I did better this week. I made some pretty awesome food this past week if I do say so myself. I also ordered Thai food over the weekend for the first time. You see, my car decided to die Saturday night and we had no food. We actually were out trying to do our grocery shopping when POOF ... dead. We managed to get the car home but did so without the groceries. So we ordered food. I thought Thai food would be relatively safe because they don't traditionally use gluten, soy or dairy in their food. I don't know if I've mentioned it but those are my biggest offenders. They all make me yuck. My boyfriend (who is 1/2 Thai) even got on the phone with the restaurant and went over what I could and could NOT have. They were very eager to please and assured him everything would be fine. It was, however, an unmitigated disaster. I don't blame them though, I'm aware that it was a risk and I chose to take it. I don't expect a restaurant to know exactly what to do. But I was hoping. Other than that, I ate great food.
I have high hopes for this upcoming week. I think it's because our weather right now is tremendous. It's sunny and warm and beautiful and it makes me want to be outside. It also makes me want to workout for some reason.
So here's hoping it lasts.
Good luck!
Today's Menu:
B: mocha wonderfulness. I used espresso this time!! My co-workers were not pleased. I don't do so well on the caffeine. espresso + coconut milk + chocolate pea rice protein
L: chicken pasta salad: zucchini, cucumber, tomato, carrots + brown rice pasta + homemade italian dressing + roasted chicken + an apple
D: thai vietnamese chicken noodle soup (I merged two recipes together and it is delicious)
I have no idea what it was. Could have been something I ate, could have been a bug, could have been a combination of the two, I have no idea. In any case, you never fully appreciate feeling well until you get sick.
Today's Weigh-In: -0.6 lbs
Hooray!
I still get really nervous on Fridays. I mean, right before I step on the scale I envision losses of grandeur (you know, 2-3 pounds or even MORE), but as long as that number is less I usually just squeal with delight, give myself a hardy pat on the back and then dance my way into the shower.
I'm glad I still get super excited about losses no matter the amount. Hell, I get excited about maintaining! Because if I stop too long and think about the big picture, it can get discouraging. It's rough to lose weight slowly when you consider the big picture. Big picture being your grand goal whatever number that is. 50 pounds, 60 pounds, 100 pounds. I mean, ideally I would like to lose 58 pounds. If I look at that weekly it's overwhelming. For example, I lost 0.6 pounds this week. If I did that every week I will eventually get to my grand goal of losing 58 pounds. It just would take 96.6 weeks. That's just about 2 years.
See what I mean?
So I try really REALLY hard to focus on the week. Just the week. And not just what the scale says either. You can't focus on that little thing or it'll kill you. I try to find success in the WHOLE process. Doesn't matter what it is. It could be something as small as saying no to a second helping or going on a walk or getting in your vegetables for the week. That way, on the weeks that your scale is the enemy you can bask in the glory of at least one thing. Lets say for instance, you like to base your success on, oh I don't know, how much you exercise, how much you ate, what you ate, and how much water you drank. Chances are you'll have a victory on at least one of those thus giving you something to celebrate.
Which leads me to ...
My Weekly Roundup:
See what I did there? I thought it was clever too.
1. I earned 8 AP. WHAAAA? Yes, after Sunday I was feeling better so I went ahead and worked out. In fact, I got in 4 workouts. Pretty impressive huh? I am hoping to meet or exceed my 8 AP points this week. True story: I am crazy out of shape. I didn't realize how badly so until this past week. I'm talking huffing and puffing and sore muscles galore from barely doing ANYTHING. I hang my head in shame. I should never have taken that much time off. Oh well. Lesson learned. Hopefully I can use this knowledge as a catalyst to get back into the swing of things.
2. I ate 244 points. I noticed that the workouts I did made me CRAZY HUNGRY. I've already planned for that in my upcoming menu.
3. I did ok on my water. I've started using this new cup (my assistant calls it my sippy cup) at work and it has made it easier to get my water intake.
Ok so maybe it does look like a sippy cup, but an ADULT sippy cup.
4. What did I eat? I did better this week. I made some pretty awesome food this past week if I do say so myself. I also ordered Thai food over the weekend for the first time. You see, my car decided to die Saturday night and we had no food. We actually were out trying to do our grocery shopping when POOF ... dead. We managed to get the car home but did so without the groceries. So we ordered food. I thought Thai food would be relatively safe because they don't traditionally use gluten, soy or dairy in their food. I don't know if I've mentioned it but those are my biggest offenders. They all make me yuck. My boyfriend (who is 1/2 Thai) even got on the phone with the restaurant and went over what I could and could NOT have. They were very eager to please and assured him everything would be fine. It was, however, an unmitigated disaster. I don't blame them though, I'm aware that it was a risk and I chose to take it. I don't expect a restaurant to know exactly what to do. But I was hoping. Other than that, I ate great food.
I have high hopes for this upcoming week. I think it's because our weather right now is tremendous. It's sunny and warm and beautiful and it makes me want to be outside. It also makes me want to workout for some reason.
So here's hoping it lasts.
Good luck!
Today's Menu:
B: mocha wonderfulness. I used espresso this time!! My co-workers were not pleased. I don't do so well on the caffeine. espresso + coconut milk + chocolate pea rice protein
L: chicken pasta salad: zucchini, cucumber, tomato, carrots + brown rice pasta + homemade italian dressing + roasted chicken + an apple
D: thai vietnamese chicken noodle soup (I merged two recipes together and it is delicious)
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