I had the best intentions of keeping up this blog, but I didn't. However, that doesn't mean that I am not staying focused on my weight loss journey. I purchased another 8 weeks worth of training and I am continuing to progress. As of tonight I am down 55 lbs and almsot 7% body fat.
I still have a ways to go and I have not yet picked a goal weight. I hope I'll know it when I get there.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Tenth Weigh In, April 10, 2009
It has been a long two weeks. An ear infection sidelined me from my workouts for a week. But once I got back on track I lost 5 pounds this week. I'm very pleased with my progress and I find the program is getting easier and easier. I am worried about how quickly the 12 weeks is coming to a close, only two more weeks!
Friday, March 27, 2009
Ninth Weigh In, March 27, 2009
Four pounds this week, all of it fat, 1% of body fat. I was thrilled! I even missed my workout on Wednesday due to a doctor run with Five. I even had a little slip up on Thursday and gave into a couple of mini chocolate bars and a Girl Scout cookie at work. I am glad it didn't hurt me, but I also know that I have to get my focus back. Sick kids can definitely distract me from my weight loss goals.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Eighth Weigh In - March 20, 2009
I can't believe that it has been a month since I last updated!
I must admit that I was getting frustrated for a while. Looking back over the past few weeks, on February 28th I lost nothing and even went up .1% in body fat. That wasn't a good week. I blame that on the new lower body routine I started on Wednesday before my Friday weigh-in. I could hardly walk and I have no doubt my muscles were retaining a lot of water.
The next week I lost only one pound, but I also gained a pound of muscle. Since fat loss is what I am most interested in, that actually counts as losing 2 lbs of fat. And then last week I had a great week. I lost 7 lbs! I think it took that long for my body to adjust to the really challenging lower body workout. Of that 5 lbs was fat. This week I lost another two pounds, of which half was fat, but I maintained all of my lean mass. So I am down 28 lbs total in about 8 weeks.
I am a little frustrated with all of the weight lifting working I am doing and still losing lean muscle mass. My trainer says not to worry about it. Right now my focus should be on losing fat and trying to preserve as much lean mass as possible. The more research I do on my own I have to agree with that assessment. It is difficult to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time. To gain muscle you need to eat more and lose weight you need to eat less, they are definitely in conflict with each other.
I must admit that I was getting frustrated for a while. Looking back over the past few weeks, on February 28th I lost nothing and even went up .1% in body fat. That wasn't a good week. I blame that on the new lower body routine I started on Wednesday before my Friday weigh-in. I could hardly walk and I have no doubt my muscles were retaining a lot of water.
The next week I lost only one pound, but I also gained a pound of muscle. Since fat loss is what I am most interested in, that actually counts as losing 2 lbs of fat. And then last week I had a great week. I lost 7 lbs! I think it took that long for my body to adjust to the really challenging lower body workout. Of that 5 lbs was fat. This week I lost another two pounds, of which half was fat, but I maintained all of my lean mass. So I am down 28 lbs total in about 8 weeks.
I am a little frustrated with all of the weight lifting working I am doing and still losing lean muscle mass. My trainer says not to worry about it. Right now my focus should be on losing fat and trying to preserve as much lean mass as possible. The more research I do on my own I have to agree with that assessment. It is difficult to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time. To gain muscle you need to eat more and lose weight you need to eat less, they are definitely in conflict with each other.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Fourth Weigh In - February 20, 2009
SIX pounds.
I don't think I need to say more than that. But of course I will. My body fat is down to 41.9% and I have lost a total of 18 lbs. I am so excited and please with my progress so far.
I think it is amazing that I was able to lose so much despite having my "cheat day" last Sunday. We took the kids to Chuck E. Cheese and enjoyed some pizza. Then we headed to Munson's for some belated Valentine's Day chocolate and since we were still out went to Ruby Tuesday's for dinner of nachos and burgers. I was physically ill from the food I ate, it was uncomfortable to sit. I will never binge like that again! Next weekend I plan on a lot more moderation. But my trainer did mention that nearly everyone goes through the same thing and that it is part of the learning process of how to eat.
I don't think I need to say more than that. But of course I will. My body fat is down to 41.9% and I have lost a total of 18 lbs. I am so excited and please with my progress so far.
I think it is amazing that I was able to lose so much despite having my "cheat day" last Sunday. We took the kids to Chuck E. Cheese and enjoyed some pizza. Then we headed to Munson's for some belated Valentine's Day chocolate and since we were still out went to Ruby Tuesday's for dinner of nachos and burgers. I was physically ill from the food I ate, it was uncomfortable to sit. I will never binge like that again! Next weekend I plan on a lot more moderation. But my trainer did mention that nearly everyone goes through the same thing and that it is part of the learning process of how to eat.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Third Weigh-In - February 12, 2009
I must admit that I was really excited for this weigh-in. Our scale was going down, clothes were fitting better and it felt like I had made some real progress on the exercise this week. I lost 3 lbs, and I am satisfied with that. The fat % did go up a did, but for reasons beyond my control and that should all even out this week. I did learn that the little electronic fat measuring machine measures excess fluids as fat. So I still think it is all good for now and I am already looking forward to my next weigh-in.
And this weekend I can take my free day. I am a little nervous about eating whatever I want, but boy do I really want some pizza and white bread with butter. I don't intend to go crazy, but I do plan to enjoy some of the foods I have been missing. I am a little worried about how going off the plan for a day will effect my weight loss. It is supposed to be good, and so far everything they have told me has worked, so I guess I just have to trust the system. I don't know which day to pick yet. I had been planning all week on my free day being tomorrow but we have postponed the kids' trip to Chuck E Cheese until Sunday so I think I will wait until then.
And this weekend I can take my free day. I am a little nervous about eating whatever I want, but boy do I really want some pizza and white bread with butter. I don't intend to go crazy, but I do plan to enjoy some of the foods I have been missing. I am a little worried about how going off the plan for a day will effect my weight loss. It is supposed to be good, and so far everything they have told me has worked, so I guess I just have to trust the system. I don't know which day to pick yet. I had been planning all week on my free day being tomorrow but we have postponed the kids' trip to Chuck E Cheese until Sunday so I think I will wait until then.
Friday, February 6, 2009
My Second Weigh-In - February 6, 2009
According to Horizon's very sensitive, don't even breath while you are on it scale, I lost another 3 lbs since Monday; all of it fat. It surprises my that I am not showing any increase in muscle, but the fat is definitely going down. Even if I don't necessarily think Jenn picked the correct number on the moving target scale, the fat monitor keeps going down. I think that needs to be the number I focus on. I have lost 1% of my boy fat in 11 days. I'll definitely take that!
The workouts have been getting a little easier. They are still tough and I am working hard, but they are starting to feel doable. It is a nice feeling. I've been doing well on the nutrition plan, although today was a challenge. I was hungry and had trouble making it to the minimum two hours between my meals. I am blaming it on the bronchitis I've been fighting so I had an extra meal today. Courting up my calories I still only ate 1400 calories even with the extra meal so I think I am doing fine.
The workouts have been getting a little easier. They are still tough and I am working hard, but they are starting to feel doable. It is a nice feeling. I've been doing well on the nutrition plan, although today was a challenge. I was hungry and had trouble making it to the minimum two hours between my meals. I am blaming it on the bronchitis I've been fighting so I had an extra meal today. Courting up my calories I still only ate 1400 calories even with the extra meal so I think I am doing fine.
Monday, February 2, 2009
First Weigh-In - February 2, 2009
I was surprised when Jenn offered me a chance to weigh in tonight. I wasn't expecting that until tomorrow. I definitely would not have had so much water before going! I lost a total of 6 lbs, of which 4lbs was fat. I didn't gain any muscle. And I am disappointed. I know I shouldn't be but I really was hoping for more. This program, both the exercise and the eating are such a challenge, I was hoping to see more for my efforts. Future weigh-ins will be on Fridays since one of the weekend days is likely to be my off day from the eating plan.
I did a lower body workout tonight which was hard. I think part of the difficulty was that I was a bit disheartened after stepping on the scale. Lower body is definitely my least favorite workout, but I will try and forget about it until Friday when I have to do it again.
I did a lower body workout tonight which was hard. I think part of the difficulty was that I was a bit disheartened after stepping on the scale. Lower body is definitely my least favorite workout, but I will try and forget about it until Friday when I have to do it again.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Ready for a New Week - February 1, 2009
Rabbit, rabbit, rabbit! Good Luck! Hey it can't hurt, right? Although all of the hard work may be paying off. As I was stretching in bed this morning I couldn't help but notice that there seemed to be a little less stomach there than a week a go. Maybe it is just wishful thinking, but I'll take it. Our scale here does not seem to jive at all with the scale at Horizon but I really do think I have lost some weight. I need to wait until Tuesday for the official numbers.
The weekend was a little more challenging than the week had been. I skipped skiing on Saturday and stayed home with Three. He was very clingy so I made sure we had a lot of good mommy time. It is hard having to be ready to workout for 7 PM, that means every one's story time is cut short. Three seems to be feeling it the most and has been waking up at night to come into bed and sleep on me. Of course that means then I don't sleep. Being tired and around a house full of food all day is a disaster in the making. I swear I could hear the peanut butter calling me. I resisted, but it was hard.
Today was only slightly better. I was still feeling some cravings, but I wasn't really hungry. I took the kids out to run some errands, which helped keep me away from the food. I probably haven't had enough to eat today yet but I still have my sixth meal to eat. I just don't feel like making anything and I have already had two meal replacement bars today, a third doesn't seem like a good idea. I think I'll just grab a Greek yogurt.
I did manage to do my cardio today and that wasn't as difficult as I thought. I was able to push myself like Joe does at Horizon. I'm not sure I got all the times correct. I'll have to take a closer look at the cardio sheet this week. I did manage to go 1.24 miles. Are treadmills like scales? Are they different depending on where you go? And does it matter that you don't really go anywhere?
The weekend was a little more challenging than the week had been. I skipped skiing on Saturday and stayed home with Three. He was very clingy so I made sure we had a lot of good mommy time. It is hard having to be ready to workout for 7 PM, that means every one's story time is cut short. Three seems to be feeling it the most and has been waking up at night to come into bed and sleep on me. Of course that means then I don't sleep. Being tired and around a house full of food all day is a disaster in the making. I swear I could hear the peanut butter calling me. I resisted, but it was hard.
Today was only slightly better. I was still feeling some cravings, but I wasn't really hungry. I took the kids out to run some errands, which helped keep me away from the food. I probably haven't had enough to eat today yet but I still have my sixth meal to eat. I just don't feel like making anything and I have already had two meal replacement bars today, a third doesn't seem like a good idea. I think I'll just grab a Greek yogurt.
I did manage to do my cardio today and that wasn't as difficult as I thought. I was able to push myself like Joe does at Horizon. I'm not sure I got all the times correct. I'll have to take a closer look at the cardio sheet this week. I did manage to go 1.24 miles. Are treadmills like scales? Are they different depending on where you go? And does it matter that you don't really go anywhere?
End of the Week - January 30, 2009
It was a long week and I am ready for the weekend. Thursday I had another cardio workout and I managed to increase my distance by an insignificanr .01 miles. And tonight I had weight training with Jenn doing upper body. My lower body still hurts in spots, me left hamstring and my abs. I am sure my upper body is going to feel just as bad tomorrow, and we are supposed to go skiing.
First Day Eating - Januray 28, 2009
It snowed today so I worked from home. I think that was good for my first day of eating on this new program. It wasn't nearly as difficult as I had imagined. I wasn't hungry since I ate every three hours and drank a lot of water.
I tried the "power pancake" in the back of my journal; it seems like just about the only way to eat egg whites. It was back but dry. I added some cinnamon to the egg whites and some chopped apples, edible but not great. It needs syrup or something, but that isn't part of this eating program.
I had my first weight training session tonight. That was hard. I could hardly walk when it was all over. It only too 40 minutes, but that was more than enough. I've never liked resistance training and being in pain like that does nothing to endear it to me. I just trust that they know what they are doing to me!
I tried the "power pancake" in the back of my journal; it seems like just about the only way to eat egg whites. It was back but dry. I added some cinnamon to the egg whites and some chopped apples, edible but not great. It needs syrup or something, but that isn't part of this eating program.
I had my first weight training session tonight. That was hard. I could hardly walk when it was all over. It only too 40 minutes, but that was more than enough. I've never liked resistance training and being in pain like that does nothing to endear it to me. I just trust that they know what they are doing to me!
My Journey Begins - January 27, 2009
Welcome to my weight loss blog. Why are we here? I want to record my weight loss journey. I want to be able to look back at my accomplishments over the next 12 weeks; to see where I've been and how far I've come and how far I still have to go. I don't know why you are here, but you are welcome to come along for the ride.
I joined Horizon Personal Training in Southington and tonight was my first visits. I met with Joe and before my first cardio workout he took my all important numbers; weight and body fat percentage: 268 lbs and 43.3% bod fat. If that isn't enough to scare me into losing weight, I don't know what would.
We continued the evening with the nutritional consult. The rules are fairly simple there is a list of foods sorted by category: protein, carbohydrate and vegetables. I need to eat 5-6 small meals a day, every 2-3 hours. Each meal needs to have an equal amount of protein and carbs. At least two meals must include vegetables and you can eat vegetables whenever you are hungry. They also recommmend using meal reaplcement shakes and bars so Joe gave me three to try warning me that I probably wouldn't like them.
Finally it was time to step on the treadmill. The cardio workout is a 20 minutes of interval training. After a 2 minute warm-up you go through 3 six minute interval cycles with the speed increasing every minute through the six minutes before going back down to start the next interval cycle. In 20 minutes I went 1.14 miles on the treadmill. Another base line number I hope to see improving.
I joined Horizon Personal Training in Southington and tonight was my first visits. I met with Joe and before my first cardio workout he took my all important numbers; weight and body fat percentage: 268 lbs and 43.3% bod fat. If that isn't enough to scare me into losing weight, I don't know what would.
We continued the evening with the nutritional consult. The rules are fairly simple there is a list of foods sorted by category: protein, carbohydrate and vegetables. I need to eat 5-6 small meals a day, every 2-3 hours. Each meal needs to have an equal amount of protein and carbs. At least two meals must include vegetables and you can eat vegetables whenever you are hungry. They also recommmend using meal reaplcement shakes and bars so Joe gave me three to try warning me that I probably wouldn't like them.
Finally it was time to step on the treadmill. The cardio workout is a 20 minutes of interval training. After a 2 minute warm-up you go through 3 six minute interval cycles with the speed increasing every minute through the six minutes before going back down to start the next interval cycle. In 20 minutes I went 1.14 miles on the treadmill. Another base line number I hope to see improving.
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