Weigh-In Day!

Per my trainer's request, I've ceased my weekly weigh-ins and promised that I will only weigh myself every month or so. This is hard for me, as sometimes the difference between me saying "yes" or "no" to some fat-filled snack is knowing that I am weighing myself in the morning.

I do have to say, it's been freeing to forget about the number for a while and to just focus on changing my diet and exercising more, but it also builds up the actual weigh-in because so much time has passed and a big number is expected (by me, at least).

I last weighed myself about 3 weeks ago, and this morning I had the okay from my trainer to weigh-in so we could see where I am at. To be honest, I didn't expect much. This weekend was quite depressing as I tried on clothes that fit in the not-too-distant past but would barely (if that) zip now. I pictured my fat hanging over my Lucky Brand skinny jeans that I retired on the first leg of our road trip last year, but had served me faithfully in the months leading up to that trip. I know what I weighed then, and if the pants weren't fitting now I was undoubtedly going to be in for some bad news on the scale.

Prepared for the worst, I didn't even bother bringing my cell phone into the bathroom so I could take a picture of the scale. But I wish I had, because when I stepped on it I saw 195.8 flash before my eyes.

UNDER 200! SCOOOORRREEEEE!!!!!

And not just under 200 - almost halfway to the 180's!

PLUS that means that I have lost a total of 12 pounds since January 1. I know that is very slow going, but it's a solid loss and I am thrilled to be back in onederland.

I still don't get the jeans thing. I KNOW these pants fit better when I was this weight before. But I seem to be losing from my face and limbs much more quickly than my middle (unlike previous weight-loss where it was almost like someone pricked me with a needle and I deflated all over like a balloon). This isn't a terrible thing, because when summer comes I can disguise a middle with a dress. And it won't be long before my tummy is forever shot thanks to pregnancy anyway. But I hate that I still only have one pair of jeans that fit.... and that those jeans are about to fall apart in certain places thanks to some good old fashioned thigh-rubbing.

I'm not going to dwell too much, though. After all, my trainer thinks it is realistic for me to lose about 2 pounds a week from now until the cruise. If that happens, I'll be around 175 for Bermuda! Frankly, if I can just be in the 170's as we pull out of the port, I'll be so happy!

Now I just have to focus on continuing to earn points so I can buy a new wardrobe for the cruise :)

I won't lie, I have maybe bought a dress (or two) that I am saving for the cruise. Hey - sometimes deals are too good to pass up ;) But I have promised myself that I can't wear them until the cruise and if I don't get all my points, I have to return them.

My bestie Stacey flies into Philly tomorrow for a few days, and I am sure that we'll be getting our shopping on (in addition to watching copious amounts of Full House). Though I hate to buy another pair at my current size, maybe I should try to find some in-betweener jeans. After all, I don't want a wardrobe malfunction.

And I am sure some of you are sick and tired of hearing about weight. Heck, I am sick and tired of talking about it. But life is pretty boring right now.

Can't wait for Stacey to come spice it up for the next 4 days :)

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Weigh-in Wednesday

I am FINALLY the lowest I have been in 2014:

It's taken me nearly a month to make up for my two weeks of sloth and gluttony following my toe incident, but here I am :) In two months I am officially down 6.8 pounds.

I have also made two big decisions with regards to my weight loss.

The first decision was to rejigger my points and to make 2500 the goal before the cruise instead of 3000.

***Side Note*** For anyone new to the blog, here's where I explain my point system. The big prize I get for hitting my points is new clothes for our June cruise. ***End of Side Note***

I feel a little like I've cheated, but there is ZERO way that I was going to be able to attain the 3000 points. So it's either abandon the points all together, or re-evaluate them. Afraid that I was justifying something that shouldn't be justified (after all, this WAS an attainable goal when I first set it), I talked to Joe. He pointed out that Paparazzi has been taking up such a HUGE amount of time, that when I predicted my point-earning ability per day I had no idea that I was essentially going to be working a full time AND and half time job. There are also things that I've dropped earning points for (like going to church, since I felt wrong giving myself points for that), and I didn't adjust my original goal to reflect those changes.

So 2500 points it is - and according to Joe I am NOT allowed to change this again. No new clothes if I don't hit it. Given that I've been doing some online perusing of cute outfits lately, I refuse to let that happen.

Just a little inspiration courtesy of ModCloth.

Also, since I shouldn't be let entirely off the hook, I've eliminated my mini-rewards. I figure a new cruise wardrobe is motivation (and expensive) enough, and it's not fair that I get everything I promised myself when I haven't fully committed myself.

My other big change is that I have decided to hire a personal trainer. I had a trainer for several months about 5 years ago, and it really kept me consistent with going to the gym. I couldn't just back out because I didn't feel like going. I was also able to push myself a lot more, especially with weights, because I trusted he knew that what he was asking me to do was possible.

Yesterday while I was half-assedly using the elliptical machine and thinking of all the cute clothes I wanted to buy for the cruise, I realized that even if I earn the points to get the clothes - who says I'll actually look good in them. To-date, I've earned nearly 1000 points and lost 6.8 pounds. With only 1500 more points to go, if I lose at the same rate I won't even hit a total of 20 pounds lost before the cruise. 

Not cool.

My ability to hire a trainer is twofold:

a.) Trainers are surprisingly cheap in Philly.  The cost is about half of what it would have been to have a trainer in San Francisco.

b.) My job pays based on output and I am able to work as much as I want. This means I have the unique opportunity to "pay" for extras just by working extra hours. While it stinks to increase my workload even more, I feel like I would be a fool to turn down what I am viewing as free training (since our monthly income vs. expenses will work out to the same thing). 

So today I go in for my free consultation (30 minutes of goal-planning, 30 minute training session) and I'm going to just bite the bullet and officially sign up.

I planned to wait until after I got back from California to start training, but the last thing I want is to go into vacation-mode early and start eating bad in anticipation of the fact that I won't be eating the best while I am there (I ALWAYS do that). Plus, knowing I have someone who I will be accountable to when I return may mean that I am able to be more disciplined while I am gone. 

Wish me luck! I am sure to need it today.

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Weigh-In Wednesday... A Little Late

I'm late with Weigh-In Wednesday again, but at least I did it :) I was a little afraid of my weight this week because of our HUGE Valentine's dinner. BUT I was down! Woot Woot!

I am officially down 5.6 pounds since the beginning of January. I'm still making up for those pounds I gained while nursing my broken toe (with wine and food, of course) a couple weeks ago, but 5.6 pounds is not too shabby. That's a 1.8 pound drop from last week.

Today I FINALLY got my butt back to the gym and did a 40 minute workout. I even walked there and back, which allowed me to log 60 total "exercise" minutes. I definitely needed those points. I'm still on track to earn my new cruise clothes, but I need to work a lot harder than I have been.

Anyways, it's late, I'm exhausted, and the number of things I have to do tomorrow is psyching me out pretty bad. I hope to blog more soon :)

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Weigh-In Wednesday

After avoiding the scale for a couple weeks, I finally sucked it up and weighed myself. I knew I was going to gain, and I did:

Last weigh-in Wednesday (January 30) I was 201.8. I started the year at 207.8, so it was a solid 6 pound loss. Then "blahness" set in, I stopped going to the gym, I hurt my toe, and I ate and drank more than I should on more than one occasion. I'm still down 3.8 pounds since January 1, so at least that's something, but I am disappointed that not only did I gain, but I wasted 2 weeks where I could have lost weight. Had I stayed on the wagon, I would almost certainly be in the 190's today.

That's a rough pill to swallow.

We are getting closer and closer to our cruise this June, and I want to drop a solid amount of weight by then. With 18 weeks to go, I think it's totally possible to lose a total of 35 pounds (that includes the 3.8 that I am already down)... so I am going to aim for that. With a 35 pound loss, I'd be 172.8.

To help visually motivate me (you know, because my flab hanging over my jeans isn't enough visual motivation), I created this weight loss tracker that I hung by my scale in the bathroom:

On the left are the number of pounds I still have to lose, on the right are the number of pounds that I have lost.

Of course, I still have my points and if I don't start exercising again soon, there is ZERO chance I'll be able to earn my final prize of new clothes for the cruise.

Hopefully my new tracker and my (increasingly-difficult-to-achieve) points goal will help motivate me :) 

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Weigh-In Wednesday (on a Thursday)

As of today, it's been 4 weeks since I've started my point system. I earned enough points for my first reward (a manicure) on Monday, and yesterday I was down 6 pounds:

While 6 pounds is nothing to scoff at and I technically earned my point reward in time for the dental school formal (which was my goal), I know that I could have done a lot better.

Once the snowstorm hit Philly 10 days ago, I stopped going to the gym. First it was because I was scared to drive in the snow, then it was because I have been swamped with my real job, starting my jewelry business, and taking care of everything around the house. To deal with the stress, I have also been drinking more than I should. 

Since I deduct points for drinking and I don't get points if I don't go to the gym, I could have probably hit my first milestone a week or so ago. This isn't a huge deal yet, but there is no way I'll be able to earn my final reward in time for our June cruise unless I step it up. 

So step it up I shall.

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Weigh-In Wednesday

Weigh-in Wednesday was unkind to me this week. I don't want to share the picture, but this morning I was 1.5 pounds up from last Wednesday. While my actions over the last week didn't necessarily warrant weight loss, I really didn't expect to be up. So I am disappointed.

It's a common recommendation to weigh yourself once a week, and this week I tried doing that. What I realized, though, is that when I don't weigh myself daily I don't keep myself accountable on a day-to-day basis. Plus, I build up the weekly weigh-in WAY too much. I was scared and anxious for most of last night just thinking about stepping on the scale this morning. And if I weren't going to weigh myself for another week, I'd probably feel like crap for the next several days.

So I'm going to go back to daily weigh-ins (for now). I'll still do "Weigh-in Wednesdays" on this blog to keep myself more publicly accountable, but I need to micromanage myself.

I did manage to make it to the gym yesterday for week 3 / day 2 of c25k - so that's a win! Philly is experiencing a major snowstorm, and I finished up my workout as the first layer of snow was dusting the ground. I had planned to hit up the grocery store to stock up a bit, but it started coming down fast and I wanted to make it home before the Californian in me freaked out and was unable to drive. Joe and I will just have to get creative with our meals for the next several days.

I complained a lot about the heat and humidity last summer, but I'd give anything for a taste of it right now.

In other news, Joe and I are FINALLY watching Scandal.

Yes, just like with Breaking Bad, Walking Dead, Downton Abbey, Sherlock, and many others, I am late to the party with this show. But, better late than never.

It's not that I haven't been eyeing it as must-see TV. Ever since I heard how juicy Scandal is, I've wanted to convince Joe to watch it with me. He was reluctant, until last night, so I jumped on his willingness to give it a shot. We both really liked it (when will he just learn to trust me with TV shows? I have excellent taste!), so it'll be our new hour-long show for as long as it takes for us to catch-up with the current season.

***Side Note*** This shouldn't take long; Joe and I can't casually watch a show we like. We totally binge-watch. There are 29 episodes on Netflix and I predict we will be finished in 10 days. That number would definitely be smaller if it weren't for dental school. ***End of Side Note***

I am so excited to see what else is in store for Olivia Pope and crew!

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Weigh-In Wednesday #1

I've decided that since I am using this blog to help keep me accountable about losing weight, I need to regularly post updates on said weight. I've decided to do this every Wednesday. Though I hate exposing something so private, at least the number should never again be as high as the one I so bluntly posted when I started this journey on January 2.

So here we go, after 2 weeks of healthier eating, much less drinking, and more exercise (just finished week 2 of C25K yesterday!), this is where I stand as of this morning:

That's a 4.8 pound drop! Not too shabby :)

I've also earned 319 points, and only have 181 to go until my first reward.

***Side Note*** I originally planned to give myself rewards every time I reached 600 points, but realized that my math was a little off and that would be a little too ambitious. Too ambitious means that I might give up, too flexible and I might not push myself enough. It's a fine line, but I think 500 points is a good compromise ***End of Side Note***

I am REALLY digging this point system. I usually feel so resentful that I CAN'T eat what I want and I HAVE to exercise (I don't like being told what to do haha), that my diets usually fail really quickly. With the points, I am choosing to exercise, eat well, and make better health decisions. I haven't had one fast food meal or any sweets at all since I started, and I don't even miss them (very much). I have drank a couple times, because sometimes it's nice to unwind with Joe and a glass of wine. But the few times I have had something to drink it was much less than I usually have. I know that if I forbid certain things, there's no way I'd stick to any diet. Eventually, I may eliminate certain things that I am currently just cutting back on (e.g. diet coke: my biggest vice), but I'll decide that down the line.

For now, I'm really content and really proud of myself.

And I can't wait for that manicure 181 points from now :)

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Non-Weigh In Wednesday

So this Wednesday I am not weighing in. I won't be next Wednesday either.

Am I giving up trying to lose weight? No. But I AM putting it on hold. Lemme explain why:

Last week, Joe found out who his Penn Dental Big Sib was and we had dinner with him and his wife. Big Sibs are dental students who are one year ahead of you and their job is to be a mentor and answer any questions you might have. Meeting them was great, and I hope to spend more time with them in the future (they also recently got a dog, so we want to have some doggy play dates).

While Joe walked away from dinner feeling more excited about school and getting a lot of his concerns alleviated, I walked away more nervous then ever about what our lives will be like when he is a dental student. It became abundantly clear just how busy Joe is going to be and just how little I am going to see him.

For that reason, I want to take advantage of the next 11 days. Taking advantage means that I drank two nights this week and have stopped counting calories (though I am still making wise food choices, which is big for me as an all-or-nothing person).

Taking advantage also means that we will be going to Atlantic City next Monday and Tuesday. The last time we were there we signed up for the Total Rewards program and received 2 free nights. The nights have to be during the week, so there's no way we'd be able to use them once school started. We will be boarding Buster for the first time, which I am nervous about, but getting away one last time before school will be really good for us.

Obviously, I'll be eating AWFUL in Atlantic City since we also got vouchers for two free buffets. Each.

Now all that's left is to decide whether or not we should wear our Jersey Shore costumes from Halloween a couple years ago ;)

Weigh In Wednesday

Ugh. Slow and steady really seems to be the pace of my weight loss. Nevertheless - I am down 1 pound from last Wednesday, 5.8 pounds overall, AND I am in ONEDERLAND!!!! Oh, and even though I stink at math, I think this means I've already lost 10% of my goal :)

I really do have to consider this a win (even though I was 198.6 last Friday...). Not only am I in the 100's, but Joe and I did a two part date night on Friday and Saturday nights. So even with those two nights of drinking and exceeding my food calories (though not by too much), I dropped a pound. Not too shabby when I think of it like that.

I am getting so flipping sick of the Shred. I just want it done! But I have three more days of Level 2 and then 10 days of Level 3, so I've got quite a bit of time left with Jillian. It does seem to be doing it's job, though, as my clothes are fitting looser and I am down 1.5 inches each in my hips, waist, and bust.

Also awesome is that I'm starting to get excited to get dressed in the morning. For the past couple of years, it's been a source of anxiety as I wondered what else wasn't going to fit as my weight was shooting up. Now, it's fun to see what is starting to fit again :) And this is only after 5.8 pounds!

Weigh-In Wednesday

Um, ya. Pedicure didn't happen haha.

Going down!

Last Wednesday I was at 202.2, so that is a 1.4 pound loss from last Wednesday. Which is good, except when you consider the fact that 8 days ago I was 201 and figured that increase last Wednesday was due to my TOM. Guess not?

I'll just have to wait until next Wednesday to drop below 200. Oh, how sweet that will be. For all I know, today was the last time I'll ever see 200 on the scale again. MAYBE when I am pregnant I'll creep back up here, but since I am aiming to lose 55 pounds total and Joe and I aren't going to try to get pregnant until I do, no pregnancy should bring my weight over 200 unless I'm the next Octomom.

***Side Note*** No, I won't be celebrating 55 pounds lost by trying to make a baby. What I mean is that I'm not even going to consider it until I get my body down to a healthy weight. Because of dental school, it's likely going to be at least 2 years before we can consider trying ***End of Side Note***

As much as I wanted to be in "Onederland" this week, I've got to look on the bright side: I'm down a total 4.8 pounds down in the 15 days since I started trying to lose weight.

That's really good.

Plus, Joe keeps commenting that my face is looking thinner and my clothes look looser. Yesterday I put on a dress that I wore on the 4th of July and I could absolutely tell that it was bigger on me. I have to remember that The 30 Day Shred doesn't necessarily shred pounds, but it does shred inches. I can't wait until I can do my halfway measurements on Sunday morning!

Weigh-In Wednesday

Note to self: with these weekly pics of my feet, I should to do a home pedi every Tuesday night ;)

And there we have it. Down 1.2 pounds this week, 3.4 pounds total.

Not the happiest camper around. A 1.2 pound drop in one week is okay, but I'm aiming for 2. Given that this is week 1 and I haven't missed a workout or gone over my calorie limit, I expected a better number. I always lose quick in the beginning and then it slows down. If I am only losing 1.2 now... I'm starting to worry about how long this quest to 150 is going to be. 

***Side Note*** Full disclosure: yesterday I weighed myself and was 201, and I am supposed to start my TOM today or tomorrow, so that could account for the less than impressive number. But it's still not fun to see...***End of Side Note***

Oh, that's right, I decided last night that my official goal weight is going to be 150 (which will be a 55.6 pound weight loss). I think that is entirely possible, given that I got down to 145 at the end of my sophomore year of college (after a semester of healthy eating and daily workouts). To be in the 140's again would be great, but I don't want to aim for a number my body may not be able to get to anymore. I worked out with a personal trainer 4 or 5 years ago when I was in the 160's and could never get into the 150's (probably because I worked at a school and the number of calories in the teachers' lounge rivaled Willy Wonka's factory), so it'll be hard enough to get to 150.

Speaking of weights I've been, I got pretty bummed yesterday when this popped up when I submitted my food/exercise diary on MyFitnessPal last night:

While I can't wait to be in the 180's and 5 weeks doesn't seem TOO far off, the thing that bummed me out is that 188 was the weight I got to when I dieted for all of December (I dropped 8 pounds total, not an easy feat for Christmastime!). I cannot believe that I gained nearly 20 pounds in 6 months, and that it's going to take at least 6 weeks of healthy eating and exercise just to get back to where I was when I gave up last time.

I guess this is a good reminder that even if I am not losing at the rate I want, at least the number is going DOWN and not up.

Weigh-In Wednesday

Now that I have done the (potentially CRAZY and later regrettable) act of admitting my weight for anyone to see on the ole bloggity blog, I feel like I can be honest about my progress from now on since I fully intend on never seeing 205.6 again.

I don't want my blog to be all weight related, so I decided that I'll do a once a week segment on my progress. This will keep me accountable AND keep this blog from becoming too narrowly focused.

And now, without further adieu: the first edition of "Weigh-In Wednesday."

Woot Woot! Down 2.2 pounds from yesterday. I weighed myself a few times since Linda is always so erratic, but she stayed consistent so I'll trust her (cautiously).

This might seem like pretty rapid weight loss, but that's how my body always is. The first couple days I lose a lot and then things kind of even out and it's a lot harder to drop weight. That's typically when I get frustrated and quit.

But I refuse to quit this time. That's why I am being so honest - because I am fine with disappointing myself (obviously), but I don't want to disappoint other people. Not only am I forcing accountability by blogging, but I also joined MyFitnessPal. I really like MFP so far. I've never enjoyed tracking calories, but the app makes it super easy because you can just scan the bar-code of whatever you are eating and it will instantly appear in your log.

Now, obviously, if food has a bar-code it is processed and the big thing right now in weight loss is clean eating. I can't do that yet. It will be a goal I work toward, but I need to start out easy and work my way up.

Speaking of starting, this morning I officially started The 30 Day Shred! So day 1 of 30 is complete. I don't know why I always dread doing it, the DVD is like 25 minutes. Sure, Jillian is a tough cookie, but I can be too (says the girl who probably won't be able to walk up stairs tomorrow).

Of course, I had to make trackers:

30DS sometimes doesn't shed a ton of weight, but it does shed inches. Gotta keep track :)

Doesn't look un-doable

1 down, 29 to go

  


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