Week 16 of Maintenance...that's 4 MONTHS of maintaining!!! 6 months since joining Weight Watchers and eating according to PointsPlus every day. Wow, the time has gone by so quickly!!
Weighed 119.0 at home, 120.4 at the meeting
So...I'm happy to report that my body fat percentage has returned to normal...21-23%. I'd love for it to be consistently under 23% but as long as it's close, I'm good. I still have no idea what made it go up!
My problem now...my BIG problem now, is my left lower back...the "dimple" joint, to be specific. I strained it 2 weeks ago while moving furniture around for when I hosted Ladies Bible Study here. Then a number of different things (that I know now) exacerbated it and as of Tuesday...nasty, nasty, miserable pain = (
I kept running because it seemed to make it feel better. And it definitely felt better while I was running and immediately after. But then several hours after and for the rest of the day, it was considerably worse. So I decided to rest from running and just walk.
I enjoyed the walks...mentally, emotionally, spiritually...but experienced the same worsening of the back pain later on during the day. Yesterday and today I've rested from all but essential activity.
I've been experimenting with what helps, what hurts and what doesn't seem to make a difference. I'm starting to think a doctor visit might be in my future but I'd like to give it a few more days of "being good"...meaning, not doing anything that makes it worse to give my back a chance to get better...such as sitting for almost 2 hours in prayer meeting last night!!!
Sitting is the WORST. Walking is good, until I get tired of being on my feet. Laying down on the heating pad feels pretty nice. I've got some good meds that I'm taking now...I didn't start taking anything for at least a week cause I just kept thinking that it was a bit of soreness that would go away on its own.
But something to be thankful for...with the rest from running has also come the rest from a ravenous appetite! That is SO nice...there's a teeny-tiny part of my brain that says "stop running and you can feel this way all the time!" But then a bigger part of my brain gets sad and says "nooooooo!!! you would miss it SOOOO much!!"
2 more weeks and I get some spacer beads for my Pandora bracelet = ))
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Where did my body go???!
Week 15 of Maintenance - 119.6 clothed weight at home, 120.6 at meeting (drank a 16 oz protein shake on the way)
I wish I had my own laboratory and needles and x-rays and such so I could do testing on myself. I would surely like to know WHAT is going on inside my body!!
I've had a good couple of weeks with my body fat percentage creeping lower and lower and my runs getting faster and faster. I felt so excited to see these changes because it was exactly what I was aiming for.
Then...this past week. I get on the scale at night, normal weight, body fat up about 1/2 a percent. Hmmmm...need to drink more water tomorrow. (the body fat reading is closely related to the body water percentage...if I'm dehydrated, the fat number will be higher).
So I drink plenty the next day, get on the scale at night, nice low number for the weight, my body fat number is 1% higher this night! And this continues for the rest of the week. My weight stays the same, even going down 1-2 lbs (hit my lowest night weight so far - 118.6 pounds!) but my body fat creeps up .5 - 1% every night - 20% at the beginning of the week, 25% at the end...WHAT???!!!
I didn't consciously change my eating at all...like eating less fat to try and stop the uprising. An interesting thing though...I was far less hungry than I usually am...I wasn't thinking about "what can I eat next" all the time like normal.
The other change was in my running...it was requiring more and more effort to run the same paces that I'd run the previous weeks. The worst day was using more effort to run 2.4 miles at a 9:58 pace than I needed to run 5 miles at a 9:02 pace the week before!
But the not being hungry all the time was SOOOOO nice! There were a number of times where I had to make myself eat because I'd had a very small lunch, no snack and it was past supper.
So after all that I discovered something interesting about my feelings towards those numbers: I would gladly trade a higher body fat and slower running paces for not being hungry all the time, having to resist eating, having to come up with so much will-power to "just say no" and have my weight almost effortlessly stay within the goal range.
For those of you that know me better, amazing, huh?? Even for myself I would have said the exact opposite was true...any amount of hard work is worth being able to run fast!
I wish I could run tests on myself and discover why this happened...to learn from it and have that knowledge in my "battle of the bulge" arsenal. I'm going to start keeping track of my body water percentage also so I'll know what a normal hydration level is and will be able to recognize if I'm dehydrated.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Always learning, always trying, every day a chance for success, failure or both...
116.0 nekkid...119 after eating, drinking and getting dressed, 120.2 at the meeting after drinking more on the way and putting my sweater on = )
It's been an interesting week...some really good happy things...some really not good unhappy things. First, the good...
Ran 5 miles at a 9:02 pace...amazing!! It's SO wonderful to run faster than I expect to...LOVE that surprise...love the accomplishment thinking "there's no way I can hold this pace" and then not only hold it but surpass it! My splits were 9:17, 9:12, 8:56, 8:55, 8:53...ya-hooo!
My weight had been creeping up (see below) so I had a careful day and my body responded very quickly and very well...weighed less than I wanted to or expected on my weigh-in last night. It's nice to know that my metabolism works so well...very thankful for that!
We had a few cooler mornings this week...enjoyed that and looking forward to a glorious fall season...and a winter with NO MARATHON TRAINING!!! After spending the last 8 winters training for marathons and then recovering from and adjusting to the after-marathon months, I'm SOOOOOOO looking forward to NOT doing that this winter!!!
Totally enjoyed the week spent with my Sweety Petey = )))
Now the not-so-good...
I've slowly gotten into the habit of not tracking my food until after I climb in to bed to read. I would keep track in my head during the day and was doing fine until some little subtle "switch" or something happened.
One day I didn't measure the portions on several foods...such as dipping crackers in hummus...I measured the crackers but not the hummus. Then I ate chips out of the bag instead of counting them out. One day I ate a little of this, a little of that (hi Lori!! hahaha) and discovered that I'd eaten over 40 points that day when I'm only supposed to have 32 points at the most.
But since I didn't track until going to bed, it was too late to stop BEFORE it happened. I also saw my weight creeping up ever so slowly...not a huge concern...but my body fat went up 3-4%...and I could tell it in how I felt!
TRULY, I could tell a difference in how my stomach looked and felt...I got on the scale expecting to see a 2-3 pound gain but didn't. THEN I saw the body fat gain...depressing.
The good news (see above) is that my weight responded quickly but my body fat is slower to respond.
Oh yeah...I also have had a few times where I've gotten over-hungry and did not have healthy food with me so I ate unhealthy...bakery cupcake with buttercream frosting, anyone?!
So I need to get back to tracking my food during the day so I can make adjustments BEFORE the day ends and I'm already in bed! Either I need to start writing things down again rather than tracking on my iPad and iPhone or maybe I need to just track on my phone since that's usually right handy.
Anyhow, I've learned a number of things...or been reminded of things I already knew...I MUST measure portions and track and weigh every night! I'm thankful that I didn't get so down on myself that I decided to skip weighing since I was afraid of the numbers on the scale. That at least kept me on track!
But now this evening, I've eaten a number of things that I didn't measure ahead of time so I've done it again = ( It's SO EASY to do that!!
This is most definitely something that I MUST get a handle on if I'm going to have long-term success at maintenance. You'd think after 14 weeks of maintaining that the habit would be so ingrained that I would just naturally do it but oh how quickly I slip back into old habits!
Maybe portioning the chips out into little baggies in the proper serving sizes would help me to practice mindful eating. Not having the food in the house helps but it's nice for Petey to have snacks when he's home...I just need to learn the best way for me to handle them!
Anyhow, I keep reminding myself that it's a process...a journey...with successes and failures along the way...always learning, adapting...each new day a chance to do it right!
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Last Short-term Goal Met!
Week 13 of maintenance...weighed 120.8 at the meeting...117.2 nekkid weight
Several things have made me happy this past week in my healthy-weight-for-a-lifetime adventure...
#1 - I've totally enjoyed my new bracelet and look forward to earning more charms and beads = )
#2 - a super-duper interval track workout on Monday where my 400 times ranged from 1:55 to 1:49...a 7:40 pace to a 7:16...totally didn't expect that!
#3 - my body fat percentage went below 20% for the first time!! I haven't seen that number again but I've had several weigh-ins that have been close.
#4 - my moderate run this morning was faster than I expected over a longer distance than I expected...4 miles at a 9:05 pace!! I was hoping to do a 9:15 pace for 3 miles at a moderate effort level but felt good so I tacked on an extra mile...and still held to the faster than expected pace...I'm doing the happy dance!!
#5 - I feel like my final short-term goal of getting my running paces back down to a respectable level has been reached. And I feel certain that I will continue to improve over the next several months.
#6 - my weight has actually gone up a pound in addition to my body fat going down... muscle, baby, MUSCLE!! I'm excited to keep doing what I've been doing and see where things level out.
#7 - my weights this year are now running consistently lower than my weights from last year. I'm using the comparison to motivate me to KEEP ON GOING. Especially when I get to the days where my weight started to creep up more, if my current weight stays steady, that will be a WONDERFUL feeling...one that will hopefully fuel my determination to get through the winter months without gaining!
Time for bed...good night!
Several things have made me happy this past week in my healthy-weight-for-a-lifetime adventure...
#1 - I've totally enjoyed my new bracelet and look forward to earning more charms and beads = )
#2 - a super-duper interval track workout on Monday where my 400 times ranged from 1:55 to 1:49...a 7:40 pace to a 7:16...totally didn't expect that!
#3 - my body fat percentage went below 20% for the first time!! I haven't seen that number again but I've had several weigh-ins that have been close.
#4 - my moderate run this morning was faster than I expected over a longer distance than I expected...4 miles at a 9:05 pace!! I was hoping to do a 9:15 pace for 3 miles at a moderate effort level but felt good so I tacked on an extra mile...and still held to the faster than expected pace...I'm doing the happy dance!!
#5 - I feel like my final short-term goal of getting my running paces back down to a respectable level has been reached. And I feel certain that I will continue to improve over the next several months.
#6 - my weight has actually gone up a pound in addition to my body fat going down... muscle, baby, MUSCLE!! I'm excited to keep doing what I've been doing and see where things level out.
#7 - my weights this year are now running consistently lower than my weights from last year. I'm using the comparison to motivate me to KEEP ON GOING. Especially when I get to the days where my weight started to creep up more, if my current weight stays steady, that will be a WONDERFUL feeling...one that will hopefully fuel my determination to get through the winter months without gaining!
Time for bed...good night!
Thursday, August 30, 2012
BUSTED!!!
hahahaha I think my Weight Watchers leader is on to me = )
I continue to go back and forth over losing a little more weight or trying to REALLY maintain my current, stated, goal weight range (122-126 weighing in at the meeting with clothes and shoes on).
Right now, I'm ever so slowly losing more weight without trying. I would have to work to maintain. As happy as I am about that now, I'm on the other end of the emotional spectrum when I think about how hard I'll have to work to maintain during the winter months... from the other side of the acceptable weight range!!
But back to the story...if you remember, I weighed 119.8 at the meeting last week and got the feeling that I had reached the "you can keep on losing and we won't say anything...to a point" point.
I always weigh myself before I leave home so I know what I'll weigh at the meeting. I make sure I have everything on that I'm going to have on for weigh-in. I chose a pair of denim overalls and weighed 118.8 at home today... 116.6 nekkid weight.
I knew I would gain some with eating my meal replacement bar and drinking (I was VERY thirsty after my 4 mile run and drank ALOT!!) on the way to the meeting but I wanted to BE SURE and be above 120 when I got there...figured that would keep them from saying anything since they didn't before.
Once I got there, I put my sweater on too, to be on the safe side, to get weighed but then weighed 122 so I took the sweater off and got 120.8 for my official weight. I was happy and told Kim (our leader) that I was making sure I wasn't below 120 this week...thinking she would be proud of me for not losing more weight.
She looked at me with a sneaky grin and said "yeah, but your overalls weigh more!" BUSTED!!! hahahahaha But she's probably seen all sorts of things in her 7 years as a WW leader so this was nothing new = )
So I earned my 3 month charm for my bracelet = ) I chose a pony, cause...well, it's me! My neighbor (yes, I hear the pun in my head) had a neat idea...she was asking if I was going to get any spacers to go between the charms or beads. I figured I would but hadn't thought that far ahead.
Now I've decided that I'll get a spacer at the 6 week point in the quarter and then the next charm or bead at the 12 week point. That will spread the excitement, anticipation and motivation out a little bit more = )
I think my next bead/charm will be an airplane...for my Sweety Petey, of course!! And then IF I can make it through the winter months, that bead/charm will have to be extra special!
My running continues to improve...faster, easier and all around great! I did 4 miles at a 9:34 pace this morning and that was with backing off here and there to keep the effort easy. On Monday I did 3.11 miles (5k) at an 8:54 average pace...in the morning, at 10am, in AUGUST. It was hard work but it felt AWESOME!!!
I'm still not back to the paces I was running last fall but I feel like I'm well on my way and the cooler weather will help too. My weight is where it was this time last year but my body fat percentage is better this time.
The numbers started to creep up in September and October of last year, then more in November and then December BIG TIME so I was already a couple pounds heavier for the fall races. Not sure if I'll do the same races this year but I'd like to do at least one to see if I can beat my time from last year.
I'm so thankful that I have tracked my weight and body fat numbers so I can look back and compare. I have several year's worth of food journals from when I was at my optimum "maximum muscle and minimum fat" years. That would be 98-100 pounds and 11-13% body fat...now THAT'S when I really ran well!!
Anyhow, I doubt I'll see those numbers again...it was almost 10 years ago. But I'm still striving to run the best that I can at this age and time of my life. It's just encouraging to look back on my numbers from last year and be doing better this year. Maybe that will make a difference for these dreaded winter months...I hope I hope I hope!
I continue to go back and forth over losing a little more weight or trying to REALLY maintain my current, stated, goal weight range (122-126 weighing in at the meeting with clothes and shoes on).
Right now, I'm ever so slowly losing more weight without trying. I would have to work to maintain. As happy as I am about that now, I'm on the other end of the emotional spectrum when I think about how hard I'll have to work to maintain during the winter months... from the other side of the acceptable weight range!!
But back to the story...if you remember, I weighed 119.8 at the meeting last week and got the feeling that I had reached the "you can keep on losing and we won't say anything...to a point" point.
I always weigh myself before I leave home so I know what I'll weigh at the meeting. I make sure I have everything on that I'm going to have on for weigh-in. I chose a pair of denim overalls and weighed 118.8 at home today... 116.6 nekkid weight.
I knew I would gain some with eating my meal replacement bar and drinking (I was VERY thirsty after my 4 mile run and drank ALOT!!) on the way to the meeting but I wanted to BE SURE and be above 120 when I got there...figured that would keep them from saying anything since they didn't before.
Once I got there, I put my sweater on too, to be on the safe side, to get weighed but then weighed 122 so I took the sweater off and got 120.8 for my official weight. I was happy and told Kim (our leader) that I was making sure I wasn't below 120 this week...thinking she would be proud of me for not losing more weight.
She looked at me with a sneaky grin and said "yeah, but your overalls weigh more!" BUSTED!!! hahahahaha But she's probably seen all sorts of things in her 7 years as a WW leader so this was nothing new = )
In other news...I hit 12 weeks maintaining today!! Hard to believe it's been 3 months already. I hope the next 9 months go by as quickly...not as in "life passing me by" but as in "I made it through the winter months successfully and am celebrating my 1 year maintaining anniversary!"
So I earned my 3 month charm for my bracelet = ) I chose a pony, cause...well, it's me! My neighbor (yes, I hear the pun in my head) had a neat idea...she was asking if I was going to get any spacers to go between the charms or beads. I figured I would but hadn't thought that far ahead.
Now I've decided that I'll get a spacer at the 6 week point in the quarter and then the next charm or bead at the 12 week point. That will spread the excitement, anticipation and motivation out a little bit more = )
I think my next bead/charm will be an airplane...for my Sweety Petey, of course!! And then IF I can make it through the winter months, that bead/charm will have to be extra special!
My running continues to improve...faster, easier and all around great! I did 4 miles at a 9:34 pace this morning and that was with backing off here and there to keep the effort easy. On Monday I did 3.11 miles (5k) at an 8:54 average pace...in the morning, at 10am, in AUGUST. It was hard work but it felt AWESOME!!!
I'm still not back to the paces I was running last fall but I feel like I'm well on my way and the cooler weather will help too. My weight is where it was this time last year but my body fat percentage is better this time.
The numbers started to creep up in September and October of last year, then more in November and then December BIG TIME so I was already a couple pounds heavier for the fall races. Not sure if I'll do the same races this year but I'd like to do at least one to see if I can beat my time from last year.
I'm so thankful that I have tracked my weight and body fat numbers so I can look back and compare. I have several year's worth of food journals from when I was at my optimum "maximum muscle and minimum fat" years. That would be 98-100 pounds and 11-13% body fat...now THAT'S when I really ran well!!
Anyhow, I doubt I'll see those numbers again...it was almost 10 years ago. But I'm still striving to run the best that I can at this age and time of my life. It's just encouraging to look back on my numbers from last year and be doing better this year. Maybe that will make a difference for these dreaded winter months...I hope I hope I hope!
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Maintenance Week 11
Weighed 119.8 at the meeting. I got a bit of a hassle about the weight today. Guess that number in the teens did it!
I was drinking my breakfast protein shake on the way there, expecting the fluid would put me up close to a pound over my weight at home but it didn't. Oh well...
Something from this past week that I wanted to share with ya'll...I had another good reminder that it does not take as much food volume to fill me up as I always think it does!
We had the wonderful opportunity to meet up in Galveston with some AWESOME friends from where we used to live. My eating was all messed up with different meal times and amounts and types of food. I expected to have gained at least a pound or two when I got home but was shocked to see that I tied my lowest weight in over a year!
Anyhow...what really made an impact was this: I'd eaten extra food during the day...lunch at Wendy's, etc. So I just ordered a cup of soup for supper. I was tempted to get the bowl and Petey even asked if the cup would fill me up. I figured it wouldn't but planned on eating a protein bar later when I got hungry.
Imagine my surprise to discover that the cup of soup DID fill me up! I had this thought run through my brain, "always give a smaller portion of food the chance to fill me up".
Usually I decide on how much food I'm going to eat based on how many points the meal is and how many points I've already eaten that day. I measure the food, get it in the bowl or on the plate and then often think, "that's not enough, it won't fill me up" and then I add more food to the bowl or plate.
But maybe, just MAYBE, the original portion would satisfy me just fine! I should at least give it a chance to do so. Measure, eat, wait 30-60 minutes, then eat more if I'm truly still hungry!
This isn't so important right now while I'm maintaining easily but it just might be something that helps me get through the winter months successfully without gaining weight.
Another thing I've been bouncing around in my head...starting a charm bracelet to "reward" myself for each 3 month period that I maintain. The charms on my neat 10% keychain that I got from Weight Watchers when I hit 10% weight loss have been a great motivator to keep going. And like I told ya'll last week, I'm more than a little bummed that I won't be getting any more charms until I hit 1 year of maintaining.
So a charm bracelet might be alot of fun = ) I've admired the Pandora charms and beads for quite awhile...it'd be neat to choose a charm or bead that held a special memory to the quarter that just passed. Then work to fill the bracelet up! With only getting one charm or bead 4 times a year, the bracelet would take several years to fill up...
Anyhow, I haven't totally decided on that but I need to decide pretty quick since I've just started on my 12th week of maintaining! I'll let ya know....
I was drinking my breakfast protein shake on the way there, expecting the fluid would put me up close to a pound over my weight at home but it didn't. Oh well...
Something from this past week that I wanted to share with ya'll...I had another good reminder that it does not take as much food volume to fill me up as I always think it does!
We had the wonderful opportunity to meet up in Galveston with some AWESOME friends from where we used to live. My eating was all messed up with different meal times and amounts and types of food. I expected to have gained at least a pound or two when I got home but was shocked to see that I tied my lowest weight in over a year!
Anyhow...what really made an impact was this: I'd eaten extra food during the day...lunch at Wendy's, etc. So I just ordered a cup of soup for supper. I was tempted to get the bowl and Petey even asked if the cup would fill me up. I figured it wouldn't but planned on eating a protein bar later when I got hungry.
Imagine my surprise to discover that the cup of soup DID fill me up! I had this thought run through my brain, "always give a smaller portion of food the chance to fill me up".
Usually I decide on how much food I'm going to eat based on how many points the meal is and how many points I've already eaten that day. I measure the food, get it in the bowl or on the plate and then often think, "that's not enough, it won't fill me up" and then I add more food to the bowl or plate.
But maybe, just MAYBE, the original portion would satisfy me just fine! I should at least give it a chance to do so. Measure, eat, wait 30-60 minutes, then eat more if I'm truly still hungry!
This isn't so important right now while I'm maintaining easily but it just might be something that helps me get through the winter months successfully without gaining weight.
Another thing I've been bouncing around in my head...starting a charm bracelet to "reward" myself for each 3 month period that I maintain. The charms on my neat 10% keychain that I got from Weight Watchers when I hit 10% weight loss have been a great motivator to keep going. And like I told ya'll last week, I'm more than a little bummed that I won't be getting any more charms until I hit 1 year of maintaining.
So a charm bracelet might be alot of fun = ) I've admired the Pandora charms and beads for quite awhile...it'd be neat to choose a charm or bead that held a special memory to the quarter that just passed. Then work to fill the bracelet up! With only getting one charm or bead 4 times a year, the bracelet would take several years to fill up...
Anyhow, I haven't totally decided on that but I need to decide pretty quick since I've just started on my 12th week of maintaining! I'll let ya know....
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Goals, Achievements, Motivation
This is what I've been thinking about all day today...
Completed week #10 of maintenance. Weighed in at 120.6 at the meeting.
I work best under a system of goals, achievements and what-not. I've already been thinking about some kind of reward that I could get for myself if I am able to maintain December - February. Jewelry? A new purse? Something for the house?
That got me to thinking about how the year is divided into 3 month segments for me... December, January and February being the toughest when it comes to weight-gain.
March, April, May and September, October, November would be the easiest since they have the best weather for being most active outside.
June, July, and August are only a tad less easy depending on how hot the summer is... really hot and I might end up spending more time inside. This summer has been great!
My friend, Jim Rutty, over at Living On the Edge has issued an invitation for anyone wanting accountability, mutual encouragement and support to join him on the weight-loss journey in a Thursday-reporting post. He said I'm welcome to join even though I'm in the weight-maintenance phase rather than the weight-loss phase = )
Maybe some of ya'll might want to join us too???
Also, I'd like to report back on my thoughts from last week's post regarding trying to lose a few more pounds and maintain a lower weight. I'm thinking that might be something that would be better to try AFTER I've made it through this first winter with a successful maintenance of my current weight.
I had a couple days this past week where I had "treat foods" and my weight went up 1-2 pounds. It was nerve-racking and scary and anxiety producing. Thankfully, my weight came right back down with eating my healthy foods, but it made me think ahead to the holidays... which fall right smack-dab in the middle of months that are already a challenge for me!
So I'm thinking I'll put the "lose a few more pounds" on hold and just hold on tight for what the winter will bring.
In another bit of good news...I've actually tucked my shirt in a couple of times...so that my waistbands wouldn't be quite so loose = ) I usually think I look FAT with my shirts tucked in so that was pretty amazing to do that and not feel embarrassed to be seen like that!
And even better...I ran an interval workout this morning...5 x 400's (1/4 mile speed intervals) and hit a pace of 7:52 on one of them!!! Low 8's for the others...AWESOME!!! Sure am enjoying my running WAAAAAAY more now that I've dropped the extra weight!
Completed week #10 of maintenance. Weighed in at 120.6 at the meeting.
I work best under a system of goals, achievements and what-not. I've already been thinking about some kind of reward that I could get for myself if I am able to maintain December - February. Jewelry? A new purse? Something for the house?
That got me to thinking about how the year is divided into 3 month segments for me... December, January and February being the toughest when it comes to weight-gain.
March, April, May and September, October, November would be the easiest since they have the best weather for being most active outside.
June, July, and August are only a tad less easy depending on how hot the summer is... really hot and I might end up spending more time inside. This summer has been great!
My friend, Jim Rutty, over at Living On the Edge has issued an invitation for anyone wanting accountability, mutual encouragement and support to join him on the weight-loss journey in a Thursday-reporting post. He said I'm welcome to join even though I'm in the weight-maintenance phase rather than the weight-loss phase = )
Maybe some of ya'll might want to join us too???
Also, I'd like to report back on my thoughts from last week's post regarding trying to lose a few more pounds and maintain a lower weight. I'm thinking that might be something that would be better to try AFTER I've made it through this first winter with a successful maintenance of my current weight.
I had a couple days this past week where I had "treat foods" and my weight went up 1-2 pounds. It was nerve-racking and scary and anxiety producing. Thankfully, my weight came right back down with eating my healthy foods, but it made me think ahead to the holidays... which fall right smack-dab in the middle of months that are already a challenge for me!
So I'm thinking I'll put the "lose a few more pounds" on hold and just hold on tight for what the winter will bring.
In another bit of good news...I've actually tucked my shirt in a couple of times...so that my waistbands wouldn't be quite so loose = ) I usually think I look FAT with my shirts tucked in so that was pretty amazing to do that and not feel embarrassed to be seen like that!
And even better...I ran an interval workout this morning...5 x 400's (1/4 mile speed intervals) and hit a pace of 7:52 on one of them!!! Low 8's for the others...AWESOME!!! Sure am enjoying my running WAAAAAAY more now that I've dropped the extra weight!
Friday, August 10, 2012
Keep calm and carry on...
Completed week #9 of maintenance - 120.2 for my weigh-in...115.8 before getting dressed, 118.8 after dressing and then the "official" weight at the meeting after eating and drinking on the way = )
All systems are GO...in a holding pattern...hmmm...any other aviation terms I can think of to say "same old, same old"?
Same is good...same is GREAT! It feels wonderful to be back at a weight and size where I feel fit and healthy.
Actually, some of my size 6's have gotten a little too loose to be completely comfortable. I hate to wear a belt...I need to get out the safety pins, I think. To take in the side just a wee bit.
Another really neat thing...but first some background: some girlfriends had asked me whether Petey noticed that I'd lost weight. I told them that he hasn't said anything but he knew I was working on it so it's not like he would all of a sudden notice a difference.
He just got home on Wednesday from his last trip...as we were laying in bed yesterday morning talking while we were waking up, he had his hand on my knee. He said "have you lost more weight since I've been gone?" I said maybe 1/2 to 1 pound. And then he said "cause your leg is alot smaller...it feels like you've lost 5 or 6 more pounds".
WAY COOL BEANS!! That means that reducing my body fat percentage is having a visible effect on my size = )) That would also explain why my size 6's are more loose even though my weight has not gone down...my inches have gone down...even better!
So I'll keep doing what I've been doing...carrying on...and trying to keep calm about the approaching winter months.
All systems are GO...in a holding pattern...hmmm...any other aviation terms I can think of to say "same old, same old"?
Same is good...same is GREAT! It feels wonderful to be back at a weight and size where I feel fit and healthy.
Actually, some of my size 6's have gotten a little too loose to be completely comfortable. I hate to wear a belt...I need to get out the safety pins, I think. To take in the side just a wee bit.
Another really neat thing...but first some background: some girlfriends had asked me whether Petey noticed that I'd lost weight. I told them that he hasn't said anything but he knew I was working on it so it's not like he would all of a sudden notice a difference.
He just got home on Wednesday from his last trip...as we were laying in bed yesterday morning talking while we were waking up, he had his hand on my knee. He said "have you lost more weight since I've been gone?" I said maybe 1/2 to 1 pound. And then he said "cause your leg is alot smaller...it feels like you've lost 5 or 6 more pounds".
WAY COOL BEANS!! That means that reducing my body fat percentage is having a visible effect on my size = )) That would also explain why my size 6's are more loose even though my weight has not gone down...my inches have gone down...even better!
So I'll keep doing what I've been doing...carrying on...and trying to keep calm about the approaching winter months.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Lots of nice numbers = )
On the scale this morning...116.6...a year ago today I weighed 116.4...NICE!! My body fat last night was 20.8%...aiming for the upper teens. My scale told me I have the body of a 16 year old...some of the people who know me would say I have the mind of one too! HA!!
Today is my 8 week maintaining milestone. THAT went by fast!
After getting dressed, eating breakfast and drinking 2 glasses of tea, I weighed in at 120.6 at the meeting. They still didn't say anything even though that is 1.4 pounds below the minimum of my declared goal weight range.
I'm still tossing around the idea of losing another 2-3 pounds and seeing if I can maintain that...or rather, seeing how much work it is to maintain that. I'm not sure if I would have to formally declare and change my goal weight or if I could just weigh under my current one but not below their stated bare minimum.
Obviously, you all are aware of my concerns about maintaining through the winter since I've shared them on a regular basis = ) Part of me would like to TRY to maintain that lower weight...the weight where I feel best and where I run well.
My absolute lowest I could weigh in at the meetings is 115...which would mean a "nekkid" weight of 112...IF I stayed at the same body fat. If I could figure out and/or find a weight workout that I liked and was motivated to do, I could stay at my present weight and just lose fat - gain muscle.
My Weight Watchers leader talked about an app that several of the members use for workout/exercise/activity ideas...Fitness Buddy. I downloaded it (on my new iPhone!!!) and will check it out more seriously when I finish this post.
Anyhoo...more nice numbers coming up...some of my size 6's are loose enough to pull down without unbuttoning and unzipping...the size 4's fit loose around the middle, how I like my waistbands to fit. It's not that I was aiming to be a size 6 or 4, I was just aiming to fit into the clothes I bought last summer (which were all 6's and 4's)...and now I can!
I won't be buying smaller sizes. I've decided on a long-range goal of wearing these shorts for 5 summers...or until they wear out, if sooner. This is my 2nd summer to wear them. If I need to, I'll use my "safety pin on the side" trick if anything gets uncomfortably loose...or I'll go to the thrift store and buy a couple belts.
My running pace continues to improve...looking forward to the hot HOT weather to be over...when it goes back to just hot...to see how my pace improves then.
Twice this week I had the opportunity to eat "fast food" but chose to take my own food and eat that. I really like that the best...I always feel "off" after I eat out. It might not be realistic for me to do that in every situation for the rest of my life but I do plan on taking my own food with me when I go into eating situations and feel that it's acceptable.
I KNOW that will help TREMENDOUSLY in my journey to maintain a healthy weight. Not only do I overeat WHILE I'm eating fast food/restaurant food (how do they cram all those calories into what looks like a normal serving size???!) but something about that food makes me want to continue to eat and eat and EAT even after I'm home...more calories that I don't need...which equals weight gain!
Sorry...not very interesting...just sharing what's been going through my head recently...thinking ahead to holiday eating and treats and formulating action plans!
Today is my 8 week maintaining milestone. THAT went by fast!
After getting dressed, eating breakfast and drinking 2 glasses of tea, I weighed in at 120.6 at the meeting. They still didn't say anything even though that is 1.4 pounds below the minimum of my declared goal weight range.
I'm still tossing around the idea of losing another 2-3 pounds and seeing if I can maintain that...or rather, seeing how much work it is to maintain that. I'm not sure if I would have to formally declare and change my goal weight or if I could just weigh under my current one but not below their stated bare minimum.
Obviously, you all are aware of my concerns about maintaining through the winter since I've shared them on a regular basis = ) Part of me would like to TRY to maintain that lower weight...the weight where I feel best and where I run well.
My absolute lowest I could weigh in at the meetings is 115...which would mean a "nekkid" weight of 112...IF I stayed at the same body fat. If I could figure out and/or find a weight workout that I liked and was motivated to do, I could stay at my present weight and just lose fat - gain muscle.
My Weight Watchers leader talked about an app that several of the members use for workout/exercise/activity ideas...Fitness Buddy. I downloaded it (on my new iPhone!!!) and will check it out more seriously when I finish this post.
Anyhoo...more nice numbers coming up...some of my size 6's are loose enough to pull down without unbuttoning and unzipping...the size 4's fit loose around the middle, how I like my waistbands to fit. It's not that I was aiming to be a size 6 or 4, I was just aiming to fit into the clothes I bought last summer (which were all 6's and 4's)...and now I can!
I won't be buying smaller sizes. I've decided on a long-range goal of wearing these shorts for 5 summers...or until they wear out, if sooner. This is my 2nd summer to wear them. If I need to, I'll use my "safety pin on the side" trick if anything gets uncomfortably loose...or I'll go to the thrift store and buy a couple belts.
My running pace continues to improve...looking forward to the hot HOT weather to be over...when it goes back to just hot...to see how my pace improves then.
Twice this week I had the opportunity to eat "fast food" but chose to take my own food and eat that. I really like that the best...I always feel "off" after I eat out. It might not be realistic for me to do that in every situation for the rest of my life but I do plan on taking my own food with me when I go into eating situations and feel that it's acceptable.
I KNOW that will help TREMENDOUSLY in my journey to maintain a healthy weight. Not only do I overeat WHILE I'm eating fast food/restaurant food (how do they cram all those calories into what looks like a normal serving size???!) but something about that food makes me want to continue to eat and eat and EAT even after I'm home...more calories that I don't need...which equals weight gain!
Sorry...not very interesting...just sharing what's been going through my head recently...thinking ahead to holiday eating and treats and formulating action plans!
Thursday, July 26, 2012
A Major Weight Watcher Catch-Up
So...I last reported to you on June 28th...wow...a month ago already! Let me catch you all up...
July 5th - I weighed at home before the meeting and was 120.6 so decided to drink as much as I could on the way to the meeting. They hadn't given me any problem about being below 122 lbs (bottom of my goal weight range) last week but I thought they might say something this week. I weighed in at 123.4...that's ALOT of water = )
July 12th - I had to fast for the oral surgery I was having that afternoon so I weighed 121.2 for the meeting. They didn't say anything so I was happy.
July 19th - this completes my 6th week of maintaining...weighed 121.4...also filled up my first 16 week weight record. Something interesting to report to you...I had the 2 top back molars pulled/cut out last Thursday. I knew I would be eating soft foods for the next 2-3 days but I was totally caught off guard by how SORE my face was! Not just the holes in my mouth... my cheekbones, my jaw...YIKES!
The roots of one of the teeth went into my sinus so that tooth was cut off at the gumline, then each of the 3 roots were pulled individually. The dentist was concerned about bruising/cracking a bone by pulling the tooth out complete. Then he had to seal up the hole going into my sinus.
I don't know if this made my face more sore than I expected...I'd had all 4 of my wisdom teeth cut out at once and I didn't have nearly as much soreness, discomfort, pain as I did this time. I kept thinking maybe being 23 years older might have had something to do with it = )
Anyhow, I ended up eating soft foods for a week...and here's the interesting bit...soft foods don't fill me up near as well as hard foods! At the beginning I thought I might lose several pounds but that was not the case. I was more hungry than usual even though I had a much reduced activity level.
In fact, my weight was creeping up a bit and I had to start being more careful about my choices. That totally surprised me and taught me a good lesson!
July 26th - AWARD DAY! I weighed in at 121.4, completing my 7th week of maintenance. I got 2 charms...one for attending 16 meetings and one for reaching Lifetime Membership. The only thing that changes now is that all my meetings and Weight Watchers eTools are FREE = ))
My plan is to continue to attend weekly meetings and also do a weekly weigh-in. I am only required to weigh in monthly but I want and need the accountability that comes with weekly weigh-ins.
I find that I'm not having to change how and what I've been eating during maintenance phase compared to weight-loss phase. I haven't had to employ the "eat nuts if my weight is too low"...it all just evens out somehow.
I'm eating just a few more points each day...not the 6 extra that WW recommends. But it just feels good to be in a "zone"...my weight is stable, my hunger is stable, my energy is stable...not alot of work to keep things on an even level.
I feel fairly confident in maintaining through the rest of the summer and fall. I'm already mentally preparing myself for what I feel will be my biggest challenge, my biggest struggle...the months of December, January and February! But I'm uber-committed... determined...fixing in my mind what is necessary as far as foods and amounts and exercise.
Another interesting thing I learned in this past week is the difference a little extra meat protein makes in my weight and body fat. While Petey was home we had fish several days in a row. As I looked back over my nightly weight chart, I noticed my lowest weights and lowest body fat percentage numbers on those days. I also remember those days as when I felt most "satisfied"...as in not always thinking when and what I would be eating next.
So now that Petey is gone again, I'm still keeping up the fish-every-other-day thing. I made the happy discovery that this seasoned fish I buy from Costco can be cooked from frozen in the microwave and tastes just as good as if it was baked in the oven! And only 3-4 points per serving...and very satiating!
Running continues to go well and slowly improve. Just this morning it dawned on me that it's been awhile since I even thought about the "thigh rubbing, shorts creeping up" thing. That was the final short-term goal I had!!
And now on a totally different subject...missing Jake = ( I'm thankful every day for the 14 years I had with my Jakey and SO thankful that I have Lilli...named after Jake...looks alot like Jake...has a number of the same mannerisms as Jake!
Even though watching her reminds me of Jake many times a day and that's sad, it's also a happy memory of why I loved him so much and how happy I am to have some of "him" live on in his namesake...Lilli is from Lil Jake...that's what we called her as a kitten...LJ for short... until Petey came up with Lilli and it fit her so well = )
July 5th - I weighed at home before the meeting and was 120.6 so decided to drink as much as I could on the way to the meeting. They hadn't given me any problem about being below 122 lbs (bottom of my goal weight range) last week but I thought they might say something this week. I weighed in at 123.4...that's ALOT of water = )
July 12th - I had to fast for the oral surgery I was having that afternoon so I weighed 121.2 for the meeting. They didn't say anything so I was happy.
July 19th - this completes my 6th week of maintaining...weighed 121.4...also filled up my first 16 week weight record. Something interesting to report to you...I had the 2 top back molars pulled/cut out last Thursday. I knew I would be eating soft foods for the next 2-3 days but I was totally caught off guard by how SORE my face was! Not just the holes in my mouth... my cheekbones, my jaw...YIKES!
The roots of one of the teeth went into my sinus so that tooth was cut off at the gumline, then each of the 3 roots were pulled individually. The dentist was concerned about bruising/cracking a bone by pulling the tooth out complete. Then he had to seal up the hole going into my sinus.
I don't know if this made my face more sore than I expected...I'd had all 4 of my wisdom teeth cut out at once and I didn't have nearly as much soreness, discomfort, pain as I did this time. I kept thinking maybe being 23 years older might have had something to do with it = )
Anyhow, I ended up eating soft foods for a week...and here's the interesting bit...soft foods don't fill me up near as well as hard foods! At the beginning I thought I might lose several pounds but that was not the case. I was more hungry than usual even though I had a much reduced activity level.
In fact, my weight was creeping up a bit and I had to start being more careful about my choices. That totally surprised me and taught me a good lesson!
July 26th - AWARD DAY! I weighed in at 121.4, completing my 7th week of maintenance. I got 2 charms...one for attending 16 meetings and one for reaching Lifetime Membership. The only thing that changes now is that all my meetings and Weight Watchers eTools are FREE = ))
My plan is to continue to attend weekly meetings and also do a weekly weigh-in. I am only required to weigh in monthly but I want and need the accountability that comes with weekly weigh-ins.
I find that I'm not having to change how and what I've been eating during maintenance phase compared to weight-loss phase. I haven't had to employ the "eat nuts if my weight is too low"...it all just evens out somehow.
I'm eating just a few more points each day...not the 6 extra that WW recommends. But it just feels good to be in a "zone"...my weight is stable, my hunger is stable, my energy is stable...not alot of work to keep things on an even level.
I feel fairly confident in maintaining through the rest of the summer and fall. I'm already mentally preparing myself for what I feel will be my biggest challenge, my biggest struggle...the months of December, January and February! But I'm uber-committed... determined...fixing in my mind what is necessary as far as foods and amounts and exercise.
Another interesting thing I learned in this past week is the difference a little extra meat protein makes in my weight and body fat. While Petey was home we had fish several days in a row. As I looked back over my nightly weight chart, I noticed my lowest weights and lowest body fat percentage numbers on those days. I also remember those days as when I felt most "satisfied"...as in not always thinking when and what I would be eating next.
So now that Petey is gone again, I'm still keeping up the fish-every-other-day thing. I made the happy discovery that this seasoned fish I buy from Costco can be cooked from frozen in the microwave and tastes just as good as if it was baked in the oven! And only 3-4 points per serving...and very satiating!
Running continues to go well and slowly improve. Just this morning it dawned on me that it's been awhile since I even thought about the "thigh rubbing, shorts creeping up" thing. That was the final short-term goal I had!!
And now on a totally different subject...missing Jake = ( I'm thankful every day for the 14 years I had with my Jakey and SO thankful that I have Lilli...named after Jake...looks alot like Jake...has a number of the same mannerisms as Jake!
Even though watching her reminds me of Jake many times a day and that's sad, it's also a happy memory of why I loved him so much and how happy I am to have some of "him" live on in his namesake...Lilli is from Lil Jake...that's what we called her as a kitten...LJ for short... until Petey came up with Lilli and it fit her so well = )
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