Support was the topic at this week's meeting and it comes it many forms. Support from your family to encourage you to make healthy decisions. Support from your friends to continue on the journey. Support can also come from your co-workers who can try to encourage you to put down the doughnut in the break room or decide to take a walk instead of sitting at your desk for lunch. Support can also come from the other people at the meeting who are there to encourage you to continue on even if you think that you've done the worst thing in the world and the scale agrees.
I know this to be true because last week I had a weight gain and while it wasn't horrible any weight gain is still depressing, no matter how much I say that I will stay positive. My work schedule has been fairly unpredictable because I knew I'd be in the office but for some reason it hadn't occurred to me that being in the office also adds four hours of time to may day in the commute.
So I missed (well not really miss but you know what I mean) working out on the days I was in the office. Then last Friday when I worked from home I decided that I had to get in a good workout so I got up and spent an hour on the treadmill. This was my first full hour walking and while I'd done the 60 minute Jazzercise class I wasn't really prepared for that length of time although I felt fabulous after I was done. Saturday I spent 35 minutes on the treadmill plus some time in the backyard playing with the dogs as well as picking up the backyard. Sunday was a long workout at 60 minutes on the treadmill. This was apparently enough to spark the scale to go down this week and I was really please to have lost 3.4 pounds this week.
So do you have people who are supporting you to eat healthy? To be more active? To make healthy choices?
PS - I also have to say that I found out today that my friend Misty and her husband Joe have lost a collective 17 pounds and I am so beyond proud of them and I wanted to give them a special shout out. Way to go you two!
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
13 minutes is the curse
I've been alternating the length of my workouts trying to get used to the longer times but no matter how much I prepare myself the same thing always happens. Around minute 13 I start to second guess how long I really want to go. Maybe just 30 minutes instead of 45 or 45 minutes instead of 60? Ultimately when I hit the 20 minute mark I've gotten into the groove and past the part where I've started sweating and feel a little looser so I might as well just rock it out. Today I was on the treadmill for 60 minutes but I stopped twice in the middle (at minutes 15 and 30) to stretch because my back was bothering me. My right hip also started to hurt towards the end the same way it hurt when I went to Jazzercise with Brenda. Even still I kept going. Mostly because the protein shake makes the sweat and any pain totally worth it!
To make this shake I used 1 banana, 1 handful of ice, 1 WW shake packet, and 1 c. skim milk.
I used my last packet of Caramel Latte shake mix this morning so I really hope that my WW meeting location will order some more because that is the goody goods.
What motivates you to persevere through long workouts? How do you prepare? How do you reward yourself?
 |
| WW Points value = 2 |
I used my last packet of Caramel Latte shake mix this morning so I really hope that my WW meeting location will order some more because that is the goody goods.
What motivates you to persevere through long workouts? How do you prepare? How do you reward yourself?
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
New job + new schedule = blech weigh in
I started my new job this week which means I've been commuting into the loop every day. I've been driving to Rosemont and hopping on the EL, one of my favorite modes of public transit. This means I've got a pretty long commute and since my day ends somewhere between 5 and 5:30 I don't usually get back home until 7 pm or later. So working out was not a high priority this week and that was pretty apparent when I got on the scale. It was either that or the fact that we partied like rock stars last week to celebrate St. Patrick's Day/my last day at Allstate. Either way, when the scale registered +1.4 pounds I wasn't surprised. Disappointed, yes, but surprised no.
My leader talked about this during the meeting and that when we gain it is an opportunity to learn what worked and what didn't work on our weight loss journey. Clearly, the combination of eating/drinking/not working out is not working. I know that for the next week or so the workouts will be fewer and farther between. So I'll be much more vigilant about eating well. I knew this transition period would be tough and I was kind of prepared for it. I know that it won't be the last time the scale goes up rather than down it's just encouragement for me to work harder to get it to go back down. This might not be as motivating as it should be but it's what I've got right now. :)
When the scale registers a gain, do you:
1) Get discouraged
2) Get re-energized to work harder
3) Give up
How about we all do #2 together? What do you say?
My leader talked about this during the meeting and that when we gain it is an opportunity to learn what worked and what didn't work on our weight loss journey. Clearly, the combination of eating/drinking/not working out is not working. I know that for the next week or so the workouts will be fewer and farther between. So I'll be much more vigilant about eating well. I knew this transition period would be tough and I was kind of prepared for it. I know that it won't be the last time the scale goes up rather than down it's just encouragement for me to work harder to get it to go back down. This might not be as motivating as it should be but it's what I've got right now. :)
When the scale registers a gain, do you:
1) Get discouraged
2) Get re-energized to work harder
3) Give up
How about we all do #2 together? What do you say?
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
It's experiment time again!
Remember a couple of months ago when I shared my story of four pairs of pants? Well, apparently it's time for me to do that again. I have accumulated a number of pairs of pants over the years and as I've gained and lost weight I've donated a few pairs when they no longer fit. However I retained a stack of pants that I assumed, incorrectly of course, were of smaller sizes that I hoped to one day fit in.
No such luck.
All of the pants are slightly to way too big, though I did find one pair that is the exact same size that I was wearing when I started on this life altering journey. I'm going to keep them so that at the very least I can, when I get to my goal and in the privacy of my own bathroom, have one of those "look how much weight I've lost when I drop these pants" type scenes. So stay tuned for more updates on that. :)
On another note... There is a lady at my weigh-in who started around the same time I did. She hit her goal today of 100 pounds!! I'm almost certain she doesn't read my blog but I'm still incredibly proud of her for that. She is someone I really look up to for support during meetings. As you may or may not know I am going to be starting a new job on Monday and the hours will not afford me the opportunity to go to my regular Tuesday meeting so I'm going to miss those ladies. While I may not be able to attend my regular meetings I'm going to try to go to meetings but for certain I'll still go weigh-in and of course, I'll still be providing my own brand of humor right here for your enjoyment.
No such luck.
All of the pants are slightly to way too big, though I did find one pair that is the exact same size that I was wearing when I started on this life altering journey. I'm going to keep them so that at the very least I can, when I get to my goal and in the privacy of my own bathroom, have one of those "look how much weight I've lost when I drop these pants" type scenes. So stay tuned for more updates on that. :)
On another note... There is a lady at my weigh-in who started around the same time I did. She hit her goal today of 100 pounds!! I'm almost certain she doesn't read my blog but I'm still incredibly proud of her for that. She is someone I really look up to for support during meetings. As you may or may not know I am going to be starting a new job on Monday and the hours will not afford me the opportunity to go to my regular Tuesday meeting so I'm going to miss those ladies. While I may not be able to attend my regular meetings I'm going to try to go to meetings but for certain I'll still go weigh-in and of course, I'll still be providing my own brand of humor right here for your enjoyment.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Living the Life
Eight months ago if you'd have heard the following conversation happen in my house you'd have thought my husband and I were both drunk. We weren't.
D: I'll take this and the last yogurt for lunch tomorrow.
ME: The LAST yogurt? Seriously? What happened? Did we go on a yogurt binge or did I just not buy very much yogurt this week?
D: Uh, both?
ME: Oh. Crap.
Eight months ago the conversation would have been about chips or cookies or something as equally bad/fattening/delicious. I'd made a comment similar to this at last week's WW meeting and I think I've mentioned it before that when you go to the fruit bowl/vegetable shelf/etc.. and it's empty (or nearly empty) and you're disappointed you know you're living the WW life. This is clearly a good thing as it's working well for us. Plus we feel better, at least I know I do.
Apparently I feel so good I let my sister would convince me to go to a Jazzercise class!! An unexpected trip to Oshkosh meant that I got to spend some time with my fabulous sister and brother-in-law. My brother and his family was sick so I avoided them, respectfully. Honestly, I kinda thought Jazzercise was a thing of the past. I also thought that I wouldn't be able to do it. I am delighted to tell you that I was absolutely wrong on both counts. The music they play is contemporary (though I'll never think of Katy Perry without wanting to get out an exercise band now!) and really keeps your energy level high. The instructor was fabulous because she would show both the high impact moves but also remind us there was a low impact option for those of us who weren't able to handle the higher level of intensity. I had a great time even though there were parts I couldn't keep up with. To add to the fun, a group of the ladies who were at the class go for coffee after class. That's what initially sucked me in but I'm really glad I went. Everyone congratulated me on making it through my first class and for how well I did. I think they were lying but it wasn't church so we're fine. :)
Apparently this, in addition to the walking/yoga/weights I did last week really helped out because this week when I got on the scale I knew I was down and I was excited. I lost another 2.4 pounds!! This is almost 80 pounds total. That's an Olsen twin for crying out loud!
PS - If you're looking for a new workout place - check out your local Jazzercise class. I don't think you'll be disappointed. Plus if you're near Oshkosh, WI - in March they are offering a free class on Saturdays. The class starts at 8:30 am but plan to arrive 15 minutes early because there is some paperwork that has to be filled out. Oh, and tell Sue I said hello!
Enjoy your week peeps!
D: I'll take this and the last yogurt for lunch tomorrow.
ME: The LAST yogurt? Seriously? What happened? Did we go on a yogurt binge or did I just not buy very much yogurt this week?
D: Uh, both?
ME: Oh. Crap.
Eight months ago the conversation would have been about chips or cookies or something as equally bad/fattening/delicious. I'd made a comment similar to this at last week's WW meeting and I think I've mentioned it before that when you go to the fruit bowl/vegetable shelf/etc.. and it's empty (or nearly empty) and you're disappointed you know you're living the WW life. This is clearly a good thing as it's working well for us. Plus we feel better, at least I know I do.
Apparently I feel so good I let my sister would convince me to go to a Jazzercise class!! An unexpected trip to Oshkosh meant that I got to spend some time with my fabulous sister and brother-in-law. My brother and his family was sick so I avoided them, respectfully. Honestly, I kinda thought Jazzercise was a thing of the past. I also thought that I wouldn't be able to do it. I am delighted to tell you that I was absolutely wrong on both counts. The music they play is contemporary (though I'll never think of Katy Perry without wanting to get out an exercise band now!) and really keeps your energy level high. The instructor was fabulous because she would show both the high impact moves but also remind us there was a low impact option for those of us who weren't able to handle the higher level of intensity. I had a great time even though there were parts I couldn't keep up with. To add to the fun, a group of the ladies who were at the class go for coffee after class. That's what initially sucked me in but I'm really glad I went. Everyone congratulated me on making it through my first class and for how well I did. I think they were lying but it wasn't church so we're fine. :)
Apparently this, in addition to the walking/yoga/weights I did last week really helped out because this week when I got on the scale I knew I was down and I was excited. I lost another 2.4 pounds!! This is almost 80 pounds total. That's an Olsen twin for crying out loud!
PS - If you're looking for a new workout place - check out your local Jazzercise class. I don't think you'll be disappointed. Plus if you're near Oshkosh, WI - in March they are offering a free class on Saturdays. The class starts at 8:30 am but plan to arrive 15 minutes early because there is some paperwork that has to be filled out. Oh, and tell Sue I said hello!
Enjoy your week peeps!
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
MAJOR MILESTONE! 75 POUNDS!!!
This weekend was a scrapbook retreat weekend and on Friday we ordered pizza (sausage, onion, peppers, mushrooms), bread sticks (plain baked dough, not even any garlic) and beer nuggets (essentially fried dough, no taste of beer). I ate like a pig and with all that dough I knew I was way over in my points allowance for the day. I did however make one fundamental change, I hit the treadmill in fitness center on Saturday and Sunday mornings. I didn't walk nearly as long as I had been last week but it was something.
Apparently that and the other training for the 5K have in fact paid off. I went to my meeting today and when I weighed in I honestly couldn't remember what I weighed last week. I knew what I weighed on my scale but that's usually different from the WW scale. My leader looked at me with a really excited face and I said, ok tell me because I don't remember what last week was. Karen said, no I want to show you. She held up my weight record and pointed out that I'd lost 4.8 pounds since last week and 75.4 pounds total.
Before the meeting the usual ladies and I were discussing a whole bunch of things, including Weight Watchers vs. other weight loss plans. Before we got married, charming husband and I both started on Seattle Sutton. This turned out to be great for us at the time because we were in the process of getting our condo ready to sell, moving and then renting an apartment for a few months until our house was built so the convenience of having your meals planned and prepared for you (short of microwaving them) was awesome. Though very expensive. A few months after the wedding we both stopped and I gained back all the weight I'd lost, and then some. The problem is that none of those other plans teach you how to really live while continuing to lose or maintaining.
Some new folks were at the meeting tonight so they seemed particularly interested in why we were WW members. Being able to learn how to cook for yourself so you are in control of your meal plan, being able to learn how to eat when you're not home are HUGE reasons to love WW. There is also the matter of the meetings. I have a lot of meetings nearly every day for work so I wasn't tremendously crazy about having one more meeting, but I was so wrong. The meetings are a great place to meet people who have a similar interest (trying to get healthy). Not to mention the things you can learn from the other members.
When I started WW I thought I wouldn't be able to have pasta again because it was too high in points. I was wrong and one of the other members told me where to find a low point kind of pasta. Then another member mentioned a tortilla that she found that was only 2 points (1 point for the small tortillas) and that was great. So there is a huge amount of information you can learn from the meetings from everyone who attends. The biggest reason I love the meeting is that there are people there who have lost a lot of weight.
At my meeting there is a woman who has lost (as of this week) 96 pounds!! I love being able to talk to her and hear what she does. I mean I know we all see the commercials of celebrities who have done every weight loss plan imaginable but being able to see the progress someone is making on a weekly basis and having the opportunity to ask questions and learn what has worked for them is a big advantage and I love it. It also keeps me motivated to lose more.
So, I say to all of you who are on this weight loss journey, whether you are doing WW or another plan, CONGRATULATIONS!! What you have done is amazing already. So what are you doing to celebrate?
Apparently that and the other training for the 5K have in fact paid off. I went to my meeting today and when I weighed in I honestly couldn't remember what I weighed last week. I knew what I weighed on my scale but that's usually different from the WW scale. My leader looked at me with a really excited face and I said, ok tell me because I don't remember what last week was. Karen said, no I want to show you. She held up my weight record and pointed out that I'd lost 4.8 pounds since last week and 75.4 pounds total.
Before the meeting the usual ladies and I were discussing a whole bunch of things, including Weight Watchers vs. other weight loss plans. Before we got married, charming husband and I both started on Seattle Sutton. This turned out to be great for us at the time because we were in the process of getting our condo ready to sell, moving and then renting an apartment for a few months until our house was built so the convenience of having your meals planned and prepared for you (short of microwaving them) was awesome. Though very expensive. A few months after the wedding we both stopped and I gained back all the weight I'd lost, and then some. The problem is that none of those other plans teach you how to really live while continuing to lose or maintaining.
Some new folks were at the meeting tonight so they seemed particularly interested in why we were WW members. Being able to learn how to cook for yourself so you are in control of your meal plan, being able to learn how to eat when you're not home are HUGE reasons to love WW. There is also the matter of the meetings. I have a lot of meetings nearly every day for work so I wasn't tremendously crazy about having one more meeting, but I was so wrong. The meetings are a great place to meet people who have a similar interest (trying to get healthy). Not to mention the things you can learn from the other members.
When I started WW I thought I wouldn't be able to have pasta again because it was too high in points. I was wrong and one of the other members told me where to find a low point kind of pasta. Then another member mentioned a tortilla that she found that was only 2 points (1 point for the small tortillas) and that was great. So there is a huge amount of information you can learn from the meetings from everyone who attends. The biggest reason I love the meeting is that there are people there who have lost a lot of weight.
At my meeting there is a woman who has lost (as of this week) 96 pounds!! I love being able to talk to her and hear what she does. I mean I know we all see the commercials of celebrities who have done every weight loss plan imaginable but being able to see the progress someone is making on a weekly basis and having the opportunity to ask questions and learn what has worked for them is a big advantage and I love it. It also keeps me motivated to lose more.
So, I say to all of you who are on this weight loss journey, whether you are doing WW or another plan, CONGRATULATIONS!! What you have done is amazing already. So what are you doing to celebrate?
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