Category Archives: Weight

Tuesday Weigh In

Oops, I disappeared there for a bit.  Didn’t realize it had been 2 weeks, or that I didn’t post my last weigh in.  I only weighed last week, instead of also taping, because I had an early morning Dr. appt and some other running around.

Beginning weight:  266
Prior week: 247.5
Last week: 247 (-.6)
This week: 245.2 (-1.8)
Total loss to date: -20.8

No measurements this week. I did tape myself but I need to figure out what I’m doing and draw myself a diagram or something. I honestly can’t remember from week to week if I’m measuring in the same spot. I know, but it is what it is. LOL

I continue to be happy with my nice, slow and steady wins the race, losses each week and thrilled with how I’m eating. It’s been a learning experience but it’s definitely easy. I do come up with some walls when we go out, but I remind myself this is a lifestyle change, and I deserve to have a little naughty in my life in all aspects 😉

Over the past two weeks I’ve been trying on those “maybe this will fit me again one day” clothes from years back. Some of them do fit me again, but I don’t like them, so my donation box is expanding along with the number of empty hangers. This weekend, I spent tons of time on Pinterest looking at clothes. I’ve posted tons of things on my My Style board and tomorrow I’m going to start looking for some wardrobe basics to go with what I’ve kept. First time in a long time I’m sort of excited to be shopping for clothes, so I’ve set aside a small budget to start building. It’s weird-looking for casual clothes and not professional ones, so I keep in mind that I can switch a dressy skirt for some jeans to keep an outfit I like more casual.  I have a weekend trip in a few months that I’m keeping in mind while I shop, as well.

On a downer, I’ve had to give up Zumba for a while. I’m hoping it’s my shoes, but it’s been killing my knees, so much that I can’t take my daily walk the next day and not be hobbling the rest of the day. So for now, I’m back to walking and I’ve set myself a goal to walk (or hike) every day this week. Yesterday I increased my distance and was able to keep it the same time as the shorter distance.

I’ve installed an app on my phone to help me track, and will be changing distances on Tuesday. I haven’t decided on how often to increase the distance.

Last week 2.08 mi
This week 2.46 mi

Tuesday weigh in

Beginning weight:  266
Last week: 249.2
This week: 247.6 (-1.6)
Total loss to date: -18.4

Beginning measurements: (C 45.5 – W 47.8 – H 54.8)
Last week / This week:
Chest  43.8  /  43.4  (-.4 / -2.1)
Waist  43.5  /  43.1  (-.4  / -4.7)
Hips  54.4  /  52.9  (-1.5 / -1.9)

Tuesday weigh in

Beginning weight:  266
Last week: 251.8
This week: 249.2 (-2.6)
Total loss to date: -16.8

Beginning measurements: (C 45.5 – W 47.8 – H 54.8)
Last week / This week:
Chest 44.8  /  43.8  (-1 / -1.7)
Waist 44.9   /  43.5  (-1.4  / -4.3)
Hips 53.6  /  54.4  (+.8 / -.4)

Weighing In

Beginning weight:  266
Last week: 253.4
This week: 251.8 (-1.6)
Total loss to date: -14.2

Beginning measurements: (C 45.5 – W 47.8 – H 54.8)
Last week / This week:
Chest 44.1  /  44.8  (+.7 / -.7)
Waist 45  /  44.9 (-.1 / -2.9)  (Beginning from 2 weeks ago since I measured wrong last week)
Hips 54.4  /  53.6  (-8 / -1.2)

Beginning Fat%/BMI: 47.2% / 40.6

Last week / This week:
Fat 47.2%  /  47.5%    (+.3  / +.3)
BMI 40.6 / 40.6 (0 / 0)

I cut out fruit for dinner this past week, and now am having it at most 2x a day.  I also switched back to unsweetened almond milk (Mister likes the original version, which is sweetened some).  Zumba only once, but hiking twice.  One more week of 3 “cardio” days and I’ll start adding in 2 days of body weight exercises.

Weighing In

This week was a bit of an experiment.  The results were not totally surprising, but a couple of things did come as a surprise.

Beginning weight:  266
Last week: 253.6
This week: 253.4 (-.2)
Total loss to date: -12.6

Beginning measurements: (C 45.5 – W 47.8 – H 54.8)
Last week / This week:
Chest 45  /  44.1  (-.9 / -1.4)
Waist 45  /   47.8  ( I changed the location of where I’m measuring)
Hips 54.4  /  54.4  (-0 / -.4)

Beginning Fat%/BMI: 47.2% / 40.6

Last week / This week:
Fat 46.8%  /  47.2%  (+.4  / -0)
BMI 40.6 / 40.6 (0 / 0)

I ate away from the house 3 times this week.  I shrugged my shoulders at all of those places and ate things that I knew were completely off my healthy diet.  When I have been home I haven’t eaten like I was, probably not enough.  I learned that if I get in a rut, I get lazy and don’t eat properly at home.  I have also not been drinking enough water.  I have not felt well this week.  My ankles have been swollen at the end of each day (I haven’t had this problem in weeks).  I haven’t been sleeping well (again, haven’t had this problem in weeks).

With the exception of my weight loss (and my waist measurement) I am not surprised by the numbers above.  It’s proof to me that I need to be doing what I was doing, and stick to it, at home and away.

I did have 3 physical days this past week.

This week, it’s back to clean eating, drinking my water, and continuing with the 3 physical days.

Weigh In

Beginning weight:  266
Last week: 252.6
This week: 253.6 (+1)
Total loss to date: -12.4

Beginning measurements: (C 45.5 – W 47.8 – H 54.8)
Last week / This week:
Chest 44.7 / 45  (+.3 / -.5)
Waist 46.4 / 45  (-1.4 / – 2.8)
Hips 54.2  / 54.4  (+.2 / -.4)

Beginning Fat%/BMI: 47.2% / 40.6

Last week / This week:
Fat 47.4% / 46.8%  (-.6 / -.4)
BMI 40.6 / 40.6 (0 / 0)

Wow, the numbers are all over the place this week and I don’t know what to think about it.  I’m up in weight but lost body fat and inches in my waist.  Huh.  The only thing I can think offhand that I’ve done different this week is less fruit, and 1 more day of physical exercise.  Not worried, just confused.  Onward march.

Another day of physical exercise to be added this coming week.  So that will be 2 days of Zumba and 1 day of hiking.  I’ll lead the hike this week and if I feel comfortable I’m going to start hiking this route by myself while Mister runs the same route.  I have visions of him zooming by me and yelling “to the left” as he streaks by (movie reference!) 😀

Weighing In

Beginning weight:  266
Last week: 255.8
This week: 252.6 (-3.2)
Total loss to date: -13.4

Beginning measurements: (C 45.5 – W 47.8 – H 54.8)
Last week / This week:
Chest 45.2 / 44.7  (-.5 / -.8)
Waist 47.2 / 46.4  (-.8 / – 1.4)
Hips 54.6 / 54.2  (-.4 / -.6)

Beginning Fat%/BMI: 47.2% / 40.6

Last week / This week:
Fat 47.2% / 47.4% (+.2 / +.2)
BMI 40.6 / 40.6 (0 / 0)

The only thing I have to say about this week is that the first 4 days of the week I felt like I was hungry all the time.  I made a point of trying to increase my water by tracking it.  I also added in a physical activity day this week.

Next week’s goals are to continue to track my water, and add an additional physical activity day.

Numbers don’t lie

This is going to be another painful, for me, post. My last weapon came in Wednesday and I purposefully put it aside and didn’t touch it until yesterday. I’ve had some “that’s life” things going on this week and I didn’t want it to influence the decisions I was making. I know that events are going to come up where I make not-so-healthy food choices (like that PBJ I had). I can’t believe how angry I was with myself over that, but I’m glad. I now have things on my grocery list that will help me make batter decisions in the future. Now, here’s my new weapon:

2014-08-05 06.55.44

I have a first generation Tanita scale that is over 6 years old. Actually it about 12, but it belonged to Mister first, and it was 6 years ago that I used it last.  I know this because it’s set for when I was 49.  The directions are long gone, and I’ve thought about replacing it many times (Mister has a newer, high-tech version), but it still weighs fine, so I decided to get a hand-held weapon that will calculate my fat percentage and BMI.  Ouch.  In the past I probably would have wept.  Now I’m just mad that I let myself get to this.

So. This week’s numbers:

Beginning weight:  266
Last week: 257
This week: 255.8 (-1.2)
Total loss to date: -10.2

Beginning measurements: (C 45.5 – W 47.8 – H 54.8)
Last week / This week:
Chest 45.5 / 45.2 (-.3 / -.3)
Waist 47.8 / 47.2 (-.6 / -.6)
Hips 54.8 / 54.6 (-.2 / -.2)

Beginning fat%/BMI: 47.2% / 40.6

Was I disappointed to see a 1.2 pound loss instead of something in the 2’s like it’s been? Yes, but then no. I’ve lost 10.2 pounds in 4 weeks! It’s been so easy! Frightfully so. This past week I ate bread. I drank a beer. I went out to lunch. I had an ice cream. I had movie theater popcorn (without the extra “butter”) and I shared a diet soda with Mister while we enjoyed a movie. These are the “that’s life” things that I mentioned in the first paragraph that I know are going to happen. That I want to keep happening. This time, though, I refuse to wait until tomorrow to get back with the program.

The movie was yesterday afternoon. I had an excellent breakfast and lunch, enjoyed that popcorn and diet soda (well, not so much the soda), then had an excellent dinner. No, I’m not going to make an excuse. I’m not going to “blame” the lack of a “2” on water retention from the popcorn last night. I’m going to “blame” anything at all.

This morning when I went downstairs for my coffee I found this on the counter.

2014-08-05 07.08.52

Mister told me he pulled them out to read the contents/nutrition info to decide whether to keep them or throw them out 😀

Oh, and there’s one more weapon I completely forgot about. The camera. I’m not going to shy away from that anymore either. I’ve lost too many wonderful memories because of it.

Yep, this is going to leave a mark.

It’s numbers check in day for me, and I have a new weapon.

I know now is not that time, but since I’ve been there, done that so many times, I know there will come a point when the scale will stop moving and I will get discouraged, and that discouragement over the scale will cause me to fail.

Keeping that in mind I’ve decided to add 2 more indicators to my visual arsenal.  The first, obviously, is my scale.  Here’s what it had to say this morning: 257

Last week: 259.4
This week’s loss: -2.4
Total loss to date: -9

Yeah. You see those numbers. I’m baring my soul and putting it all out there. It’s hard, and it’s scary, but it is what it is and no matter if I put it here or not, it’s still there.

So.

My second weapon is a digital tape measure. This one:

20140729_063034

It is taking a bit of playing to get used to the buttons, because it will save your measurements (the saving is the part I’m having trouble with). It’s stupid easy to use just to measure, though, if you want to paper track. It has 8 default measuring areas but I only plan to track my chest, waist, and hips. These 3 will be perfect indicators for progress and figuring out what size clothing I need to be wearing.  It will also measure bicep, thigh, calf, shoulder, and neck.

Here’s what it had to say this morning:

Chest 45.5
Waist 47.8
Hips 54.8

Yeah. Ouch. But, I’m really excited for next Tuesday to get here so I can see what it says.

The third weapon in my arsenal isn’t here yet, drat, so you’re going to have to wait. 😀

 

Cha, cha, cha, changes!

or, Change No. 1

First, there was me, and since there’s so much of me, this is going to be a huge post.  No pictures, tho.

Four months ago at my semi-annual checkup I had a discussion with my doctor about how my blood sugar levels were continually creeping higher and higher by tiny, tiny increments.  I told her that I didn’t want them to get to the point where I was desperate, but looking back today, I think I was already there.

(Let me take a minute and say that I have really liked my doctor because she never rushes me out, always takes care of something that’s come up between the time I’ve scheduled my appointment, and my actual appointment, and she always thoroughly discusses the many options she gives me to take care of whatever reason I’m there.  I just found out yesterday that she’s leaving and I’m crushed.)

So one of the things we discussed was my taking, for 3 months, 1 daily dose of the oral anti-diabetic drug Metformin.  I. HATED. IT.  It really threw my body for a loop.  I had super low-blood sugar days where I constantly felt like my head was a balloon.  I had a few days where I almost fell over in a faint.  I had days where I had no energy no matter what I did.  I had nose-bleeds that scared Mister.  I hated that I was taking a pill.  I stopped taking it a month ago and I cannot believe the difference in how I feel now that I’m not taking it anymore.

Also during that time I read and read and read and read books about diabetes.  I spent so much time online researching tons of things (many so conflicting!), that I didn’t feel like being on the computer to do anything else – which is another reason my blog has suffered.

It was depressing!  I wasn’t stitching, I wasn’t quilting, and I wasn’t reading – except about diabetes.

Then something happened.  Someone I know mentioned doing Whole30.  Since I’d never heard of it before, and as I’m prone to do, I switched my reading to that.  I read a new word, but it got filed away in my head. After reading all about it, I decided it wasn’t for me because I wouldn’t be “allowed” to eat so many things that I felt were good for me.

Then something else happened.  Someone else I know has a mother, who was close to my age, change her lifestyle and she went Paleo.  There was that word!  So I jumped online and started reading some more, and I bought a book that explained why eating Paleo is good for you, instead of just being told to do it and look good in a bathing suit (which, at my age, I don’t care about anymore).

Here’s how I basically define Paleo = grain-free, dairy-free, legume-free, modern vegetable oil-free, refined sugar-free, and processed food-free.

Now, before anyone rolls their eyes, and leaves, let me say my blog is not turning into one of those paleo-fanatic, don’t talk about anything else, blogs.  I just need somewhere to write down how this is working for me.  Would it be great to get some support, sure, but that’s not why I’m sharing this.

Ok, now for the last thing that happened that pushed me over the edge to just go for it.  MISTER IS TRAINING FOR TRIATHLONS AGAIN.

Yep.  I’m back to cooking for an athlete again.  I know I should have started this for me, but if his training is the nudge I needed to do this, then I’ll take it.

I read about so many ways to get started.  From throw everything in your pantry away and go cold turkey to slowly transition into it.  I didn’t want to overwhelm me or my pocketbook so I decided to ease into it.

About 3 weeks ago I had some oral surgery. Since I knew 1/4 of my mouth would be full of stitches I decided that day was the day to start.  Nope, it wasn’t the 1st day of the month, and it wasn’t on a Monday.  Isn’t that always when we begin these things?  Since I had decided to do this one step at a time, I made the decision to cut out bread from my diet.

The first week, instead of eating bread 2x a day almost every day, I had bread once.  I also had some saltines at the beginning of the week because the pain meds I was taking from my surgery made me nauseous and that helped.

Does this mean I’ll never eat bread again?  Nope.  I love me a Diamondbacks Hot Dog.  I love a good hamburger out with friends.  Pasta. Enchiladas. I love “bread.” What this means is that I am going to do my utmost to not eat bread except for special occasions.  We grilled burgers the other night and I made mine the exact same way I always have, except I ate it with a fork and knife because it wasn’t between two halves of a bun.  I now buy bread that I don’t care for, but Mister likes, and I keep things like burger buns in the freezer and thaw 1 or 2 out for Mister. We had dinner out with friends a few days ago and they served biscuits. I had half of one. It wasn’t good enough for me to finish the other half.

Bread is not the only change I’ve made.  As things run out I have either stopped buying them completely, or I’ve changed over to a “whole food” or “organic” variety.  I just now realized I haven’t had a potato chip in all this time, and I love potato chips.  I know there are some in the cabinet (lunch size bags), but I have no craving for them.  I’ve switched from half-and-half in my coffee to unsweetened almond milk.  I honestly cannot taste the difference.  Which brings me to my next thought.

I try to never say “never.”  LOL  I’m not going to say I’ll never give up dairy.  I love milk, and cheese, but I have eaten less of it over the past couple of weeks, without trying.  I’m not going to say I’ll never give up grains.  Right now I’m making refrigerator oatmeal a couple of times a week.  I guess what I’m trying to say here is that I’m not going to be anal about it. I’m just going to go with this and see where it takes me.  I will say there are some things in my pantry that have never been there before (ghee, coconut oil, chia seeds) and I’m eating things like spinach and kale for breakfast.  The only hard part so far is not being lazy with the cooking because we’re in the 115 degree days here in Arizona, but I’m trying to make things that will last 3 meals or so, like Crock Pot Pulled Pork.

Even as things slowly change I know there are certain things I need to seriously consider giving up.  Right now I’m contemplating artificial sweetener.   This one will seriously impact my life.  I love Starbucks’ Skinny Vanilla Lattes.  Starbucks does not serve almond milk (and I’ve tried soy with a yuck outcome) and their skinny sweeteners are made with artificial sweetener.  So for now when I get a Starbucks it’s just their shaken black tea, no classic 😉  I do have some of the Torani Sugar-Free French Vanilla that I use at home.  I used to be a 3-pump girl, now I’m a 2-pump girl.  I have one more bottle in my pantry, and I’ll switch to 1-pump when I open that one, and then none.  That seems so impossible to me now.

Next will come the physical part.  Stitching, quilting, reading, they’re all so sedentary and I have no intention of giving up any of them.  I have a membership at our local YMCA and next Tuesday after I have my follow-up dental appointment – and hopefully all the stitches are removed – I’m headed over there to talk to a personal trainer.

So how is all of this going to impact my blog.  I’ll be posting numbers and recipes, and the occasional photo.  Sort of like this 😀

Crock Pot Pulled Pork

3-4 lb pork shoulder
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp sea or kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper – freshly cracked pepper has the most flavor
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp honey or agave
1/2 tsp liquid smoke

Massage the salt into both sides of the roast. Mix the other spices together and rub into both sides of your roast. Place in the slowcooker. Mix your liquid smoke, agave/honey and water together and pour over the roast. Cover. Set the cooker to low, and allow to cook 8-10 hours.

NOTE: If you’re using smoked salt you may not need the liquid smoke.  This is a repeat recipe for me and I use the leftovers to make several other meals like tacos, and asian lettuce wraps 😀

7/8/14 0/0
7/15/14 -4/-4
7/22/14 -2.6/-6.6

If anyone asks me a question, I’ll gladly answer it, but you aren’t going to find a ton of “this is what I ate today” posts here, or tons of “food” photos. Who wants to see a bunch of photos of sliced organic tomatoes, steamed veggies, salad, meat, day in and day out. Unless it’s a recipe, you won’t be hearing about what I’m eating, except when I maybe share something I’m changing or giving up.

I promise my next post will be more “fun.” I’ve updated my quilt page at the top, and written down all of my WIPs. I’ll be talking about a few of them.

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