Just want to get today's loss on the record. I weigh in tomorrow at the gym. Their scale is higher than mine at home, so I hope, hope, hope I am below 220 on that scale tomorrow, too (not that it matters, because it's all relative--but I just want it. :-))
I talked to Dustin about feeling like my loss is just way too slow for the way I'm eating and the amount of work (/exercise) I'm doing. He thinks I'm not eating often enough during the day. So I'm working on having a little protein and some kind of veggie every three hours at a minimum.
I bought yet ANOTHER step counter yesterday at WalMart. Didn't realize it wasn't wireless--no wonder it was only $25. But that's ok--I just want something that will accurately count my steps; don't NEED it to be wireless.
Found another inspirational person online yesterday: "Healthy Habit Lady". Her signature line is "Make Champion Choices". Think I'm gonna adopt that. In fact, I made a sign with the saying on it to put on the fridge yesterday. Says it all, doesn't it?
Monday, February 23, 2015
Thursday, February 12, 2015
Day 74 - 21 Pounds Down! (219)
Whoo hoo--I've managed to stay under 220 for several days now, so I guess it's official!
Every time I do a post with the number of days and the amount I've lost, it renews my hope. I don't realize until I do that I'm losing a pound about every 3.5 days--which is exactly the speed at which "they" say we should lose to make our weight loss sustainable--about 2 lbs/week.
Latest assignment from my trainer: Aim to get at least 8 hours of sleep 90% of the time.
I've already made these past assignments habitual, about 90% of the time:
If I can just keep doing what I'm doing, good things can happen this year.
I'm starting to even get excited about the possibilities of doing new and different things--like maybe biking to work in the future, or even running a 5K someday, instead of walking. (I did mention doing the Couch-to-5K program to Dustin at our last session. He said I'm better off to try to increase the speed at which I can walk distances rather than trying to run, especially at this point in the process. Running really doesn't do more for a person's health than brisk walking--especially when they have knee issues. That was good to hear, as I've never really enjoyed running.)
I bought my 3rd FitBit this month, the "Zip". I don't really like it; I have to tap it several times to see my step count, and it hasn't been very reliable/accurate. On Tuesday I had an hour-long training session at the gym, including lots of walking; then I went to the grocery store for a "big shop"; then I picked my husband up at the airport and even walked up and down the waiting area many times to kill some time until his plane got in. But when I got home and checked my steps, it said EIGHT!! GAAAAAH! Dumb thing. I wish my original FitBit Ultra hadn't stopped working. :-(
Just wanted to update this so I could see/record my progress. So far, so good!
Oh, and I've decided on a reward for myself to work toward. Once I lose 75 lbs (and notice I didn't say IF), I think I'll get myself the newest iPhone. It's about time.
Every time I do a post with the number of days and the amount I've lost, it renews my hope. I don't realize until I do that I'm losing a pound about every 3.5 days--which is exactly the speed at which "they" say we should lose to make our weight loss sustainable--about 2 lbs/week.
Latest assignment from my trainer: Aim to get at least 8 hours of sleep 90% of the time.
I've already made these past assignments habitual, about 90% of the time:
- No diet Coke (or other foods/drinks containing fake sweeteners)
- Drink water, water, water (but not after 7pm, so my sleep isn't disrupted)
- Take high dose of high-quality fish oil & a multivitamin daily
- At each meal, eat 1 palm-sized portion of protein & 2 fistfuls of veggies
- Try to increase weekly the number of steps I walk every day, aiming to hit 10K
- DON'T QUIT!
If I can just keep doing what I'm doing, good things can happen this year.
I'm starting to even get excited about the possibilities of doing new and different things--like maybe biking to work in the future, or even running a 5K someday, instead of walking. (I did mention doing the Couch-to-5K program to Dustin at our last session. He said I'm better off to try to increase the speed at which I can walk distances rather than trying to run, especially at this point in the process. Running really doesn't do more for a person's health than brisk walking--especially when they have knee issues. That was good to hear, as I've never really enjoyed running.)
I bought my 3rd FitBit this month, the "Zip". I don't really like it; I have to tap it several times to see my step count, and it hasn't been very reliable/accurate. On Tuesday I had an hour-long training session at the gym, including lots of walking; then I went to the grocery store for a "big shop"; then I picked my husband up at the airport and even walked up and down the waiting area many times to kill some time until his plane got in. But when I got home and checked my steps, it said EIGHT!! GAAAAAH! Dumb thing. I wish my original FitBit Ultra hadn't stopped working. :-(
Just wanted to update this so I could see/record my progress. So far, so good!
Oh, and I've decided on a reward for myself to work toward. Once I lose 75 lbs (and notice I didn't say IF), I think I'll get myself the newest iPhone. It's about time.
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Day 31 - 12 Pounds Down! (228)
Wow, I'm so glad I didn't wait until the new year to start again. I've already lost 12 pounds!! And it hasn't even been that painful.
Latest advice from Dustin is to add 1 palm-sized serving of protein to EVERY meal, in addition to the 2 "fistfuls" of green veggies. I plan to eat this stuff FIRST; then if I still feel like other stuff, I'm free to have more. I suspect the protein and veggies will take away my appetite for anything else ... clever, huh? ;-)
I had to cancel my first training session of this week due to a work crisis. But I got my 2nd one in yesterday, and I have another on Friday.
Happy New Year!! Let's make it a GREAT one!
Latest advice from Dustin is to add 1 palm-sized serving of protein to EVERY meal, in addition to the 2 "fistfuls" of green veggies. I plan to eat this stuff FIRST; then if I still feel like other stuff, I'm free to have more. I suspect the protein and veggies will take away my appetite for anything else ... clever, huh? ;-)
I had to cancel my first training session of this week due to a work crisis. But I got my 2nd one in yesterday, and I have another on Friday.
Happy New Year!! Let's make it a GREAT one!
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
Day 24 (229)
Wow, I had planned on updating this blog much more frequently! I guess life has been getting in the way.
But I've been plugging away. Even went on vacation to NYC for 5 days and STILL managed to lose 2 lbs that week.
I'm so glad I kept track of when I started (again). It always feels like I've been "trying" forEVER, but as of today I'm down 11 lbs in just 24 days. That's not bad!
Still going to the gym at least twice a week. Dustin's told me a few more stories. This week's was about a guy who felt really rich and happy because he owned lots and lots of land. One day a visitor came and asked if he had any diamonds. He said no. The visitor said "well, then, you're not very wealthy."
The landowner decided to sell his land and travel around the world, searching for diamonds. He searched for years to no avail, and died a poor man.
Meanwhile, the same visitor one day decided to visit the person who had bought the land years ago from the original owner. When the visitor walked into the home, first thing he saw was a giant rock sitting on the shelf. "Wow!" he said. "Where did you get such a HUGE diamond?!!"
The man who now owned the land said "You mean this here rock? I got it down in the creek over the hill where my son plays. There are lots of em down there."
If only the first man had realized that he really WAS rich, and not gone off searching for something else because of something someone said.
The moral of the story: We ALL have diamonds inside of us. We just have to find/see them. And we can't let others discourage us from that. So keep on working, because your diamond is right inside, and it WILL show eventually.
There were a couple more stories that I didn't write down, and I must REALLY be getting old because I remembered them yesterday but darned if anything comes to mind right now. :-(
But I've been plugging away. Even went on vacation to NYC for 5 days and STILL managed to lose 2 lbs that week.
I'm so glad I kept track of when I started (again). It always feels like I've been "trying" forEVER, but as of today I'm down 11 lbs in just 24 days. That's not bad!
Still going to the gym at least twice a week. Dustin's told me a few more stories. This week's was about a guy who felt really rich and happy because he owned lots and lots of land. One day a visitor came and asked if he had any diamonds. He said no. The visitor said "well, then, you're not very wealthy."
The landowner decided to sell his land and travel around the world, searching for diamonds. He searched for years to no avail, and died a poor man.
Meanwhile, the same visitor one day decided to visit the person who had bought the land years ago from the original owner. When the visitor walked into the home, first thing he saw was a giant rock sitting on the shelf. "Wow!" he said. "Where did you get such a HUGE diamond?!!"
The man who now owned the land said "You mean this here rock? I got it down in the creek over the hill where my son plays. There are lots of em down there."
If only the first man had realized that he really WAS rich, and not gone off searching for something else because of something someone said.
The moral of the story: We ALL have diamonds inside of us. We just have to find/see them. And we can't let others discourage us from that. So keep on working, because your diamond is right inside, and it WILL show eventually.
There were a couple more stories that I didn't write down, and I must REALLY be getting old because I remembered them yesterday but darned if anything comes to mind right now. :-(
Saturday, December 6, 2014
Day 6 - Three Feet From Gold
I had THREE sessions with my trainer this past week. I feel better already--no kidding! I was able to walk up and down our basement stairs today without holding the railing at all, which is new since I've become pretty dependent on the railing since having my knees replaced over 2 years ago. Not sure if I just felt inspired to TRY today because I feel stronger in my mind, or if I really am--but who cares, right? It's an exciting non-scale victory!
Speaking of scales, I can't wait to weigh in at the gym on Monday. I think I'm gonna have a pretty good loss. Last time I weighed there, I was 238.8!
Today was a good day food-wise. I had a turkey and cranberry sauce sandwich for lunch (just coffee with coconut oil for breakfast--my own version of "bulletproof"); and I made a beautiful NutriBlast for dinner: spinach, pineapple spears, cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices, apple & pear slices, a little plain yogurt, lots of pumpkin seeds, cinnamon, and apple juice. Delicious.
I also got on my recumbent bike, put some good bouncy music in my headphones (think "All About That Bass" and "All Jacked Up"), and did 15 minutes. I started on Level 6 resistance and had it cranked up to Level 12 for the whole last song--yee haw! That hurt so good. :-)
The title of this post refers to the story Dustin told me at our last session on Friday. It's about a guy who went digging for gold, found some, but got discouraged and gave up when the vein he'd been working on trailed off then disappeared completely after a couple of days. Turns out that if he'd just kept digging for 3 more feet, he'd have struck a huge deposit that would have made him rich.
There's a really inspiring book named Three Feet From Gold; I've read it. It was interesting to hear the story in the context of making myself stronger AND losing this extra weight. Another great lesson. Thanks, Dustin. :-)
Speaking of scales, I can't wait to weigh in at the gym on Monday. I think I'm gonna have a pretty good loss. Last time I weighed there, I was 238.8!
Today was a good day food-wise. I had a turkey and cranberry sauce sandwich for lunch (just coffee with coconut oil for breakfast--my own version of "bulletproof"); and I made a beautiful NutriBlast for dinner: spinach, pineapple spears, cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices, apple & pear slices, a little plain yogurt, lots of pumpkin seeds, cinnamon, and apple juice. Delicious.
I also got on my recumbent bike, put some good bouncy music in my headphones (think "All About That Bass" and "All Jacked Up"), and did 15 minutes. I started on Level 6 resistance and had it cranked up to Level 12 for the whole last song--yee haw! That hurt so good. :-)
The title of this post refers to the story Dustin told me at our last session on Friday. It's about a guy who went digging for gold, found some, but got discouraged and gave up when the vein he'd been working on trailed off then disappeared completely after a couple of days. Turns out that if he'd just kept digging for 3 more feet, he'd have struck a huge deposit that would have made him rich.
There's a really inspiring book named Three Feet From Gold; I've read it. It was interesting to hear the story in the context of making myself stronger AND losing this extra weight. Another great lesson. Thanks, Dustin. :-)
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Day 3
Today I had a beautiful NutriBlast for breakfast. It consisted of:
For lunch/dinner I had a mug of homemade beef stew with vegetables.
For this evening I made some waldorf salad (apples, raisins, walnuts, mayo).
I got my fish oil in and have been doing well with my water.
No exercise yet today, but I will get on the recumbent bike or the treadmill before the day is over. I'm sore ALL over from my workouts on Monday (upper body) and Tuesday (lower body) with Dustin.
- spinach
- cherry tomatoes
- pineapple spears
- apple slices
- pumpkin seeds
- cinnamon
- turmeric
- spirulina
- apple juice
For lunch/dinner I had a mug of homemade beef stew with vegetables.
For this evening I made some waldorf salad (apples, raisins, walnuts, mayo).
I got my fish oil in and have been doing well with my water.
No exercise yet today, but I will get on the recumbent bike or the treadmill before the day is over. I'm sore ALL over from my workouts on Monday (upper body) and Tuesday (lower body) with Dustin.
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Day 2 (of December 2014) - I'm Back in the Saddle ...
Wow--I haven't posted to this blog since before my Carribbean cruise this Spring.
The cruise was excellent. My behavior since then has NOT been. My weight climbed over 240 lbs once again.
But I'm back in the saddle. I purchased 24 hours of personal training at the gym next to my office, AND the gym credited me with 3 of the 5 hours I had left from my last purchase, which "expired". (I had bought them in 2011, so I can't blame them for saying they were expired, I suppose.) So I have 27 hours, which I'll most likely split up into 54 half-hour sessions. At 2-3x/week, that'll have me at the gym regularly--and focused, and working hard--for somewhere between 4 and 6 months!!! I can definitely make some real progress in that timeframe.
I'm excited to be back on the straight(er) and narrow(er). My trainer, Dustin, seems awesome so far. He's very young, very fit, and very encouraging.
After each session so far, he's sat down and told me a little story, to give me some food for thought once I leave the gym and go out to face all the temptations in the world. I wanted to get these down so I have a place to come if I forget them--or if I waver in my resolve, which I've always done in past attempts to change my lifestyle.
First was a story about a guy whose dream it had always been to walk a tightrope over the Grand Canyon. Long story short, he finally got the chance--and when he did it, he also pushed a wheelbarrow full of bricks across the wire!
As he neared the other side of the canyon, people were so sure he wasn't going to make it that they were covering their children's eyes, so the kids wouldn't see him fall.
But as he got closer to the end, he suddenly shoved the wheelbarrow full of bricks the last few feet and then did a flip and a somersault off the wire to finish!
A reporter was waiting to interview this gentleman after his feat. After they'd chatted awhile, the high-wire artist asked the reporter, "Do you believe I can make it back to the other side?" The reported responded, "Sure, I just saw you do it--I think you can do it again."
The artist asked "You think I can--but do you BELIEVE I can do it?" Again the reporter replied, "Yes, I do."
"Good", said the artist. "Then climb into my wheelbarrow."
And THAT is the difference between thinking you can do something and BELIEVING you can. :-) Good one, huh?
The neat thing about that story is that I had just last week purchased a bracelet I thought might be helpful when I look down at it. It's inscribed "she believed she could, so she did".
Today's story explained the saying emblazoned across the back of Dustin's t-shirt--"Into the Roar". Here's a link to a blog post about it: Blog Post - Run Into the Roar. It has to do with how lions hunt gazelle in the jungle. Give it a read; it's just a paragraph. :-)
The basic idea is that when you fear something, the best thing to do is run directly toward it. If you fear you can't lift that heavy weight, or do those 10 more reps, or run that extra half mile--GO FOR IT! You might just surprise yourself--and think how GOOD it will feel when you accomplish it!
Dustin is also giving me one "assignment" to focus on every week or so--he doesn't want me trying to "fix my eating" yet. So far he's had me:
One more thing before I finish this post: I want to record how I've done food-wise since the start of December (ie, yesterday), when I decided to at least stop eating as foolishly as I have been.
Today I had:
I felt good about today--although I don't think I can buy that popcorn again. I thought I could eat just 1 serving, but ... I was wrong. (The bag was 5 ounces/5 servings.)
Yesterday I had 2 Ensure High-Protein shakes and a big green salad with roasted chicken and oil & vinegar dressing, from Chicken Charlie's (no bread). YUM!!
OK--now I'm caught up. I'll try to update regularly from now on.
The cruise was excellent. My behavior since then has NOT been. My weight climbed over 240 lbs once again.
But I'm back in the saddle. I purchased 24 hours of personal training at the gym next to my office, AND the gym credited me with 3 of the 5 hours I had left from my last purchase, which "expired". (I had bought them in 2011, so I can't blame them for saying they were expired, I suppose.) So I have 27 hours, which I'll most likely split up into 54 half-hour sessions. At 2-3x/week, that'll have me at the gym regularly--and focused, and working hard--for somewhere between 4 and 6 months!!! I can definitely make some real progress in that timeframe.
I'm excited to be back on the straight(er) and narrow(er). My trainer, Dustin, seems awesome so far. He's very young, very fit, and very encouraging.
After each session so far, he's sat down and told me a little story, to give me some food for thought once I leave the gym and go out to face all the temptations in the world. I wanted to get these down so I have a place to come if I forget them--or if I waver in my resolve, which I've always done in past attempts to change my lifestyle.
First was a story about a guy whose dream it had always been to walk a tightrope over the Grand Canyon. Long story short, he finally got the chance--and when he did it, he also pushed a wheelbarrow full of bricks across the wire!
As he neared the other side of the canyon, people were so sure he wasn't going to make it that they were covering their children's eyes, so the kids wouldn't see him fall.
But as he got closer to the end, he suddenly shoved the wheelbarrow full of bricks the last few feet and then did a flip and a somersault off the wire to finish!
A reporter was waiting to interview this gentleman after his feat. After they'd chatted awhile, the high-wire artist asked the reporter, "Do you believe I can make it back to the other side?" The reported responded, "Sure, I just saw you do it--I think you can do it again."
The artist asked "You think I can--but do you BELIEVE I can do it?" Again the reporter replied, "Yes, I do."
"Good", said the artist. "Then climb into my wheelbarrow."
And THAT is the difference between thinking you can do something and BELIEVING you can. :-) Good one, huh?
The neat thing about that story is that I had just last week purchased a bracelet I thought might be helpful when I look down at it. It's inscribed "she believed she could, so she did".
Today's story explained the saying emblazoned across the back of Dustin's t-shirt--"Into the Roar". Here's a link to a blog post about it: Blog Post - Run Into the Roar. It has to do with how lions hunt gazelle in the jungle. Give it a read; it's just a paragraph. :-)
The basic idea is that when you fear something, the best thing to do is run directly toward it. If you fear you can't lift that heavy weight, or do those 10 more reps, or run that extra half mile--GO FOR IT! You might just surprise yourself--and think how GOOD it will feel when you accomplish it!
Dustin is also giving me one "assignment" to focus on every week or so--he doesn't want me trying to "fix my eating" yet. So far he's had me:
- Stop drinking everything except for water - ESPECIALLY diet soda! The water is easy; not drinking diet soda is hard (but gets easier the longer I've been off it).
- Start taking a megadose of fish oil daily. He said we'll back off on this after a couple of weeks.
- Increase the number of minutes it takes me to eat each meal. Putting the utensil down after every bite and chewing thoroughly helps with this.
One more thing before I finish this post: I want to record how I've done food-wise since the start of December (ie, yesterday), when I decided to at least stop eating as foolishly as I have been.
Today I had:
- Cup of coffee with coconut oil, a dash of half & half, and 1 tsp sugar
- 2-egg omelette loaded with mushrooms, spinach, and 1/2 slice of (processed) cheese
- Small banana
- Small bag of kettlecorn with sea salt/dark chocolate drizzle (700 calories--WHOOPS!)
- One cup of "veggie goulash" (squash/peppers/onions/mushrooms/hamburg/tomato sauce)
I felt good about today--although I don't think I can buy that popcorn again. I thought I could eat just 1 serving, but ... I was wrong. (The bag was 5 ounces/5 servings.)
Yesterday I had 2 Ensure High-Protein shakes and a big green salad with roasted chicken and oil & vinegar dressing, from Chicken Charlie's (no bread). YUM!!
OK--now I'm caught up. I'll try to update regularly from now on.
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