Where am I? Volume 10 (Alternate title: Look at the bright shiny badges!)

It’s time to ask the question I ask every Tuesday … Where am I in my weight loss health and fitness journey?

Except I didn’t ask that question for the past two weeks. I was MIA for a little while. You can see my last couple posts for an explanation of that mess. The important thing is that I’m back now.

Anyway, where am I? I am at goal and maintaining! Woo hoo! I made goal a few weeks ago, and I’ve been able to successfully maintain the weight loss, staying within my goal weight range. So, a badge is in order.



And actually, come to think of it, even though I’m maintaining I technically get another badge or three, because my weight has crept down a little within my goal range and within the past week my exercise has been on track. Let’s look at the numbers:

Weight loss since fall 2007 (most recent leg of weight loss journey): 20.8 lbs (152.4 vs. 131.6). Hooray, a 20 pound badge!

Total weight lost (entire weight loss journey): 35.4 lbs (167 vs. 131.6). Woo hoo, a 35 pound badge!

Exercise: While I was MIA my exercise fell off some … I wasn’t feeling up to working out as much, unfortunately. I did get at least one run in per week (although one week it was just 1 mile – not an official C25k workout) and one weight training session in per week. But I definitely didn’t do as much as I would have liked.

Last week, my goal was 3x cardio via couch to 5k workouts and 2x strength training. And I did it!

I’m on the last week of the couch to 5k program. Wow. Yesterday I ran 30 minutes. THIRTY MINUTES! I never thought I could do that. In that 30 minutes I went approximately 2.8 miles (I'd definitely be over 3.1 if I included my 5 minutes of warm-up walk and 5 minutes of cool-down walk, but I'm not counting that). Tomorrow I’m going to measure my run by distance, and I'll run a little further - at least 3.0 miles. And then my real-deal 5k is Saturday! After that I’ll be an official couch to 5k graduate. Woo hoo!

So my exercise goal for this week is my 3x/week couch to 5k runs, including running my 5k on Saturday. I also want to do 2x strength, but I’m going to say only upper body for my 2nd workout, since I don’t want to mess with my ability to run my 5k.

Wish me luck on the 5k! I wish all of you luck on your weight loss and fitness journeys, too.

Body fat & other test results - woo hoo!

Yesterday I went to the gym and got a follow-up fitness test. I was originally tested back in October, right before I started working out with the personal trainer once a week. The plan was to re-test in January. The assumption was that I’d be at my goal weight in January – let me just say HA! to that. But anyway, now I am at goal so it was time for the re-test.

I am pretty darned happy with the results of the test. Check it out:


Some observations:

• Based on my body age, my husband is officially robbing the cradle. OK, maybe not, 15 years isn’t THAT much, but still. I’m a young’un.


• My husband was concerned that my blood pressure was too low, but I looked it up and I’m fine.


• I’m disappointed that my biceps don’t seem that much stronger. I can only lift 3 more pounds? Come on, really? That just seems downright WRONG to me. And how annoying is it that bicep strength is the only strength measure? Hello … I have a LOT of other muscles. But nevertheless, that’s the measure. I think I’ll be exercising my biceps a little more in preparation for my next fitness assessment. Full body workout, schmull body workout, I always say. (Kidding, I’m kidding.)


• My body fat is nice and low but not too low … either the low end of normal or in the athlete range depending on what chart you look at. I do wonder if it's accurate, though. Not to geek out on you or anything, but I really wish she'd repeat the test over a few days so we can assess test-retest reliability here. I'm half tempted to see how much it would cost to get a DEXA test done.


• My weight ALWAYS measures higher at the gym than at home. I figure that’s not a concern since when I weigh myself at home it’s the morning (vs. the evening at the gym) and I’m near-nekkid (vs. wearing workout clothes and running shoes at the gym).


• I wasn’t focusing on flexibility, but somehow I got more flexible anyway.


• In my real age, I got a year older. Dammit.


• All in all, those are big changes!

Yay!

In other news, my weight is 0.2 lbs above my goal (looking at the past 7-day average). I think this is completely annoying and I’ve decided the answer is to change my goal to “below 134” because I’m perfectly comfortable with how I look at the moment, I'm making healthy eating choices, this is normal fluctuation, and, quite frankly, to think I’m over goal right now is nuts. SO THERE. I thumb my nose at you, you stupid scale.

Couch to 5k Week 7 Day 1: It didn't kill me

So much for going into the nearest office this morning – yesterday afternoon I got caught up in an urgent project at work, and I it ended up that I needed to be online bright and early this morning. That meant driving in to the office wasn’t an option. Maybe I’ll head out later this afternoon … I’ll call Mr. Computer Man and see if he thinks we can knock this “getting the laptop set up” thing quickly.

Anyway, first thing this afternoon I finally took advantage of the working from home situation when it comes to doing the couch to 5k workouts. I snuck out of here around 12:30 and went and did my week 7 day 1 run. With some working-late days last week, working over the weekend, and working late yesterday, I can’t say I feel bad for skipping out of work for 40ish minutes. And actually, at that time of day I can just claim it’s a lunch break anyway, right?

The run went OK – this was my second 25 minute run. It wasn’t easy, but I didn’t keel over so that’s a bonus. I think (don’t quote me on this) I have two more 25 minute runs before my time increases again. I’m glad, because I feel a little like my body needs more practice at the 25 minute level. Three more minutes … well, MAYBE I could have done it, but it wouldn’t have been pretty.

I accomplished something else this morning, too. My entry form and fee is in the mail to the 5k organizers. It’s official – 5k day is April 19th. It’s been official in my head all along, but I hadn’t managed to pay the money and make it official to the people organizing the race yet. Now that is done, too (well, it’ll be done once the postal service does its part).

Now that I’ve knocked out some decently long runs, I’m excited about the actual 5k. April 19th – that’s less than a month away! I can’t say I feel ready yet, but I feel like I’ll be ready by then. Or ready enough, anyway.

Quick subject change: I said I wasn’t going to focus on weight while I take off these last couple pounds, because the last pounds come off slowly and I was beginning to make myself crazy. And I’m NOT obsessively focused on them, although I am watching what’s happening on the scale. Do you see those scale numbers over there on the right? How exciting is that? I’m not at goal yet (remember, I need to average 133 or below for a week before I consider myself at goal), but I’m darned close.

Yay!

Where Am I? (Volume 8) … Answer: RUNNING!

Life has been kicking me around a little this past week. I’m overdue on the blogging and out of touch on the reading. Rather than having a fun-filled weekend, I ended up working all day on Saturday. Instead of socializing on Sunday, I did long-overdue yard-work (which is fun in a way, but I'm beginning to miss human beings). To top it off, neither my husband nor I are sleeping well … he has the “can’t get to sleep” insomnia and I have the “stressed out about work and waking up extra-early” insomnia. It’s a barrel of fun around here, I tell you what.

In the midst of all of this, exercise and eating are going pretty well. Let’s discuss the gory details, shall we? Because it is Tuesday … time for the “where am I in my weight loss exercise and wellness journey” stats check.

Exercise: My goal was 3x cardio via couch to 5k workouts and 2x strength training. I did my couch to 5k runs, but (once again) I only got one strength training workout in. I probably worked my muscles some by doing the yard work (it involved hauling heavy stuff around), but in my opinion that doesn’t count as OFFICIAL strength training. So, technically, I did not meet my exercise goal.

HOWEVER …

I’m THRILLED to say that I successfully ran 25 minutes this past Saturday! Woo hoo! Twenty five minutes! That’s a lot of running. I ran slow but steady and I got it done. It wasn’t even that bad. I think the run before it was harder (two 10 minute runs separated by a 3 minute walk), which makes no sense at all. Thinking about what made that run hard and the Saturday run easier, I bet some of it was the time of day. I ran the two 10-minute runs at the end of a very long, hard work day. On the other hand, I did my Saturday run in the morning, post coffee but pre- everything else. Plus, it was a beautiful day, and I was able to enjoy my own music for the first time, and … it was a good morning.

I am NOT a morning person, but maybe I could become a morning person when it comes to running. Hmmmm. I’ll have to consider it. I can always try it, and if it doesn’t work out go back to afternoons. Besides, if I keep waking up well before my alarm, I might as well get something done, right?

Today I run 25 minutes again, then I do it again on Thursday (come to think of it, Thursday would be a perfect day to try a morning run, since I’m busy that night), and then on Saturday I go up to 28 minutes! Wow.

I read an interesting post by MomOf3 - she’s also doing the couch to 5k program. She mentioned that sometimes when she runs for periods of time that she’s never run before, she has the urge to just STOP. She isn’t in pain, she isn’t incapable … but something inside her tells her to stop. I SO can relate to this. I’ve experienced that many times during this couch to 5k program, and it’s very odd. What is it that makes us feel that stopping is the answer, even when the messages from our body tell us that we really can keep going? I have no idea. But the good news for me is that during my 20 minute run, I didn’t hear that "time to stop" voice. I had no strange urge to stop running … and I tell you, those last five minutes were uncomfortable. But I REALLY wanted it, and I did it.

Again, another example of how mental this running thing is. Who knew?

Anyway, the running is going well, and every time I put those running shoes on I’m able to do more than I ever thought I could do. That feeling is GREATNESS.

Now, on to weight loss (which, if you recall, is not my primary focus these days, but I still have my eye on losing a couple more pounds) …

Weight loss since last Tuesday: 1.4 lbs (135.4 vs. 134.0). I’m glad to see I took off that 0.2 lbs I gained last week, plus more. More than I expected at this point in my journey, actually. I guess there’s something to be said for working your tail off all the time … if you’re heads down at work, you’re not out making bad eating choices. (Honestly, I’d still choose less work, though.)

Weight loss since fall 2007 (most recent leg of weight loss journey): 18.4 lbs (152.4 vs. 134.0).

Total weight lost (entire weight loss journey): 33 lbs (167 vs. 134.0).

All in all I had a good week when it comes to eating and exercise. No badges earned … but I earned the “I ran 25 miles!” badge that exists in my head, and that’s good enough for me!

Where am I? (Volume 2)

It's Tuesday! Know what that means? It means that twenty-four states are holding caucuses or primary elections. But that's not what this post is about ... Tuesday also means I do a "where am I in my weight loss journey" stats check for the Healthy You Challenge.

Weight loss since last Tuesday: 0.4 lbs
After this past weekend, I'm shocked to see any kind of loss. Since I expected a gain, this wee little loss is a happy surprise. Hey, I'll take it! All the little losses add up over time, right?

Weight loss since fall 2007 (most recent leg of weight loss journey): 13 lbs
I gave myself a 10 lb badge last week, so 2 more lbs until my 15 lb badge.

Total weight lost (entire weight loss journey): 27.6 lbs
I gave myself a 25 lb badge last week, so 2.4 more lbs until my 30 lb badge.

Slowly but surely I'm taking this weight off. I have 2.4 lbs until a couple big milestones ... I'm not going to try to take that much off in one week, but I'm going to set a mini-goal to lose 2.4 lbs by the Tuesday after next. Losing 1.2 lbs/week seems completely possible, but it also seems like I'm going to have to focus.

As far as other goals go, I'm doing a little better when it comes to exercise. I'm not awarding myself an exercise badge, though. This past week I didn't meet my minimum 3x/week cardio 2x/week strength training goal. But yesterday was the start of a new week, and I have confidence that I'll acheive that goal this week. Now that I'm doing the couch to 5k program, I'm a lot more motivated.

It's not too late to join me and Ashley and jb in the couch to 5k program. We're doing this together so that we can support and inspire each other. I'm only at the end of week 1, personally, and I think Ashley and jb are about where I am. I expect before too long we're going to end up on different weeks since it is a self-paced program, so if you start out now you're still very much running with the pack, so to speak.

Having a structured, specific goal of "I want to run a 5k by following this program" is definitely helping me focus, and it's given me a sense of purpose that I didn't have before in regards to exercise. In all honesty, I'm a little intimidated by the idea of running 5k. I don't see myself as a runner. But I've looked around and I see how many other people have done this program and met their goals, so I know I can do this. To everyone who did this before me, thanks for setting an example and giving me hope.

Anyway, last night I did week 1 day 2 of the program. But wait, there's more! Afterwards, I did an hour of strength and cardio intervals since Monday is the night I work out with a trainer along with my husband and a friend. That's 90 minutes of exercise, my friends! Yay!

I'm a little stiff today. Gee, I wonder why?

Where am I? (Volume 1)

Now that I'm in the Healthy You Challenge, every Tuesday I'll be posting a "where am I in my weight loss journey" stats check.

Last week I posed the question "Should I report my pounds lost based on the heaviest weight I've ever been, or should I report it based on my recent weight loss, since this past fall?" Lots of folks said I should go with my heaviest weight ever. Even with all the encouragement to do it that way, I am waffling. (Mmmmm waffles...) The loss since this past fall is much more salient and meaningful to me. On the other hand, I do want to acknowledge that I've lost more than that in total, based on my heaviest weight.

So what's the verdict?

I'm doing it both ways! It's my blog, and if I want to track my weight loss two different ways and reward myself two different sets of badges, I'll do it. So there. I might just crown myself Miss America of This Blog next week. Because I can.

Wow. I'm a little drunk with power, eh?

Anyway, moving on, here are the stats! Drum roll please ...

Weight loss since last Tuesday: 1.4 lbs
Hey, that's better than I expected. Granted, last Monday and Tuesday I was all bloated and water-retainy from my trip out of town, but I'll take it. This makes me feel like the past week wasn't so bad after all.

Weight loss since fall 2007 (most recent leg of weight loss journey): 12.8 lbs
Which means I get a 10 lb badge!


Total weight lost (entire weight loss journey): 27.4 lbs
Which means I get a 25 lb badge!



One would think that with a 10 lb badge and a 25 lb badge I could call this 35 lbs lost, but it doesn't work that way. Ahh well. Actually ... maybe I should count every pound lost, whether I re-gained it or not. Hmmm ... With all my yo-yoing through the years, this could be interesting.

• 1998 - lost approx. 20 lbs. This is my best guess, since I didn't weigh myself when I started losing weight.
• 2003 - I'd gained that 20 or so back, but then I lost it plus more - a total of 35 lbs lost.
• 2006 - I'd gained that 35 lbs back, but then lost it again. So that's 35 more lbs lost.
• 2008 - This is where I am now ... 12.8 lbs lost since last fall.

That's a grand total of 102.8 pounds! Jiminy Christmas!

I've never done that math before. Wow. I have GOT to stop this weight gain/loss/gain/loss cycle. Seriously. That's just crazy. I'm not awarding myself a badge for that foolishness.

Alright, guys. This is a good illustration of why I started this blog. I think being accountable to this community will help me, especially once I get to maintenance. I can do the losing weight thing on my own, but I clearly haven't been able to keep it off on my own. This time, I want this weight gone, and I want it gone for good.

I'm sure you all feel the same way. We can help each other along the way. Together we can do this. If we keep working on our own weight loss and maintenance, while at the same time supporting each other along the way, I am confident we can take our extra pounds off and keep them off.

I'm done with the yo-yo life. This time the weight will be gone for good.

Today's daily weigh-in. What? Daily?

Well, my daily weigh-in shows a downward movement. I'm sure some of that is water weight, but hopefully some of it is also a real change. I finally got my eating back on track yesterday - hooray! I didn't exercise, but the plan for today is eating well AND exercise. My body might explode from shock.

I know Weight Watchers recommends weekly weigh-ins, but I weigh-in daily. Years ago when I was working on losing 35 lbs, the weekly weigh-ins worked well for me. But at that point, I was all about LOSING. I didn't dedicate much brain-power to thoughts of maintaining. Now I've got my eye on maintaining, and from what I've read a big key to maintaining is daily weigh-ins. So even though I'm trying to lose weight now, I'm weighing in daily to prepare for maintaining the weight loss. I want to be in the daily weigh-in habit.

I'm not pulling this daily weigh-in idea out of my (larger than ideal) ass. Here are some articles on research which support the daily weigh-in game plan:

• Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology
• Annals of Behavioral Medicine (heh heh heh, I said annals)
• International Journal of Behavior, Nutrition and Physical Activity

I'm not saying everyone should jump on the scale daily. I'm not one of those preachy types who assumes what is good for me is good for the world. I am, however, a research-geek. It's true - I believe in well designed research, and the research suggests this is a good plan for most folks. Now, it isn't a good plan for people with eating disorders. And if you really honestly can't handle the daily weight fluctuations up and down, it probably isn't a good plan for you.

You may be able to learn to deal with the daily weight fluctuations, though. I had a little bit of a problem with the daily weight fluctuations at first, back in October when I started losing again. What helped me work through it was some positive self-talk and watching the trend. Even though my weight went up and down through a two week period, it always trended downwards, and I always saw a drop from the beginning to end of the period. Well, that's what I saw if I was following the Weight Watchers plan.

I also began to learn what behavior affected my daily weigh-in results ... after a long hard exercise session I might see an initial spike in weight the next day but then a nice big drop a day or two later. If I eat sushi or Chinese food or any other high-sodium treat I'll gain some water weight. If I travel by plane my weight goes up a bit (even if I eat well), but then it goes back down after a day or two (and what is up with that? Do you see that, too? Does anyone know what causes that? It is a mystery to me ... but that's the pattern I've seen). Learning those types of patterns and telling myself that if I'm working the Weight Watchers program the program works (it's true!) helped me get comfortable with the daily weigh-ins.

Anyway, if you're eating disorder-free, here's my suggestion. If you weigh-in weekly, you might consider weighing in daily. It may not work for you, but it might be worth at try. It appears to help folks maintain, and if it helps folks maintain, that's a good pattern to learn, right? Because I can tell you, losing the weight is great, but gaining it back sucks. Isn't losing it and keeping it off what it's really all about?

That's my plan this time around. Losing the weight and keeping it off.

The first blog post

Well, well, well. Lookie here. Another fitness blog! Started just after the new year! What a novel idea; what an earth-shattering new approach. Happy 2008, it's fitness blog time!

Yeah, yeah, I know. It isn't an original plan, that whole "I'm going to start a blog to help motivate me in my fitness goals" thang. But for me this one is different. How? This one is mine. I've read other folks' blogs through the years, and now I'm starting my own. Why? Because I'm ready for a change.

Ha. Ready for a change - that sounds so dramatic. For me, the change would be to simply be consistent. The reality is that I've been physically healthy on and off my entire life. I'm not overweight at this point, although I'm close to the top of my healthy weight range, and I was overweight a couple months ago. Since the beginning of October I've lost a total of 8 or 9 lbs. Now, had Christmas and New Years not come along, I could have said I've lost 12 or so lbs, but ... yeah. Christmas and New Year celebrations did happen. Like almost everyone else in the world, I'm getting back into my wellness routine now that January 2nd is here. I want to continue the weight loss I started in the fall, I want to set and reach some fitness goals, and I want to live a healthy lifestyle. I hope this blog will help me connect with other folks who are trying to live a healthy life, too.

So ... here we go! What do you need to know about me? Let's start with the stats. I'm female, I'm 5'6" tall, and as of this morning I weigh 144.8 lbs. I'll fit back in my clothes again once I'm back around 135 lbs (although the exact poundage will depend on muscle mass, I imagine). Right now I have a closet full of cute clothes that make me look like a stuffed sausage. I'm ready to be back in those clothes, and I'm ready to feel good about myself again.

Heck, I'm ready to feel good in general. I started to feel the positive emotional and physical effects of eating well and working out in early December, but now I'm feeling sluggish and turtle-like again. Yuck.

I think that's enough of an intro. My first goal? To post here every so often. I'll write more as the days pass and I set goals, work out, and my weight changes.

Welcome! And please bear with me. I'm new at this.