Fitness Friday

You know how some weeks you feel like you work and work and WORK to see the scale budge and get frustrated because it doesn't?  

That has happened to me a lot.

Thankfully this wasn't one of those weeks.

If I'm being completely honest, I fully deserved to gain this week.  My eating was in the toilet thanks to Easter and a lack of self-control.  I avoided the scale most of the week...afraid of what I was going to see.  AND...I even skipped a few runs this week just to give my hip a full rest before tomorrow.

I thought today would be U-L-G-Y.  

So you can imagine my surprise when I stepped on the scale this morning and saw this:

(For those keeping tabs on me...that is a 2.4 loss for the week!)

Now to stay focused this next week and keep moving forward, right?  Tomorrow will help.  I've got this scheduled, remember?

And of course, I checked the weather for the event...and I'm not all that thrilled.  Rain.  Wind.  Cold.  Blech.  But I will forget all that and run through the tulip fields...all 13.1 miles.

In other news, I started a new form of tracking.  Honestly, the calorie counting wasn't doing it for me anymore.  I needed a switch.  So I downloaded iTrackBites.  

It is basically Weight Watchers...only without the weekly fees.  Now.  I'm torn about this.  Because I feel the weekly fees hold me accountable.  Like if I know I have to pay to attend the meeting, it makes me a bit more conscious about what I eat.  So I wasn't sure if I would like this or not.  Today is only the second day tracking points bites and so far, I'm loving it!  

I got to thinking, the last time I started Weight Watchers it was 3 years ago (after I had Bubba).  Actually, it was 3 years ago May the 6th.  And my weight was very similar to what it is now (you can see under the My Stats at the top of my page).  So here's the plan:  duplicate what I did before and FINALLY make this happen.  

How did your week go?  Did you track your progress with us on the Fitness Friday document?  (If you aren't tracking, start today...I post the link each Friday so we can help each other achieve our goals!)  

Stay focused this next week, let's make the end of April count!!!

Make everyday count

So things are moving...slowly but surely.

180.6 was my weight today.  That puts me down 1.7 pounds for the week.

Not as much as I'd hoped for, but I also haven't been doing EVERYTHING IN MY POWER this past week.

These next few weeks, things will be different.  I am heading out for a boating trip this week and then the next 2 weeks are going to be unusual.  I won't be home most of the time, that scares me.  I eat better when I have control of my surroundings.

By the time I get back to my own home, June will be over.  I don't want to still be stuck in the 80's in July...I have a lot of work to do before I head back to school in the end of August.  To accomplish that, I have to make every day count.

So that's where I'm going to start...

Today is going to count!

11 more pounds until I rejoin the FaceBook world...

Check in

Today was my WW day.

Sadly, I have some pretty sick kids.  (Actually, I'm down to only 1 sick kid now...the other went back to school.  We've had the stomach bug floating around here.)  I think we are just about over the sickness, but the sick one still complains of a tummy ache, so I didn't wanna risk it!

Nonetheless, I still went to weigh in.  (Just missed the meeting part.)  I am all about accountability right now!

And despite giving in to an icecream milkshake last night...I was still down.  (BARELY.)  But I was down.

171.0

The good news?  Jason is home right now so I have major running plans set.

After all, I have a marathon to prepare for.  At one time I was going to run the Sand Hollow marathon, that is...until I found out it's an out and back race.

I can't do out and back races.

There is something about running and running and running a LONG ways, just to know I have to turn around and run all that way back.  ICK!  I'd much rather run and know I never have to look back again...

So, I found another race to focus on.  Only, this one isn't until July 24th.  It's the Deseret News Marathon, up in Salt Lake City.  (If my brain is accurate, it's actually the marathon my dad raced in many, many years ago!)

So I'm working on building my stamina for that race.  And trying to work out a routine that will allow me long runs with a hubby always gone.

So tonight...I run.

Day 1

It's easy to want to jump on here and blog when the scale is moving in a direction I like.

Real easy.

And consequently, it's extremely difficult and humbling to log on and be accountable when it's not.

Remember on Monday how I was going to throw away all the crap food in my house?  Remember on Monday how I said I had gained...but at least I wasn't up in the 170's again.

That would have been the case, if I knew what self-control was!

But I don't.

So today I stepped on the scale and I knew it was bad.  So bad that I was ready to not show up, I didn't want to show my face to such a number.  But I texted my mom that I was going, so I had to be accountable.  I had to face the music.

I'm not going to lie.  There were tears.  I tried to hide them, but I didn't do a very good job.  Sure, I guess you could say I was sad I gained.  But really, the tears were of anger.

Anger at myself!

I knew better.  I should have done better!

I let myself down.

I disappointed myself.

So enough with beating myself up...........

I stayed at the meeting and I am so glad I did!  I needed the energy to pick up the broken self I was.  We talked about looking at a time you've been successful and really focusing on what you were doing at that moment.

I've had several times.  Running my marathon.  Hitting my first 10% at WW, hitting my 2nd 10% at WW.  Hitting the smallest weight I've been in a decade.

So what was I doing then?  I was consistent.  Consistently counting and tracking points.  Consistently passing up food I know aren't good for me.  Consistently getting in physical exercise.

I'm doing none of that right now.

DUH!  No wonder I'm up so much.

So I thought hard about what I wanted to do this week....what I could commit to between today and next Thursday.

1.  Tracking.  I will count everything bite I eat for this next week.
2.  Exercise.  I will find 3 days where I can get at least 30 min of exercise in.
3.  Steps.  I want to increase my steps again to the 10,000 mark.  I used to wear my pedometer all the time. Now days, I don't even have a clue how many steps I'm taking in a day.  But, I'll let you know...I'm sticking it on RIGHT NOW.....hold on.  I'm grabbing it......Okay, it's officially on my hip.  I now have 4 steps for the day.

I can do anything for a week!  Then, I'll reevaluate.....

So here goes my week of work.  Today is Day 1, I'm going to take it a day at a time.  Today I am going to CHOOSE to do better.

Because it's a choice, ya know?  And I'm tired of the choices I've been choosing lately.....

Weekly Weigh In

Weight Watchers was great today!  Why, you might be asking??

1. My center is switching over to the monthly pass (that includes e-tools) which is AWESOME!
2. My hubby's work is now paying for me to go! 
3. I was down 2.0 pounds!

Yes, today was a great day at WW.  I am now down 35.2 pounds from when I started WW in May.  I'm down 54.8 from when I had Con Man.  AND....I'm down a WHOPPING 65.8 pounds from my biggest in 2010!  

I feel good.  Every pair of pants that I own are now officially too big.  (Too big, as in my butt is saggy...and I can slide them on and off with out undoing buttons.  AND...most of them just slide off by body with every step I take.)   

Yes.  I think it's time to go shopping for new clothes.  

But I'm afraid!

I'm afraid because I have too many memories of going pant shopping and leaving frustrated, or in tears.  I have always HATED trying to find pants that fit!  Even now, after all the weight I have lost, I'm still worried.  I get self conscious.  I don't want the "muffin top" but I don't want the "saggy butt" look either.  I have never found a great pair of pants that fit me just right.  And it gives me anxiety to think I might have to go searching for some.  

(Anxiety for 3 reasons...1.  what I said above.  2.  $$$  3. I am style STUPID!)  

I've addressed my worry and anxiety about clothes fitting right....

As for the $$$...

Who knew losing all this weight would be so expensive for a whole new wardrobe!  I guess I have postponed the inevitable long enough, I know I'm going to have to bite the bullet.  I am just finding it hard to justify buying myself clothes when there are so many other needs in our household.  After I had kids, my wardrobe shopping became nonexistent because I have never looked at it as a need.  I've always just made do with what I had.  I'm having a hard time doing that now that I can't keep any of my clothes up.  Maybe I'll invest in lots of belts and just synch my pants up...

That brings me to #3.  Fashion sense.

Yes, I am style stupid!  I see so many women wearing the cutest clothes.  It was something I dreamed one day I could do...you know, one day when I lost a bunch of weight.  Well, now I have lost a bunch of weight, but I haven't gained fashion sense!  My hubby teases me about some of the clothes I have in my closet...asking what generation I was born in.  (He thinks some of my sweaters are a little grandma-ish.)  I would love to dress hip and stylish.  I just don't know how!  I don't even know where to begin.  I go to a store, with money in hand...determined to find a cute new outfit.  I leave with clothes for the kids because I couldn't find anything for me.  What's a girl to do?!  Seriously!

I am in desperate need of a wardrobe 101 makeover...I need to be taught.  Maybe I'll try again this weekend.  Or maybe, I'll just invest in those belts to synch up what I already have...

Do it anyway.

I didn't want to weigh in today.  But I did it anyway.

I wanted to wait until Saturday, give myself a few extra days to get a lower number.

But, I knew if I gave into my excuses...I'd do it every time.  I realized that maybe the number wouldn't be what I wanted today, but at least I was being consistent and holding myself accountable.

I was in fact down.  (Barely.)  But I worked hard to shed those 3+ pounds I gained in the beginning of the week.  Today I was at 171.4.

Still dancing around the 70's.

I'm sick of the 70's!

But I'm thankful I was down the 0.6 after the week I've had.

Truthfully, I'm thankful I'm down the 31 pounds I am after the summer I have had!  It's been hard.  Probably the hardest summer I've had.  It's been stressful, it's been emotional, it's been exhausting, it's been lonely.  All of those reasons in the past were reasons I would give up.  All of those reasons were reasons I would put off my weight loss.

But I'm done making excuses!  I'm done with not being the person I have the potential to be.  Life is too short to put anything off, even for a day.

Little late...

I realize I'm a bit late in posting this.  Mostly because my Thursday was consumed with cleaning and making this cake...

for my husbands welcome home visit.  (Remember, he's been gone for months!?)  (Good thing cake doesn't tempt me WHAT-SO-EVER!)

I did make it to weigh-in though.  I was at 172.0  Good, not great.  And this weekend went from good, not great....to bad, and even worse!  I haven't stepped on the scale, I'm afraid.  I will need to, tomorrow morning???

I'm SO close to seeing a new number.  After meeting Thursday I planned to reach that infamous 60's this week.  Now, I'd like to just not see a gain!

Thursday Thoughts

Today was my official weigh-in day.  I didn't hit the 172 like I hoped for.  But, I did hit 174.8!  That's a 2.6 LOSS for the week!

Here are my totals for the journey:
Since my highest:  58.2 pounds
Since giving birth to Con Man:  47.2 pounds
Since starting WW in May 2011:  27.6 pounds

That puts my average weekly weight loss since April 15, 2011 at 2.8 pounds.

Are you impressed?  I am.

Just call me the tortoise.  I'm slow and steady, but I AM going to win this race!

Weekly stuff

Today was weekly weigh in.  And I made it!  I was down!  Down another 2.4 to be exact!!  That takes my grand total on WW to 25 pounds!!

And, I got another award for hitting that mark!  Who knew!?  :)

Today feels good.  I'm going to keep my game up.

Quick side note.  I found a blog that features people sending in pictures with their "why" for losing weight.  I loved it!  Some of them were funny.  Others heart breaking.  It made me think about what my "why" is.  I mean obviously I want to get healthy for my kids.  And obviously there is a vain part of me that wants to look better.  But really, I want to know what the driving factor is this time.  I'm still pondering it, but when I figure it out, I'll let you know!

Little Things

While this might look like just another key chain to some...it's actually kind of a big deal to me!

Remember how I said I hit my 10%?  

This was my reward!!!

I weighed in today, and I not only hit the mark...but I also came home down from vacation on their scales!

My official weight today... 179.8!

I have left the 80's behind and don't have plans to go back!

So today, I'm celebrating!
I hit my 10% and got my award!
I lost 0.8 lbs while on vacation for 2 long weeks (eating out EVERY SINGLE MEAL!)
I am in the 70's for the first time in.....who knows how long!

Yes, I think I'll celebrate!
(But now how you think...the old me would celebrate with food, more specifically ICE CREAM.  The new me is ready to celebrate by fitting into my smaller sized jeans!!)

Feelin' Good

Yesterday I didn't get a chance to log on here because I was driving most of the day.

I weighed in early yesterday (Monday), my normal weigh in days are Thursdays...so it had only been 4 days since my last weigh in.  I didn't know what to expect.

BUT.....before we left, I ran and weighed in at WW.  It was GOOD!  :)  I more than hit my 10%!!  Although, I didn't collect my key chain because that will give me something to stay good for while I am on vacation for 2 weeks!  I'm down 53 pounds from when I began this crazy journey.  And what's better...I haven't seen this number on the scale in over 6+ years.  (Truthfully I can't remember exactly when it was...sometime after I was married to when I was pregnant with Mikayla.)

HOORAY for new milestones on the scale!