5.8, 6, 21.8...week 12

Week 12 is all about numbers. This week Virginia had it's largest earthquake since 1867 and let me tell you, it was if all hell broke loose with everything shutting down for no reason. Of course, being from California, I chuckled and shook my head the entire time. That's where the 5.9 comes in as that was official reading of the earthquake on the Richter scale. For me, the best thing about an earthquake is seeing what parts of you jiggle while stationary! Let's just say I have a bit of work to do! Haha

The 6 represents the 6K I did yesterday with my neighbor. We ran around a small lake and it was great to be on different terrain and trails, all while sweating my bum off. It was beautiful out there and aside from a few fast walking paces about 5 times for the big hills, I didn't stop. This makes me feel great because afterwards, I wasn't panting heavily and I wan't nauseated in the slightest. I almost felt I could do another mile. For me, I like to run at interval speeds. Overall, I am still pretty slow by runner's standards and that's okay for now. If I do it enough, I'll get the speed that I want and will need less breaks. Speaking of breaks, I think that's why I felt so good after the run-I ran a few weeks back and had to slow down for longer distances and longer periods of time even though we were running fewer miles. Yesterday was longer and I lasted longer. All is good.

The 21.8 marks how much weight I have lost so far. I cannot wait for it to say 40 and then some. I guess I go by 20s mentally to reach the goal. It seems daunting that I still have 50 lbs to lose and I know there will come a point where I plateau for a bit and only lose .5 lbs or something like that in a week-but I imagine that at that point, I will be so close to my target weight that I won't feel devastated to do all this work for little payback on the scale. Anyways, here is the week 12 breakdown:

Weight: 186

Percent body fat: 41.1%

BMI: 30.6

Water Weight: 41.9%

Weeks til Goal: 51

Comparison to Initial Weigh-In

Weight Day One: -21.8 lbs

Percent of Body Fat: -3.2%

BMI: -3.6

Water Weight: +1.3%

Weeks to Meet Goal: -22 (10 weeks ahead of schedule)

Another thing to note was that this week I was speaking with someone about a co-worker who does the shake and bar diet and has lost 44 lbs. Both of us were scared for this person because we all know the second she stops this diet, she will sky rocket back up to her initial weight. I cannot help but feel like yo-yo'ing your weight is unhealthy for your body. And it's difficult to tell someone to stop what they are doing when they are seeing great results and are feeling good about themselves. I constantly urge her to workout as well so, when she does stop this Adkin-esque diet she will have some sort of muscle to break down fat and calories but so far I have not made a dent in her mind-frame. I only hope that once I do lose a bunch of weight I can show her how I am keeping it off, etc. 

Anyways, the point of my bringing this up is because while in this conversation with another co-worker, they said that I was dieting. I just wanted to clarify to my readers that no, I am indeed not dieting. I do not stick to a regimented plan. My only plan is to eat smaller/healthy portions and I try to eat right. I am not avoiding carbs and fatty meats, etc. but I am avoiding items that are unhealthy (coke, donuts, to name a few). For the most part, if it has no positive impact on my consumption of something, I generally try to avoid it and substitute for something healthier. And this comment from my co-worker made me want to reiterate something I posted in my very 1st post-You change your life when you change your mind. If we can wrap our heads around a new perception that eating only what you should (even if you slip here and there) is not dieting, we will ALL be better for it. I think the reason why I do not cheat so much on my philosophy of eating right and exercising is because I honestly do not feel like I am 'without.' Sure, there are some times when I see people digging into a cheesecake and I want to melt into it, but really for the most part, I don't feel like I am starving myself from delicious foods. Or I'll have 2 bites of the cheesecake and be satiated. It's difficult for some people to do that but I do say that after awhile, you really don't miss it or think about it as much as you did when you were starting out or not doing anything. 

I hope you all have a pleasant week ahead of you! Happy healthy endeavors all!

Love w/ all my bum,

CH

Leavening My Life: Week 11 Monument Moments

Leaven (verb): an element that produces an altering or transforming influence.


Exercise and eating right is my 'leaven.' It alters my weight and transforms my energy levels. I feel  better, healthier and more fit than I've been in 3 years. What a fantastic feeling it is to know you are changing and it's a good thing?! 


This week is a H-U-G-E week for me. Kind of one of my monument moments. This week I had acquaintances and co-workers notice the changes I've made to my life. Almost each day this week someone else asked me if I've lost weight! How great is that? And all the people that noticed did not know I was working out or trying to get fit. Ahh, it feels good. Have you ever really worked hard at something and then you keep waiting for someone to notice and NO ONE does? I've felt that way here and there about this process because I feel the change, but nothing has outwardly shown a difference. Sure, my clothes are a smidgen looser but generally you see the same people on a regular basis. Naturally, my husband doesn't notice any difference yet because he sees me every day. I don't notice that much because I'm in the thick of it-struggling one minute and confident the next. But this week was a great affirmation to the work I've been busting my bum on to have other people notice and comment about it.


Another monument for me this week is my losing TWENTY pounds! Yeppers, I have reached that mental goal. It's official that I am serious about this 'get fit' business. And it's great that I am still in month 3 while reaching that goal. So far, I have been consistent in losing approx. 2 lbs per week. This is the way to do it. There's no yo-yo bouncing of the weight and even 2 menstrual cycles did not throw it off which frankly, I think is pretty remarkable. So here's week 11's results below:

Week 11 Results

Weight: 187.6

Body Fat Percentage: 40.8%

BMI: 30.8

Water Weight %: 43.2% 

Weeks til Goal: 53 weeks 

Comparison to Day 1

Weight Day One: -20.2 lbs WOOOOOHOOOOO 

Percent of Body Fat: -3.5%

BMI: -3.4

Water Weight: +3%

Weeks to Meet Goal: -20 (9 weeks ahead of schedule)

I am merely points away from being out of the obesity range. How nice it will be for me to mentally know that I am no longer obese, but just overweight. For some reason it takes the scary out of the situation...but definitely not the determination. 

This morning I did a Zumba class and will be hitting up my weight training with TNT Fitness. I feel a pep in my step today overall----probably because I'm 20 lbs lighter :)

Here's to continuing leavening myself! Onto the next phase of my transformation: habit forming. I'm so close to 90 days!

Love w/ all my bum,

CH

Tips & Tricks for Celebrations

Possible fitness pitfall = the birthdays of friends. I don’t know why, but for some reason in Virginia and the various groups I socialize with, birthday parties automatically focus on food. When you were a kid, you chose a theme and games you would like to play. Cake was a given at the close of the event (just like weddings) and sometimes other snacks and foods were around…goody bags, anyone? However, the main event was the activity.

“What do you want to do for your birthday this year Carissa?”

I promise you that not once was ‘over eat and over indulge’ one of my answers as a child.

Overeating was never on my "to-do" list for parties

Ice skating party, jungle gym party, amusement parks, etc. were the norm across the board. So why, as adults, has that changed?

Birthday Adventures

 Each weekend of August and part of the way into September, I have been invited to a birthday celebration. Here is the breakdown:

August 6: Rio Grande (Mexican restaurant)

August 13: Buffalo Wild Wings (Name says it all)

August 20: Carrabbas (Italian)

August 27: Joe’s Crabshack (Seafood)

September 3: Labor Day Weekend BBQ (Burgers, dogs, etc.)

September 9^th: Birthday BBQ (Same as Labor day)

I am delighted to take part in the celebrations and at no offense to the birthday boy/girl or their party planners (spouses), I get disappointed and discouraged to read the invitation to discover that the event will be eating at a restaurant or that the main event involves eating. And what makes it worse is that I know I'm not the only one invited that is struggling to eat right and get fit; sometimes even the organizer feels overweight! It makes me feel like I'm losing a battle and they are putting a surrender flag in my hand while they wave their own. I've even seen invites that include not one, but two restaurants-one place for dinner and another for dessert! I then  have to spend money on options I wouldn’t normally go for in my own home (regardless of how delicious everything is) or perhaps the place has few, if any, healthy options. And let’s face it, ordering a salad when everyone is getting wings 5 different ways is pure torture.  Only one of the 6 weekends above includes some other activity outside of the restaurant/eating which is bowling. This is often the scenario throughout the year and if it’s not eating, it’s likely drinking. So what to do about it?

Double whammy = fattening food @ restaurant + cake

TIP ONE:

The future is in your hands. Make your birthday or suggest your friend’s celebration is an activity. Go paintballing, skydiving, bike ride in the park w/ a picnic, hike to a cool spot, go to the beach. Basically, try something new and adventurous. Going to the movies doesn’t count as there is a train wreck of calories beckoning in the theatre lobby (unless you sneak in some granola and grapes instead) and you are still sitting and melting into your seat. It is completely acceptable that while you are out at your activity you grab lunch or go out to dinner, but you are eating out of necessity at that point and not making it the focus of your event. Think about it, how many times do you actually remember or cherish memories at a restaurant? Or if you even sit close enough to the birthday beholder to even make it worth the expense? Your friends may be reluctant at first for going out of the norm, but I promise you they will remember the experiences more than the indulgences.

You don’t hear:

“Remember those fries at Red Robin three years ago?”  

But you WILL hear:

“Wow that zipline place we went to for so and so’s birthday was awesome!”

I implore you to change these norms towards healthier and more fitness related options. I believe your guests would appreciate the change of pace from sitting on their bums doing nothing. J

TIP TWO:

Even if you have an at-home party, skip the chips and dip and go for fruit and yogurt, do a veggie platter and make other healthy options available for your guests. Don’t order pizza and fried food but instead make mini deli sandwiches. And if you are going to a potluck, spend the extra cash on something you would be pleased with eating instead of going for cheap cokes and $2.00 bags of chips.

TIP THREE-NINE:

Still have to go out for someone’s bday celebrations? Scared of ordering the wrong thing and sabotaging your fitness lifestyle habits? Check out a few of my tips and tricks which are sure to make you feel better, not bloated, when you leave the table and return home.

3.       Do an online menu check. Know what you are ordering ahead of time so you can make healthy choices. You can easily Google the restaurant and find nutritional information on the entrée of your choosing (sometimes the restaurant offers the information as well).

4.       Skip the bread/chips at the restaurant. They’re unneeded and unwanted calories/saturated fat and you’ll end up eating more than you realize when you aren’t paying attention.

5.       Skip appetizers. You’ll find that more often than not, these additional calories are just as much as your meal.

6.       Ask for dressings, etc. on the side. Try the salad without the dressing and see how it tastes. Sometimes the protein or fruit are flavored well enough that you won’t miss the dressing.

7.       This is my TOP TIP: ask for a to-go box immediately when you receive your food. Before eating the main dish, put at least half of it in the to-go container. Since many restaurants are out of control on portions (seriously, sometimes a family of 4 can eat one meal!), putting away at least half of it will keep you from nibbling even when you are full and will help shrink the portion back to healthy levels. This is the main part to feeling guilt-free when you leave the restaurant. If you made a decent decision on your entrée selection, you will feel great and having something to look forward to the next day with leftovers. I often find I have enough sauce from the night before that I can add extra veggies, rice/pasta to the dish and have enough for both Neal and I for dinner. Doing this will also make purchasing the meal more economically sound and budget friendly.

8.       Try eating your meal with chopsticks. I carry them in my purse and no matter where I am, if I eat with chopsticks, I eat slower and therefore, less food. Even without chop sticks, eat SLOWLY. Enjoy the conversation with others. It will allow your food to settle and send messages to your brain that you are full.

9.       Eat your veggies first, your protein second, and the starch last. Like I said last week, it’s possible that by the time you get to the rice, you will be full

So there you have it. My version of fool-proof tips and tricks for celebrations. Now it’s up to you to make them fool-proof. I’ll be utilizing these tips at the celebrations I attend these next few weeks-how about you?

Talk with you soon!

Love w/ all my bum,

CH

p.s. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my August friends, specifically Sarah, this month! I heart you :) 

Week 10-WOOP

Hello week 10!

It looks like this week has been pretty eventful and fun. I must admit that I am starting to look forward to fall with crispier days and the opportunity for homemade chili. I'm going to jump right into the results and then tell you what I was up to this week and how I succeeded and failed.

Results Week 10

Weight: 190.8

Body Fat %: 41.3%

BMI: 31.4

Water Weight %: 42.8 %

Week to meet goal: 56

Comparison to Day One:

Weight Day One: -17 lbs

Percent of Body Fat: -3%

BMI: -2.8

Water Weight: +2.2%

Weeks to Meet Goal: -17 (7 weeks ahead of schedule)

I am almost to my 'serious' goal with losing 20 lbs. I have a mini goal this week to bust my bum as much as possible and reach that goal ASAP. I did lose a couple lbs this week and appears I am on the right course to making these permanent changes. 

It's still difficult for me to see my BMI this high. After all this time, I am still considered obese. I guess mentally, I was thinking that number would drop MUCH faster. But, on a positive note, I am 7 weeks ahead of schedule so that's great. And in doing the math, I will reach my weight loss goal of 135 lbs the week of my 2nd Anniversary, if not sooner. So basically, I am a year out. However, if I continue to lose 2 lbs every week that would leave me with 27.5 weeks left to go and I'd reach my goal by February 16th. Wow, doesn't that sound so much better?! February seems closer than you might think and definitely more feasible mentally than September 2012.

This week, I went to a orchard with husband in tow and we hand picked two pecks of summer peaches. At less than a $1.00 a pound, we we thrilled to acquire these treats.

Hartland Orchard

They are now in my kitchen and the entire house smells of a farmer's market. They taste infinitely better than store bought peaches and actually hold up longer before getting mealy. 

Our collection of treats!

On Saturday, we had the pleasure of doing an exclusive wine tasting at Naked Mountain Vineyards. First of all, you HAVE to love the name!

Secondly, kudos to my husband for arranging the evening of fine wine, a picnic dinner to accompany the complimentary bottle and gazing at the stars. Although the weather didn't hold up, we got to sit under a gazebo with candles all around and listen to the rain while we ate and sipped. Even more beautiful was watching the storms surrounding the mountains in the distance. 

Gorgeous view

Knowing that I met my quota on drinking for the week, I refrained from alcohol for the rest of that week and will do so this week as well. 

All in all, it was a great week. I can wish for more pounds off, but all in good time. Off to Spin Class!

I'm a maniac, maniac!

Love w/ all my bum,

CH

Month 2 pictures

Hey guys!

I thought I would share 2 snapshots of my progress thus far. The shorts in the shots were bought in May that I wore to a birthday BBQ of my friends....and at that point, they fit perfectly. It's weird that although I haven't lost a huge amount of weight, it seems my body is making a transition already!

Goodbye Waistline!

Hopefully one of MANY more images even more dramatic like this to come!

Love w/ all my bum,
CH

Week 9 (mighty fine!)

Here I am, week nine! Just over two months have passed and what can I say other than I feel good?! I have lost just a touch over 15 pounds and I have much more energy than I used to. I even find that when I watch a show on tv, I feel the need to do something instead of just sit there. 

While I still need to work on portion control and eating out less, I make decisions that I would not have a few months ago. Going out to eat is bad enough and so I used to allow myself to order whatever I wanted because I already "messed" up. No bueno pussy cat. Now, when I go out, I order salads, soups and sandwiches. I have dressing on the side (I often find I do not need dressing at all) and I stray away from carb/starch heavy menu options. Every now and then I need my fix of noodles, but even then, I try to eat the veggies and protein first and then see how I feel once I get to the pasta. More often than not, I take a few bites of the pasta and am finished and full. Ah, yes. 

Ahi Salad-fresh, savory, filling and a healthy choice

This week, I tried to makeup for my time spent in the Big Easy and yet was tempted again with a "mandatory fun" day at a Washington Nat's game with beer, dogs, chili cheese and __________ (insert anything fried, delicious and greasy and it's there). 

My trick? I ate before I went to the game (thank you Subway) and had one drink while there and plenty of water. Good stuff. The smells and seeing everyone else around me gorge multiple meals in one sitting was enough to put me off. I smiled to myself thinking that they were eating my share of meal for the day. I don't know why but I enjoy watching other people eat when I don't. Say I want chocolate chip cookies: I prepare and bake them, give a few to the hubs and watch him relish with delight and that is enough for me. You would think I would get jealous or tempted, but instead feel great because I can watch others be happy eating and I can be happy in not adding those calories to my bum :) It's a win-win. I also enjoy Top Chef, Master Chef and Hell's Kitchen for the same reason: even if food is on my mind, I can choose to watch and not partake. Then, if I see an Extreme Weight Loss show, I feel even better that someone has conquered the quest of losing weight and feel great about themselves. Even better when they keep it off after the show.  

And now, for the results you've been anticipating!

Week 9 Results:

Weight: 192.6

Percent of Body Fat: 41.8%

BMI:  31.6

Water Weight: 42.4%

Week Til Goal: 58

Compared to Initial Weight-In:

Weight loss: -15.2 lbs

Percent of Body Fat: -2.5%

BMI: -2.6

Water Weight: +1.8%

Weeks to Meet Goal: -15 weeks (six weeks ahead of schedule)

And there we have it! Onto week 10!

Love w/ all my bum,

CH