Morning Weight: 159.0
This Morning's Exercise: Cardio: 24 minutes stairmaster (12 minutes level 7, 12 minutes level 8), 1500 meters row machine (8 minutes), 20 minutes elliptical machine - hill training
Yesterday Evening's Exercise: 30 minutes treadmill (10 minutes 5mph, 10 minutes 5.6mph, 5 minutes 6mph, 2 minutes 6.5mph, 1 minute 7mph, 2 minutes slowing down to walk to cool down.)
Yesterday's Calories: 1417
Vitamins: 1-A-Day, D, B-Complex, Calcium, Glucosamine
No time to blog today...I have to go to the dentist this morning. But I am thinking about a new plan for the new year. More on that later.
Have a great day!!!!!
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Monday, December 10, 2012
12/10/2012: Weight Gain, Fun Shopping, Disappointing Customer Service at Ann Taylor
Morning Weight: 160.2
This Morning's Exercise: Strength Training, see last Friday
Yesterday's Exercise: 1 hour of racquetball with Jack. I am getting better. Since he is so much better than I am I get a handicap. I can score when he serves, but he can't score when I serve. With that handicap I managed to get 17 points before he reached 21, yesterday. Also, he doesn't play all out, unless he needs to turn it up to win, but I am getting to more and more of the balls, doing a better job keeping my eye on the ball until I hit it, and getting better at putting myself in the right spot to hit the ball. It'll be a while before our games are truly competitive, but we are having fun and it is a great workout! The initial plan was to run on the treadmill for 30 minutes after playing racquetball, but I was so wiped out by the time an hour of racquetball was up that I decided that was good enough.
Saturday's Exercise: Strength training with Jeremy Wallen. I have four more sessions with Jeremy Wallen until I have used all of my pre-paid sessions at 24Hour Fitness. I can't bring myself to not use them, and the workouts that the two trainers put together are pretty different from one another, so I figure it can't hurt. Well...it makes me sore...but I feel like I am getting more muscles exercised. The fourth strength training session this week did wipe my muscles out. My arms are shot! I was going to swim tonight for my evening exercise, but I think I will run, instead, to give my arms a break. One of the exercises that J Wallen had me do on Saturday was pushups with my hands on foam rollers instead of on the floor. Oh, that was hard and I am still sore from that.
Yesterday's Calories: 1360
Saturday's Calories: 1549
Friday's Calories: 1581
Vitamins: 1-A-Day, D, B-Complex, Calcium, Glucosamine
As you can imagine, I am pretty disappointed in my weight this morning. It is a mark-my-chart day and I haven't been able to bring myself to draw the line going above 160lbs again. This has been an incredibly frustrating few weeks. Obviously, I've reached a point where my body is fighting to hold onto its remaining stores and somehow I have to convince it to give some of it up. I find myself wondering what would have happened if I decided I wanted to get to 140 pounds, would I have stalled out between 148 and 150? Carla suggested perhaps that 158 is my ideal weight, and not 150, but I am not willing to go there. I think I would feel differently if I had picked a target on the low end of normal for my height, like 135 and stalled out 8-10 pounds over that. But I picked a target weight at the high end of normal for my height. I don't think 150lbs for a 50 year old woman that is just barely shy of 5'6" tall is unrealistic. I had Jack measure me so I could be sure of my height. Yep, it's what it has always been. Just a hair away from 5'6" tall. I have heard of some people getting taller when they start working out a lot, but I had no such luck.
There was a bright spot this weekend; which only got slightly tarnished on Sunday, but life goes on. I am attending Enterprise Bank's holiday party Wednesday evening (just for an hour - I'll still make bowling so no worries to my Spare Change teammates) and I have nothing in my wardrobe that fits except jean and tops. Nothing. Everything else has been donated to Goodwill or the Boys and Girls Club. So I needed to go shopping. I wanted to buy clothes that would be appropriate for the party, but that would also be lasting pieces for my wardrobe so I decided to buy a skirt and sweater at Ann Taylor, rather than a cocktail dress. Of course, once I was there I had to try the on cocktail dresses (they were having a 30% off on dresses sale). Every dress I tried on was an 8, and they all fit and fit well. I looked good in those dresses. If they were sleeveless I needed to wear a little shrug, just over my shoulders to hide a little extra skin right under my arms, but the dresses looked great and I felt wonderful in them. I didn't buy a dress though, because I knew it would be something I would only wear once in a great while and I need to start building up a versatile wardrobe. I ended up buying a very pretty skirt (size 8), sweater, and blouse (both mediums). Unfortunately, that was a much more expensive option than one of the dresses at 30% off, but it feels like a much smarter purchase because I will be able to wear the sweater with jeans and slacks, the blouse with any number of other outfits and the skirt has a lot of colors in it and I will be able to wear it into spring. The outfit is pretty, but professional looking, so I could easily wear it to business meetings in the fall, winter or spring. I am sure these will be pieces that I will be staples in my wardrobe for years to come.
It was fun shopping and looking good in everything I put on. What a treat it was. My stomach (my biggest problem area, in my opinion) even looked OK. The working out is making a huge difference. In fact, when I put on the first sleeveless dress and I went out to ask for help to find something to cover up my shoulders, I bent my arms to touch my shoulders when I was talking to the sales lady and she said, "Do you work out a lot?" She was impressed with my biceps! We ended up having a great conversation and I told her how much weight I lost. She kept asking me if I was on a special program and I kept saying, "No, I just exercise for an hour six days a week and try to eat less than 1600 calories a day." Then, when I was trying on dresses she came back and asked me if I was on Weight Watchers, and I told her no, again. Finally she said she felt like she needed to lose 20 pounds and was struggling with it. She is middle aged, probably older than me by 10 years or more, so I told her she probably needed to start lifting weights. I explained to her that women over 40 start losing lean muscle mass at a fairly brisk pace and there was no way women our age could successfully lose weight and keep it off without lifting weights. To my surprise, she agreed with me!! That doesn't happen very often. Most women say, "Oh, but I don't want to bulk up." My answer to that would be, "Look at me. I weigh almost 160 pounds and I am a size 8." An 8! I haven't been an 8 since college. Obviously the weight lifting is doing the opposite of bulking me up, it is toning me up and making me smaller, in spite of being heavier. The last time I was an 8 I was 20 years old and weighed 135 pounds. Interesting... Anyway, it turns out that the sales lady was a ballerina in her younger days and had to do quite a bit of strength training when she was a professional dancer. She still gives dance lessons, but she stopped lifting weights when she stopped dancing professionally. She got quite enthused about the thought of lifting weights and said she was going to go home that evening and start lifting again. I warned her that she would be sore for a couple of days, but she brushed that off and said she knew it was worth it. It felt really great to inspire her!!
Now for the tarnish. On Sunday, Ann Taylor advertised a 30% off everything sale. So, like the good shopper I am, I took my receipt in to ask them to honor the sales price. Seriously, I don't know a retailer that won't do that. And they refused. I was so pissed! I told them I could go get my clothes, return them, and repurchase them and get the sales price. Of course, they knew that to be true, but they said it was store policy. On the way home I called Ann Taylor headquarters and filed a complaint. I also sent an email. Unfortunately, I had already cut the tags off the clothes. Perhaps I could have still brought them back and repurchased them, but I didn't. There were other things I wanted to do yesterday afternoon, like play racquetball with my husband. I am going to harass corporate headquarters for a while, but I doubt they will do anything. I do know they have lost a customer for life. I like their clothes, but they are expensive. It's not worth shopping there if they are not going to take care of their customers better than that. So, no more Ann Taylor. A shame. I like their clothes. But I don't like their attitude and life is 90% attitude.
I am changing up one thing this week. I spent the evening yesterday cooking two meals to take to work for lunch and to eat in the evenings. I am hoping by eating my own cooking I will be able to shake the stalemate with the scale loose. I am going to focus more on lean proteins and vegetables and eat fewer carbs. We'll see of that makes a difference. Ruth suggested spin class, which would kick my ass, I'm sure. I'll have to check the schedule again, but it seems like last time I checked the classes were at times that were pretty inconvenient for me. Maybe I can make it work, though.
I'm hoping for a weight loss week! I hope you have a great week, too!!
This Morning's Exercise: Strength Training, see last Friday
Yesterday's Exercise: 1 hour of racquetball with Jack. I am getting better. Since he is so much better than I am I get a handicap. I can score when he serves, but he can't score when I serve. With that handicap I managed to get 17 points before he reached 21, yesterday. Also, he doesn't play all out, unless he needs to turn it up to win, but I am getting to more and more of the balls, doing a better job keeping my eye on the ball until I hit it, and getting better at putting myself in the right spot to hit the ball. It'll be a while before our games are truly competitive, but we are having fun and it is a great workout! The initial plan was to run on the treadmill for 30 minutes after playing racquetball, but I was so wiped out by the time an hour of racquetball was up that I decided that was good enough.
Saturday's Exercise: Strength training with Jeremy Wallen. I have four more sessions with Jeremy Wallen until I have used all of my pre-paid sessions at 24Hour Fitness. I can't bring myself to not use them, and the workouts that the two trainers put together are pretty different from one another, so I figure it can't hurt. Well...it makes me sore...but I feel like I am getting more muscles exercised. The fourth strength training session this week did wipe my muscles out. My arms are shot! I was going to swim tonight for my evening exercise, but I think I will run, instead, to give my arms a break. One of the exercises that J Wallen had me do on Saturday was pushups with my hands on foam rollers instead of on the floor. Oh, that was hard and I am still sore from that.
Yesterday's Calories: 1360
Saturday's Calories: 1549
Friday's Calories: 1581
Vitamins: 1-A-Day, D, B-Complex, Calcium, Glucosamine
As you can imagine, I am pretty disappointed in my weight this morning. It is a mark-my-chart day and I haven't been able to bring myself to draw the line going above 160lbs again. This has been an incredibly frustrating few weeks. Obviously, I've reached a point where my body is fighting to hold onto its remaining stores and somehow I have to convince it to give some of it up. I find myself wondering what would have happened if I decided I wanted to get to 140 pounds, would I have stalled out between 148 and 150? Carla suggested perhaps that 158 is my ideal weight, and not 150, but I am not willing to go there. I think I would feel differently if I had picked a target on the low end of normal for my height, like 135 and stalled out 8-10 pounds over that. But I picked a target weight at the high end of normal for my height. I don't think 150lbs for a 50 year old woman that is just barely shy of 5'6" tall is unrealistic. I had Jack measure me so I could be sure of my height. Yep, it's what it has always been. Just a hair away from 5'6" tall. I have heard of some people getting taller when they start working out a lot, but I had no such luck.
There was a bright spot this weekend; which only got slightly tarnished on Sunday, but life goes on. I am attending Enterprise Bank's holiday party Wednesday evening (just for an hour - I'll still make bowling so no worries to my Spare Change teammates) and I have nothing in my wardrobe that fits except jean and tops. Nothing. Everything else has been donated to Goodwill or the Boys and Girls Club. So I needed to go shopping. I wanted to buy clothes that would be appropriate for the party, but that would also be lasting pieces for my wardrobe so I decided to buy a skirt and sweater at Ann Taylor, rather than a cocktail dress. Of course, once I was there I had to try the on cocktail dresses (they were having a 30% off on dresses sale). Every dress I tried on was an 8, and they all fit and fit well. I looked good in those dresses. If they were sleeveless I needed to wear a little shrug, just over my shoulders to hide a little extra skin right under my arms, but the dresses looked great and I felt wonderful in them. I didn't buy a dress though, because I knew it would be something I would only wear once in a great while and I need to start building up a versatile wardrobe. I ended up buying a very pretty skirt (size 8), sweater, and blouse (both mediums). Unfortunately, that was a much more expensive option than one of the dresses at 30% off, but it feels like a much smarter purchase because I will be able to wear the sweater with jeans and slacks, the blouse with any number of other outfits and the skirt has a lot of colors in it and I will be able to wear it into spring. The outfit is pretty, but professional looking, so I could easily wear it to business meetings in the fall, winter or spring. I am sure these will be pieces that I will be staples in my wardrobe for years to come.
It was fun shopping and looking good in everything I put on. What a treat it was. My stomach (my biggest problem area, in my opinion) even looked OK. The working out is making a huge difference. In fact, when I put on the first sleeveless dress and I went out to ask for help to find something to cover up my shoulders, I bent my arms to touch my shoulders when I was talking to the sales lady and she said, "Do you work out a lot?" She was impressed with my biceps! We ended up having a great conversation and I told her how much weight I lost. She kept asking me if I was on a special program and I kept saying, "No, I just exercise for an hour six days a week and try to eat less than 1600 calories a day." Then, when I was trying on dresses she came back and asked me if I was on Weight Watchers, and I told her no, again. Finally she said she felt like she needed to lose 20 pounds and was struggling with it. She is middle aged, probably older than me by 10 years or more, so I told her she probably needed to start lifting weights. I explained to her that women over 40 start losing lean muscle mass at a fairly brisk pace and there was no way women our age could successfully lose weight and keep it off without lifting weights. To my surprise, she agreed with me!! That doesn't happen very often. Most women say, "Oh, but I don't want to bulk up." My answer to that would be, "Look at me. I weigh almost 160 pounds and I am a size 8." An 8! I haven't been an 8 since college. Obviously the weight lifting is doing the opposite of bulking me up, it is toning me up and making me smaller, in spite of being heavier. The last time I was an 8 I was 20 years old and weighed 135 pounds. Interesting... Anyway, it turns out that the sales lady was a ballerina in her younger days and had to do quite a bit of strength training when she was a professional dancer. She still gives dance lessons, but she stopped lifting weights when she stopped dancing professionally. She got quite enthused about the thought of lifting weights and said she was going to go home that evening and start lifting again. I warned her that she would be sore for a couple of days, but she brushed that off and said she knew it was worth it. It felt really great to inspire her!!
Now for the tarnish. On Sunday, Ann Taylor advertised a 30% off everything sale. So, like the good shopper I am, I took my receipt in to ask them to honor the sales price. Seriously, I don't know a retailer that won't do that. And they refused. I was so pissed! I told them I could go get my clothes, return them, and repurchase them and get the sales price. Of course, they knew that to be true, but they said it was store policy. On the way home I called Ann Taylor headquarters and filed a complaint. I also sent an email. Unfortunately, I had already cut the tags off the clothes. Perhaps I could have still brought them back and repurchased them, but I didn't. There were other things I wanted to do yesterday afternoon, like play racquetball with my husband. I am going to harass corporate headquarters for a while, but I doubt they will do anything. I do know they have lost a customer for life. I like their clothes, but they are expensive. It's not worth shopping there if they are not going to take care of their customers better than that. So, no more Ann Taylor. A shame. I like their clothes. But I don't like their attitude and life is 90% attitude.
I am changing up one thing this week. I spent the evening yesterday cooking two meals to take to work for lunch and to eat in the evenings. I am hoping by eating my own cooking I will be able to shake the stalemate with the scale loose. I am going to focus more on lean proteins and vegetables and eat fewer carbs. We'll see of that makes a difference. Ruth suggested spin class, which would kick my ass, I'm sure. I'll have to check the schedule again, but it seems like last time I checked the classes were at times that were pretty inconvenient for me. Maybe I can make it work, though.
I'm hoping for a weight loss week! I hope you have a great week, too!!
Friday, December 7, 2012
12/7/2012: Just Another Day
Morning Weight: 158.2 - OK, a little progress...I'll take it!
This Morning's Exercise: Strength Training, see below
Yesterday Evening's Activity: Walked around Brookside with Jack and enjoyed the Christmas carolers, decorations and local shops
Yesterday's Calories: 1508
Vitamins: 1-A-Day, D, B-Complex, Calcium, Glucosamine
This week's strength training:
--Repeat 4 times:
------20 walking wide squats, 20 lbs: Hold 20lb medicine ball in curled arms, high up against chest. Take wide step to the right and with legs spread apart, lower into squat. Stand, bringing the back foot up to the foot that took the step. Repeat 20 steps in the same direction, then reverse and come back for 20 walking wide squats in the opposite direction, stepping wide with the left foot first.
------20 slow tube curls, dark red tube band: Hold handles of band in each hand and step on middle of band with both feet. Slowly do bicep curl, stretching band as you do the curl. Slowly lower arms into original position. Repeat 20 times
--Repeat 4 times:
------45 seconds pole throws, 15 lbs: Hold 15lb medicine ball in front of you like you are going to do a chest pass with a basketball. Then throw the ball up and in front of you, as high as you can, bouncing it against a strong wall or pole, above your head. Catch the ball as it comes back down and throw it back up, quickly, as many times as you can in 45 seconds.
------16 reverse walking lunges, 15lbs: Hold that same 15lb medicine ball in arms against chest. Take a long step backwards and lower into lunge position. Stand up, bringing the front foot back to meet the back foot. Repeat 16 times, alternating feet.
--Repeat 4 times:
------16 (each foot) cable step ups, 50 lbs: This exercise uses the cable machine and a short stool. Place a short stool (about mid-calf high) in front of cable machine. Hold handle of cable in each hand, with 50lbs on each side. Step up onto stool and back down again, 16 times with one foot, then 16 times with the other foot.
------16 dips: With short stool behind you, place hands on stool and walk feet out almost into a reverse plank position. Lower yourself toward ground, bending your elbows. Lift yourself back up again. Repeat 16 times.
It was a tough workout. It's usually not the first 40 reps of anything that gets to me, it's that last 16 or 20 that are murder!! I can't believe I am going all the way to Lee's Summit for this torture!! Seriously, I can feel a huge difference working with Jeremy Walters. The workouts feel well rounded and are difficult without being impossible. My body feels tighter and more toned after just the first week of my new workouts. It's good to be back!!
I've decided I am going to start looking into taking a wood working class. That is something I have always wanted to do. I'll probably start knitting again, too, for when I want to just sit and relax. After all, I can knit and harass Jack at the same time. :-) Cathy, I like the idea of knitting with really nice yarn...it does feel good to just hold it. I'll make a scarf first, to get used to knitting again, and then try to learn new skills to make more complicated and fun things to wear.
This Morning's Exercise: Strength Training, see below
Yesterday Evening's Activity: Walked around Brookside with Jack and enjoyed the Christmas carolers, decorations and local shops
Yesterday's Calories: 1508
Vitamins: 1-A-Day, D, B-Complex, Calcium, Glucosamine
This week's strength training:
--Repeat 4 times:
------20 walking wide squats, 20 lbs: Hold 20lb medicine ball in curled arms, high up against chest. Take wide step to the right and with legs spread apart, lower into squat. Stand, bringing the back foot up to the foot that took the step. Repeat 20 steps in the same direction, then reverse and come back for 20 walking wide squats in the opposite direction, stepping wide with the left foot first.
------20 slow tube curls, dark red tube band: Hold handles of band in each hand and step on middle of band with both feet. Slowly do bicep curl, stretching band as you do the curl. Slowly lower arms into original position. Repeat 20 times
--Repeat 4 times:
------45 seconds pole throws, 15 lbs: Hold 15lb medicine ball in front of you like you are going to do a chest pass with a basketball. Then throw the ball up and in front of you, as high as you can, bouncing it against a strong wall or pole, above your head. Catch the ball as it comes back down and throw it back up, quickly, as many times as you can in 45 seconds.
------16 reverse walking lunges, 15lbs: Hold that same 15lb medicine ball in arms against chest. Take a long step backwards and lower into lunge position. Stand up, bringing the front foot back to meet the back foot. Repeat 16 times, alternating feet.
--Repeat 4 times:
------16 (each foot) cable step ups, 50 lbs: This exercise uses the cable machine and a short stool. Place a short stool (about mid-calf high) in front of cable machine. Hold handle of cable in each hand, with 50lbs on each side. Step up onto stool and back down again, 16 times with one foot, then 16 times with the other foot.
------16 dips: With short stool behind you, place hands on stool and walk feet out almost into a reverse plank position. Lower yourself toward ground, bending your elbows. Lift yourself back up again. Repeat 16 times.
It was a tough workout. It's usually not the first 40 reps of anything that gets to me, it's that last 16 or 20 that are murder!! I can't believe I am going all the way to Lee's Summit for this torture!! Seriously, I can feel a huge difference working with Jeremy Walters. The workouts feel well rounded and are difficult without being impossible. My body feels tighter and more toned after just the first week of my new workouts. It's good to be back!!
I've decided I am going to start looking into taking a wood working class. That is something I have always wanted to do. I'll probably start knitting again, too, for when I want to just sit and relax. After all, I can knit and harass Jack at the same time. :-) Cathy, I like the idea of knitting with really nice yarn...it does feel good to just hold it. I'll make a scarf first, to get used to knitting again, and then try to learn new skills to make more complicated and fun things to wear.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
12/6/2012: You'll never guess how much I weighed today!
Morning Weight: 158.6 - Can you believe it?!?!? What is it about 158.6????
This Morning's Exercise: None, Day Off!!!
Yesterday Evening's Exercise: Bowling (We lost, again! But I am getting a little bit better. I am consistently hitting the head pin with my first ball, though I think I got 10 splits in my first 2 games. Seriously. I didn't know it was possible to get so many splits. And no, I didn't pick any of them up! Right now I am the 3rd most improved player on the league. I think I can get that most improved title if I keep on practicing!!)
Yesterday's Calories: 1525
Vitamins: 1-A-Day, D, B-Complex, Calcium, Glucosamine
Plateau? What plateau? This isn't a plateau, I'm stuck in the middle of the lowlands of the Great Plains. 1500 feet of elevation and 1000 miles to go to get to sea level. At least that is what it feels like. Check out the flat line over the last TWO AND A HALF WEEKS!!!!
It's hard to believe that my weight has been this constant for this long. My progress line is starting to look like a maintenance line, but I am not ready for maintenance!!! As you can see, I am just two weeks short of hitting my original goal line if I don't start losing some more weight soon. If I do cross over my line that would be only the second time since I started my "Get Fit Initiative" that I went over. It's not going to happen though. Something is bound to shake loose!
Hmmmm....shake loose....that sounds like a plan. Does anyone have one of those old belt thingys that you stand on and the belt vibrates, shaking your midsection? My mom used to have one of those. Maybe I can shake some of this stubborn fat into submission. I'm ready to try just about anything!!
Jen suggested nourishing my soul. This is what she had to say in response to my frustration with plateauing for so long;
"I can hear the frustration at the unexpected slow down (and the acknowledgment that it's normal with the last few pounds, etc), and I wonder if you've considered other ways of taking care of yourself as a supplement at this stage. Your diet and exercise plan have been incredibly successful, but I'm wondering about other self care to add that little spark to it all - a mani/pedi? Massage? New hair color (I saw a blue streak in a woman's hair the other day and had the urge to color mine for the holidays, but then again, I live in Berkeley)?
Something nurturing for your body that acknowledges this really successful, long journey. Not a reward in the incentive sense like shopping for new jeans, but really nurturing your soul."
Her suggestion made me pause for a minute and think. "Nurture my soul? What does that mean, really?" I haven't thought about it in those terms. When I think about what makes me happiest, I gravitate to thoughts of hiking and camping. Being outdoors, away from it all, where the beauty of nature surrounds me without all of the sights and sounds of the modern world. Our vacation to Maine was just like that. I loved it!! I know going on hikes on the weekends is one of the things I can do to reorient myself and recharge my batteries. This time of year it is a little more difficult. Perhaps if it is not raining this weekend we will need to make a point of going on a 2 or 3 hour hike.
I am also thinking about embracing the spirit of the holiday rather than hiding from it. We have our tree up, with the lights on it, but we still need to decorate it. We'll probably hang the ornaments this weekend. But that is not enough. There are many festivities in Kansas City, surrounding the holiday, which I have always ignored. Tonight our quaint local shopping area has a Christmas festival with music, refreshments, and the shops staying open late. We decided this morning that we will go to that. Tomorrow evening is First Friday in Kansas City, when all of the art galleries stay open late and have open houses. I think we will go to that, too. Perhaps getting a little more engaged in what is going on in and around our community will help me feel more balanced. Winter is rough for me. It gets dark so early and all I want to do when I get home is go to bed. 6:30 or 7:00 is a little too early for bed time. I wonder if my body not losing weight has something to do with the shorter days and my desire to just eat and hibernate. Perhaps I am just responding to the natural rhythms of nature's cycles. Anyway, sitting around in the evening doing nothing isn't working. I am not a TV watcher, so when I am bored I just harass Jack while he is watching TV. That's not a good plan. I am in a non-reading mode. I go through cycles with reading, I'll read a bunch and then I don't feel like reading for a while. I have read a lot of books over the last six months and lately I haven't been able to settle down and read more than a few pages at a time. Now I've got myself thinking about hobbies. I like to sew...perhaps I should start sewing. I've always wanted to get into wood working and start making things. I love making things. And with wood working I get to buy power tools. I love power tools!!!!
I just about have myself convinced that I need to start thinking of ways to be more actively engaged in some sort of fun activity in the evenings. I have energy (until about 8:30, anyway) yet I don't have anything to do. Jen...I think you are onto something here. I'm missing a piece that could bring some real satisfaction to daily life. I'll give some serious thought to what I can do with this couple of hours in the evening that will be fulfilling and enjoyable without adding stress (as in not adding unnecessary commitments that I'll end up regretting before long). Maybe the first thing will be a sewing project. I have the tools for that, I just need to think of something I want to make and buy the materials. Hmmmm....
OK...something new to think about. What are your thoughts, ideas, suggestions regarding "nourishing the soul?" I'd love to hear what you have to say!
This Morning's Exercise: None, Day Off!!!
Yesterday Evening's Exercise: Bowling (We lost, again! But I am getting a little bit better. I am consistently hitting the head pin with my first ball, though I think I got 10 splits in my first 2 games. Seriously. I didn't know it was possible to get so many splits. And no, I didn't pick any of them up! Right now I am the 3rd most improved player on the league. I think I can get that most improved title if I keep on practicing!!)
Yesterday's Calories: 1525
Vitamins: 1-A-Day, D, B-Complex, Calcium, Glucosamine
Plateau? What plateau? This isn't a plateau, I'm stuck in the middle of the lowlands of the Great Plains. 1500 feet of elevation and 1000 miles to go to get to sea level. At least that is what it feels like. Check out the flat line over the last TWO AND A HALF WEEKS!!!!
 |
| 12/6/2012 Chart: After 2.5 Weeks Between 159.4 and 158.6 |
Hmmmm....shake loose....that sounds like a plan. Does anyone have one of those old belt thingys that you stand on and the belt vibrates, shaking your midsection? My mom used to have one of those. Maybe I can shake some of this stubborn fat into submission. I'm ready to try just about anything!!
Jen suggested nourishing my soul. This is what she had to say in response to my frustration with plateauing for so long;
"I can hear the frustration at the unexpected slow down (and the acknowledgment that it's normal with the last few pounds, etc), and I wonder if you've considered other ways of taking care of yourself as a supplement at this stage. Your diet and exercise plan have been incredibly successful, but I'm wondering about other self care to add that little spark to it all - a mani/pedi? Massage? New hair color (I saw a blue streak in a woman's hair the other day and had the urge to color mine for the holidays, but then again, I live in Berkeley)?
Something nurturing for your body that acknowledges this really successful, long journey. Not a reward in the incentive sense like shopping for new jeans, but really nurturing your soul."
Her suggestion made me pause for a minute and think. "Nurture my soul? What does that mean, really?" I haven't thought about it in those terms. When I think about what makes me happiest, I gravitate to thoughts of hiking and camping. Being outdoors, away from it all, where the beauty of nature surrounds me without all of the sights and sounds of the modern world. Our vacation to Maine was just like that. I loved it!! I know going on hikes on the weekends is one of the things I can do to reorient myself and recharge my batteries. This time of year it is a little more difficult. Perhaps if it is not raining this weekend we will need to make a point of going on a 2 or 3 hour hike.
I am also thinking about embracing the spirit of the holiday rather than hiding from it. We have our tree up, with the lights on it, but we still need to decorate it. We'll probably hang the ornaments this weekend. But that is not enough. There are many festivities in Kansas City, surrounding the holiday, which I have always ignored. Tonight our quaint local shopping area has a Christmas festival with music, refreshments, and the shops staying open late. We decided this morning that we will go to that. Tomorrow evening is First Friday in Kansas City, when all of the art galleries stay open late and have open houses. I think we will go to that, too. Perhaps getting a little more engaged in what is going on in and around our community will help me feel more balanced. Winter is rough for me. It gets dark so early and all I want to do when I get home is go to bed. 6:30 or 7:00 is a little too early for bed time. I wonder if my body not losing weight has something to do with the shorter days and my desire to just eat and hibernate. Perhaps I am just responding to the natural rhythms of nature's cycles. Anyway, sitting around in the evening doing nothing isn't working. I am not a TV watcher, so when I am bored I just harass Jack while he is watching TV. That's not a good plan. I am in a non-reading mode. I go through cycles with reading, I'll read a bunch and then I don't feel like reading for a while. I have read a lot of books over the last six months and lately I haven't been able to settle down and read more than a few pages at a time. Now I've got myself thinking about hobbies. I like to sew...perhaps I should start sewing. I've always wanted to get into wood working and start making things. I love making things. And with wood working I get to buy power tools. I love power tools!!!!
I just about have myself convinced that I need to start thinking of ways to be more actively engaged in some sort of fun activity in the evenings. I have energy (until about 8:30, anyway) yet I don't have anything to do. Jen...I think you are onto something here. I'm missing a piece that could bring some real satisfaction to daily life. I'll give some serious thought to what I can do with this couple of hours in the evening that will be fulfilling and enjoyable without adding stress (as in not adding unnecessary commitments that I'll end up regretting before long). Maybe the first thing will be a sewing project. I have the tools for that, I just need to think of something I want to make and buy the materials. Hmmmm....
OK...something new to think about. What are your thoughts, ideas, suggestions regarding "nourishing the soul?" I'd love to hear what you have to say!
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
12/5/2012: And Then the Roller Coaster Went Back Up a Hill...
Morning Weight: 159.4
This Morning's Exercise: Strength Training: See Monday, 12/3/2012
Yesterday Evening's Exercise: 3 miles walk/jog/run outside
Yesterday's Calories: 1510
Vitamins: 1-A-Day, D, B-Complex, Calcium, Glucosamine
I don't really want to talk about it. Yes, I gained weight yesterday. No, I don't know why. I ate the right number of calories, I exercised, I drank plenty of water. According to My Fitness Pal on my phone I burned 703 calories with exercise yesterday and ate only 1510. How can I possibly gain weight doing that? It's gotta be water. The one thing I did differently yesterday is I ate at Schlotsky's. My go-to lunch is a turkey sub on whole wheat with avocado, all the veggies and yellow mustard at Subway. For silly reasons, I ended up at Schlotsky's yesterday for lunch. I had the calorie counts for the food I ate (1/2 turkey sandwich and small turkey Cobb salad, hold the bacon, pick off the croutons, discard the flat bread, dressing on the side and use a little less than a tablespoon). But my guess is the sodium content was way higher than what I normally consume. If that is the case then tomorrow morning should see this water weight (and that is what it is, water weight - it has to be) gone.
I am going to keep doing everything perfectly and Schlotsky's is on my condemned list. I will not eat there again.
I gotta run, though I do have more to say. I have a coffee meeting at 7:00am this morning. Mostly what I want to say is as frustrated as I am with this last several pounds, I do feel good. I feel so much more comfortable in my body. I told Jack that I feel as if I am wearing my own skin again. God it feels good to slip on a size 8 pair of jeans and a sweater and feel good in my clothes. I feel like me, again. This last 8 or 9 pounds will come off sooner or later, but in the meantime, I am grateful for how far I've come.
This Morning's Exercise: Strength Training: See Monday, 12/3/2012
Yesterday Evening's Exercise: 3 miles walk/jog/run outside
Yesterday's Calories: 1510
Vitamins: 1-A-Day, D, B-Complex, Calcium, Glucosamine
I don't really want to talk about it. Yes, I gained weight yesterday. No, I don't know why. I ate the right number of calories, I exercised, I drank plenty of water. According to My Fitness Pal on my phone I burned 703 calories with exercise yesterday and ate only 1510. How can I possibly gain weight doing that? It's gotta be water. The one thing I did differently yesterday is I ate at Schlotsky's. My go-to lunch is a turkey sub on whole wheat with avocado, all the veggies and yellow mustard at Subway. For silly reasons, I ended up at Schlotsky's yesterday for lunch. I had the calorie counts for the food I ate (1/2 turkey sandwich and small turkey Cobb salad, hold the bacon, pick off the croutons, discard the flat bread, dressing on the side and use a little less than a tablespoon). But my guess is the sodium content was way higher than what I normally consume. If that is the case then tomorrow morning should see this water weight (and that is what it is, water weight - it has to be) gone.
I am going to keep doing everything perfectly and Schlotsky's is on my condemned list. I will not eat there again.
I gotta run, though I do have more to say. I have a coffee meeting at 7:00am this morning. Mostly what I want to say is as frustrated as I am with this last several pounds, I do feel good. I feel so much more comfortable in my body. I told Jack that I feel as if I am wearing my own skin again. God it feels good to slip on a size 8 pair of jeans and a sweater and feel good in my clothes. I feel like me, again. This last 8 or 9 pounds will come off sooner or later, but in the meantime, I am grateful for how far I've come.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
12/4/2012: A Little Progress!!
Morning Weight: 158.0!!!
This Morning's Exercise: Cardio day at the gym - 30 minutes on elliptical machine and 17 minutes on stationary bike - I got there a little late and the stair masters were all busy, so no stair master today.
Yesterday Evening's Exercise: 3 miles on the treadmill (31 minutes)
Yesterday's Calories: 1541
Vitamins: 1-A-Day, D, B-Complex, Calcium, Glucosamine
Finally, a step down from the 158.6lb plateau!! What a relief to get on the scale this morning and see a little change in the right direction. I was completely prepared to see 158.6 again! The numbers were flipping between 158.0 and 158.2 and I was glad when they decided to rest on 158.0, though I would have been happy with 158.2. It's just good to see something lower than 158.6. It is amazing how consistently my morning weigh-ins were coming in at exactly that number. Some days over the last two weeks it was a little higher, usually due to a late meal or something like that, but then the very next day it would be 158.6 again. It feels good to have broken through that floor and be moving down again. We'll see what tomorrow brings.
There is an Aspen Fitness Center (my new gym) very close to work, so I stopped there last night on the way home from work, for the first time. I spent a half-hour on the treadmill and kept up a pace of 6.0 mph with the exception of the first couple of minutes when I was warming up. It was a push to get that done and it felt like it may have been a little too much, as in I felt a little wiped out this morning. I will stop at the gym again tonight, but I am not going to try to maintain 6.0 mph for the whole 30 minutes. I will probably do a combination of walking briskly, jogging, and running, just to get my heart rate up for 30 minutes. Last night, for some reason, I felt like I had something to prove to myself, like I can do 3 miles in 30 minutes. It wasn't worth feeling totally spent for the rest of the evening and into this morning, though.
As I told my sister in my response to her comment on yesterday's blog post, I am having a particularly difficult time sorting out my emotions with regard to my goals right now. She cautions me against adding extra workouts or cutting calories below my current daily target in order to lose weight faster. Her argument is that neither one of those tactics is sustainable long term and if I exercise too much or eat too little just to lose 8 pounds by year-end I will be sabotaging my long term ability to be healthy and maintain my weight loss. I agree with her, in principle. I even told Jack that very thing about two days ago. At the same time I am so close to goal and the year is almost over and I find myself almost desperately wanting to put those two together. I am also feeling the "December Blues" which hit me every year between Thanksgiving and Christmas, which cause me to want to eat to self-medicate. I feel like I have two choices, the first is to succumb to eating too much and the other is to be ultra-disciplined through out the rest of the month. I don't think there is any in-between.
My original goal was to lose 74 pounds in 48 weeks. So far I have lost 66 pounds and it has taken me 40 week and one day. I have 7 weeks and 6 days left in my original plan. I can lose 8 pounds in 7 weeks and 6 days even with plateaus that last 2 weeks. Can I lose 8 pounds in the 27 days remaining in December? I don't know. Two weeks ago it seemed reasonable, it doesn't feel reasonable anymore. It feels like I would have to be ridiculous in some fashion to get there. *Sigh* I've been doing a lot of that lately, sighing, that is. OK, OK, OK...this is crazy. Sometimes I feel like I am crazy. Let's just boil this down to the facts. Having a real, attainable goal that was defined by a timeline and a specific amount of weight loss has been key to my success with this whole plan. The fact of the matter is that it looks like I was pretty realistic when I said I would average 1.5 pounds of weight loss per week. At first, it came off more rapidly; now the rate as slowed down, but at the end of the day, damned if it doesn't look like I was right on the money when I made that chart on February 26th, 2012.
I need to reach my goal of 150lbs. That is incredibly important to me. I don't need to reach it by year-end, but I do need to reach it by my original target date. I do need to be very disciplined throughout December to combat the blues and to keep from indulging in party offerings, office treats that tend to pop up this time of year, etc... In order to maintain the necessary discipline to get through the next 27 days, this is what I will do. I will keep my calories closer to 1500 a day than 1600 a day and I won't go over 1600. I will enter all my calories as I eat them, rather than relying on my memory and entering them once or twice a day. I will maintain my exercise routine of an hour a day 6 times a week in the morning. I will be disciplined about stopping at the gym or exercising outdoors (whether permitting) on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays after work. I will continue to abstain from drinking alcohol (I have had two drinks since August 1st of this year). I will not cut calories below 1500 a day in an effort to lose weight more quickly and I will not exercise to the point of exhaustion and fatigue. First and foremost is continuing to build healthy habits that will last a life time. With any luck, my mental health won't be far behind!!
The final stretch; man, it's rough!!
This Morning's Exercise: Cardio day at the gym - 30 minutes on elliptical machine and 17 minutes on stationary bike - I got there a little late and the stair masters were all busy, so no stair master today.
Yesterday Evening's Exercise: 3 miles on the treadmill (31 minutes)
Yesterday's Calories: 1541
Vitamins: 1-A-Day, D, B-Complex, Calcium, Glucosamine
Finally, a step down from the 158.6lb plateau!! What a relief to get on the scale this morning and see a little change in the right direction. I was completely prepared to see 158.6 again! The numbers were flipping between 158.0 and 158.2 and I was glad when they decided to rest on 158.0, though I would have been happy with 158.2. It's just good to see something lower than 158.6. It is amazing how consistently my morning weigh-ins were coming in at exactly that number. Some days over the last two weeks it was a little higher, usually due to a late meal or something like that, but then the very next day it would be 158.6 again. It feels good to have broken through that floor and be moving down again. We'll see what tomorrow brings.
There is an Aspen Fitness Center (my new gym) very close to work, so I stopped there last night on the way home from work, for the first time. I spent a half-hour on the treadmill and kept up a pace of 6.0 mph with the exception of the first couple of minutes when I was warming up. It was a push to get that done and it felt like it may have been a little too much, as in I felt a little wiped out this morning. I will stop at the gym again tonight, but I am not going to try to maintain 6.0 mph for the whole 30 minutes. I will probably do a combination of walking briskly, jogging, and running, just to get my heart rate up for 30 minutes. Last night, for some reason, I felt like I had something to prove to myself, like I can do 3 miles in 30 minutes. It wasn't worth feeling totally spent for the rest of the evening and into this morning, though.
As I told my sister in my response to her comment on yesterday's blog post, I am having a particularly difficult time sorting out my emotions with regard to my goals right now. She cautions me against adding extra workouts or cutting calories below my current daily target in order to lose weight faster. Her argument is that neither one of those tactics is sustainable long term and if I exercise too much or eat too little just to lose 8 pounds by year-end I will be sabotaging my long term ability to be healthy and maintain my weight loss. I agree with her, in principle. I even told Jack that very thing about two days ago. At the same time I am so close to goal and the year is almost over and I find myself almost desperately wanting to put those two together. I am also feeling the "December Blues" which hit me every year between Thanksgiving and Christmas, which cause me to want to eat to self-medicate. I feel like I have two choices, the first is to succumb to eating too much and the other is to be ultra-disciplined through out the rest of the month. I don't think there is any in-between.
My original goal was to lose 74 pounds in 48 weeks. So far I have lost 66 pounds and it has taken me 40 week and one day. I have 7 weeks and 6 days left in my original plan. I can lose 8 pounds in 7 weeks and 6 days even with plateaus that last 2 weeks. Can I lose 8 pounds in the 27 days remaining in December? I don't know. Two weeks ago it seemed reasonable, it doesn't feel reasonable anymore. It feels like I would have to be ridiculous in some fashion to get there. *Sigh* I've been doing a lot of that lately, sighing, that is. OK, OK, OK...this is crazy. Sometimes I feel like I am crazy. Let's just boil this down to the facts. Having a real, attainable goal that was defined by a timeline and a specific amount of weight loss has been key to my success with this whole plan. The fact of the matter is that it looks like I was pretty realistic when I said I would average 1.5 pounds of weight loss per week. At first, it came off more rapidly; now the rate as slowed down, but at the end of the day, damned if it doesn't look like I was right on the money when I made that chart on February 26th, 2012.
I need to reach my goal of 150lbs. That is incredibly important to me. I don't need to reach it by year-end, but I do need to reach it by my original target date. I do need to be very disciplined throughout December to combat the blues and to keep from indulging in party offerings, office treats that tend to pop up this time of year, etc... In order to maintain the necessary discipline to get through the next 27 days, this is what I will do. I will keep my calories closer to 1500 a day than 1600 a day and I won't go over 1600. I will enter all my calories as I eat them, rather than relying on my memory and entering them once or twice a day. I will maintain my exercise routine of an hour a day 6 times a week in the morning. I will be disciplined about stopping at the gym or exercising outdoors (whether permitting) on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays after work. I will continue to abstain from drinking alcohol (I have had two drinks since August 1st of this year). I will not cut calories below 1500 a day in an effort to lose weight more quickly and I will not exercise to the point of exhaustion and fatigue. First and foremost is continuing to build healthy habits that will last a life time. With any luck, my mental health won't be far behind!!
The final stretch; man, it's rough!!
Monday, December 3, 2012
12/3/2012: Stubborn, Stubborn Fat!
Morning Weight: 158.6 - Hasn't budged for two weeks. Getting very, very frustrating.
This Morning's Exercise: Strength Training - see below
Yesterday's Exercise: 25 mile (2 hour - avg 12.5mph) bike ride & 70 minutes racquetball with Jack
Saturday's Exercise: 6.5 mile (79 minutes) run
Yesterday's Calories: 1685
Saturday's Calories: 1609
Friday's Calories: 1532
Vitamins: 1-A-Day, D, B-Complex, Calcium, Glucosamine
This week's strength training routine:
--Repeat 3 times
------30 walking lunges, walk back to starting point
--Repeat 4 times
------16 dumbbell flys/leg lifts with 12.5lb dumbbells: With a dumbbell in each hand lay flat on back on mat, with arms (elbows slightly bent) and legs raised in air. Lower arms and legs to almost touching mat at the same time. Arms go out to the side so that they are perpindicular to the body and legs lower straight down staying straight with body. Lift legs and arms and repeat.
------16 squat to press with 30 pound straightbar: Holding straight bar in close to and in front of chest, rock weight back onto heals, press butt back and lower to squat position, stand back up and while standing press straight bar above head until arms are straight. Lower arms until straight bar is in close to and in front of chest and repeat.
------20 push-up rows with 12.5lb dumbbells: Get in pushup postion with toes on floor and hands resting on dumbbells instead of floor. Arms are straight. Alternate lifting each dumbbell up by bending elbow and lifting dumbbell to arm pit, while holding body in pushup position with the other hand on dumbbell. Lower weight so both weights are on the floor and lift other weight. Repeat 20 times (10 each arm)
--Run @ 5mph on treadmill for 5 minutes
--Repeat 5 times
------30 seconds of leg extensions, 55lbs, on leg extension machine. Can you say, "Ouch!"?
------15 second rest
--Run at 6mph on treadmill for 5 minutes
--Repeat 3 times
------Medium ball (10lb) side throw, 45 seconds (15 on each side): Stand up and hold weighted ball in front of you, turn to the side and throw ball down to ground with as much force as possible. When ball bounces back up, catch it, lift arms above head, turn to the other side, and throw ball down again. Catch ball, lift arms above head, turn, throw and repeat. Arms should make big arc over your head
------Plank on ball, 30 seconds: With elbows on mat, toes on 10lb ball, and body straight, hold plank position for 30 second.
--Repeat once
------30 walking lunges
The above routine (minus the two 5 minute runs) was the strength training routine I did with Jeremy Walters on Friday morning, our first session together since he left 24Hour Fitness about 6 weeks ago. It kicked my butt!!! I was very sore most of the weekend. Once again he found muscles I didn't know I had. My rear end was sore and so were my sides and my lower chest. So was everything else, really, but those were the two areas that hurt the most. It feels good, in a some strange way, to feel sore after my strength training workouts, again. I know I'm working hard if I am sore afterwards.
The other thing that was great about my workout with Jeremy Walters is that he is as committed to me reaching my 150lbs by December 31st goal as I am, though that goal looks more elusive every day longer that I weigh 158.6 lbs. When we talked about my weight and my goal and I suggested that it make take longer than year end to reach it and I was prepared to accept that, he shook his head and said, "No way! You can make it and you know you can." In fact, that is where the 5 minute runs on the treadmill came from in the above workout. We were half way through the training session when he told me to add the runs between sets in order to work the cardio into my workout to stimulate the weight loss. I hope by the time I see him on Friday I see some results on the scale. I hope I see some results on the scale by tomorrow!!
I am starting to get very frustrated. This has been a solid two week plateau. In fact, over the weekend my weight crept up to 159.6 on Saturday, was 159.0 yesterday morning and was 158.6 again this morning. This is driving me nuts. I've been working hard, exercising a lot, and have not lost any weight in what feels like way too long. I can be a little more disciplined with my food, which is what I know I need to do, but that is frustrating, too. When I run 6.5 miles or ride my bike 25 miles and then play racquetball for over an hour, I feel like I should be able to afford an extra 50 calories or so. I know this is just a plateau...I still don't understand why I have plateaus, but that is what this is. I do think I will keep my calories right at 1500 for this week and see if that helps. Will 100 - 150 calories make a difference? I guess we'll find out!!!
Here is my Week 40 Photo:
Not much (if any) change from the last couple of weeks, but it is what it is!
I am re-dedicating myself to weight loss this week. Come on!! 8.6 pounds!! Let's get it done!!!!
This Morning's Exercise: Strength Training - see below
Yesterday's Exercise: 25 mile (2 hour - avg 12.5mph) bike ride & 70 minutes racquetball with Jack
Saturday's Exercise: 6.5 mile (79 minutes) run
Yesterday's Calories: 1685
Saturday's Calories: 1609
Friday's Calories: 1532
Vitamins: 1-A-Day, D, B-Complex, Calcium, Glucosamine
This week's strength training routine:
--Repeat 3 times
------30 walking lunges, walk back to starting point
--Repeat 4 times
------16 dumbbell flys/leg lifts with 12.5lb dumbbells: With a dumbbell in each hand lay flat on back on mat, with arms (elbows slightly bent) and legs raised in air. Lower arms and legs to almost touching mat at the same time. Arms go out to the side so that they are perpindicular to the body and legs lower straight down staying straight with body. Lift legs and arms and repeat.
------16 squat to press with 30 pound straightbar: Holding straight bar in close to and in front of chest, rock weight back onto heals, press butt back and lower to squat position, stand back up and while standing press straight bar above head until arms are straight. Lower arms until straight bar is in close to and in front of chest and repeat.
------20 push-up rows with 12.5lb dumbbells: Get in pushup postion with toes on floor and hands resting on dumbbells instead of floor. Arms are straight. Alternate lifting each dumbbell up by bending elbow and lifting dumbbell to arm pit, while holding body in pushup position with the other hand on dumbbell. Lower weight so both weights are on the floor and lift other weight. Repeat 20 times (10 each arm)
--Run @ 5mph on treadmill for 5 minutes
--Repeat 5 times
------30 seconds of leg extensions, 55lbs, on leg extension machine. Can you say, "Ouch!"?
------15 second rest
--Run at 6mph on treadmill for 5 minutes
--Repeat 3 times
------Medium ball (10lb) side throw, 45 seconds (15 on each side): Stand up and hold weighted ball in front of you, turn to the side and throw ball down to ground with as much force as possible. When ball bounces back up, catch it, lift arms above head, turn to the other side, and throw ball down again. Catch ball, lift arms above head, turn, throw and repeat. Arms should make big arc over your head
------Plank on ball, 30 seconds: With elbows on mat, toes on 10lb ball, and body straight, hold plank position for 30 second.
--Repeat once
------30 walking lunges
The above routine (minus the two 5 minute runs) was the strength training routine I did with Jeremy Walters on Friday morning, our first session together since he left 24Hour Fitness about 6 weeks ago. It kicked my butt!!! I was very sore most of the weekend. Once again he found muscles I didn't know I had. My rear end was sore and so were my sides and my lower chest. So was everything else, really, but those were the two areas that hurt the most. It feels good, in a some strange way, to feel sore after my strength training workouts, again. I know I'm working hard if I am sore afterwards.
The other thing that was great about my workout with Jeremy Walters is that he is as committed to me reaching my 150lbs by December 31st goal as I am, though that goal looks more elusive every day longer that I weigh 158.6 lbs. When we talked about my weight and my goal and I suggested that it make take longer than year end to reach it and I was prepared to accept that, he shook his head and said, "No way! You can make it and you know you can." In fact, that is where the 5 minute runs on the treadmill came from in the above workout. We were half way through the training session when he told me to add the runs between sets in order to work the cardio into my workout to stimulate the weight loss. I hope by the time I see him on Friday I see some results on the scale. I hope I see some results on the scale by tomorrow!!
I am starting to get very frustrated. This has been a solid two week plateau. In fact, over the weekend my weight crept up to 159.6 on Saturday, was 159.0 yesterday morning and was 158.6 again this morning. This is driving me nuts. I've been working hard, exercising a lot, and have not lost any weight in what feels like way too long. I can be a little more disciplined with my food, which is what I know I need to do, but that is frustrating, too. When I run 6.5 miles or ride my bike 25 miles and then play racquetball for over an hour, I feel like I should be able to afford an extra 50 calories or so. I know this is just a plateau...I still don't understand why I have plateaus, but that is what this is. I do think I will keep my calories right at 1500 for this week and see if that helps. Will 100 - 150 calories make a difference? I guess we'll find out!!!
Here is my Week 40 Photo:
 |
| 12/3/2012, End of Week 40, 158.6 pounds, 65.4 pounds lost |
I am re-dedicating myself to weight loss this week. Come on!! 8.6 pounds!! Let's get it done!!!!
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