Back in the game.

OK... so my plan to take a few days off from "diet mode" over the holidays somehow turned into almost a month of eating junk and slacking off. During which time I managed to gain 8 pounds.

I am not really bothered by the gain, even though I know how long it is likely to take to lose all that weight. I was BURNED OUT. I spent close to a year on a diet and for the last 6 months I have been working out 5-6 days a week. My hard work paid off in the form of a 69 pound weight loss. Not back for a year's work! But as I head into year 2 of this journey I think I need to take a more relaxed approach to things. I've managed to lose a lot of weight, but if I'm feeling burned out then it's not a lifestyle change. I've just managed to stay on a diet for a long time. I need for this to be a true lifestyle change if the weight is going to stay off.

Do I get a gold star?

I have gotten into the habit of planning my workouts every week. Monday mornings I sit down with a little dry erase board and write down what my exercise tasks are. I try to make it to the gym 3 days a week, and this helps knowing what days I will go. On non gym days I tend to plan to go for walks. Since I don't have a car, I plan errands on non gym days and then walk to the stores. 

I have to admit there's something very satisfying about putting a check mark next to a completed exercise task. I am such a dork.

DD

I posted this to Facebook, but I am putting it here, too:

I have been seeing articles everywhere offering suggestions on how to save calories at Holiday parties. Well here is mine- BE THE DESIGNATED DRIVER. You will save hundreds of calories if you spend your holiday party time sipping a water or diet soda. And not drinking will make you better able to resist overeating. And also, IT SAVES LIVES.

Just an FYI

Yes, it is entirely possible to eat too many fruits and veggies.

I have that whole "it's winter and I want to eat all the things and then hibernate" thing going on. So I have been grazing on raw veggies and clementines. (because clementines ARE SO YUMMY!) Maybe more of either than is a good idea.  *groan*

Shoppin'

I tried on a size 16 party dress today and it was actually a little bit big. Thank you, Calvin Klein, for flattering my vanity. WOO!!!

Current workout regimen

Strength: about 10 min each day, 6 days per week, alternate upper and lower body, crunches daily
I have some hand weights and I do arm/shoulder exercises focusing on lots of reps at low weight. For lower body I do lunges, squats, etc. Since I work from home I am usually able to sneak all these in throughout the work day.

Cardio: I hit the gym at least 3 times a week for cardio. Usually the ellipticals or swimming laps. Sometimes I take a class to mix it up- either water aerobics or Zumba. On non-gym days I do errands on foot to get some walking in. My goal is 20-60 minutes of cardio per day 5-6 days a week.

I always give myself a rest day each week.Usually Sundays. Lately since my hip has been bothering me, how much cardio I get kind of depends on my pain levels. The strength stuff does not seem like much, but I am already noticing a difference after only 2 weeks. And being able to do it at home is very convenient.

220

I have lost 68 pounds. Not where I was hoping I'd be by this time, but still very good overall. I am 25 pounds away from my initial goal. I am 5 pounds away from my next personal milestone.

215 was the lowest weight I achieved when I was on some horrible commercial starvation diet. I lived on icky protein bars and had to check in 3 times a week to weigh in and have my food diary looked at by one of their counselors. It was, basically, a low-carb hell. I lost weight quickly, but to be fair I was probably getting 900-1200 calories a day. Who wouldn't lose weight on that. They claimed you did not have to exercise on their plan, but the truth is you were not eating enough to be able to.

I realized this week that the jeans I bought when I was at my lowest on that plan is now too big for me.So even though I am still 5 pounds away from what my lowest weight was, I am already slimmer than when I did that evil starvation diet. That is the magic of exercise.

Also this is the 5th week in a row I am down, after a long stretch of gain a pound then lose a pound. I think the daily strength exercises are working!

Woo!

All those pre-Thanksgiving workouts paid off! I am down a pound this week. =)

MY HIP HURTS SO BAD!!!

Dear Bursitis,

I hate you.

No love, ME

Zoooooomba!

I went to a 90 minute Zumba class today and did not die. In fact I feel pretty awesome right now.

There was a time when I would not have made it through the whole class. There was a time when that much exercise would have been it for the day.

Today it just means that pumpkin pie is WELL EARNED.

Sore

This whole idea of trying to work on toning/strength training? It hurts. So many sore muscles!

Drudgery

Whine, whine, whine I hate this and I am sick of thinking about it. I don't feel like working out, or counting points or dealing with any of this shit today. I hate how much work this is.

Owww....

I have chronic bursitis in my hip. Normally, regular physical activity keeps it from flaring up. But in the last week, that has not been enough I guess. My hip hurts. It's not locking up or making me limp, so I guess that is good. It's just achey enough to be annoying.

I think that I will skip the gym tonight. Or maybe just go and soak in the hot tub.

New routine.

Last time I posted, I'd lost 2 pounds. Then last week I gained one. I feel like I have been gaining and losing the same couple of pounds for a while. I'm also not losing anymore inches like I was this summer. I think I have finally hit plateau territory. Ugh...

While I have been making more of an effort to use up activity/weekly points, I am still not using them all every single week. So I don't think that eating less is really going to make a difference. Although I am going to make sure I am being ever vigilant about measuring portions. (is it rude to bring my kitchen scale to parties? LOL) I also really need to stop skipping breakfast.

No, my plan to counter this plateau is going to be a change in my workout routine. And with the coming change in seasons, I think it's a great time to do this. For the last few months I have been all about the cardio: 2-3 days a week I would walk or bike the 1.25 miles to the gym, hop on an elliptical machine and sweat for 20-30 minutes, and then walk home. In addition to gym visits, I was making sure to walk or bike for errand running. So I was getting at least 20 minutes of exercise a day, 5 days a week. But all cardio, and honestly not terribly challenging anymore.

I have decided to spend a week or two trying out some classes at the gym and seeing if I can find some things I enjoy. I also am looking to add in some strength training into the mix. I attended a ballet Barre class over the weekend. That was really fun. I am planning to attend a barbell class this week- I used to go to this one regularly but I got out of the habit. I am also thinking of going to a cycle class. I've never really liked cycle class, but there is significantly less of me since the last time I went. Maybe it will be less painful? I will report back.

I will still get plenty of walking in, as I don't own a car so even in winter I walk a lot, to get groceries, etc, but no more biking until spring as I don't own a bicycle and the Nice Rides are in storage for the winter.

I am likely too far behind to hit my goal by the end of the year, as I'd hoped. But hopefully a change-up in routine will help me stay on track through the holidays!

It worked!

I dropped 2 pounds this week.

I am working on changing my strategy and trying to eat more. I usually have way too many of my extra points left over at the end of the week. I want to use them.

With this weeks loss, I feel like Operation: Use Up the Points was a huge success.

Getting burnt out.

Maybe it's the very slow progress. Or maybe it's just that I have been at this for almost 11 months now. But I am getting so tired of trying to lose weight. I am still around 30 pounds from my goal. I had promised myself that once I was there, I would just maintain for a while and stop thinking about weight loss.

This really is getting exhausting.

Shoes.

I've worn out another pair of running shoes. The next pair will be my third in as many years. Today I feel like one of those athletic people.

Birthdays: last year this year.

I don't feel like being on a diet today. That is all.

Happy birthday to me.

Two years ago I remember sitting in my therapist's office around the time of my birthday, I was all motivated and determined I was going to drop 5 pants sizes by my next birthday. I started a diet and lasted I think 6 weeks. A diet that made me depressed and caused crippling anxiety attacks- not to mention triggering some terrible binge eating.

Two years and life has changed a lot. I have managed to drop a few sizes. (from a 24 to almost a 16 now) Also, I'm not seeing the therapist anymore. Yay, sanity!

After that failed diet 2 years ago, I actually worked with my therapist on some of the emotional ties to food and weight. I am convinced that the work we did laid the foundation for my later success with Weight Watchers. While WW is definitely the plan that works best for the way I eat and live, I don't think I could have been successful on any plan without some major emotional tidying up. I'm glad I did it. I truly believe, now through my experiences, that you can't really be physically healthy if you are not emotionally healthy.

So cheers to turning 34 and being on the road to very, very good health.