Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Weigh-In Wednesday -- ouch, I gained 2 lbs

238. GAINED 2 lbs. this week, 15 lbs. lost overall.

Dammit. I gained weight. I got on the scale like 10 times before I was willing to accept it. haha.

I really did go off the rails this last week. I think I was testing myself to see how far I could push the limits of what is considered "on-plan." Here's what I found:

I stayed on plan in terms of my points, but I ate badly and in unhealthy patterns. I skipped breakfast a few times. I also ate pasta. And McDonald's (yesterday.) And I ate late at night a few times. So pretty much my old eating pattern, in spite of staying on my points.

There is a positive side to this. I was a lot more active this week. And I did really well with not eating bread -- the Quarter Pounder yesterday being the exception. I know that my body will freak out and hold onto fat when I make a major change in my diet, and stopping bread is definitely a big one.

I don't feel guilty about McDonald's. I consciously gave myself permission to eat there. I have not eaten McDonald's since I started WW's, and had not for a while beforehand. It was getting way out of control where I was eating at least one large meal there several times a week and sometimes on my day off I would go drive thru and get a huge bag of McCrack and go home and eat it all. I mean a big bag, like.... ok, confession time: 3 McDoubles, 3 McChickens, a 20-piece McNugget, large fries, and a large Coke; I didn't even make the pretense of getting Diet Coke. SO -- yesterday, having a quarter pounder, small fries and a Coke Zero was really a much more appropriate indulgence.

In fact, I probably put in that two pounds yesterday. I also ate birthday cake. It was my mom's birthday.

So the math goes like this:

Skip Breakfast + McDonald's For Lunch + Birthday Cake = 2 lbs.

Goals for next week:


Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Weigh-In Wednesday

236 lbs., lost 3 lbs this week, 17 lbs lost overall.

*phew*

I was a little worried after not losing any weight last week.

Made some adjustments to my diet again this week. About mid-week, I decided to stop eating bread. Also went back on plan in terms of what types of food I was eating. I did under-eat a little bit. That's so ironic, I never imagined I would have a problem not eating enough,

But I also understand myself, and I know how my body works. I took the warning to heart from Weight Watchers that I was "losing weight too fast," but I also don't mind if I drop a lot of weight really quick. I need to reset my metabolism. I know I "shocked" my body so to speak with a couple weeks of dramatic under-eating, but it has made me more able to stay on plan. I'm not carb starved all the time any more because I cut so much carbs out of my diet, I have adapted to a lower-carb diet.

It also allows me to have indulgences once in a while, for example a burger and fries, which I did have last week. Two weeks ago when I didn't lose any weight, I had been eating a handful of fries every day. One of the take-aways from that week was, "OK, the all day grazing has to stop. If I'm gonna have french fries, I just gonna have them, with a meal and get it over with."

This week I have really been craving a pizza. I might have to let that be my freebie this week.

It feels good to be back on track.

Goals for next week:

  • lose at least 1 lb.
  • really get a handle on the no bread thing
  • work out at least 3 days

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Weigh-In Wednesday

A day late. I was hiding from the Internet yesterday. Still am today. I am going to share this post to FB and disappear again. But it's part of my overall strategy to keep up on this blog, so here ya go.

Anyway, 239 lbs., 14 lbs. lost so far.

I did not lose any weight this past week.

I am disappointed, but I was also kind of expecting it. WW's did warn me that I was losing weight too fast, and two weeks ago I really did go way under plan and it caused me to be really hungry for days after.

Anyway, what did I learn this week?


  • Stay on plan, not under
  • Eat more, earlier in the day
  • I didn't eat enough vegetables last week
  • I ate french fries
    • if I'm gonna have fries, I should just have them once, with a meal, not the all-week grazing I did this past week. Oops, it was a bad slip
Technically, I lost 2/10th of a pound. I have a digital scale, but I am tracking my weight in whole pounds. Two weeks ago I was 239.6 and this Wednesday, I was 239.4. LOL Hey, it's something.

Goals for next week:

  • Lose at least 1 lb.
  • Eat more vegetables, every day
  • Eat more, earlier in the day
  • Go for a walk

Sunday, October 12, 2014

OK, Weight Watcher's warned me...

BLAH. OMG.

OK, so last Wednesday I got a warning message from Weight Watchers that I am loosing weight too fast. At the time, I was all, Whatever, sure I've been going way below my points once in a while, but it will level out.

Sure as hell is "leveling out." Here's what leveling out looks like:

So, I knew I wasn't eating enough. Still continued not eating enough.

Yesterday, I was so hungry I ate almost double my daily points, the equivalent of 5 full meals, like I used to eat every day. I couldn't help it, I was literally starving, I know how my body feels when it starts to go into calorie deficit and it's gonna get some food, period.

Whatever, I gave myself permission to eat all day yesterday. For real, the week prior, I literally ate half what my body is accustomed to, way too little food. As I said in the last post, 3 days I went down to like 50% of my daily points. That's pretty dramatic.

Anyway, this leads us to today. Today, I have uncomfortable gas, I feel bloated and groggy, and I have had to shit like 6 times. In spite of this, I have also been "hungry" all day, even though my belly is full. Oi. So, I stretched my stomach out with all that food. Gotta curb cravings now....... *headdesk*

Tomorrow, we may be leveled out. More likely Tuesday before I feel adjusted again.

I'll learn someday.

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Cut your sandwiches in half

I've been cutting my sandwiches in half again. I've found it psychologically creates two sandwiches, without increasing the portion. It is working quite well. I've found it helps me to only eat one instead of two.

Weigh-In Wednesday - Lost 3 lbs, 14 lbs. total

239, lost 3 lbs., 14 lbs total lost.
Also took my measurements, which I am tracking monthly:

  • Upper Arm: 15 inches, gained 2 inches around my bicep
    • that's good, it means the free weights are working
  • Chest: 44 inches, lost 3 inches around my chest - excellent!
  • Neck: 17.5, lost 1/2 an inch around my neck
    • that is good, but I knew it was going to be a small result; I tried on my one-time favorite, every-day worn necklace that used to rest in the hollow of my throat and it was almost like a choker. LOL I thought, "Oh damn, still got some work to do..."
  • Waist: 50.5, lost 1.5 inches around my belly -- awesome!
  • Calves: 16 inches, lost 1 inch
    • my activity level has increased, so I guess my calves were fat.
  • Thigh: 25 inches, lost 1 inch off my thighs
  • BMI: 31.5, still too high, but that is a 1.9% LOSS, down from 33.4
So, the observation I've been making lately is actually true. I've been noticing that my pants don't ride down as bad the last week or so. My belly is so big it pushes them down unless I cinch my belt until it's painful. I used to do that, but I can't any more. Anyway, the last few days I've noticed a marked drop in how often I have to hitch up my pants, and after I use the bathroom and re-set my wardrobe, I noticed it stays fixed for longer, easier. 

I'm very pleased with that. I hate fidgeting with my clothes all the time. It makes me self-conscious.

Also, reached an awesome Milestone with Weight Watchers, my 5% weight goal, meaning I have lost 5% of my starting weight. 



The reason that screen shot is cropped so high is because I want to celebrate my weight loss and my happiness at the success. However, there was also a warning that I am "losing weight too fast." Weight Watchers doesn't want you to lose more than 2 lbs. / week, and my average is 3.5 lbs a week.

I did go under plan a couple days last week, only ate about half of my points. And I was very hungry the following day both times because of it. However, even that feels kinda good: I have to eat more because my weigh loss is too dramatic. 

Not smoking cigarettes is also going very well. This Friday, October 10th will be 28 days, and I will be moving on to Step 3 with the nicotine patches. 2 more weeks wearing a lower does patch, and then I am technically done with them. At this time, I am feeling I don't care if I wear a nicotine patch the rest of my life, I'm not gonna smoke cigarettes. 

However, it is also getting easier and easier every day. My lifestyle routines are really adapted to not smoking. I am still using my e-cig a little bit. I am going through 1 disposable a week, which is about the equivalent of 1 pack of cigarettes in terms of how long they last. I don't use it at all in the morning, don't even think of it, except as something that has to go in my pocket because I want to use it at the end of my work day. 

I am going to try to go off the patch obviously. But, I might keep some in the house in case I freak out and start considering actually smoking. That's more than 2 weeks away anyway. My body memory of smoking cigarettes is going away really fast, it will be very diminished by then.

I am also feeling like a million bucks. I've got more energy. My house is cleaner. I'm taking better care of my body. I am starting to look forward to exercising instead of it feeling like a chore. I'm so pleased with all of it, I am starting to trust that I am making a lifelong change. It's still all a work in progress, but I'm enjoying doing it.

Goals for next week:

  • Stay on plan, including eating enough (oddly enough... LOL)
  • Keep working on my physical environment
    • I didn't realize how disgusting my house was and I'm busy, so it's taking some time
  • Work out 5 days

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Weigh-In Wednesday - Lost 3 lbs.

Sweet,
242 lbs., lost 3 lbs., overall lost 11 lbs. so far.

I just caught myself, arms crossed, looking out the window and nodding to myself, "It's working."

It is totally working. I have always been shocked by the cause and effect in my life, I'm not sure why. But especially when it's my own behavior, I'm always like, "OH! Duh...." Like right now. I changed my diet for real, not just for a day or two, and there is a resultant change in me. Huh.. who knew? LOL

I'm really pleased to see this result, because I felt like I went off the wagon a couple times this week. Truthfully though, I ate a cheese burger and fries one time, which is normal, right? Once a week you treat yourself to some meal like that.

So-so on my goals for the week: I did eat breakfast every day, but I only worked out twice (goal is 5 times a week.)

So goals for next week:


  • I wanna try one completely new meal this week, something I've never thought of before
  • Work out 5 days