I'm SO close to the half-way point in my weight loss journey... I only need a pound and a half more! Yet the scale continues to mock me... I lost nothing over the weekend.
Granted, there was an Easter dinner and a handful of candy (plus cookies and two mini pineapple upside down cakes!) to be eaten Sunday, but I danced for over two hours, so that should have taken care of it!
I upped my calorie intake and I haven't really noticed a difference in how full I feel, or anything like that. I did the P90X Core Synergistic DVD earlier tonight - it's the first step in my plan to do the entire P90X program. I'm thinking I'll do the P90X "Lean" program modification. It focuses more on cardio and less on resistance/weight training. Technically, it's for those of us who would like to lose fat and sculpt lean body mass, instead of bulking up like the Incredible Hulk.
It's just as intense as the classic program and I definitely was sweating at the end. I could do a lot of the moves... and didn't have to modify everything, yet my legs felt like jelly after the cool down!
Tomorrow is the Cardio X DVD if I want to continue with the program. I really would like to finish up the C25K program first (today was supposed to be W9D1 but I never got a chance to hit the pavement) before I move on to a new commitment so I'll really have to make a decision about it.
More later.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Saturday, April 23, 2011
I'm determined to push past this plateau
I WANT to be down under 170. It's so close, yet it alludes me. I'm going up and down between 171 and 172 and cannot figure out why.
My calorie counts have been near-perfect. I've exercised every day this week, I've been drinking water like my life depends on it, (in a biological way it does...)
To reach my goal weight of 168 by Cinco de Mayo, I need to net between 1400 and 1500 calories per day, after exercise. That's more than I'm consuming now, my iPod app wants me to eat just over 1300 calories.
Maybe I should consume a bit more - it wouldn't be a problem, really. But it's scary to up your calorie intake while trying to lose weight, because it seems very counter-intuitive.
Plateaus generally occur because our bodies have become accustomed to the calorie deficit we've created, that is, our metabolic rate slows down enough that the amount of calories we consume more closely equals our energy expenditure.
Also, as we lose weight, our lighter bodies require less calorie burn to move. Things like dancing around require less energy, so we aren't burning as much as we originally were.
There are lots of ways to try to break a plateau. On way is to eat more for a week or two. The body may have stalled fat loss because it is in fat saving mode. In other words, it has become used to the reduced calorie diet and thinks this is the new normal, so it begins saving its fat stores in case calories get reduced even further (it's a survival technique to prevent starvation!). In order to convince your body to use up more body fat, you need to first convince it that food is plentiful and there's no need to hold on to the extra fat stores. You do this by eating about 100 or 200 more calories per day.
So... I guess I'll trust it, and I'll modify my food journal to reflect this change... Alright. It now says I should eat 1500 calories per day. I've already had a 200 calorie breakfast, and went for a run (which I KILLED, by the way. I was running at a pace of 12:30 min/mile!!! Next week is W9, and I'm excited to be able to say I completed the C25K program!)
I've also decided to start the P90X Lean program, which is geared toward women, but I won't start until after showcase, and after I'm done with the running program. Hopefully I can weave in some runs among all the intense cardio! But I'm excited to hopefully see some awesome results.
My calorie counts have been near-perfect. I've exercised every day this week, I've been drinking water like my life depends on it, (in a biological way it does...)
To reach my goal weight of 168 by Cinco de Mayo, I need to net between 1400 and 1500 calories per day, after exercise. That's more than I'm consuming now, my iPod app wants me to eat just over 1300 calories.
Maybe I should consume a bit more - it wouldn't be a problem, really. But it's scary to up your calorie intake while trying to lose weight, because it seems very counter-intuitive.
Plateaus generally occur because our bodies have become accustomed to the calorie deficit we've created, that is, our metabolic rate slows down enough that the amount of calories we consume more closely equals our energy expenditure.
Also, as we lose weight, our lighter bodies require less calorie burn to move. Things like dancing around require less energy, so we aren't burning as much as we originally were.
There are lots of ways to try to break a plateau. On way is to eat more for a week or two. The body may have stalled fat loss because it is in fat saving mode. In other words, it has become used to the reduced calorie diet and thinks this is the new normal, so it begins saving its fat stores in case calories get reduced even further (it's a survival technique to prevent starvation!). In order to convince your body to use up more body fat, you need to first convince it that food is plentiful and there's no need to hold on to the extra fat stores. You do this by eating about 100 or 200 more calories per day.
So... I guess I'll trust it, and I'll modify my food journal to reflect this change... Alright. It now says I should eat 1500 calories per day. I've already had a 200 calorie breakfast, and went for a run (which I KILLED, by the way. I was running at a pace of 12:30 min/mile!!! Next week is W9, and I'm excited to be able to say I completed the C25K program!)
I've also decided to start the P90X Lean program, which is geared toward women, but I won't start until after showcase, and after I'm done with the running program. Hopefully I can weave in some runs among all the intense cardio! But I'm excited to hopefully see some awesome results.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Broke down and made myself coffee
I made a promise not to drink anything but water until the showcase but I couldn't resist making a cup of joe today.
So far, I have not had any fast food - even though we did stop by Taco Bell one night a couple days ago. I held to my guns and chose not to get anything.
I haven't gone over my daily calorie counts at all, and I make sure to document every bite I take.
I also ran on Monday and Wednesday, and I did a 45 minute Zumba routine on Tuesday - today I plan on doing some sort of strength training, probably the P90X arms and shoulders, and ab ripper X.
Unfortunately, the scale hasn't budged at all this week, despite my overhaul of unhealthy habits, which I cannot understand. I'm hoping it's just a temporary mini-wall and my renewed attempts will yield a big weight loss before the show. I need to lose four more pounds in two weeks to reach my goal of 168 by Cinco de Mayo.
Doable, if I continue this plan and the scale cooperates!
So far, I have not had any fast food - even though we did stop by Taco Bell one night a couple days ago. I held to my guns and chose not to get anything.
I haven't gone over my daily calorie counts at all, and I make sure to document every bite I take.
I also ran on Monday and Wednesday, and I did a 45 minute Zumba routine on Tuesday - today I plan on doing some sort of strength training, probably the P90X arms and shoulders, and ab ripper X.
Unfortunately, the scale hasn't budged at all this week, despite my overhaul of unhealthy habits, which I cannot understand. I'm hoping it's just a temporary mini-wall and my renewed attempts will yield a big weight loss before the show. I need to lose four more pounds in two weeks to reach my goal of 168 by Cinco de Mayo.
Doable, if I continue this plan and the scale cooperates!
Monday, April 18, 2011
C25K W8D1
I've got a 28 minute run today... my longest yet! I've mapped out a two-mile route for myself, and as soon as Matt finishes hit workout, I will be out there hitting the pavement!
Weighed myself this morning to discover I had gained just over a half pound this weekend, but even so, my weight is 171.5 - a pound and a half down from a week ago!
I'm hovering around a BMI of 26, and I'm really looking forward to saying goodbye to being overweight! Only 6 more pounds to go! I've got 12 days until Saqra's Showcase and I'm going to milk it. 1300 calories per day, Cardio and Strength everyday, only drinking water, and I'll hopefully be done with C25K by the event! That is, if the weather cooperates. I didn't go out but once last week because the weather was pretty dreadful. I just cannot bring myself to run while it's pouring. Sprinkling or misting is fine, in fact, it keeps me cool, but I hate being soaked to the skin and I don't have any water-proof jackets that can also breathe.
These sound like excuses but I'm just expressing how I feel here. We have a treadmill - perhaps I will get over my fear of using it and try it out this week if the rain threatens to keep me in.
I also need to get back on my Zumba train - I haven't popped in a DVD in almost two weeks. I just really didn't feel like doing it. Plus I'm missing my DVD remote and I need it to be able to do the Abs workout and the Cardio Party without the annoying assistance buttons on the bottom of the screen.
Again, these are sounding like excuses. But I'm done with excuses for the next two weeks. I'm doing it, and I hopefully will reach my goal of being 165 pounds at the Showcase.
Good news is, though, that I'm only 3 pounds away from my goal of 168, which is due by Cinco de Mayo! That's exciting, since when I joined the group I was unsure of whether I could pull a ten pound weight loss in six weeks.
One concern I have is Easter this year. I'm torn between going to troupe and staying home with Matt's family eating Turkey and potatoes and probably skipping a workout. I really need the extra practice but I don't want to offend the in-laws...
Weighed myself this morning to discover I had gained just over a half pound this weekend, but even so, my weight is 171.5 - a pound and a half down from a week ago!
I'm hovering around a BMI of 26, and I'm really looking forward to saying goodbye to being overweight! Only 6 more pounds to go! I've got 12 days until Saqra's Showcase and I'm going to milk it. 1300 calories per day, Cardio and Strength everyday, only drinking water, and I'll hopefully be done with C25K by the event! That is, if the weather cooperates. I didn't go out but once last week because the weather was pretty dreadful. I just cannot bring myself to run while it's pouring. Sprinkling or misting is fine, in fact, it keeps me cool, but I hate being soaked to the skin and I don't have any water-proof jackets that can also breathe.
These sound like excuses but I'm just expressing how I feel here. We have a treadmill - perhaps I will get over my fear of using it and try it out this week if the rain threatens to keep me in.
I also need to get back on my Zumba train - I haven't popped in a DVD in almost two weeks. I just really didn't feel like doing it. Plus I'm missing my DVD remote and I need it to be able to do the Abs workout and the Cardio Party without the annoying assistance buttons on the bottom of the screen.
Again, these are sounding like excuses. But I'm done with excuses for the next two weeks. I'm doing it, and I hopefully will reach my goal of being 165 pounds at the Showcase.
Good news is, though, that I'm only 3 pounds away from my goal of 168, which is due by Cinco de Mayo! That's exciting, since when I joined the group I was unsure of whether I could pull a ten pound weight loss in six weeks.
One concern I have is Easter this year. I'm torn between going to troupe and staying home with Matt's family eating Turkey and potatoes and probably skipping a workout. I really need the extra practice but I don't want to offend the in-laws...
Monday, April 11, 2011
173 pounds
That's right, I lost another pound! Over the weekend. I ate out Friday night (but only drank water). We went out to breakfast at Shari's Restaurant Saturday afternoon, at which point I consumed around 1,100 calories worth of pancakes, eggs, hash browns, sausage and bacon (but again, I only drank water!). Luckily, I wasn't too hungry the rest of the day, and I exercised with Matt that evening. On Sunday I went to troupe, which included thirty minutes of double-veil practice, one hour of Tiger Lily Shaabi and drum solo practice, an hour and a half of advanced class and finally, a half hour of student troupe Shaabi and drum solo practice.
Three and a half hours of low-impact dance. That's around one THOUSAND calories burned. I had a few pieces of pizza that night plus a big glass of root beer yet my calorie count was nowhere near what I needed for the day. I ended the week in a major deficit, and it shows on the scale. I have officially lost five pounds in under 2 and a half weeks. If I kept up the pace, I could potentially hit my goal of being 168 early! Perhaps I could hit it before showcase!
My run today went well. I added an extended route and it was perfect length for my 25-minute run. My pace was a 13 min/mile. My next run is 28 minutes long, so I'm going to have to plan another extension!
Can't wait to see my progress this week! I'll keep you posted :)
Three and a half hours of low-impact dance. That's around one THOUSAND calories burned. I had a few pieces of pizza that night plus a big glass of root beer yet my calorie count was nowhere near what I needed for the day. I ended the week in a major deficit, and it shows on the scale. I have officially lost five pounds in under 2 and a half weeks. If I kept up the pace, I could potentially hit my goal of being 168 early! Perhaps I could hit it before showcase!
My run today went well. I added an extended route and it was perfect length for my 25-minute run. My pace was a 13 min/mile. My next run is 28 minutes long, so I'm going to have to plan another extension!
Can't wait to see my progress this week! I'll keep you posted :)
Friday, April 8, 2011
How I managed weight loss this week is beyond me!
But according to the Wii, I weigh 174.1, which officially puts me over TWENTY POUNDS DOWN from my highest weight!
It's a great feeling, it truly is. I thought I was going to see a gain when I stepped on this morning, and when the scale tipped in the OTHER direction, I nearly jumped for joy!
I must confess, I went over my calorie counts on more than one occasion this week, had Burger King late one night, drank soda and ate red velvet cake for a birthday, and I only managed a small loss on Tuesday morning (after gaining a pound Sunday), plus I only worked out on Monday (P90X chest and back, read: PUSHUPS like nobody's business!)
Today, after learning that I had reached a mini-goal, decided to go for a run. Even though I had to stop a few times to fix my iPod, and wait for EVERY crosswalk to turn green, I kept a 13:30 pace.
I really need to work on distance more than time if I want to complete a 5K this June, but I'm on W7D3 next time I run, so I only have five-seven more workouts until I complete the C25K program. If I don't skip any runs, I could potentially be done by the 25th, and then I'll have two months to work on my endurance.
Sounds doable, especially if I continue to lose weight! And I refuse to let the pounds pile on ever again, so that's a given!
More soon!
It's a great feeling, it truly is. I thought I was going to see a gain when I stepped on this morning, and when the scale tipped in the OTHER direction, I nearly jumped for joy!
I must confess, I went over my calorie counts on more than one occasion this week, had Burger King late one night, drank soda and ate red velvet cake for a birthday, and I only managed a small loss on Tuesday morning (after gaining a pound Sunday), plus I only worked out on Monday (P90X chest and back, read: PUSHUPS like nobody's business!)
Today, after learning that I had reached a mini-goal, decided to go for a run. Even though I had to stop a few times to fix my iPod, and wait for EVERY crosswalk to turn green, I kept a 13:30 pace.
I really need to work on distance more than time if I want to complete a 5K this June, but I'm on W7D3 next time I run, so I only have five-seven more workouts until I complete the C25K program. If I don't skip any runs, I could potentially be done by the 25th, and then I'll have two months to work on my endurance.
Sounds doable, especially if I continue to lose weight! And I refuse to let the pounds pile on ever again, so that's a given!
More soon!
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Just finished another workout...
Yesterday I went over my calorie count by about 400... we had pizza and salad for dinner, I had a chocolate chip cookie and soda, and then later I ate a few chips with queso dip and drank a mojito.
Now, I'm far from feeling guilty. I realize there will be days like yesterday where my will power will be tested, and there will be temptations right in front of me, but I made the conscious decision to eat what I ate, and I also decided not to work any of the calories off. So I'm not going to spend any time dwelling on it - I picked my calorie counting back up this morning and did a full 50 minutes of Zumba, plus pulled my son in a wagon around the neighborhood for 30 minutes.
Also, yesterday I decided to try on the pair of dress pants I was given back in October. They are size 15, and when they were given to me, I could button them, and zip them, but it wasn't pretty. My belly was hanging over the top, the material was stretched over my thighs, and my butt looked squished. I just tucked them away in my drawer hoping I could one day look good in them. That day was yesterday!!! I put them on, they didn't cling to my hips and when I zipped them up, they camouflaged my little pooch instead of emphasizing it! I wore them all day, and never once felt self-conscious. Non-scale victory for sure!
Unfortunately, I'm wearing the new skinny jeans I bought for myself at the end of January and they are WAY too big in the waist now. I can pull them down without unbuttoning them, and they fall down even while I'm just standing. Also, the jeans I bought back in August are getting a touch too big, and forget about my black jeans I bought before Christmas - I'm swimming in them.
I don't know when I'll be able to buy new clothes next. Spring is here so maybe I'll wear more skirts and dresses until I hit smaller sizes closer to my goal weight!
Today I'm working to get my calories back on track - had oatmeal with walnuts and blueberries (the walnuts are CRAZY full of calories - mostly good fats though) and I had two cookies and a cup of root beer.
I'm ready for some dinner! Hope it's something healthy. More later.
Now, I'm far from feeling guilty. I realize there will be days like yesterday where my will power will be tested, and there will be temptations right in front of me, but I made the conscious decision to eat what I ate, and I also decided not to work any of the calories off. So I'm not going to spend any time dwelling on it - I picked my calorie counting back up this morning and did a full 50 minutes of Zumba, plus pulled my son in a wagon around the neighborhood for 30 minutes.
Also, yesterday I decided to try on the pair of dress pants I was given back in October. They are size 15, and when they were given to me, I could button them, and zip them, but it wasn't pretty. My belly was hanging over the top, the material was stretched over my thighs, and my butt looked squished. I just tucked them away in my drawer hoping I could one day look good in them. That day was yesterday!!! I put them on, they didn't cling to my hips and when I zipped them up, they camouflaged my little pooch instead of emphasizing it! I wore them all day, and never once felt self-conscious. Non-scale victory for sure!
Unfortunately, I'm wearing the new skinny jeans I bought for myself at the end of January and they are WAY too big in the waist now. I can pull them down without unbuttoning them, and they fall down even while I'm just standing. Also, the jeans I bought back in August are getting a touch too big, and forget about my black jeans I bought before Christmas - I'm swimming in them.
I don't know when I'll be able to buy new clothes next. Spring is here so maybe I'll wear more skirts and dresses until I hit smaller sizes closer to my goal weight!
Today I'm working to get my calories back on track - had oatmeal with walnuts and blueberries (the walnuts are CRAZY full of calories - mostly good fats though) and I had two cookies and a cup of root beer.
I'm ready for some dinner! Hope it's something healthy. More later.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Today's weigh-in...
...went WAY better than expected! Wii says I lost 1.3 pounds since Tuesday (I had apparently gained .7 pounds between Sunday and then but this makes up for it almost two-fold!).
My weight stands at just under 176 pounds. As is probably obvious, I'm VERY happy. Haven't starved myself at all this year, I feel stronger than ever, it's a great feeling!
Went for another run today, did C25K W7D1, so that officially starts me back on track for the program! I just felt exhausted over halfway through, and I found out just now, after plugging in my route online, that I was running at a pace of 13:11! That's my fastest EVER, especially running for so long... I had to stop at 24:30 because I felt like I was going to collapse. I wish I had completed the last 30 seconds, but I just didn't have anything else in me.
Next time, I'll know to set my pace lower so I can run longer (because I need to be able to run a 5K! Endurance, baby!) and to really focus on not overextending myself in the first half of my run.
Hopefully, this weight continues to melt right off - my friend Heaven just gave me a bag of cute clothes and they look fantastic on me!
I'd love to look just as fantastic in my dance costume for upcoming performances, specifically Saqra's showcase (29 days away), and my mom's student show at the end of May (8 weeks). I'm thinking a realistic goal will be 5 pounds each month, but I'd love to get closer to ten.
Goal 1: Cinco de Mayo challenge - 168.
Goal 2: "Normal" BMI - 165
Goal 3: Size 13/14 pants
My weight stands at just under 176 pounds. As is probably obvious, I'm VERY happy. Haven't starved myself at all this year, I feel stronger than ever, it's a great feeling!
Went for another run today, did C25K W7D1, so that officially starts me back on track for the program! I just felt exhausted over halfway through, and I found out just now, after plugging in my route online, that I was running at a pace of 13:11! That's my fastest EVER, especially running for so long... I had to stop at 24:30 because I felt like I was going to collapse. I wish I had completed the last 30 seconds, but I just didn't have anything else in me.
Next time, I'll know to set my pace lower so I can run longer (because I need to be able to run a 5K! Endurance, baby!) and to really focus on not overextending myself in the first half of my run.
Hopefully, this weight continues to melt right off - my friend Heaven just gave me a bag of cute clothes and they look fantastic on me!
I'd love to look just as fantastic in my dance costume for upcoming performances, specifically Saqra's showcase (29 days away), and my mom's student show at the end of May (8 weeks). I'm thinking a realistic goal will be 5 pounds each month, but I'd love to get closer to ten.
Goal 1: Cinco de Mayo challenge - 168.
Goal 2: "Normal" BMI - 165
Goal 3: Size 13/14 pants
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