Weekly Weigh-In + Week in Review

Looking back on this week, it was an okay week. Of course it could have been better but I have never had a week that was so good that it didn't need improving on and I know that I won't ever have that kind of week because there will always been something that needs to be improved on.

I finished week 2 of C25K, well, I sort of finished week 2 of C25K. What do I mean by that? I completed day one last week and told myself that I would start the week over this Tuesday. Well, I did, but when I got to Wednesday and checked day two off, I knew that I should go ahead and count my day one from the previous week. And that is exactly what I did. 2 days from this week plus 1 day from last week equals 3 days total which is how long your C25K weeks run. So, technically I am done with week 2 (but I may or may not have cheated myself, I will figure that out later).

My eating slightly improved. I did visit Panera this week, but I didn't go as many times as I have been going in the past, so that is definitely an improvement for me. One thing I did notice was that I have been eating a lot of sandwiches lately mainly because they are what I have been craving. By now you should know that when I have a craving for something, I go ahead and eat it. Going into next week, I am going to try and lay off of the sandwiches a little, allowing myself to have one maybe once a day and not nearly every day like in the past. In my defense, those sandwiches from Panera were only half sandwiches, so that's technically one slice of bread right?

When it comes to weight loss, I didn't lose a pound but I didn't gain one either. I am happy about the last part, the fact that although I didn't lose a pound, not even an ounce for that matter, I didn't gain one. I like the numbers that I am seeing on the scale but as always, I try not to pay attention to those because they can go lower, higher or stay the same. Instead, I will be checking my measurements to see if anything has or hasn't changed in the month of August (they will be available on the progress page shortly).

Looking ahead to next week, I know some of the areas I need to work on:

• Less sandwiches (actually, less carbs in general would be a nice idea)
• Completing all of week 3 in one actual week instead of splitting it up (just a personal preference)
• Drinking water, not just filling my CamelBak up and throwing it in my bag, but actually taking the time to drink the water out of it

Here's to a new week, a new month and new opportunities that are ahead of me!

Weigh In Day

I didn't know what to expect from weigh in day this week, mainly because I was only able to check one day off of my C25K app but I knew that whatever I saw, would be recorded. My eating wasn't terrible this week, my sodium levels on some days were higher than I would have liked them to be but taking a day off from where I was eating lunch seemed to help that problem out.

Although I was only able to check one day off of week 2 of C25K, I still managed to get out 2 days to walk, that 1 day to run and then two days were spent inside cleaning up; you would be surprised at the amount of calories you can burn just while cleaning or doing laundry for that matter.

To change directions and move this from a week in review, which it has become, back to my weekly weigh in post, I am able to record another loss of 1.8 pounds on here and over on MyFitnessPal. That means I am finally in the upper 230's! Which, is a number that I have been wanting to see for a while now, I'm glad to see it but I have my eye on seeing some lower numbers than that in the future.

I will continue with week 2 of C25K this week, I will actually be starting the week over since I only got in one day last week (more on that in a later post), I will also be working on my water intake and I may even venture into new territory and try almond milk (I know, random right!).  Either way, I am in it to win it and can't wait to see what next week brings.

Weigh In Day

When I went on vacation last week, I told myself that I was going to be taking a vacation from everything; logging, those intense workouts I had been doing and more. I essentially went back to eating foods that I haven't eaten since I started this journey.

I also gained 3.8 pounds (this is last weeks gain) in the process. I was not shocked at that number nor was I upset. Mainly because I made the decision to eat those foods, skip out on logging everything and only complete a "lighter" workout 3 times during the week.

Last Saturday, my normal weigh in day, I made my mind up that I was coming back and would be better than ever. I started C25K (more on that in a later post) and I have thoroughly enjoyed it. I never imagined myself as a runner and although I am not there yet, I am getting closer. I have moved from the couch and I am closer to running a 5K than I actually was last week.

Spending the past 3 days (the weeks on C25K run for 3 days periods) running / jogging / walking has opened my eyes to so much. I have made healthier eating choices and have actually wanted to get out and complete another day.

Although this week went well, I didn't know what to expect on the scale. I can report a loss of 3.4 pounds, which means I am almost back to my pre-vacation weight! That tells me that something is working. It is either my new workout, my new approach to eating or perhaps both.

Either way, I plan on keeping this up, because I won't be reverting back to those vacation habits any time soon.

Weigh In Day

It is amazing how your weight can fluctuate throughout a day. Yesterday, I decided to weigh in and I figured I may as well go ahead and record the number I saw on the scale (it was a loss) but decided against it because it wasn't my "normal" weigh in day. This morning (at 4:30 am!) I stepped on the scale, and at least 4 different numbers popped up. One was a gain, then there was a loss, then there was the number I saw last week then it finally stopped flashing on a 0.4 ounce gain.

I stepped off of the scale and tried it again, still the same thing. I decided to move the scale to a different part of the house and stepped on it again, this time it revealed a loss. I stepped off and repeated the process, same numbers. I stepped on two more times and told myself that whatever number was on the LED display was the one I was going with.

In that case, I can report a loss of 1.2 pounds this week. I think I am going to invest in some new batteries for my scale and if that doesn't work, I will invest in a new scale. For some reason, it hasn't been as responsive as I would like until I move it around the house, so for now, I am sticking with that particular location and going to buy a new battery.

Until then, I am focusing on next week; which will prove to be one of my toughest weeks to date because I am giving up my workout DVDs for the entire week.

Have a great weekend!

Weigh In Day

I was a little worried about my weigh in today, mainly because I had a slight flare up of my GERD last night, something that hasn't happened in nearly a month. Once you have a flare up it is like you are in a constant state of being bloated and mildly uncomfortable. So, I stepped on the scale anyways and told myself that in order to stay accountable I would record the number I saw into MyFitnessPal no matter what.

I was able to record another loss of 1.2 pounds into MyFitnessPal which had me relieved because I knew for sure that GERD was coming in to sabotage my success. I also updated my measurements to see how they were progressing, again I was slightly nervous because of the bloating issue, but overall they weren't to shabby. Head over to the progress page to check them out!

Weigh In Day

For me, the key to success is ending the day with a significant calorie deficit. When I say significant, I mean over 500 calories each day. For once, I wasn't really worried about my weigh in today, mainly because I finally hit the point in my journey where I am able to react to the changes it is going through. Today, I went out on a limb and even purchased a one piece bathing suit (I usually purchase separates and pair them together, so I have a tankini and  a skirt (one that goes down mid-thigh, but I figured it was time for a change) to wear in a couple of weeks.

This week I am able to put another loss in the books, a loss of 1.4 pounds. Even if I didn't lose anything this week I would have gained more than weight, I would have gained a new sense of who I was becoming and that means more to me than any number that I may or may not see on the scale.

Weigh In Day

I pushed myself harder this week than I ever have on this journey and the best part is that I actually had fun doing so. I set a goal before each workout to burn more calories that I did the day before and I was able to do that which made me even more proud of myself. I wanted to see a loss this week, I needed to see a loss this week to let myself know that I was still doing something right.

When I stepped on the scale this week I was in a bit of disbelief. I had to step right back off, let it reset, tap it and wait for the triple zeros before stepping back on. Although I was in disbelief, I was pleased with what I saw!

My weigh in today shows a loss of 2.4 pounds this week. I have never been more excited at seeing my weight flash on the scale in this bright red numbers. Although I am excited, I have never had two consecutive big number losses in the weeks following each other. So I am simply taking this number with a grain of salt until I see next weeks numbers.

I am definitely going to continue with the cardio workouts on this DVD set and I am contemplating rotating to the next cardio disc or sticking with the one I finished yesterday. Either way I am excited for my next round of intense cardio next week!

I never thought I would say this, but I think I am getting addicted to working out, and I like it!

Weigh In Day

This entire week I have spent the duration of my exercises lifting weights. I knew that when Is tarted, I would more than likely see a gain on the scales. Surprisingly, it didn't bother me because I do want to build muscle and eventually I will have to see a gain if I keep going.

Weight loss / gain this week: +1.2 pounds
Total loss since the start of this journey: 16 pounds 

Any other time I would have been slightly discouraged at a gain but continued with my journey, today is the exact opposite, I knew what I was getting myself into and I am happy to be building muscle. I feel stronger, my arms are getting more defined and so are my legs, which is exactly what I want.

Next week, I start another Bob Harper DVD which I will be reviewing and will keep updates coming on Twitter and my workout results on Instagram.

Weigh In Day

This week I did a little experiment of my own. I wanted to see how my body would react at my weekly weigh in if I didn't exercise for the week (the only day I exercised was on Monday). I wanted to see if I would lose, gain or maintain my current weight. My allotted calories through MFP are enough to allow me to lose weight as long as I stay under those calories each day.

This week I lost 0.8 pounds. My running average for the past two weeks has been losing 1 pound per week. That means MFP is right, the calories I am allotted each week, still allow me to lose weight even if I don't exercise. I may have lost a pound if it wasn't for all of those french fries I was eating yesterday, but the main thing is that I still lost something.

Total loss this week: 0.8 pounds
Total loss since the start of this journey: 17.6 pounds

Head over to the progress page to see how my measurements changed from the beginning of the month to the end!

Weigh In Day

I always get nervous before I weigh in. I am not sure what it is about it, for years I feared the scale. When I went to the doctor, I would always turn my head so that I didn't see the results on the scale. Luckily, all of the nurses caught on to what I was doing and wouldn't tell me what my weight was. Now that the scales are digital, I just close my eyes and never look down.

Part of me still feels that way now. I slowly look down at the numbers to see what they are; see if there is any loss, gain or if I am maintaining my weight for another week.

For the second week in a row (haven't been able to say that in a while) I am happy to report that I have another loss in the books. I was stuck in a rut for awhile using LoseIt! and since I switched over to MFP, I have had two losses in two consecutive weeks. If I have another next week (making three weeks in a row) then I will definitely know that MFP is a winner.

Total loss this week: 1 pound
Total loss since the start of this journey: 16.8 pounds (the MFP ticker to your right rounds up to the nearest number)
Total loss needed until I hit goal: 46 pounds

Weigh In Day

I felt very good about this week. My eating was under control and I exercised all 5 days, even making changes to my schedule to make sure I had time to fit my workout in. Last week I had, what I believe, my highest gain on this journey. This week I am happy to report I had a wonderful loss.

This weeks weigh in revealed a 1 pound loss (I am not sure what is going on with how MFP reports that but I think I entered something wrong when I signed up and that is why they are only reporting a 0.8 pound loss - but the ticker to the right is correct). With that loss comes a huge sigh of relief.

Lately, I have been incorporating strength training into my workouts and I am starting to feel stronger, which means that I must be gaining muscle, which does put a little weight on you. Hopefully, my body is on the rebound from that weight gain last week but I am not getting to overly excited because my body doesn't seem to have two significant losses each week (only time will tell).

Either way, I am celebrating for today because the numbers are moving down once again.

Total loss this week: 1 pound
Total loss since the start of this journey: 15.8 pounds (I'm back above 15 pounds lost!!)
Total loss needed until goal: 47 pounds

Weigh In Day

I have struggled to lose the same 4 pounds for over a month now. I am not sure what I am doing wrong, but I am obviously doing something wrong. Maybe it isn't enough calories, maybe it is too many calories. Maybe I am building muscle in the process and the weight will come off later. There are so many factors that may contribute to this but I have yet to figure out what they are or the best way to approach them.

Today's weigh in revealed a 2.4 pound gain. To date, this may be one of my largest gains (if not the largest) that I have had on this journey. There are plenty of reasons why this 2.4 pound gain should bother me but then there are plenty of reasons why I am not surprised.

I have to ask myself a series of questions. Was my eating under control this week? How was my exercise? Did I truly monitor my calories or just take an estimated guess? What about beverages, they can pack some calories too. Should I or shouldn't I be eating my exercise calories? Do I need to do protein shakes after I workout? There are so many questions that I have to ask myself that pertain to this gain.

I am not surprised that there was a gain, I just never thought it would be this significant. On weeks where I lose over 1 pound (like last week) my next weeks weigh in is almost always a gain. I don't think I have ever had two weeks where my weight went down by significant numbers.

It will take some serious thinking to figure out why this is happening and to also figure out how I can continue to lose weight each week versus have a battle with losing and gaining, then losing and gaining.

Total loss/gain for the week: +2.4 pounds
Total loss/gain for the month: +1.2 pounds (+2.4 gain this week - 1.2 loss last week)
Total loss since the start of this journey: 14.8 pounds

Weigh In Day

My weigh in today has just made my birthday even more special. According to the LoseIt! and the scales I am down another 1.2 pounds from the last time I weighed in!! This just shows me that when I really buckle down and focus on what is in front of me I can get the ball rolling again and the numbers will keep coming down. For this month my ultimate goal is to drop 5 pounds. Not sure how reasonable that is, but as long as I lose something I will be happy.

Total loss for this week: 1.2 pounds
Total loss for the month: 1.2 pounds 
Total loss since the start of this journey: 17.2 pounds

Since I was already thrilled with the numbers on my scale, I decided to see if there were any changes in my measurements.

Since today is the first Saturday in June, these measurements will serve as my end of May measurements as well as beginning of June measurements.

Neck - 14 1/2
Bust - 45
Chest - 41
Waist - 43
Hips - 50 1/2
Thighs - 26
Calves - 16
Upper Arm - 14
Forearm - 11

Overall I lost inches in my neck, waist, hips and thighs which is pretty good for me.

Since today is my birthday, I have vowed that I will not focus on the calories consumed but will focus on the good time that is scheduled with my family today. Since I am not counting calories, that probably means that today will count as my cheat day and the second one I have had on this journey.

Either way, thanks to my hard work this week, my day is already off to an amazing start.

Weigh In Day

"I feel stronger" ....those are the words that ran through my mind all night. This morning when I stepped on the scale, I realized why the words were running through my mind.

Today's weigh-in resulted in a 0.4 ounce gain. Some people may get discouraged to see that but I don't (don't get me wrong, there are times when I do feel let down, mainly by myself, because I have gained something, but in the end I look at how far I have come), mainly because I do feel stronger and I feel that this slight gain is a result of adding in some muscle. Also since I didn't weigh in at all last week I don't know if it is actually a gain or a  loss.

I do believe this workout is doing something for my body because I do feel stronger and I feel as if my body is getting smaller. That may all be in my mind but as long as I keep telling myself that, I know that it will be true one day.

Total loss this week: +0.4 pounds
Total loss for the month: 0.8 pounds
Total loss since the start of this journey: 16 pounds

Weigh In Day: Measurements

I knew on Monday that today was going to be the day that I updated my measurements, especially since I didn't do it last week like I wanted to.  Since I gave myself a break this week, it is also fitting to give myself a break from the scales today. On this journey, I expect that my measurements will fluctuate like my weight will fluctuate, but the only way to know what is going on, is to update them.  On to the measurements now.

Final Measurements for April
Neck - 15
Bust - 45
Chest - 39 1/2
Waist - 44
Hips - 50
Thighs - 28
Calves - 15 1/2
Upper Arm - 14
Forearm - 10

Beginning Measurements for May
Neck - 14 3/4
Bust - 45
Chest - 39 1/2
Waist - 44
Hips - 50
Thighs - 27 1/2
Calves - 16 (left) 15 1/2 (right)
Upper Arm - 14
Forearm - 11

Some areas saw a decrease in inches, some saw an increase; but that's just how it goes on a weight loss journey. Check under the progress tab for all of the measurement you may have missed.

Weigh In Day

This week I have been focusing on eating only foods that I could log into LoseIt!. I logged everything, from low calorie drinks to condiments. It takes a lot of time to log everything but after a while it does become a habit and is easy to maintain. That is why I owe today's results from the scale to my entire week.

Today's weigh in revealed a 1.2 pound loss, talk about excited!! I wasn't sure what to expect because my last two days of eating have been kind of off schedule, but seeing that loss has motivated me to get back on the right track, which means; more clean eating, more exercise and more water.

Since starting the Biggest Loser workout I will take measurements next week to see how they compare when the 6 weeks are over.

Total loss this week: 1.2 pounds
Total loss for the month: 1.2 pounds
Total loss since the start of this journey: 16.4 pounds

Weigh In Day

Today's weekly weigh in shows a 0.8 gain. Surprisingly, I am not mad at seeing that at all, mainly because I didn't have the best week but I also didn't gain a pound, only .8 ounces. Therefore, I am actually pretty pleased with today's results.

Total gain for this week: 0.8 pounds
Total loss for the month: 2.2 pounds
Total loss since the start of this journey: 15.2 pounds (this is why I am not mad at today's weigh in, because I am still holding at over 15 pounds lost)

Since April is coming to a close, I decided to take final measurements to see how I compared from the start of the month to now.

Here are measurements from Saturday, April 6:
Neck - 15
Bust - 46
Chest - 41
Waist - 44
Hips - 50
Thighs - 28
Calves - 16
Upper Arm - 14
Forearm - 10 1/2

Here are measurements for Saturday, April 27:
Neck - 15
Bust - 45
Chest - 39 1/2
Waist - 44
Hips - 50
Thighs - 28
Calves - 15 1/2
Upper Arm - 14
Forearm - 10

Overall, for the month as a whole, my inches went down, which is a large non-scale victory, I had a slight 1/2 inch increase in some areas from last week, but again, that is no problem because these things happen. Sometimes you lose, sometimes you don't. I have never had a week where I saw a substantial loss (like last weeks 3 pounds) followed by another substantial loss; it just doesn't work like that for me. What works for me is knowing that I feel better as each day moves on, not the number on the scale.

Weigh In Day

Luckily for me, I didn't gain anything this week but I also didn't lose anything. I would have loved to have lost   the 1.2 pounds that would put me back at my lowest weight since the start of this journey, but taking baby steps is what it is all about and as a baby sometimes you fall but you get right back up. Earlier this month I fell on this journey, but I got right back up and worked on losing that weight. Although I still have another 1.2 pounds to go before I am back to my lowest weight on this journey, I am still proud of the no gain.

Total weight loss this week: 0 pounds
Total weight loss this month: 3 pounds
Total weight loss since the start of this journey: 16 pounds

On the weeks where I don't lose any weight I figured I might as well check my measurements to to see if any numbers changed, so although the scale didn't go anywhere, the inches hopefully did.

Measurement from April 6:
Neck - 15
Bust - 46
Chest - 41
Waist - 44
Hips - 50
Thighs - 28
Calves - 16
Upper Arm - 14
Forearm - 10 1/2

Measurements from April 20:
Neck - 15
Bust - 45 1/2
Chest - 39 1/2
Waist - 43 1/2
Hips - 50
Thighs - 27
Calves - 16
Upper Arm - 14
Forearm - 10

Thankfully, I did lose inches which has made this week another non scale victory which is something to be proud of.

Weigh In Day

If you follow me on Twitter, you may have already seen that tweet if you haven't I want to welcome you into my point of view for the next few minutes. Losing weight is like a roller coaster, when your numbers are going down, it's the most fun. When your numbers are going up, you are constantly in anticipation of what comes next.

At my weekly weigh in on March 30, my scale indicated that I had lost 2.4 pounds. I thought that was a bit odd, but I went with it because I stepped on the scale 3 times and got the same reading. The following week, where I focused on non-scale victories, according to my scale - which I believe is right, I gained at least 4.2 pounds.

Again, I wasn't sure if that was odd or not but I was so focused on non-scale victories (which are definitely important) that my mind wasn't fully wrapping around the numbers I saw on the scale. Yes, I was a little sad to see those numbers but it just forced me to push myself harder and realize that one week where I had a remarkable weight loss won't be the same for the rest of the weeks.

This week when I stepped on the scale, I lost 3 of those 4 pounds. Again I am taking this number with a grain of salt, mainly because I didn't follow up with what I saw last week on my weigh in day blog post. So, in order for me to get back to my lowest weight that I have been on this journey, I have to lose another 1.2 pounds.

Although, this is a minor setback, I feel that I can overcome it with hard work and dedication but I know it will take a lot of both. This is something that I have been bracing myself for and it is finally here so now I have to prove to myself that I can overcome this and not have it hold me back.

Total loss for this week: 3 pounds
Total loss for the month: 3 pounds (after a 4.2 pound gain earlier in the month)
Total loss since the start of this journey: 16 pounds (still proud of that number)

Weigh-In Day

After writing yesterdays post, I felt that my entire week was a huge non-scale victory. This entire week I have actually felt lighter and I think my brain has finally caught up with the scale and realized that I am losing weight. Since I felt lighter I decided to change up today's weigh in day and update some measurements.

It has been 3 weeks since I updated my measurements and looking back on it, I can see why some people take measurements weekly so they know what has or has not changed (I could never do that though, I would be fixed on these numbers and probably obsessed with them).

For reference, here are measurements from March 16:
Neck - 15
Bust - 47
Chest - 41
Waist - 46
Hips - 51
Thighs - 28 (both)
Calves - 17 (both)
Upper Arm - 14 (both)
Forearm - 11

Here are measurements for April 6:
Neck - 15
Bust - 46
Chest - 41
Waist - 44
Hips - 50
Thighs - 28
Calves - 16
Upper Arm - 14
Forearm - 10 1/2

This months measurements show a loss in inches from my bust (-1 inch), waist (-2 inches!!), hips (-1 inch), forearms (- 1/2 inch) and calves (-1 inch). Talk about excited, these numbers actually mean more to me than the numbers on the scale and I actually think I could go the entire month of April just updating measurements without stepping on the scale because at this point, these non-scale victories are what keep me moving forward because it actually shows that my body (not my weight) is reaping the benefits of working out.