I'm actually doing this? Holy smokes! I'm ACTUALLY doing this!

So here we are, nearly four month into my journey and I realize today, very suddenly, that I'm doing this! I personally have worked hard by eating right and exercising regularly and have lost just over 40 lbs! No surgeries, no gimic diets, just me and my calories...calories in, calories out...it's that simple. It's not easy, but the math...the math is simple.

I also hit my first stall or plateau a while back that lasted two weeks. I was perfectly on plan (exericising, eating the right calories, and drinking my water) but the scale wouldn't budge! I just kept losing and gaining the same 2-3 lbs. I was so frustrated and definitely had an emotional reaction - I was actually feeling a little depressed like maybe 35 lbs was the best I could do on my own. But physically, I kept going strong. I dug in and kept working my plan. Hitting that gym and being super careful about what I was eating. And...the scale still wouldn't move.

So, at the encouragement of my 3FC besties (Three Fat Chicks), I decided to take a progress picture and measure myself. They all believed that I wasn't really as stalled as I thought I was. The scale was stalled but that didn't mean I was staying the same. I was hesitant, because I had just measured three weeks before...just before my stall...and did not expect much difference if any at all. BUT, low and behold, I was down another 5"!  And in just three weeks! Holy crow!

As of today, I am 40.2 lbs and 16" inches smaller than when I started. My progress pictures are on my photo page. Check them out...if you dare!  ;)

I also decided it was time to step up my workouts and learn a bit more about exercise and nutrition so I joined California Family Fitness' Body Fit Challenge. This is a biggest loser type 8-week challenge to see who can lose the highest percentage of body weight.

Please keep me in your thoughts as I embark on this newest challenge to test my limits, increase my understanding of health and fitness, and work hard to get healthier!

Finally!!

I haven't posted in a while. Yeesh! I've been busy with out of town work and some wonderful family vacations. The good news for me is that I'm back home and most importantly...back on plan.


So, I hit my 10% in June but then lost a little footing over my trips. But since being back on plan - which means staying within my calories, exercising daily, and drinking all my water - I have not only gotten back down to my 10% but have also surpassed it!


In doing so, I've finally broken the 30lb mark! This is a goal I've NEVER reached before and I'm quite proud of myself! I've also lost another 3.5", brining me down to 11" lost total! Woo hoo!


It's not easy but I'm staying focused, being more consistent than I've ever been before, and I'm definitely seeing the results - the results are a steady downward trend. A downward trend that is here to stay!!!

Did you say 10%?!?!

Yes, yes I did! As of today, I have lost 10% of my body weight. I DID IT!!


Here are some of the benefits of losing 10% and yes, I am feeling them!

Health Benefits

Risk factors associated with obesity can be significantly decreased by a moderate weight loss such as 10 percent of initial body weight, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. The Department of Health and Human Services adds that achieving this initial weight loss goal helps lower the risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, some cancers and osteoporosis. The CDC indicates that a 10 percent weight loss also improves blood cholesterol.

Lifestyle Benefits

The CDC reports that participants in the National Weight Control Registry found improvements in energy levels, self-confidence, general mood and physical mobility related to weight loss. Related outcomes might include ability to play with children, climb stairs, or perform activities of daily living without becoming out of breath.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/212244-benefit-of-losing-10-percent-weight/#ixzz1PXoO3Bza"

Drumroll please...

So, I have BIG news! As of today, I am no longer Morbidly Obese! My BMI is officially under 40 at 39.96! Woo hoo!!!

This is a huge milestone for me and I'm so happy AND proud of myself to have made it this far. I am very nearly in tears realizing that I've already accomplished this amazing thing. I did this. All on my own but with the support and encouragement of my friends.


WOW!

Ummm yea, things are actually good!

So, Weekend #1 of my June On-Plan Weekend Challenge was a success! I lost 1.8 lbs over the weekend - with just a teeny tiny gain Monday morning which was likely just due to some extra sodium on Sunday. I was super active ALL weekend and stayed OP with food and water intake as well. In fact, I did a 5k with my Mom on Sunday. We did the same 5k last year and we knocked five minutes off our time! Yahoo! ...one weekend down, three more to go...

Today is the eve of Weekend #2, which is going to have some fun challenges. I'm going camping. Yikes! Camping has always been my free pass to be lazy and snack...a lot! My schedule always gets a little screwy in that I sleep in and stay up a bit later...and staying up later usually correlates to late night snacks as well.

However, I am an experienced camper so I know what the challenges are and have formulated some strategies to avoid my usual pitfalls. No, this isn't war per se, but I must strategize as though it is!

As such, my battle plans are as follows:
1) Drink ALL my water EVERY day!
2) DO NOT drink my calories!
3) Get at least some activity in.
4) Eat healthy snacks.

One and two are pretty straightforward. For one, I'm bringing my special water cup that I have with me at ALL times these days and my precious MiO water enhancer...since that's the only way I can ever manage to choke down all my water. For two, it's just going to be shear will power. Nothing tastes better than an "ice chest" Pepsi while camping. To be honest, my parents are taking all the food so I'm not sure what they took. If there's no Pepsi, will power will not be needed. If they did, all bets are off!

For three, I'm taking my bike and so did my son. 11 year olds are obviously naturally active so it shouldn't be to hard to get a bike ride or two in each day. The campground is fairly small though so riding around might not be very much fun so we'll just have to see about that one. It's been unseasonably cold this summer so it's definitely not going to be warm enough to swim. The campground is surrounded by a nice forest so maybe we can take a hike.

For the final goal, I'm taking my trusty low calorie popcorn. It's super filling and I don't have to feel bad for eating a whole bag if I need to. I KNOW my parents took a bunch of crap to so I'm also bringing my Kindle - loaded with new books and the afghan I'm crocheting to keep my mind and hands busy. You know...idle hands and all that.

So anyway, as far as the numbers go, I'm down 6.7 lb so far this month, 26.5 lbs total. My next mini goal is to hit 263.2, which is just 2.7 lbs away. Once I hit that, I will have lost 10% of my weight! Wow! I've never lost that much before in my life. I also haven't been below 268 since I got pregnant with my youngest who's now almost three. Good things are happening and I have only myself to thank. I AM doing this! Who knew I could...

May Wrap-up

So, May ended well...even with the holiday. I'm seeing a trend though...a trend I don't like and will definitely be focusing on in the coming month. I see that most of my up ticks in weight are directly connected my inability to stay on-plan during the weekends and during that special time of month. So, that is something I will focus on in June.

Here's a recap of May's progress -
Starting weight: 282.6
Ending weight: 272.6 (10 lb loss!)

In addition to the scale, I also re-measured and have lost a total of 7.5 inches since January.

I also decided to get my blood work checked again and received another pleasant surprise. My total cholesterol is now 140, 36 points lower than what it was in January and my triglycerides are now 150, 12 points lower than in January!

Woo hoo! I am definitely a healthier person today than I was at the beginning of the year. That was my ultimate goal and I find myself feeling proud of my success so far.

Occasions...

So, I've been at this for just over 1 1/2 months. While most days things plug along according to plan and routine, there are ALWAYS "occasions." Occasions are those lovely appointments, dates, gatherings, etc...that usually involve yummy, delicicous, no where near "on plan" foods. While the occasions themselves are usually great fun and hopefully are times we look forward to, they can definitely bring some stress along with them.

I've had a few occasions this past week, some planned and some not, that have thrown me for a bit of a curve but I'm actually pretty happy with how they all went - even if the scale shifted a bit in the wrong direction because of them.

Occasion #1 - Unexpected dinner with out of state family...
Now, one might first wonder how something unexpected could pop up with "out of state" family. You'd think if they were travelling out of state that I might have known they would be here. In this case, my aunt has been here for a few weeks and is actually leaving today. What I didn't realize is that she was leaving from Sacramento (where I live) and that her sister was coming up to see her off. This lead to an unexpected (but free) dinner out to Chinese. Now, eating out in general is usually tough. Even if you pick "healthy" choices, they are usually loaded with sodium and other additives that make your body react differently than if cooked and ate the same food at home. Well, my choices were middle of the road - not bad but not good - but I drank only water and did well with my portions. Overall, I had a FANTASTIC time with my family and was happy with my food performance. There was a teenie upward bump on the scale - nothing I'm worried about though.

Occasion #2 - Planned dinner out for my son's 11th birthday...
I knew this one was coming, got extra exercise in, very conservative with my calories early in the day, stayed on top of my water consumption. I reviewed the menu ahead of time so I would know what the "healthiest" options were and stuck to it. I brought my MiO and drank only water and DID NOT turn down the free scoop of vanilla ice cream at the end of the night!  Again - I had a really great time with my family and I was more than satisfied with my food performance. While I ended up over my calorie goal, I still had a deficit for the day so...I'm happy with it. This morning, there was a bigger gain (still less than a pound). BOO!

I hadn't prepared for Occasion #1 - hadn't exercised, drank all my water, or tracked my foods for four days prior and didn't plan ahead but nevertheless, the scale showed positive results. On the flip side, I did everything right for Occasion #2 but the scale showed negative results. My main take away from all this is:
1. The scale should not be our only or even the primary indicator of success. This is because not only does weight fluctuate daily but sometimes it takes time for the good or bad results to "show" in the numbers.
2. Fun occassions cannot be overshadowed by stress and worry about food performance and scale results. It just isn't worth it.

You've got to make your choices and be HAPPY with them regardless of what the scale says the next day. So long as you can do that, one off-plan meal will not turn into several off-plan days...you'll stick to your program and the scale will start showing the numbers you want to be seeing before you know it!

*Update on the numbers: I'm down 10lbs so far this month - even with my "occasion" results!