183.0 - 58.0 pounds to go!

I kind of knew this weigh-in was coming. The initial drop in water weight was nice but it wasn't really a loss. It's disappointing though. My weigh-in the week after this upcoming one marks my one year anniversary, and with last week's weigh-in, I was hopeful that maybe I could hit the 70 pound mark. I don't understand why the scale is being so stubborn.

This last weekend we didn't do so well on the food front. Seems like when dinner time would roll around, we were floundering and caught off guard. We had a scare on Saturday morning when we learned that our dryer had stayed on all night long the previous night. I dried a load of clothing on Friday night and figured I would just get it out the next day. We're usually good about not running the washer/dryer/dishwasher at night, just in case something goes wrong. In this situation, I was under the impression it would have stopped by about 9:00p.m. and didn't think to go check on it. By morning, the husband ran down to the basement for something and said he heard the dryer running. At first, I thought maybe he was mistaken as the air conditioner was running. Nope, he was correct. I had noticed probably a week prior that my niece ran some clothes in it and that the dial didn't appear to advance. I second-guessed myself though and thought I was imagining things. Luckily, it appeared that the dial hadn't rotated through  the cycle but the timer must have because the dryer was basically stuck cooling down. I really don't want to think about what would have happened if the heat had been going for the 12-14 hours it was running. Should be a swell electricity bill though! Of course, once we had purchased our new set and I tried to get as much laundry done as I could before the new set was delivered, the dial started advancing. So, I know that wasn't weight loss related, but hopefully you can learn from our little scare!

This week I'm going to focus on making sure I get back to drinking 12+ glasses of water per day. The last several days have been horrible and sodium has been up - not a good combo. Next weigh-in has to be a loss!

180.2 - 55.2 pounds to go!

So, I'm having very mixed feelings about this week's weigh-in. On one hand, I am so ecstatic that the scale went down, especially by 3.4 pounds! But on the other hand, I feel like it won't last.

I saw my doctor on July 23 to get some blood work done. It had been a few months since my last profile, and even longer since my last cholesterol check. Of course, with all the stress and drama in my life lately, it wasn't all good news. I had been monitoring my BP since March when she agreed to take me off of it and the measures were never that great: not as high as they used to be, but still a bit high, particularly the top number. While I was there, I measure 140/87 and then 152/90. Years ago, that number was more around 155-160/110-15, so it has improved, just not as much as I was hoping. So the bad news is that she placed me on a diuretic (water pill) in hopes that it will help with the numbers a bit. This, in turn, equaled a big loss on the scale this week and now I'm left worrying that when I stop taking it, the pounds will go back on again.

The good news from the visit is pretty great though! My cholesterol came in at 202, just 2 points above "normal." It's not been that low, ever! My HDL increased, LDL decreased, and triglycerides decreased: all were considered in the "normal" range. At my previous visit, she had checked my glucose levels, even though I told her I had recently eaten, and then stated she wanted me to continue on Glucophage. This is always fun to explain to people taking a medical history as I am not diabetic, but have Poly-cystic Ovarian Syndrome which can cause insulin intolerance. The worst thing about this pill, for me anyway, is that it makes me really ill when I first start taking it, and I am horrible at remembering to take pills. Add to that the iron pills I was on, which really upset my stomach, and I was one miserable individual!

At this appointment, I got to tell her again, with shame in my voice, that I hadn't been taking either. She weighed me in, congratulated me on losing another 9 pounds since I saw her in March, and then informed me that depending on the results ,she may switch me to a timed-release glucose pill, a different type of iron pill, and since my vitamin D was also always low, a smaller dose of that. I felt so discouraged leaving there. I've worked so hard to lose those 65 pounds, hoping the whole way that I could get rid of my medicine cocktail, and I was leaving with the possibility of it having not changed. And then those results - I about did a happy dance! My numbers had gotten better in spots, but I truly think that eating out at restaurants, even though we were trying to make better decisions, restrained them from improving much.

So the great news is the improved blood profile! My iron is still low, but low normal. My vitamin D was normal due to all those wonderful walks outside! My cholesterol levels have improved to numbers I have never seen! But that cursed water pill. I sincerely need to learn to chill out and look into things like yoga and meditation. It seems unbelievable that I could quiet my brain, but it is definitely a goal!

We took new measurements and photos as well. I'm working on figuring out a way to overlay two photos so that I can see a true difference. Looking at two pictures side by side just doesn't show the inches I have lost very well I've noticed. I played around with one program and tried lining up my face but the differences were so huge that I started to doubt it's accuracy. Hopefully soon I figure out how to gauge if the two photos are truly the same scale.

Measurements from 8/18/11 and 7/31/12 - almost one year apart!
Neck: 16" / 13.75"
Bicep(R): 15" / 13.25"
Bicep(L): 15" / 13.5" (starting measurement is an estimate as it was not taken)
Chest: 49" / 42.5"
Waist: 49" / 42.5"
Hips: 50" / 45.25"
Thigh(R): 26" / 21.5"
Thigh(L): 26" / 22.25" (starting measurement is an estimate as it was not taken)
Calf(R): 17.25" / 15"
Calf(L): 17.25"/ 15.25" (starting measurement is an estimate as it was not taken)
Body Fat Percentage: 54% / 40.5%

That brings the total number of inches lost to 35.75, and a 13.5% decrease in body fat. None too shabby!

Current Weight: 180.2 pounds
Current BMI: 32.96
Pounds Lost: 64.8 pounds
BMI Lost: 10.68
Pounds to Meet Mini-Goal #3 (175): 5.2 pounds
Pounds until BMI is 'overweight' instead of 'very overweight' (176.5): 3.7 pounds

183.6 - 58.6 pounds to go!

The scale finally had different numbers this week. Thank goodness! That was actually my weight from Saturday morning as I knew my sodium was going to be high Saturday night. But I was so excited to see those numbers that I snapped a picture.

Nothing otherwise exciting last week. I'm working on keeping my promise to my personal trainer. I was a bit disappointed when we spoke about the scale not moving and his only recommendation was to start eating a bit less, but as the husband said, that's the typical thought regarding weight loss. So I'll just silently agree to disagree and keep on my path. If the number don't seem to move, I'll think about dropping them lower, but I'm guessing it won't be a problem. If anything, looking back, I wasn't eating enough. I wasn't someone on a very low calorie diet, eating only 1200 calories per day and exercising like a mad woman. But, 1600 calories per day while exercising 5 days a week is low according to the calculators I've used. I ate my exercise calories back at least, so there is that. At the moment though, I'm playing around with the numbers. Part of me wanted to drop to 1800, just to push the weight loss a little faster, but the other part of me decided 1950 was a better option. I'll have to gauge it better once a few more weigh-ins are under my belt though.

In four more weigh-ins, I'll hit my one year mark. Well, my fudged one year mark I should say. I started weighing in around mid-July, but it wasn't until mid-August that I started watching what I ate and really "trying" to lose weight. So, I'm going with that date. I'm really far off of the number I had hoped to lose within a year, but I'm trying my hardest to focus on the positive. And I am sure after today's doctor visit, I'll feel a bit better. With all of the unwavering drama in my life that just won't seem to go away, it's hard to focus on the positives, but you can be sure I'll be celebrating the big day!

How to Break a Plateau via Fat 2 Fit Podcast #45

Today is another day where I am feeling stuck. After almost three months of seeing the same numbers, I'm starting to really wonder if I'm stuck here for good. I still have so much more to lose and I just can't seem to shake this plateau. So, off I decided to listen to a few more Fat 2 Fit podcasts and what do you know? I caught up to the one about weight loss plateaus. I thought the information may be useful to others, and as a reminder to myself. So here are my notes from the Fat 2 Fit podcast regarding breaking weight loss plateaus.

Causes of plateaus:
1. Not eating enough
2. Giving up on diet/exercise and/or not trying as hard
3. Dieting 2-3 months and body stops losing

Breaking a plateau:
1. Eat at maintenance or slightly above for at least 1 week
2. Try zig-zagging: eat more one day, lower another day (e.g. 1500 one day, 2200 the next, for avg. of 1800 per day)
3. Change your diet and exercise regime. Try eating more protein, or adding interval training.

Ways to avoid a plateau:
1. Moderate calorie restriction - never more than 500 below maintenance
2. Exercise
3. Take time off from dieting such as once a week, one meal a day, etc.
4. Don't let your body adapt to a specific workout routine - change things up by increasing intensity/speed, trying different machines, etc.
5. Eat more often throughout the day to speed up metabolism

Our bodies are designed to keep us alive through times of famine. So to avoid a plateau, we need to keep it guessing. If a plateau does sneak in, we need to show it that we aren't really in any danger by shaking things up a bit.

185.2 - 60.2 pounds to go!

I'm starting to hear that little voice in my head telling me I won't ever weigh less than 185. I've been bouncing around the same 2-3 pounds for the last three months now and I'm really hoping this cut will push my body back into losing again. If not, I honestly have no idea where to go next. I'm just going to hold onto the fact that last week I was technically eating at maintenance due to not working out, and I've fixed that this week. So damn it fat cells, start shrinking!

Last week was a rough week. I made the decision to estrange myself from my parents, my job has been making me really angry, I feel like I have no idea what I want to do in terms of a new career, and I just felt so lost. I'm now feeling a bit better about my decision, but I still feel lost. But, before this becomes less weight loss related, let's move on!

I had an emotional training session on Friday. No sooner did my trainer ask me for details about how things had been going and I started sobbing. The poor guy was probably so taken back and I could tell he wasn't sure what exactly to do. I ended up confessing that I hadn't worked out all week and we both agreed that I should channel my anger into a great workout. I pushed myself harder than I had in a long time, and I ended up feeling it for 4 days. Weighted squats, alternating lunges, and jump squats left my legs so sore that I ended up having to walk down the stairs backwards, with my arms on the stairs in front of me. I basically did the same for going up the stairs, not backwards of course, but it probably didn't look as silly. It definitely made it hard to do anything other than sit and remain motionless. But I did end up walking on Saturday and Tuesday. I can't say it made them feel any better, but at least they didn't feel any worse.

Going in to Friday's session, I was prepared to tell him I was not going to be able to purchase any more sessions with him. They are definitely not cheap, and while I wasn't sure if I could get up the nerve to follow the nutritionist's advice and take classes instead, I figured financially it was the best choice. However, after our session he said he had something to discuss with me. Before I even had a chance, he told me that he wanted to give me 4 free sessions if I bought the same package as I did last time because he really enjoys our sessions and he looks forward to them because of how hard I push myself. I've struggled with this, wondering if he was just blowing smoke up my ass, but to voluntarily give up 4 sessions worth of paid time has to mean something. I think I'm just to used to being taken advantage of and rarely being on the receiving end of the generosity of others. Needless to say, I couldn't refuse his kindness. In return, he made me promise to work hard, and I plan to use that promise as motivation to get my butt in gear.

185.2 - 60.2 pounds to go!

Man, I cannot for the life of me get over that 60 pound mark. It's been teasing for weeks, just like the 199 pound mark did at the beginning of the year.

Last week I was lazy. I won't even sugarcoat it, it was pure laziness. And I can list out all of my excuses, but in the end, that's what they are: excuses. Our office building flooded, which I am mentioning more for my own sake because my memory is *horrible.* So, yeah, a water valve burst overnight in the building connected to ours, which sent tons of water barreling toward our building since the whole thing is on a slope. The water eventually poked holes in the drywall, resulting in buckets of water pouring out of our ceiling tiles. Thankfully, I had that next day off (though I would have been paid for an emergency shutdown, darn it!) and my cubicle didn't seem to take any damage. Last week, however, we were moved into a classroom with most of the building before taking up residence in a vacated office. My walking partner, however, was sent to a location about 30 minutes away. This, combined with being out of sorts in this huge open room that we've tried to make our own (with students and staff peering in at us, or namely me due to my position in the room), and it being over 95 degrees everyday, meant I did not walk at all. Not at the gym, not outside, nada.

The good news in all of that, however, is that not only did I lose the 3.8 pounds in water weight from the holiday party we attended last weekend, but I also maintained! At first I was kind of upset about maintaining, but when I used the calculator to triple check my numbers, I noticed that 1900 calories per day is my maintenance amount at a sedentary activity level. So, I only have myself to blame. Thankfully, my walking partner is back as of today, so we'll be getting out on lunch again.

I had another meeting with the nutritionist on Friday, and I kind of lied. I know, I know, shame on me and all that. But, I made the decision to do so based on past conversations with her and the recent hypothesis that I needed to break this darn plateau via increased calories and less exercise. Via her notes, I had gone from 188 to 185, so not a total failure; however, at my last meeting with her, my weight reflected water retention. According to the data I have, I was 185.8 at that weigh-in vs. this week's 185.2. Nothing to celebrate really. That wasn't my lie though. She asked how exercise is going, and I felt like I knew what her response would be if I said I was toning it back a bit. So I told her what I was doing before my reset: 3 days strength training, 6-7 days walking/cardio. And of course she was pleased. And of course I sat there thinking "and I felt like I had no life and the scale wasn't moving."

We discussed dinner being a bit better. On maintenance, I can't really say I was limiting dinner to only 450-500 calories, but I think there were nights when I definitely did better by only taking 3/4 of a serving. We also spoke about the gym we go to and how we looked into other ones. Currently, it seems as though our membership is pretty low ($46/mo for 2 people) compared to the couple we've looked in to for comparison. My big issue last I met with her was the gym announcing that their promo for free classes before 1pm was ending. Now classes are $7 per session, which could really add up. I also recently was really bummed at my training sessions coming to an end, which are not cheap at all! For now, he and I have agreed to back down to every other week. Since sessions have to be in advance, I figured I would agree to 20 sessions to get the cheapest price and then pay for 2 per month. It'll take a while, but it seemed better than fronting all of that money up front, especially when I don't have it! The nutritionist pointed out that trainers are usually really good for beginners, but not necessary after that unless you need motivation, but I definitely feel like I need that extra motivation. It's another person checking in with me every couple of weeks, and it's someone pushing me more than I push myself. She has me kind of kicking myself for verbally agreeing to set up more sessions and fork out all that money instead of taking classes, but it's something I really wanted to do. Hopefully my bank account can keep up.

189.2 - 64.2 pounds to go

Oh sodium, how I hate you. I sincerely wish companies would learn to make their food taste good without piling on tons of sodium. 

This was the second week eating at maintenance, and I think it went okay. There were still plenty of days when I ate dessert at the end of the night to meet my calorie goal. Overall though, I didn't do too poorly. Nothing can be as bad as it was almost a year ago! We would eat fast food probably a good 4 or more times per week. We'd go out to restaurants just as often. I think I'm being generous if I estimate that we cooked at home twice per week. I'd drive through Tim Horton's or Dunkin Donuts, or when I had time I'd go to McDonald's, for breakfast; lunch would be a frozen meal, Subway, or maybe a sandwich if I wasn't in the mood to run out; and dinner was almost always out. And weekends...oomph. We'd wake up so late (noon-2:00pm) that we'd just get fast food and eat enough that we really didn't need to eat dinner. I was actually kind of proud of the fact that I could go all day on one meal. Maybe because I thought it could mean I wasn't really getting fatter? I mean less food has to mean less weight! 

Anyway, maintenance is officially over. I've lowered my daily calories to 1900 and we'll see if the scale starts moving again. It's funny to me that at 2400, I would often have calories left at the end of the day, but at 1900 I'm finding I have to be careful about what I choose to eat.