Week 17 Down

10.26.2009: 252.6 (-5.4)

11.02.2009: 254 (+1.4)

I hate gaining.  I didn’t work out again this week.  Le sigh.  I have to get better about that.  Eating was good.  I stuck within my calorie range, albeit the higher end most days.  Still, I feel good about it.

I know that I didn’t eat anywhere near enough to gain a pound and a half this week.  I actually didn’t eat anywhere near enough to gain any weight this week.  By the math, I should be down at least 1.5 pounds.  But my body is an enigma.

I’m okay with it for two reasons.  I know that I stuck to my calories and didn’t come anywhere near overeating.  And I lost 10 pounds in the previous two weigh-ins.  So, perhaps my shocked body is holding steady here for the moment.  I know that as I continue to eat within my calorie range (and add in some movement!), the scale will move down.

I am a trifle concerned about the next weigh-in or two.   I am deathly afraid of TOM, which should be here anywhere between Nov. 7-14.  After my previous issues I am just hoping that it is normal, I gain no more than 3 pounds and it lasts the typical 5 days *sending up prayers*.  I’ve been traumitized a bit, I guess.

Anyway, I’m sticking to my guns!  I’m so proud of myself.  I was looking in the mirror this morning and admiring my much smaller stomach.  We’re all so blessed to be losing weight and conquering our demons! 17 weeks and I haven’t binged/overeaten.  That’s a major accomplishment for me.  I have so much more to achieve.  But I’ll get there in time.

On to week 18!

Week 16 Down

10.20.2009: 258 (-4.4)

10.26.2009: 252.6 (-5.4)

Wow!  I lost a lot of weight this week.  It has to be that my body is finally catching up with my weeks of consistency despite the fact that I was pregnant.  I didn’t do anything special this week.  I actually did not meet my workout goals, although I was a bit more active than usual at the beginning of the week.

My eating has been pretty much consistent with the way I’ve eaten this entire time, staying between 1300-2000 calories, depending on my appetite on any given day.  I guess I cycle my calories, but there’s no set plan.  As long as I don’t go over or under my range, I don’t beat myself up…and some days are hungrier days than others.

Anyway, I’m sure it will slow down to a more normal pace soon.  In the mean time, I am looking forward to being in the 240s.

My goal this week is to make it to the gym for a minimum of 20-minutes on the treadmill on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.  It sounds like a good start and for the moment my husband will be working out at our free gym, and it’s a lot more motivating when we go together.

So, on to week 17!

Week 15 Down

10.12.2009: 262.4 (-1.2)

10.20.2009: 258 (-4.4)

Finally, a whoosh!  That’s great news and great motivation to keep me on track.

I had a blast in Chicago!  I know that the day-long walks to and from all the attractions contributed greatly to the massive loss this week.  I actually was expecting to lose very little or gain a smidge this week because vacation notoriously brings lax eating habits.  I did eat some spectacularly not-healthy things on this trip, but I didn’t overeat at all.  There was always plenty of food left on my plate and my hunger levels have come back down to normal and my body is slowly recovering from its ordeal. 

So, my focus this week is to get in some normal, sane exercise 2-3 times and to maintain my calories, perhaps with a few healthier things thrown in.

On to week 16…

Week 14 Down

10.5.2009: 263.6 (-.2) The TOM from Hell continues!

10.12.2009: 262.4 (-1.2)

Well.  The scale moved down.  Finally.  But it turned out to be an interesting week for a lot of reasons.  The major thing I found out being that I have been pregnant for the last 7.5 weeks.  No congratulations are in order.  I had a miscarriage this past week.

My husband and I are not trying.  We actually have no plans to have kids any time in the near or distant future.  We’ve discussed this at length.  There really didn’t seem to be much problem with this because I haven’t proven to be the most fertile of brides.  Well, after eleven years of marriage and with a little weight loss, the whole fertility thing kicked back in.  So, I’ve been pregnant for weeks and had no clue.  Until this TOM from hell started to produce actual contractions and other icky things that need not be named, prompting a visit to the hospital.

This pregnancy pretty much coincides with the slow down of my weight loss and the angry raging and roaring of my appetite. 

I have been clear of all signs of pregnancy for the past two days.  My appetite has gone back down and the scale has begun to move downward.  So, I think I am back on track.

I am admittedly a bit weirded out about everything. 

I have a long weekend girl’s trip to Chicago planned for Saturday.  I won’t be back to post my next weigh-in until Tuesday.  Let’s hope I can get back into losing 1-3 pounds per week consistently.

On to week 15!

Week 13 Down

5.14.2009: 303.4 (my highest weight)

7.5.2009: 292.8 pounds

7.12.2009: 289 pounds (-3.8)

7.19.2009: 284.8 pounds (-4.2)

7.26.2009: 282.6 (-2.2) TOM issues

8.2.2009: 278.4 (-4.2; -25 pounds from my highest weight)

8.9.2009: 276.2 (-2.4)

8.16.2009: 271.6 (-4.6)

8.23.2009: 269.2 (-2.4)

8.30.2009: 267 (-2.2)

9.6.2009: 265.4 (-1.6) TOM issues

9.13.2009: 263 (-2.4)

9.20.2009: 261.6 (-1.4)

9.27.2009: 263.8 (+2.2) Major TOM issues

10.5.2009: 263.6 (-.2) The TOM from Hell continues!

Eating-wise, I had a stellar week.  Everything else, be damned!  First of all, TOM has not ended!  It continues and with it is a ravenous hunger and hormonal madness.  Top that with the fact that Tuesday, I started waking up with a stratchy throat and by Thursday I had to leave work early and head to Urgent Care where I received a lovely strep throat diagnosis. 

I got meds and then proceeded to lay in the bed for the next four days and do very little besides complain and look at Facebook on my iPhone.  The hubby was very little help because he had to work almost 60 hours this week and was tired and wrung out by the time he got home. 

So, my 15-year-old neice came to stay with me (obstensibly to help me out), but she ended up downloading a virus onto my computer and then clogging the upstairs toilet with practically a whole roll of tissue.  I awoke from a dazed, dizzy stupor to use the bathroom only to have it overflow on me…and then the plunger broke…

Yes, Week 13 has been…interesting. 

I am glad it’s over!  The best thing about this week?  My resolve, determination and decision remains.  I am ready to keep going! Now, if this TOM would only end, the scale could move downwards and I would feel a lot better.

But, on to week 14…

Week 12 Down

5.14.2009: 303.4 (my highest weight)

7.5.2009: 292.8 pounds

7.12.2009: 289 pounds (-3.8)

7.19.2009: 284.8 pounds (-4.2)

7.26.2009: 282.6 (-2.2) TOM issues

8.2.2009: 278.4 (-4.2; -25 pounds from my highest weight)

8.9.2009: 276.2 (-2.4)

8.16.2009: 271.6 (-4.6)

8.23.2009: 269.2 (-2.4)

8.30.2009: 267 (-2.2)

9.6.2009: 265.4 (-1.6) TOM issues

9.13.2009: 263 (-2.4)

9.20.2009: 261.6 (-1.4)

9.27.2009: 263.8 (+2.2) Major TOM issues

It was a great week!  My weigh-in sucked, but the week was great.  I stuck to my calories like glue and I even got in a workout!  Which, you know, is a miracle in and of itself.

I am bloated to the extreme right now, though, my belly is rounded and I am puffy.  This always use to the be the case around TOM before I began losing weight, but not so much in the last 12 weeks.  Actually, now that I think back it was quite normal for me to flucuate up as much as 10 pounds around TOM.  And when I snuck a peek at the scale earlier this week, I was down -1.2 pounds from my last weigh-in.

I feel very safe saying that this is mostly water weight due to a normal monthly fluctuation.  Still, I have to keep that in mind during the quiet times that make me want to resort to extreme dieting practices. 

My goals this week are to stick to my calories like glue, get in 3 cardio workouts and to only weigh in twice.

On to week 13.  Eeek!  Unlucky number.  But it’s going to be an awesome week!

Week 11 Down

5.14.2009: 303.4 (my highest weight)

7.5.2009: 292.8 pounds

7.12.2009: 289 pounds (-3.8)

7.19.2009: 284.8 pounds (-4.2)

7.26.2009: 282.6 (-2.2) TOM issues

8.2.2009: 278.4 (-4.2; -25 pounds from my highest weight)

8.9.2009: 276.2 (-2.4)

8.16.2009: 271.6 (-4.6)

8.23.2009: 269.2 (-2.4)

8.30.2009: 267 (-2.2)

9.6.2009: 265.4 (-1.6) TOM issues

9.13.2009: 263 (-2.4)

9.20.2009: 261.6 (-1.4)

I am sick.  Some kind of cold/flu madness.  I can’t even think straight to post.  Just wanted to be sure I reported my loss this week.

I’ll write another day about how I did with my goals – one where I’m actually feeling human.

Week 10 Down

5.14.2009: 303.4 (my highest weight)

7.5.2009: 292.8 pounds

7.12.2009: 289 pounds (-3.8)

7.19.2009: 284.8 pounds (-4.2)

7.26.2009: 282.6 (-2.2) TOM issues

8.2.2009: 278.4 (-4.2; -25 pounds from my highest weight)

8.9.2009: 276.2 (-2.4)

8.16.2009: 271.6 (-4.6)

8.23.2009: 269.2 (-2.4)

8.30.2009: 267 (-2.2)

9.6.2009: 265.4 (-1.6) TOM issues

9.13.2009: 263 (-2.4)

A great week!  I upp’ed my calories a bit, this week.  I have been waffling over how many calories is safe and appropriate for me and decided that I needed to have a range of 1500-2000, averaging somewhere in the vicinity of 1800 per day.  I’m planning to stick within this calorie range for the my weight loss (and possibly maintenance), unless my body says otherwise.  Some days just require more fuel than others.

All in all, it was a successful week.  I’ve made plans to walk three days this week for at least 20 minutes.  I am restarting slowly on the excercise front.  I am enamored with yoga and walking/running.  So, these will probably be my go-to exercises.  We’ll see.

I was talking to my husband (who is a powerlifter and very much into exercise) and I was ambitiously planning to exercise 6 days this coming week.  He talked me down to three, which I think is much more realistic and feels right.  So, wish me luck with that! 

I also am making a goal to weigh in  only once, on Sunday or Monday.  I have a tendency to weigh in every day and it’s not always a good thing.  I frequently let it dictate my mood for the day.  So, I’m thinking that until I reach some kind of stable ground with the scale, it’s best for me to just weigh in on my weigh day and call it good.

I’ll let you guys know how I do!

On to week 11…

Week 9 Down

Hey, all!  I had spotty Internet access this week because I took some vacation time from work and home!  But I am still trucking along.  This post is late, but I’ll pretend like its Sunday or Monday.

5.14.2009: 303.4 (my highest weight)

7.5.2009: 292.8 pounds

7.12.2009: 289 pounds (-3.8)

7.19.2009: 284.8 pounds (-4.2)

7.26.2009: 282.6 (-2.2) TOM issues

8.2.2009: 278.4 (-4.2; -25 pounds from my highest weight)

8.9.2009: 276.2 (-2.4)

8.16.2009: 271.6 (-4.6)

8.23.2009: 269.2 (-2.4)

8.30.2009: 267 (-2.2)

9.6.2009: 265.4 (-1.6) TOM issues

It was an excellent week!  I really stuck to my calories like glue.  I didn’t even think of binging or”eating and eating and eating” this week.  So, I guess the desire to binge will come and go…like the tides.  The thing is, it no longer controls me the way that it used to.  Before, I would give in to my desire to eat despite whether or not I was hungry.  Who would have thought that I would ever get to a point where I did not feel controlled by the need to eat?

Now, I can be hungry and completely understand that the food will be there, I will not starve and I do not have to overeat.  It’s a heady, fantastic feeling to someone who felt helpless and out of control only 9 weeks ago.

So, if you’re reading this and you think you just can’t do it.  I’m living proof that you just can.  Not deprivation or starvation or anything wacky.  Just eating like a normal person.  It’s possible.  On to week 10!

Week 8 Down

5.14.2009: 303.4 (my highest weight)

7.5.2009: 292.8 pounds

7.12.2009: 289 pounds (-3.8)

7.19.2009: 284.8 pounds (-4.2)

7.26.2009: 282.6 (-2.2) TOM issues

8.2.2009: 278.4 (-4.2; -25 pounds from my highest weight)

8.9.2009: 276.2 (-2.4)

8.16.2009: 271.6 (-4.6)

8.23.2009: 269.2 (-2.4)

8.30.2009: 267 (-2.2)

It was a great week.  I got in all of my calories and I am hopeful that my energy levels improve enough to motivate me to get moving.  I did have some hunger issues this week – not stomach hunger, but mouth hunger.  I wanted to eat and eat and eat and never stop eating.  But I didn’t!

I told myself that if there was something I really wanted, I could have it as long as it fit within my calories or I could have it the next day when it did fit into my calories.  A couple hours normally fixed the urges.  The key, I guess, is to do the right thing despite how I feel – which I think is a concept that can be liberally applied in many different areas of my life.

I’ve officially stuck to the plan for 2 months!  And I am down over 25 pounds from my starting weight on July 5!  So, I’m rocking and rolling.  Oh, and I bought two new pairs of pants in a lower size.

So, on to week 9!