Happy Valentine's Day (the day after)

Valentine's Day doesn't hold much significance to me or my fiancee, so our celebration was minimal.  I was reading Ninety Percent's blog post on V Day, and it made me feel like I had missed out on the lovey dovey holiday.  Kate knows I love and adore her, but what about all my great, amazing friends?  My family?  Maybe they deserve some blue cheese mac & cheese too.

Speaking of our V Day meal, goodness I overate yesterday!  Between the ice cream, tons of mac & cheese, and the chocolate, I don't believe I will get a loss this week.  Plus, I can't exercise right now due to my ankle, so I think I simply need to accept that fact, move on, and eat as healthy as I can for the rest of the week.  For lunch today, I ate rice and a boca burger rather than the DELICIOUS leftover mac & cheese we have in our fridge right now.

I'm halfway through the month, and I have a little more than half (6/10) my life points left on Health Month.  My three rules are:

1) Exercise for 30 minutes at least 4 times a week
2) Stay under my recommended calorie count at least 4 times a week
3) Don't snack after dinner.  3 times a week.

It's a challenging month, for sure, but having these rules 4 times a week rather than 5 (like I did last month) means I know I can accomplish my goals.  I'm glad to have this last week behind me, and for today to start the next week in my journey.  I think my goal will be to lose up to 1 life point.  Let's see if I can do it.

Weekly Weigh-In (188.2)

Current weight: 188.2
Week's weight loss: +2.6Total weight loss: 38.2


I'm going to say that last week is now behind me, and this week will bring on massive weight loss.  The scale may be reading muscle mass, or typical weight changes, or it might be reflecting on the not-so-stellar eating habits I've developed since I was sick.  


Yesterday I didn't eat that well (hello, Chipotle!), but I did lace up my running shoes and hit the pavement for my final run of my first week of the Couch to 5k program.  It was so much easier to do this run - only my third run this year - than it was two weeks ago for the exact same run.  My legs don't hurt today, and I'm excited to run again tomorrow.


Normally I let "bad" days be begones, but it's good for me to reflect on how I can improve upon my slip-ups.  I need something to keep me accountable, in a way that SparkPeople just doesn't inspire me to do.  So, before playing Health Month this morning, I went back to SparkPeople to log all my calories for the day.  HM helps me keep accountable.  I don't know why their system makes compels me to track more and be honest - with myself and the game - but it does, and I really love it for that.  I do wish there was an easier way to be accountable to others as well, and make it more social.


This week is going to rock, I just know it.  I'm going to start on the second week of my 5k program tomorrow, and I can't wait.  I'm amazed by how much I have fallen in love with running.  Who knew?

Health Month

I have been "playing" on Health Month since mid-December, and I have to say - it's been fun.  You create your own health rules and decide what you want to track, and then you check in every day or so to see if you've reached your goals.  There's a daily email - if you want it - to remind you to "play".  It's a good way for me to track progress, to be accountable, and to have some fun while doing it.

I think they're trying to make it social - a little like Facebook - but haven't really gotten it there yet.  It's a hard balance - it's more fun to play with others, but sometimes you don't want to admit that you haven't eaten in your calorie goals for three days to all your friends.  But it would definitely make it more fun.

I guess I like HM because you get to compete against yourself.  That's my favorite type of game.  Especially when it means I lose weight at the end!

Weekly Weigh-In (185.8)

Current weight: 185.6
Total weight loss: 40.6

Wow!  I'm really surprised - I met my (updated) goal for January.  I wanted to be 186.5, and at 185.8 I totally rocked it.  


I was at a conference this weekend, and almost every meal had more than half my plate filled with vegetables and fruits, and they were sure delicious.  The caterer even made the cauliflower taste good!


It feels so empowering to finally feel like I'm "on track".  I am on the path toward achieving my goals - losing at least 5 pounds a month before the wedding (in late May).  I almost saw 190 more than once this month, and it feels so fantastic to see the scale slowly come down.  For awhile, 185 felt like an impossible number.  


My willpower is improving, and my goals are feeling more tangible.  I want to also train for a 5k.  Today is supposed to be my second run, but I'm feeling pretty awful and might skip the run in favor of resting and trying to be well enough so tomorrow I can come to work.  It's really frustrating - I've been looking forward to this run all weekend - but I'd prefer to stay healthy than force my body to do something it simply can't do and stay well.


My goals for February are to continue on the path that I set up for myself this last week.  I want to:

• Continue to train for a 5k
• Lose 5.8 pounds (be 180.0 by February 28)
• Continue to blog

The last one is a must!  I'm really excited - I've been chosen as one of Health Month's February bloggers!!!  I just love Health Month and jumped at the opportunity. I also like what they ask of their bloggers.  From an email they sent:

Write at least once a week about something Health Month related... how it's working for you, how it's not working for you, how you're adapting it to your special circumstances.  Don't feel pressured to censor yourself on my behalf at all... the best way to get the most out of this experience is to be as honest as possible.

I totally can do that.  I can't wait!  February's going to rock! 

Resources

I read a few weight loss blogs because knowing that others are with me in this journey helps keeps me motivated. My real life weight loss partner, A - for all his loveliness - is a guy who never gave a thought about weight and size until he started losing weight himself. I think it takes a woman's (or attentive guy's) perspective to relate to the years of being fat and not being able to shop in stores, and the yearning to look something closer to the magazine covers than my (at the time) 300 pound mother.

Prior Fat Girl is a blog I've recently begun reading. She loves posting pictures, which is helpful when I don't really want to read content. She's currently doing a giveaway for 101 Things To Do Before You Diet. The book looks like a strategy on how to live a normal life. Many of the fat women I know avoid things just because of their weight. They don't go out shopping, swimming, hiking, or simply out and about with friends. Their shame of self is so overpowering it prevents them from interacting with their community. Yet, these women could be normal and having fun - if they'd let themselves be out there. Being happy and comfortable are the two best gifts you can give yourself, I believe. And you can't be happy without your community. I ultimately believe that the key of weight loss is simply being happy with yourself, and treating your body like the temple it is - and from the little I've seen of this book (reviews, etc.), 101 Things To Do Before You Diet seems to affirm this idea.

Plateau

I've been at the same weight for a month now. It's very frustrating. Even the days I eat well and exercise, I stay at the same weight - or gain! It makes me feel like a failure, and I lose excitement about this weight loss journey.

I'm slowly getting back in the rhythm and really looking forward to my goal (which motivates me). I saw a SparkPeople post today on the longest people have plateaued. Seeing that others were struggling with the same problems made me feel more motivated and much happier in this journey. The simple fact that I am not alone makes me feel like I can finish this journey. It's weird how that works sometimes.

I am striving to only eat 1200 calories today. I've been hitting the high end of my calorie goal (1500), and I'm trying to eat at the low end to see if that makes a difference. It's less hard than normal because I'm newly motivated, but those bagels in the kitchen are calling my name. Must ignore!

Facing my fears: tracking calories on a bad day

I notice that on days I'm afraid I feel like I've eaten too much, I get afraid to track my calories. For instance: today I ate something while I wasn't hungry, on top of eating something I shouldn't, so I never logged into SparkPeople. At least, I only logged into SparkPeople after talking myself into it.

And the results weren't as bad as I thought they would be.

My breakfast was 206 calories
My lunch was 400 calories.
I snacked for 320 calories

320 calories is a lot for snacking (and not enough for breakfast, might I add), but together they added to 926 calories. That leaves me between 404 and 754 calories for dinner. I can do that.

Today was a great tracking opportunity. I was scared to track my calories because I was afraid I was over, and I found out that it's better to know my caloric intake than not know. It helps me make better plans for myself, and makes me ultimately feel better about myself. Even had I completely been over my calories for the day, I would have at least admitted it to myself instead of being shamed about the possibilities of over-consumption.