Weigh In #17: 5k, here we come

I'm back in workout mode. I successfully completed the first week of 5k training. It's not THAT much of an accomplishment, because it was just 4 days of 30 minute walks. Not very hard. But I was determined to stick to it.

THIS week we start the actual running. I'm trying to be very disciplined and finish out this plan. Discipline is not something that comes easily to me - maybe my parents should have sent me to military school.

Mr. decided to do the 5k training program with me. He did the first two days of walks, then he hurt his back and was out of commission for a few days. He is going to start the program over again this week.

Even though I'm back in workout mode, no weight loss. In fact, weight gain. Yeah, it sucks, big time.

I started reading a new book, Fight Fat After Forty: The Revolutionary Three-Pronged Approach That Will Break Your Stress-Fat Cycle and Make You Healthy, Fit, and Trim for Life by Pamela Peeke, M.D.

It's one of those books where as I'm reading it, I feel like the author is speaking SPECIFICALLY TO ME.

Mind you, I'm not yet 40, but close enough. And I've got stress fat galore. I'm working my way through the book and once I become clear on the plan, I'll implement it (and of course let you know more about it).

So far, what I've gleaned is that you've got to exercise regularly, do your best to deal with stress in your life, watch portions, up fruits and vegetables, and not eat complex carbs for dinner most nights.

Not rocket science, I've heard all those things before.

But in the book Dr. Peeke really breaks down physiologically what happens to a woman's body with age . . . and scientifically why we need more activity and less calories as we get older.

The message that's really stuck with me is that eating healthy and exercising is not just to get and stay thin- in your forties and beyond, it's more important to do these things in order to AVOID DISEASE so that you may live for a very long time. I want to live to be at my grandchildrens' weddings and beyond!

I've already started trying to reduce stress by upping my yoga sessions this week. And I've been bringing grapes to work to snack on in the afternoon rather than hitting up the candy and cookies that are always floating around the office.

So here goes:

Mrs.

Starting weight: 152 pounds

Goal weight: 130 pounds

Current weight: 163.2

Pounds lost (gained) this week: 2 pounds gained

Total pounds lost (gained): (11.2)

Pounds left to lose: 33.2

Workouts: 1 Zumba class, 4 days of 30 minute walks, 4 "P.M. Yoga" video sessions

Mr.

Starting weight: 245 pounds

Goal weight: 185 pounds

Current weight: 238

Pounds lost (gained) this week: (unknown)

Total pounds lost: 7

Pounds left to lose: 45

Workouts: 2 - 30 minute walks

Weigh In #16: Vacation happens

We were on vacation last week. We didn't go too nuts with eating, and I only had a few sodas over the course of a week. I did have ice cream a couple times though.

2 pounds gained is not too bad, I think. Back on the wagon now. I went to Zumba class yesterday and also walked on the treadmill for 20 min last night.

I'm starting a "Couch to 5k" training program in anticipation of running another 5k with Diva in November. It's will be my 3rd 5k since May, so I'm not exactly starting from the couch, but I hadn't previously trained for them and have paid for it the next few days after the races.

Mr. said he wanted to do the program too. But when I reminded him to walk his 20 minutes last night, he pretended not to hear me and kept watching TV.

So I'm going to hopefully stick to this 5k training program in addition to my exercise classes, and hope that it jump starts my weight loss. I'll post more details about the program soon.

Mrs.

Starting weight: 152 pounds
Goal weight: 130 pounds

Current weight: 161.2
Pounds lost (gained) this week: 2 pounds gained

Total pounds lost (gained): (9.2)
Pounds left to lose: 31.2

Workouts: chasing 3 kids around the beach and pool, daily. Several bike rides & walks on the beach.

Mr.

Starting weight: 245 pounds
Goal weight: 185 pounds

Current weight: ?
Pounds lost (gained) this week:

Total pounds lost: 15
Pounds left to lose: 45

Workouts: chasing 3 kids around the beach and pool, daily. Several bike rides & walks.

Weigh In #15: Back in the Saddle!

Success this week, but not without its challenges! (My birthday was on Sunday, and darn it, I ate cake. Reese's Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cake, from Friendly's. It was worth it!) Mr. in particular had a great week. With virtually no workouts, I may add (grrr....). He can drop weight, seemingly, by just thinking about it. Wish it was that easy for me!

Mrs.

Starting weight: 152 pounds
Goal weight: 130 pounds

Current weight: 159.2 pounds
Pounds lost (gained) this week: 3 pounds lost, yay!

Total pounds lost (gained): (7.2)
Pounds left to lose: 29.2

Workouts: 5 (1 Zumba class, 1 Kickboxing class, 3 one-mile speed walks around my very hilly neighborhood)

Mr.

Starting weight: 245 pounds
Goal weight: 185 pounds

Current weight: 230 pounds
Pounds lost (gained) this week: 8

Total pounds lost: 15
Pounds left to lose: 45

Workouts: some yardwork on Sunday in 95 degree heat.

Weigh In #14: Starting today, back on track!

Ouch, getting on the scale this morning hurt. It was BAD. Lots of excess over the weekend from beer drinking at the Elton John/Billy Joel concert (which was excellent!). Going on vacation exactly 18 days from now . . . . would like to get down to 150 by then - yes, I know that's a lofty goal.


Mrs.
Starting weight: 152 pounds
Goal weight: 130 pounds

Current weight: 162.2 pounds
Pounds lost (gained) this week: (n/a, last weigh in May 11)

Total pounds lost (gained): (10.2)
Pounds left to lose: 32.2

Workouts: 3 (Zumba, 2 one-mile speed walks)

Mr. (yes he's back! Yay!)
Starting weight: 245 pounds
Goal weight: 185 pounds

Current weight: 238 pounds
Pounds lost (gained) this week: (n/a, last weigh in was April 6)

Total pounds lost: 7
Pounds left to lose: 53

Workouts: (1) one-mile speed walk

I'm Back!

OK, I have been avoiding this blog like the plague. If you are still out there, thanks for checking in. I'm back!

I've been gone because I have been REALLY good at coming up with all kinds of rationalizations about my diet and exercise (or lack thereof) and why I have nothing of interest to blog about.

Well, here's something interesting: My weight has been creeping up again, to around 160 pounds. Completely unacceptable to me. SO depressing and frustrating to me that I've done nothing but GAIN weight since I started this blog.

Yet, I have been exercising regularly (not quite as consistently as I'd like, but at least a couple times a week at minimum). I've been doing Zumba, kickboxing, and step classes, which I really enjoy. I've been jogging every now and then (I've run two 5k's since April) and do workout DVD's (P.M. Yoga, Slim In Six, Zumba, Weight Loss Yoga) at home when I can. And we've been on vacation. Taking 3 kids to the beach every day is like exercising all day long.

Exercise has become essential to me in managing my stress level, and it makes me happier. Plus, it have given me quality time with my daughter - I've run both the 5k's with her, and it was more enjoyable than I'd have ever imagined. She's 9, and as she grows older, I know she'll want to spend less and less time with me - but maybe we can continue to do fun and healthy activities such as this that we both enjoy.

So, you may be thinking, what's the problem? Why is my weight continuing to do the slow creep upwards?

Simple answer: I eat too much and drink too much soda. I have yet to find an eating plan that works and is sustainable for me. I like to eat, I don't like any kind of deprivation, and have a strong addiction to regular soda.

Soon after my last post about Suzanne Somers, which was working for me at the time, I decided to stop it after a follow up visit to the Dr. revealed I had more kidney stones (which we thought was just a pregnancy thing last year). They are just waiting for their time to move. Uh-oh. Dr. C told me to avoid dark sodas, teas, and any high protein-low carb diets. since my stones are calcium oxalate and may be caused by some things in my diet. Bye-bye, Suzanne.

I haven't had any tea since that appointment (I used to drink hot tea in the morning, iced tea at night). But dark soda? Less success here. I definitely haven't been drinking as much of it, but I still gotta have it. And regular soda too, not diet. I hate diet soda's taste, and aspartame gives me blinding headaches.

I know my soda consumption is one of my biggest issues. It seems to be, for me, similar to any other addiction - I give it up, it's all good for a while, and then one day I say, I'll just have one," and so I do. And then I slide back down the slippery slope into drinking them every day. Repeat cycle, over and over again.

I've stopped drinking soda in restaurants. My motivation is two fold - health and money. Seriously, if most of your family orders water with dinner, you'll save almost $10. And feel less full at the end of the meal. Works for me.

I stopped buying soda at the grocery store, so it does not exist in my home. Easy to avoid if it's not there. I drink water or 4C Lemonade with Splenda (delicious).

So what's the problem? Work. They have fountain sodas there. Fountain sodas, to me, taste much better than cans or bottles. I bring in bottles of flavored seltzer to drink instead, but it never lasts. Like some people need their coffee in the a.m., I need my large fountain Coke. I try to only have one a day, but it's a 20 ounce cup, and if I'm careful, I can make that last through lunch.

So what's the solution? I have no idea. Maybe another attack of kidney stones will be the last straw. I hope it doesn't get to that. But I've gotta stop drinking soda, I know. Just that one thing will likely make a huge difference. Does anyone out there have any suggestions?

Back to work here. I'll weigh in on Monday.

Mrs. *

*As for why this doesn't say Mr. as well, he's so far off the wagon, I don't know if he'll be back, but I have hope. He is slowly creeping upward as well, just finished a huge project at work, so maybe he'll come back.

Weigh In #13: Progress, FINALLY!

Mrs.

Starting weight: 152 pounds
Current weight: 154.8 pounds
Pounds lost (gained) this week: 4.2 lost!!
Total pounds lost (gained): (2.8)
Pounds left to lose: 22
Workouts: 3 (Zumba, kickboxing, weights)

Seeing results from the Suzanne Somers diet...and I actually like eating this way. I feel satisfied and not deprived. I counted 4.2 pounds lost because last Wednesday, before I started Somersizing, I weighed (gulp) 159. Hoping I can stick with it and melt away at least 22 more pounds....hopefully at least 10-15 before my June vacation.....

Crunch Time

OK, so that Tracy Anderson diet didn't last long. Turns out it was only about 600-800 calories a day, and so I was so hungry on it I almost gobbled up all the papers sitting on my desk one day. And excessive hunger just leads me to binge when I get home (very, very bad).

So, on to something new. Or, on to something previously tried and liked (and it worked!), but abandoned due to pure laziness and lack of motivation.

Suzanne Somers.

That's right. That Thighmaster, Home Shopping Network, Chrissy-from-Threes' Company blonde chick. She has developed a food-combining method called Somersizing. I own all the Somersizing books and have done it before. And liked it.

What I liked about it: great recipes, great food, and you can eat until you are satisfied and comfortably full. It's also easier to eat in restaurants. Once you get going, the pounds melt away quickly and you don't feel like you are being deprived.

What I didn't like about it: It involves a lot of cooking, which I enjoy, but it takes time, and fresh ingredients, which means frequent trips to the store and lots of cash. It also involves planning ahead to ensure you have the right ingredients at the right time. Ugh. Sometimes the food combining rules become a little unwieldy (especially at a family gathering where there are tons of foods that break the rules).

I am going to do it for the month of May and first week of June in order to prep for a vacation in June. I'm hoping to drop at least 10 pounds (although I could stand to lose 20-30)

Here are the Somersizing rules:

• Eliminate sugar, white flour, and funky foods (processed, fried foods, foods high in starch, or anything that can't be classified as (1) Protein or fat or (2) Carb or (3) low starch veggie or fruit)
• No sugar, caffeine, alcohol
• Eat proteins/fats with veggies (no carbs)
• Eat carbs with veggies (but no fat)
• Carbs should be whole wheat (pasta, bread, bagels, etc.)
• Eat fruit alone or on an empty stomach
• Do not skip meals. Eat until satisfied and comfortably full

So, you can eat proteins/fats with veggies (think steak and salad, seafood and veggies, full fat salad dressings, as long as they don't have any added sugar)

And carbs with no fat (whole wheat bagel with fat free cream cheese, Grape Nuts cereal with nonfat milk, whole wheat tortillas with veggies and fat-free cheese) Suzanne recommends eating the carbs in the a.m. so you have all day to burn them off. While it is easier to eat Protein/Fat/Veggies meals all the time, you do need to get the carbs in - they are a good source of fiber.

So, as an example, yesterday I had:
Breakfast: Grape Nuts cereal with nonfat milk
Lunch: Salad bar veggies with oil and vinegar, 1 piece of roast turkey (no gravy!)
Dinner: Piece of grilled chicken with steamed broccoli

and today I've had:
Breakfast: veggie omelet with swiss cheese & bacon (Pro/Fats & veggies)
Lunch : salad with grilled shrimp, scallops and calamari, saffron vinaigrette dressing (Pro/Fats & veggies)

I've also gone cold turkey off the fountain Cokes. I'm drinking flavored seltzer water instead (0 calories, 0 sugar). I hope I develop a taste for it.

Tonight will be a challenge. We go right from work to my son's T-ball game, where there is a concession stand offering hot dogs and pizza. This is where the thinking ahead comes into play, and I'm not good at it. A soft pretzel would be a fat-free choice but not whole wheat.

I do enjoy eating this way. I don't feel bloated, feel satisfed after a meal, and at the appropriate time, hungry for the next one. I don't feel tired or sluggish in the afternoon. And, weighing myself this morning, I looked to be down about a pound and a half. (Could be just water weight though!)

I'll weigh back in on Monday, hopefully with results.