Ah, Yes. Checking In.

There's supposed to be a check in. I'm not real sure that I want to do that this week, as I'm feeling more than a little frustrated with the whole thing. But I suppose that I should to the weighing and measuring so that I can have yet another "starting point." I am resolved. Running. Yoga. Calorie counting for the next 2 weeks, faithfully, and intermittently after that.

So. After checking my numbers I find that I'm not as bad off on the weight as I thought I would be, but the measurements are definitely telling me that I need to sit up and pay attention. We'll see if I can't be doing better by next week. Though it's not as bad as I expected it would be. I don't think that I'll call it "starting over" after all.

Measuring Tape: Lost

This is a problem. It's really cramping my keeping-track-with-more-than-the-scale style. Hopefully it's hiding with the stopwatch I bought myself a while back and they will both turn up soon.

Weigh-in

Not too bad. I always suffer when I don't drink water, and I had several days in a row, what with Independence Day and the Fast Sunday. I fluffed right up with bloating. But all but 1 pound of that is gone now. My measurements were a mixed bag: some loss, some gain. But I'm back on track and getting things going in the right direction. One thing that's helped is that when I write my measurements, I write down the new number, then in parenthesis I'll put the change for the week and the total change. That's pretty wordy. It's just this:

Weight: 203 (+1/-6)
Waist: 36 1/2" (-1/2" / -2 1/4")
Hips: 45 1/4" (+1" / -1 1/4")
R. Thigh: 26 1/4" (+1/4" / -1")

It's a bit of a mess to look at, and the math is sort of obnoxious. But I've decided that it's absolutely worth it: when I had the gains this week, I could see that there is still progress, even though it wasn't a stellar week. And it has helped keep my thoughts in the way they should be so that I'm still feeling successful, still feeling hopeful. And THAT means that I'm not feeling the urge to sabotage myself. It's worth a bit of messy math to me!

Oh Happy Day!

I've got a 2 pound loss this week! Plus, 2 of my 3 measurements are slightly down. I am a happy girl. The biggest thing I did this week: more water. More water more water more water. Makes a huge difference, because between the heat & both my guys being sick, I didn't really do so hot on the exercise this time around. I'm feeling very encouraged about my lifestyle changes. They seem to be working! It still takes vigilance, but the changes are doing the job and I'm getting closer to that baby!

Lovin' the Measuring Tape

Yes, indeed I am! The scale isn't nearly as encouraging as I wanted it to be. But I started taking measurements, and that requires records. I am reminded why it is that we liked records so much when I worked at IDTC: they make little progress real, keep away discouragement, and keep the goal on track! They make progress visible.

So, here is my progress:

Weight: down 3 pounds
Waist: down 1/2 inch
Hips: down 1 3/4 inches!!!
Thigh: down 1 inch.

I'm so excited about these numbers! They are 2 weeks worth of time, and I was feeling rather blah about the weight, as I'm not into new numbers yet, nor am I below 200, and I had hoped to be. However, I AM about 10% of the way to my first goal. And when I make it to that goal I'll have my doctor call in some fertility drugs! Wooooot!! Talk about your non-food rewards!!

Weakness and Strength

I am slowly making some progress. I made myself a journal this week - just a three ring binder, with a verse printed out in a pretty font for the front, to remind me. This is what it says:

I give unto men weakness
that they may be humble;
if they humble themselves
before me
and have faith in me
then will I
make weak things
become strong until them.

It's from Ether 12:27. Weakness includes an inclination to over-indulge when eating and to under-indulge in movement. I am seeking His help, and as He promises so often, I am finding what I seek. It's slow progress: I haven't lost any pounds yet. But one of the things I'm keeping track of in this new binder of mine is my measurements, and I lost 1/2 inch on two of them this week. I am grateful for His help!

So, now that I'm measuring myself, and I'm actually taking weekly pictures too, though I don't plan to post those, as they are the most honest (read: unflattering) ones that I've seen in a long time, I'll be checking in with my journal weekly about Thursday. I did it early this week because I was so frustrated with the scale that I needed to see what the tape measure was going to say. But if anyone cares to join me, I'd love company on a Thursday weigh-in/measurement schedule!

Checking In

I took my measurements today and in spite of some Halloween indulgence, I'm slightly down. The scale says I'm up, but with all the new exercise, I'm not too worried about that! I'm feeling pretty good. I didn't do perfectly last week; I missed 2 workouts and was usually short on water. But I'm making progress both in my measuring and in building habits, which in the long term is more important than any single day.

Over bust: 38 1/2 (-1/4)
Bust: 42 1/2 (-1/2)
Waist: 37 (-1/4)
Hips: 44 (-1/2)

Weight: 203 (+3)

Pushups: 27
Running: 1.05 miles in 22:55.


I've been thinking. It seems that for me loosing weight is as much of spirituality as it is about getting sweaty and eating right. The Lord has made it clear that I need to do a better job of taking care of my body, and because it's something that He's asked me to do, that means that He will help me get it done. Thing is, that means that working through the tough spots where it feels like Nothing is Happening is as much a matter of faith and patience as anything. It also means that when I fall down and don't do very well, repentance is available, and the Lord will help me get back on my feet.

Starting Again

It's been so long since I did any serious running or other exercise on any kind of regular basis that I'm going to just start new. So today Andy and I did the 100 pushups challenge. Day 1 isn't so bad. I'm off to start on Day 1 of the running program that I was doing before: Run 1 Walk 2.

I weighed myself yesterday and I'm 200 pounds.

These are my current measurements:

Over bust: 38 3/4
Bust: 43
Waist: 37 1/4
Hips: 44 1/2

And here's the link to the running program, so that I can find it again: my printed copy has disappeared.

How is everyone else doing?

Oh Boy

Ugh. It did not go well today. I ended up cutting the run short & coming home early. Couldn't breathe. Maybe because it was so humid? Also, my antibiotic is doing some unpleasant things to me, and that could be contributing. Whatever, it didn't go well. Very disheartening. This week is turning out to be a very difficult week for the exercise: I was going to run yesterday, before I went to the dentist, but I messed up when I set my alarm and I didn't have time. So I did it today. But now I feel like shoe scrapings, and if I want to get my 3 runs in this week like I've been doing I have to have another bash at it tomorrow.

Here are the measurments I said I'd do 2 days ago. It's been that kind of week.

Bust: 44 1/2 (up 1/2", but it's a different bra that makes me feel a bit like Madonna. I retired it, but when I started running I needed more than 2, and the new one hasn't come in yet....)
Waist: 36 3/4 (down 1 3/4"!!!)
Belly: 45 1/2" (down 1 1/2"!!!)
Hips: 45" (down 1/2"!!!)

OK, I feel much better about life now that I've taken those; my weight is actually UP a pound at 201 this week, and it's been driving me crazy. But those measurements are very reassuring: There IS actually progress for all the work that I've been doing! Maybe one of these days I'll get to go get myself one of those non-food rewards we talked about a while back! I'd almost given up on getting there because I've been so stuck at the same place, even with running. This is very encouraging.

Day 8-Minus-2

It's day 8-2 because I figure that there are at least 2 steps between where I'm at and where I need to be in order to pull of Day 8's "run 2 walk 1." Today what I set out to do - and did - was run 2 walk 1, run 2 walk 2, 5 times, for the usual total of 30 minutes. It was hard work. But I did it. I plan to do it again on Wednesday. Well, maybe. That's the day that I'm getting more work done on my root canal & I typically don't feel great after doing that. Plus I'm going to the zoo with Monkey. We'll have to see. If I get up nice & early & go before all the excitement it can still be done. (By nice & early I mean around 8.)

I got a new toy the other day: a stopwatch. It's pretty fun. Monkey loves it. It beeps. I like that I can now keep better track of my times. I decided to stop counting my warm-ups in my pace, and only count the part where I'm actually running. Or working on running anyway. As a result, my pace today was just over a 15 minute mile! Not bad: I'm almost as good as I was in 4th grade, only this time it's not killing me. No asthma-type attacks. It doesn't hurt. (Which is not to say that it's not WORK. It's kind of like giving birth that way.) Also, we're have a possible opportunity to buy a used treadmill. Depends on the cost. I wonder if I can do some sort of trade for part of the price: I'll bring you bread, you give me the equipment you're getting rid of because you never use it anyway. I'm sure there'd have to be some money exchanged, but that might bring it down into a range that we can do right now.

Tomorrow I plan to weigh-in and check my measurements. Anyone with me?

Weigh-in/Measurements

OK, so it's not so much of a weigh-in cuz my water weight is going crazy again. I've been drinking most, but not all of my water, and I can always tell that on the scales because it makes me bloat. Yuck. So we're going with the 200 from a couple of days ago for weight. And I'm doing measurements again this week.

Bust:44" (no change)
Waist: 38.5" (no change)
Belly:47" (new measurement)
Hips:45.5" (down .5)

Yay! I've got change in my measurements too, in addition to the good news on the scale! There's already a little bit "less to love!" I'm actually a bit surprised that there's not more change in the tape measure, because I feel thinner. Guess that must just be in my head. I can live with feeling better about myself.

I added the belly measurement because I've got a baby belly now (surely it's not the ice cream!), and it's not really at my hips or my waist, but it's definitely the biggest thing there and the part I'd most like to see shrink. So I'm going to measure it.

Weigh-in & Progress Report

OK, actually, I didn't weigh myself this morning. But I am taking measurements.

Bust: 44 inches
Waist: 38 1/2 inches
Hips: 46 inches

I don't have any older measurements that would work to compare these with, so I can't say that I've lost so many inches yet. But hopefully next week there'll be some difference.

As far as my progress, I'm doing better with eating healthy. That is, we're home again so I can do some cooking! Plus, the garden is starting to produce. We had our 1st decent tomato sandwiches since we lived in Kaysville in 2002. Oh yes, those were YUMMY! There will be more. Just as soon as the rest of the tomatoes turn red. Would you believe that Monkey wouldn't eat one? I knew he wouldn't, so I didn't waste a tomato on him, just offered him a taste of mine. He spit it out. Obviously his taste buds are still immature. This time of year with all the tasty tasty garden veggies, it's petty easy to eat well.

I'm also more or less please with how the exercise is going. More pleased because I've been getting it in (Andy helps with the Monkey), and less pleased because the new running thing is killing me. This HURTS!! I just keep drinking my water and reminding myself that this too will pass. Andy says that it takes about 2 weeks for the body to get used to a new activity and until then it's gonna hurt. I've done 2 days now. Only 12 to go before my body realizes that I'm serious about getting skinny and running and it'd better just suck it up. Preferably suck it out of my various fat cells. I'm planning to repeat days 1 and 2 until I can actually DO day 1. Hopefully it won't take more than 2 or maybe 3 tries.