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!

Water Water

Some days I am super thirsty. I sometimes drink three liters of water while at work, and then another one or two at home. And then some days I am not thirsty at all and trying to finish a single liter is a struggle. What's up with that?

Today is a thirsty day. Yay for water!

(from http://aunz.siemens.com/Water/Pages/CC_2097_Water.aspx)

In Praise of Water

I went to Mom & Dad's house this weekend, and we had dinner. It was yummy: spaghetti and salad. There was also chocolate milk on the table which I enjoyed very much. That is, I did until I looked at the label and realized that for the brief pleasure of a glass of milk I had spent 170 calories or so. And I'd had more than 1. I usually know it when I'm sabotaging myself, but I'd been completely blindsided by this one. Nothing to do about it but enjoy the fact that I'd been to the ice rink earlier in the day and skated for an hour and a half. At least I did a good job on the exercise!

Just one more reason to love water: it's crazy easy to drink your calories, which leaves you still hungry enough to eat them too. Milk's not even all that bad: check the label on soda some time. That stuff is liquid candy. Juice makers want you to think their apple juice is the same as eating an apple, but you don't get any of the filling qualities: no fiber, no pulpy bulk filling the belly.

Makes me want to make sure to drink water at my meals: it's an easy way to keep the calorie count lower.

Pressing On

Now that the wedding is done, it's time to get rolling again! Been awfully quiet around here, I'm wondering what you girls are up to these days? I'm still trucking along in the push-up challenge. We're into week 3 now, and it's going well. I did 47 pushups, divided into 5 sets, the other day. I still need to do my pushups this evening before I go to bed. Working out has been more difficult, as has drinking water. I always do better when both Andy and myself are at home. There's been a lot of one or both of us out and about lately. Hopefully that will ease up here shortly and I'll be able to rebuild my routine. I was doing so well this summer, but I've really been struggling to re-create that this fall.

I went shopping this evening and picked up a lot of fruit and some veggies to chop up. I've been realizing that my food is a significant part of the problem. I need to eat more fresh chopped veggies, more plain fruit. I need it as snacks, at meals, all the time. It's better for me. It's less calorie-filled, so it will help me reach my goals.

Today I bought pears and apples. I also picked up some bananas and peppers. They are yummy. They are things that I like to eat. Pears and apples are even more or less in season still, so they fit nicely in the Word of Wisdom:

And again, verily I say unto you, all wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man—

Every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season thereof; all these to be used with prudence and thanksgiving.

I've got a long way to go, but I'm working on it! One of these days I'm going to start reaching some goals!

Getting Frustrated

Definitely. Getting frustrated. My water weight is out.of.control. I'm not loosing. I did horribly this weekend. (I expected that, and I'm not sorry that I went down to Kate's place.) So cheer me on girls, it's taking longer than expected for the water weight to get stable. I don't actually know how long it took last time, because by the time that I started loosing weight I'd already gotten the whole drinking water thing down pat and I didn't like to be without it.

I must say that I love the idea of non-food rewards! I talked to Andy about it this afternoon, and we're going to set aside some money to do that with. Right now I'm thinking dies for my new die-cut machine. Those are not terribly expensive, but they don't typically come in sets so each one has to be purchased individually (I'm thinking they're about $10). I'm going to treat myself to one every 5 pounds. And at no other time. That's going to be the hard part, especially with spirits kind of low right now.

So cheer me on girls, I'm in a tough spot!!

Water is Good. But...

If you haven't been drinking enough, and then you start drinking what you're supposed to, you get bloated. So this is what's happening to me right now. As of this morning, I'd gained 5 pounds in 2 days! I am so chugging on the water!!