Last post before holidays

Monday 1491-3269=1778
Tuesday 2950-2425=475
I work 2 nights and then I'm off to the lake for 2 weeks. I'm not going to report in for the next few days because I still have a lot of things I need to get done before I go. So this is going to be it for the next couple of weeks. I plan to move everyday (walks, swimming) and try to eat as well as I can (not indulge when I'm alone, but only if I"m am with others and to not do so would be to make a scene - like at some one's home, or celebrating something). The goal is to weigh the same when I get back as when I left. We will see how that goes. Wish me luck!!

Another bad weekend

Over the weekend, I did not log my foods. And when I stepped on the scale this morning, I could totally tell. Sure, I'm weighing in at 5:30 am after not really sleeping very well, but in the course of 3 days I gained 7 lbs. I ate chips (so my sodium intake is really high) and didn't eat many veggies. I don't feel great at all. You think I would learn my lesson - that eating late at night usually means that I don't sleep well and I end up with a stomach ache. I'm going to do well this coming week and then I'm on vacation. So I'm going to do well for the next 5 days and then try to have moderate days away from home.

Thursday: Ate 1871 - Burned 2695 = Balance 824

A few more night shifts

Tuesday (working nights): 1716 - 3042 = 1326
Wednesday (called in to work nights): 2357 - 3274 = 917

I just need to do activity when I work nights. I have gone for walks on breaks - it is just hard to do consistently. And today - it is a lazy day - I had to get up early for a hair appointment and only slept about 3 hours. Which isn't great for weight loss. But planning on getting a great sleep tonight!

Just okay

Monday (working nights):
Ate 1735 - Burned 2624 = Balance 889
Not bad, but I didn't drink enough water. I also didn't do any extra activity. I ended up sleeping all day. Normally I'm not that tired, but I just couldn't stay awake. So I'll go to bed now and hopefully get enough sleep for work tonight!

Sunday's Balance

I'm off to work tonight. I think it is going to be a long night - I'm just a little tired....

Sunday: Ate 2858 - Burned 2996 = 318
But I hardly drank any water... and I had an ice cream treat because it was someone's birthday... Not a great day.

All that walking at work

Saturday: Ate 1681 - Burned 3528 = 1847

Walked 11948 steps. But after work, I was feeling stiff (and old) so I did some yoga. It sure made getting up easier today. And I just finished a 15 minute stretching period now and I think I'm ready to take on another day!

More aware

I realized last night (when I felt like snacking), that I was actually thirsty and tired. So instead of finding something to eat, I had some water and went to bed. It was a great decision! Sometimes, before I realize what is happening, I have eaten everything that is bad for me and then I realize I'm thirsty. I'm trying to be more aware of what I'm eating. Sometimes it even works!

Ate 1669 - Burned 2644 = Balance 975

Extra Shifts

I worked a couple extra nights shifts. I didn't have much time to plan my food, so I think I did pretty good.
Wednesday: 1983 - 2649 = 666
Thursday: 2826 - 3193 = 367
I tried to drink all the water I was suppose to, but I find it hard to do when I'm working at night. And I probably had food that was much too salty. But overall - not a bad couple of days!

Trying harder

I ended up working an extra shift last night. And after the couple of short walks I took during the day, I did pretty good.
Ate 1619 - Burned 3056 = 1437 calorie deficit

And took 10274 steps. Pretty good. And I drank all the water I was suppose to. I have to keep this up now.

Bad weekend

Okay - I should know better than leaving logging of food 2 days after I ate it is pretty much impossible. I can never remember what I ate. I was pretty tired this past weekend working nights that I didn't log my food. Now I'm really struggling to remember. But if I remember correctly, the slip up on July 1 carried on for a few days. I need to really get back on the wagon after I fall off. So these values (I think) are pretty close.
Saturday July 2: Ate 3310 - Burned 2858 = 452
Sunday Ate 1397 - Burned 3202 = 1805
Monday Ate 3916 - Burned 3107 = 809

NOT very good. I'm going to try harder. To meet my goal of burning more than I'm eating, I went for a walk this morning when I got up. I'm picking up a few extra shifts this week, so I'm going to log my meals better. And I'm going to drink more water. At least 2 liters a day. That's the plan for this week.

Canada day celebrations

I couldn't even begin to guess a number for yesterday's calories. I didn't realize it, but it was a potluck at work and there was a lot of fun there. So I'm pretty sure that my balance is positive, but I have no idea was it was. And it might not have been such a bad day if I came home and ate well, but I stopped off at Dairy Queen on the way home - I did buy small sizes - raspberry lemonade and a small blizzard, but I would have been better off if I didn't stop altogether. Somehow I need to remind myself -I'm dieting for 3 months. I have to go hard for 3 months. Then I can coast. Nuts.

Happy Canada Day!

June 30th balance: Ate 1760 - Burned 3378 = 1618

I feel much better this morning - I think I have recovered from that long walk 3 days ago (time for new shoes - my ankles shouldn't feel that bad for so long after a walk). The last 2 mornings I have had to force myself to eat when I get up for work at 6am. I know you need to eat something shortly after you get up to get your metabolism working, but when you get up at 5:45, some days it is really hard. It is also really hard if I was full when I went to bed. I don't wake up hungry. And that often happens on work days because I get home at 7:30, and then have supper and go to bed. I almost need that empty feeling in my stomach when I go to bed to help me wake up in a mood to eat. But I have to stop rambling - I need to go to work.

Another two days

Tuesday - I went for a 2 hour walk and felt really great. Wednesday I could hardly walk. I think I need new shoes....
Tuesday: Ate 1340 - burned 3131 = balance 1791
Wednesday: Ate 3723 - burned 3437 = balance +288
(Tuesday I had Chinese takeout - the 2 hour walk was balanced out by all that sodium - not so great. Wednesday, after work I stopped at the grocery store and just bought a lot of junk without thinking about it. Now, early morning while I'm motivated - I'm going to throw out the remainder of that splurge... what a waste! I have to remember to leave my brain ON while shopping, even if I am tired)

Two days

I have to log 2 days worth of calories consumed. I totally forgot to log in yesterday. I normally do it in the morning, but I was in a class yesterday so it totally slipped my mind.

Sunday I had a negative balance of 1065. Monday I broke even (well, I was up about 100 calories, but I needed to estimate, so I'm calling it a break even). I hardly did any activity yesterday. Or Sunday. I should go for a walk today. It looks so nice out. But I already have a load of laundry in so I'm going to wait until that is finished before I even think about going.

(Didn't I say that it would be really boring listening to me ramble every day about my life - it really is NOT very exciting!)

Agh - that dip!

I ended up going to the store after swimming yesterday and bought dip. The hummus was probably fine to eat, it is that it needs to be dipped in something that makes it a high calorie intake. And yes, I have veggies here in the house that I could have eaten, but doesn't multigrain flax seed pita snackers sound so much better? Nuts - it was a bad day.
Ate 4008, Burned 2986 = balance of +1022.

Friday's Balance

Ate 2040 - Burned 3015 = Balance 975
Another busy day at work. I would have done better eating, except I didn't pre-plan my meals at work and ended up buying something to eat. And then I end up guessing how many calories I ate (I probably underestimated - I usually do) and you don't have the same amount of control over what you eat. But not a bad day. So now I need to switch back over to being awake during the day. And I"m feeling a little out of sorts after working nights, but I'm going to get a swim in. The only problem is that when I swim, I can't wear my armband and have to guess at the calories that I burn. But I like swimming and I don't think that I could do much else now, so at least it is some kind of activity!

Thursday - working nights

I did okay yesterday. Ate 2105 calories, burned 2877, balance of 772. It would have been better except I probably ate too much when I got home early morning. I'm off to work tonight so I'm going to try to eat responsibility at the end of a long night.

Wednesday's Busy workday

Intake: 1706, Burned: 3561: Balance 1855
I had a busy day at work. I was walking all over the place. And it started as soon as I got to work and didn't stop all day. I took the stairs several times more that I have done in the past month. I actually beat my current record for number of steps taken. Last week when I went for an hour and half walk and then went to the grocery store, I ended up with slightly over 12000 steps. Yesterday (with only the walking around at work) I walked 13042 steps. And I also had my highest average calories burned per minute (METs) compared to any day that I have been wearing this armband. It feels pretty good. I even stopped to pick up some sushi after work (I only had a little bit and tried to pick the healthiest that I could) as well as a whole watermelon (well, one of those little mini watermelons). So it wasn't even a perfect eating day. But it sure helps when you move so much!

Tuesday's negative balance

3078-1782 = 1296. And it wasn't even a particularily busy day at work. But all that extra walking helps. Hopefully today will be a good day as well

Chocolate covered pretzels

Yesterday - I was even. Ate 2443, burned 2445. The problem was I picked up an treat at the grocery store - 100 calorie chocolate covered pretzels. Where there are like 8 in a little bag and each little bag in 100 calories. I ate a few bags. In fact - all 6 bags in the box if I were honest. I haven't figured out how to have food like this in the house and not eat it. I'm really disappointed in myself. But I don't have much time to think about it this morning - I'm off to work. So I better get my healthy lunch ready to take!

Sunday's Balance

I went for that walk yesterday - for 1 1/2 hours. Half way through it started pouring. I think I'm going to give myself bonus marks for walking in the rain. And I ended up walking 12000 steps! I ate 1731 calories and burned 3059 calories for a deficit of 1328. I have a feeling that today will be less active. I need to do laundry, maybe pick up some groceries for the next few days at work. But it is really overcast today and I just don't feel like doing a walk in the rain today. But it is still early yet. I just need to find some motivation.

Saturday's Balance

I burned 2343 calories and ate 1745 calories leaving me with a negative balance of 598 calories. Pretty good day for sitting around the house and reading. I had good intentions of walking to the farmer's market - but I thought I might melt in the rain so I stayed inside instead. There is no rain right now so I'm going to head out. With the dark clouds rolling in, I may get wet, but I'm willing to take that chance!

Body Media

I signed up for the extra service of this metabolic counter through Jenny Craig. You wear a little electronic gizmo on your arm and it measures things like calories burned, amount of steps you take in a day, what level of intensity your exercise was, when that exercise was done, and how much time you spent asleep. You are suppose to wear the band 24 hours a day. It is recharged when you plug it into your computer to download all that information. It then can calculate any deficit in calories consumed vs. burned if you honestly enter in the food you ate for that day.
www.bodymedia.com

I have been wearing this arm band for 2 months. In that time, I have learned a few things. Like a goal of losing 2 pounds per week equals about 1000 calorie deficient that I have to maintain every day. And when I try to increase my activity, it does not really affect how much weight I lose. It is totally dependant on what I put in my mouth. Now, increasing exercise (and intensity of that exercise) might make more of a difference if I was less overweight and closer to my goal. But now, trying to walk 30 minutes in a day does very little for the final balance of calories burned vs. consumed.


This knowledge was a little disheartening. You watch programs like the biggest loser (or any other reality weight loss show) and see these people flopping around, sweating in puddles on the floor and you begin to think that exercise is the answer to weight loss. I have to admit that exercise plays a vital role in improving your health (creating a stronger heart, improving your immune system, decreasing your blood pressure, developing more lean muscle mass), but it doesn't seem to help me with my weight loss. Granted, I'm not going to (or ever will) work out 6 hours a day for even 1 month let alone 6 months or more, but in my overall balance of calories burned and consumed, it actually makes little difference.


Now the days that I work (12 hour shifts - walking and standing for a lot of that time), I can burn 700 to 800 more calories than days off where I'm hanging around my house. That is a significance difference. But trying to exercise for 30 minutes on my days off is not going to make much of a difference.


I came to these realizations perhaps a month ago. And have been depressed about the results ever since. I guess because this means I need to been vigilant about my diet. And I have never been very good at that for an extended period of time. So that is when I really stopped blogging. I have been thinking about this and I have come up with a solution (short term at least). I decided that if I can stick to my diet (really any diet that restricts calories) for 3 months, I can lose some weight and then just try to maintain that loss for a while afterwards (how long after, I haven't decided). Thinking about losing over 100 pounds - it's depressing. Thinking about dieting for 3 months - well, that's do-able. I like that I can see a light at the end of the "diet". I like that my goal will not be overwhelming.


So I have decided that I'm going to give my daily balance of calories consumed verses burned on this blog. I am the first to admit that reading how many calories I burned every day will be very tedious for you. But I'm going to do it. And let me tell you, it was really hard today not to go out and buy some junk to eat. Especially because I had yet to announce my intentions of being accountable this way. But I made it through the day without eating too much and with no trip to the grocery store (living in a building with a store on the ground level seemed like such a good idea when I moved in).



I would give you my balance for today, but there is still 3 more hours left in the day. I will still be burning calories, even once I sleep. So I will have to let you know tomorrow what the final number for today is. And if you have made it all the way to the end of this rambling post - yay! Please keep checking in on me for the next 3 months. I need to be accountable to someone. And 3 months - I'm starting to get excited about this....

Chinese Food

Okay, so I was doing really good the last few days. It helps when I'm at work. I definitely eat more at home.
So... the first day off at home.... it didn't go so well. I got out and had a lovely, long swim, but then - I ordered chinese food. And yes, it tasted great. But now I'm not feeling so well. And I'm sure I'm going to be up tonight with heartburn. But starting now - I'm going to do better. Because I decided that for the next 3 months - I'm really going to try to lose some weight. And it is going to start with a good sleep tonight. Hopefully.

Doing better

I have been doing much bet better these last couple of days. I probably need to start writing down everything I'm eating to be more accountable. For example, after getting off work this morning (worked a 12 hour shift overnight) I stopped at a coffee shop and got 2 sausage rolls and a small caramel hot chocolate with whip cream. Probably not something I should have during these 3 months I'm trying to lose weight. But it was at the end of a day where I had a great day - other than perhaps the sugar in the ice tea. So, in summation.... I need to start writing things down, but I'm eating much better. And now I'm off to the best part of the day (or so it seems like now) - SLEEP!

A long time

It has been a month and a half since I have posted anything. I have started a few drafts that I never actually posted. The hardest part about posting after a long absence is justifying why there wasn't anything posted for such a long time. I don't really have a reason. I was really struggling. I found it really difficult to stick to a diet. I wasn't exercising. Tomorrow is one full year on this journey and I really wanted to be farther along than this. And I think it was really depressing that I wasn't farther into my weight loss so I just didn't blog anything. Posting nothing was better than posting all my negativity. But I have decided that I'm just going to start fresh.

So in one year - I have lost 25 lbs. And I think I'm only going to focus on the next 3 months. I'm going to try to lose weight over this summer and then in the fall (when I find it so hard to lose weight), I'm just going to try to maintain that weight loss. Looking at how much I have to lose was becoming way too overwhelming. So I'm going to focus on the next 3 months. I can lose weight in 3 months. And I can lose enough to feel a whole lot better.

I have to go to work now, but I wanted to post a little something - just to get over the hurdle of this first post. But I'm still here, and I'm going to go strong for the next 90 days!

Weigh in 25

I'm down 1.1 since last weigh in, but I gained weight before I strapped on this gizmo that measures my caloric burn. My official weigh in was Sunday and I was down 9 lbs in 5 days. Pretty great, eh? But I have been quite busy the last few days (I picked up an extra shift at work) and I have not been eating well. But even then, I logged in what I ate. So I'm back to work tomorrow and back to following my weight loss plan. I even got a delivery of Jenny Craig food today, so there is no excuse. And I'm off to bed now (this armband even measures how much I sleep - and now I'm seeing what an odd sleep pattern I have - crazy shift work!).

Metabolic Max

Okay, yesterday was the first day that I wore my metabolic max arm band. I received it on Tuesday, but it needed 3 hours to charge, so I figured I would start on Wednesday morning. Setting up my profile on the arm band was really simple. And I'm finding the software really user-friendly.

So bright and early on Wednesday morning, I started my day by slipping on the armband (5:45am). I was thankful for the longer sleeves at work because no one commented or asked me what was on my arm. It definitely kept me accountable for what I ate at work (no chocolate covered espresso beans for me). And then when I got home (and I have been eating a large supper full of carbs then falling asleep because I'm tired), I ate a sensible salad and my Jenny Craig meal that I was suppose to. I plugged my armband back into the computer and found that without trying, I walked over 8000 steps (I'm on my feet a lot at work).

Today, on the day when I normally do very little because I'm working nights tonight and I figure I need to take it easy to be rested for work, I went for a 30 minute walk this morning. And normally I would catch up on my recordings on my PVR. I guess for the past day and a half - this little gizmo is doing it's job. Which is to get me motivated to lost weight again. So far - I'm loving it!

Those slushies!!!!

Okay - since that last post - I have had 2 more DQ lemonade slushies. I just can't see to stop. Or to get on track. I was suppose to get my new metabolic meter today, but I was out and the UPS guy didn't leave it. The only time in the past 3 days that I left the house (and it was to go to the dentist), and they try to deliver when I'm not here. And I work the next 2 days (7 to 7) so there is no chance that I will be here when they come to drop it off... Which means I will need to go to pick it up (and it is at the other end of the city) so who knows when I will actually get this fancy new toy. And I still keep telling myself - "my diet will start tomorrow". It feels like I'm running out of tomorrows. Okay - enough with the venting. I'm going to try to get a solid 8 hours of sleep in before I go back to work tomorrow.

My new purchases

I have now signed up for the metabolic max program through Jenny Craig. So I will very shortly be measuring my daily metabolism and comparing that to what I'm putting in my mouth. I'm pretty excited to start it. I think I'll probably get my arm band in a week or so. So in preparation, I went shopping for T-shirts today. Specifically, 3/4 length sleeves so I can were this armband at work and not have to answer all kinds of questions about it. I saw a co-worker wear one a while ago (but I think his was a "body bug" - different company). He was wearing it to help with his conditioning - he is a really fit guy. The thing is - EVERYONE asked him what his arm band was. A lot of people didn't even know about these devices that measure metabolism. So he would have to explain the whole thing over and over during the day. I just don't want to have to explain myself and my exercise program to my coworkers. So I bought a bunch of t-shirts to wear under my scrubs. This way - hopefully less people will be asking me about it.

I also had to buy new goggles for swimming. Last time I went, the strap broke. I generally just swim front crawl, and that's hard to do when you can't see underwater. I was at the mall, so I stopped in at the bathing suit store. They had prescription goggles! I'm super excited about them! Sure, they aren't exactly my prescription, but they are pretty close. And they were only a little more expensive than the regular goggles. I always figured that they would be really expensive (and only available through an eye glass store) so I have never looked into it. I'm going to have to swim tomorrow to try them out.

Then I stopped off at DQ - I was really thirsty. So I bought a raspberry lemonade (thinking that it is a much better choice than a lot of other things there). I think this is one of the best drinks I have every had. Comparable to a Sonic strawberry lemonade slushly (the standard I have for the best drink ever). So I'm sitting here drinking it, I figure I'll look up the calories online because soon I will have to enter all my calories for the day into my new program. And while the raspberry lemonade didn't make it onto DQ's website, the strawberry lemonade is 720 calories! Are you kidding me?! So I guess this is the last one that I'm going to have for a while! Or perhaps, next time I'll have to get a small (after 3 hours of a cardio workout) instead of a large after spending most of the day sleeping!

The past month

Okay - this isn't a list of excuses... I just feel that I should explain the last weigh in. Two weigh ins ago, I lost like 7 lbs. Well, the very next day - I gained 5 back. I don't think that weigh in was really accurate. That was a month and a half ago. Since then - work has been quite stressful. I applied for and have been trained for a new position, but I had to do a lot of prep work at home. And then today, I wrote an exam (just to be certified in my area of expertise - it was outside of work and not required for work). 3.5 hours long. Not including the hour long wait as we had to check in 1 hour early. So it is all finished. I also was lucky enough to have some company come to visit for a week in the middle of March. It was great to see family, but I definitely did not eat Jenny Craig food while they were here. They would have been fine with it, but I did not plan my life well enough to do that. It is finally sunny out. The past month has been VERY deary. And there has been ice everywhere. Now - there are puddles everywhere. But I have been out walking a little bit. My goggles broke and I'm not very good at swimming without them, but I have yet to pick up a new pair. Maybe next week. My next phone call with my JC consultant (who is very encouraging and I'm lucky to have her), we are going to discuss their new program - the one where you wear a metabolism measuring arm band. Then you have to enter all the food you eat as well as all the activity you get in a day (according to the measuring thingy). I think this will be a good way to keep me accountable. So when I have days like today (celebrating the end of the exam with sushi), I actually have to record it and not just pretend it didn't happen. So more accountability - just what I need!

Weigh in 24

Okay - this has been long overdue. I'm just going to write a quick post with my weight because I have been dreading this for so long that if I don't get this in, who knows when I'll actually post. So from my last post, I'm +16 lbs. Good grief. I think I'll try to explain this some other day, but for right now, at least I'm posting it.

Staying still

Okay - it has been over a month since I have posted anything. I'm not really sure why. Maybe because I don't think anything has changed since December. I still weigh about the same (other than that one weird weigh in where I seemed to have lost 7 lbs in a week). I did read an inspiring story on another blog (and I would ask her permission to repost, but she has never responding to any of my comments so I think it would be pointless to ask). So I'm going to paraphrase.

There was a bird seen through a window flapping their wings as hard and as fast as they could. Except that this bird was not moving. He was staying completely still, even with all the hard work he was putting into flying. Suddenly, the bird stopped flapping and was immediately blown backwards. So all that effort was keeping him at the same point.

I don't think I need to spell out how I feel like relating to this bird. But at least I'm holding steady. And when I find my motivation again, I know that I can give it a little more effort and start moving forward again.

Delayed Weigh in

I decided that this week - I'm not going to weigh in. I'm not feeling as good as I was last week, so I'm postponing the weigh in to avoid feeling let down. I generally had a good week. I ate moderately well, and I exercised more days than I missed. I just know I would be disappointed with my weigh in which could potentially lead to bad behaviours (like pity eating... do you know what I mean? Where you feel sorry for yourself and think that all your hard work will never pay off, so you might as well order an extra large pizza?). Today, when I was craving carbs at 5pm, thinking about what I could get at the corner store, I made the decision to read through some things I wrote down about a month ago - motivational things. Like what I want to do in a year's time. Like go on a ski trip. And then I decided that the carbs just aren't worth it. I don't know if I would have made that decision if I was in some sort of pity spiral.

I have stopped the daily weigh ins. I have read evidence that supports daily weigh ins, but a lot more advice seems to say it is best to weigh in once a week at most. I decided to try weighing in less and I now see the benefit of that wisdom. I don't start out my day wondering what I did wrong the day before. And when I do see a weight loss once a week, it seems more meaningful, even if it is a small number. So I'm trying to be less obsessed with the scale. I think it is working. It is easier to start the day out well when you know you had a good previous day, instead of the scale telling you what kind of day it was. Okay, maybe that doesn't make much sense, but when I'm constantly weighing myself, I end up second guessing my decisions, even if they were good decisions.

Weigh in 23

WOW!!!!!!! I lost a lot of weight this past week! I was looking back at what I posted, and I think I only posted when I was having a bad moment. Most of this week was really good. I have to remember to post when I'm feeling like I did something right. Because then, when I say I lost 7.2 lbs... it would be more believable. But I really did lose 7.2 lbs! (I felt like I should have lost more last week, but maybe I wasn't getting enough sleep).

So this morning, I got up, weighed in, and then did a 30 minute aerobic DVD - I had lots of fun dancing around. And then I looked outside and saw it was so nice out, I just had to go for a walk. And yes - I did buy tater tots, but not really in celebration - more because I have been craving them for 4 or 5 days. And I bought the small bag. And that was the only treat that I bought. Everything else was healthy - veggies, yogurt, milk and fruit. So I did spurge today. But I'm drinking lots of water and I exercised a lot. And tomorrow - I'm going to carry on with the good habits.

(I think I need to reward myself - I have now lost 42.6 lbs. I should celebrate passing the 40lb mark...)

When I weighed myself this morning, I totally didn't believe the scale and I stepped on and off a few times. And then to be on the safe side, I recorded the higher weight. The scale originally was down almost 10 lbs. Which is frustrating because then I'm not sure if I can really trust my scale! But either way - I'm pretty happy!!!!

The last few days

I have been eating well the past few days. But if I could only get the motivation to work out on work days. I did aerobics after one day shift, but that is all I have managed to get in during these 4 days of work. But at least I'm eating right. I'm off to work the night shift. I'm looking forward to the days off - exercise is so much easier when I don't have to squeeze it around a 12 hour work-day!

Today?... not so good

Today I kinda had a bad food day. I was out for breakfast and lunch, and supper should have been good, but I had already blown the day, so I ended up having pizza and ice cream. I'm cringing even as I write this. I did have a really good work out today, which may just balance out the breakfast out (I guess I'm just going to pay for the lunch and supper with a smaller weight loss this week).
I have to stay on track for the rest of the week. I go back to work tomorrow. Bright and early at 7am! I haven't been sleeping well since I finished my last stretch of night shifts (I usually work 2 days, 2 nights, then 5 off - but last time I worked 2 days, 3 nights - somehow that extra night really threw me for a loop). So I'm going to try to get some sleep in tonight - I have a fancy new peaceful noise maker - I'm looking forward to sleeping to either a waterfall, rain, or the ocean tonight.

Weigh in 22

This has been a great week - I lost 1.3 lbs. Making the total I have lost 35.4 lbs! I finally broke through that 35 lb barrier. I'm feeling really proud. Normally when I have a great weigh in, I celebrate by eating too much that day. Well, today I did not do that. Instead - I went for a swim. Then I did an exercise DVD. And eat moderately (I did have lite hot chocolate - but the rest of the day was great). So I'm going to continue doing the right things during the next few days off and I'm not going to start sliding. It's when I think I have it all together when I slowly start messing up. I'm going to stay with the program - eating well (and moderately) and exercising.

Just a little more motivation

I'm in the middle of my stretch of nights that I have to work this week. I don't have much to say right now - but I thought I should post something. The couple of days before I started this stretch weren't the greatest. I found myself slipping into old habits... not eating great, not exercising. And then the first few days back at work, I was so sore I could hardly move at the end of the day. I think it had a lot to do with not exercising. So yesterday and today when I got up in the afternoon, I did a 30 minute workout on the Wii. I think that extra movement before I went to work made all the difference - I haven't been the least bit sore. I just finished working out now and I think I'm going to have to have a shower - I worked that hard. I need to go and pack my supper for tonight. And it is going to be all the right things to eat!

Sliding a bit

The last few days have not been the greatest. Yesterday, I bought ice cream and had pizza bread for a late night snack. I woke up with belly pains (like a lump of cement) this morning at 6am. Then today - I only ate the things on the diet, but I probably ate too much of them. I made some homemade veggie soup (all things I can have on my diet), but I think I ate too much. Not a ridiculous amount, but still - too much.

I have been exercising, though. So at least I have kept that up. So right now - I'm going to do the right thing (by not eating any more tonight) and I should go to bed. I recently read an article that talked about how important sleep is when you are trying to lose weight. So instead of recommitting tomorrow, I'm recommitting right now, focusing on the things I did right and working on the not so great things.

Weigh in 21

It's working! I lost 3.3 lbs in a week and a half (my normal 9 day weigh in schedule). I think that is pretty good. I'm soon going to be done with these 5 lbs that I have been working on for 3 months!

I have a non-scale victory that I want to share. In my second post on this site, I talked about a motivation for losing weight. It was about one time where I walked quickly at work down that hall to the break room where someone commented on my loud breathing. I realized that I was out of breath. Well, I now have a story that will replace that story.

The building our class was in didn't have a place to get coffee, but the connecting building has a coffee shop. We only had 15 minutes for a break. A classmate and I went to get coffee and we needed to walk up one flight of stairs and then quickly walk to the coffee shop (maybe a 7 minute walk). We knew that we would have to wait in line so we were walking quickly. I would guess that this woman has the fitness level about where I started last summer. She was out of breath before we even reached the lineup for coffee. She even commented "I'm huffing and puffing here and your not even breathing hard". And she was really huffing and puffing - so much that she could hardly talk. I know what it is like to be in her shoes so I just told her that I have been working on my activity level recently, but secretly - I felt so good! I may not look like I'm in the best shape, but I know that I'm doing a lot better than I was 7 months ago.

So for those who are counting - I have lost 34.1lbs so far. And I know that it has not been quick. A little more that a pound per week (it has been 32 weeks last Saturday). But it is still coming off, and I have renewed motivation to make it work. I'm definitely moving towards a healthier me!

The past weekend

I think you will be pleased to know that I passed my course this past weekend. I guess the studying part of my week paid off. And I ate the right things.

I got up Saturday morning and did some yoga before class. I brought veggies and a protein bar. But come lunch time, out came the pizza. I figured that if I'm going to eat pizza, it's going to be the kind I want to eat (like greek or thin crust with 5 cheeses (and yes, I love my cheese pizza) and not the standard 3 kinds you get when people order pizza for groups), so I went to the cafeteria and bought salmon salad and yogurt with fruit.

Today I did not do any videos before or after class (but the goal was to do a video 6 times a week). I have done one every day this week and decided to take today off. I was more prepared for lunch today and brought my own lunch. They ordered in subway (which is healthy enough) but seeing as I brought lunch, I figured I might as well have the stuff I brought.

Tomorrow is weigh in and I know it has been a good week. I haven't felt bloated all week from eating too much. I have exercised 6 days out of 7. I have been active each day. I could have had more water to drink. But I have felt in control this entire week. Which is a feeling that I have been missing for a while. So even if I don't lose any weight - it was a good week!

School all weekend

My day off - I did a 30 minute workout tape, walked to a coffee shop to study (maybe 20 minute walk), and just finished playing 30 minutes of Wii Fit (not exercise, but better than sitting on the couch). I might have had too much fruit today - I bought frozen raspberries and frozen peaches (I warm them up and put vanilla greek yogurt on them - my current favorite dessert). I had 2 bowls full. So I'm sure I was over my calorie limit for the day, but that is much better than having a bag of chips!

I'm in a course this weekend. Where lunch is provided. Which means I need to head out of the house tomorrow morning with a plan. I could either bring a bag lunch (which might mean leaving all my classmates when lunch is brought out) or trying to eat as healthy as I can there. I think there will be a day of sandwiches and a pizza day. The sandwiches probably wouldn't be so bad - the pizza will probably be pretty greasy (and probably not the kind I like). What's the point of splurging on pizza that isn't your favorite?

So here is the plan: I think I'm going to bring healthy things (like veggie sticks and protein bars) and try to do the best I can. If they bring out something like pizza, I could try to find a decent salad at the cafeteria. Here is to a healthy weekend!

2 days in a row

I was up again this morning before work to do some yoga. The stretching really helps after a 12 hour shift the night before. I can't believe that I made it 2 days in a row! I ate okay today. On the way home from work, I stopped off at the grocery store - i bought yogurt and salad. Not bad, eh? I did buy the salad in a bag which has it's own dressing included. I probably would have been better off with my own low fat dressing, but it was a lot better than the pizza or chips I was thinking about buying!

Quick update at the end of the day

So I did get up early - did 20 minutes of yoga. I felt pretty good afterwards. I thought it would be good to do something active after work, but I got home at 7:30 and crashed into my chair in front of the TV. And now I'm off to bed to do it all over tomorrow at 5:30. 12 hour shifts are tough. But I did eat well - only splurged on hot chocolate this evening. I think I need to finish the tin, so I don't have it in the house. I seem to do a lot better when that junk isn't even around. I don't know how other people have junk food in their house and not polish it off. If it is around - it is calling my name - constantly.

Today was a good day. And I only have one more day. So I'm heading to bed early so I can do some yoga tomorrow morning.

Starting out well

I think I really needed to look at my motivation again. It totally helped today. I got in my 30 minutes of exercise. Well, I guess it was longer than 30 minutes. I did 30 minutes of stretching and when I heard the weather today - I just had to go for a walk. It was only -4 at noon! After weeks of -20 weather, it was like a summer day. Okay, that is a bit of an exaggeration, but it was nice to have sun, even it was a weak sun. So that was probably a 30 minute walk. And then I was bored this afternoon (rather putting off studying for advanced CPR this weekend) so I played over 30minutes of Wii Fit. A lot of activity for not trying to have a lot of activity.

Food wise - today was good too. I did have a hot chocolate (after the winter walk), but that's the only part where I went off the plan. And it was light hot chocolate. I am so prepared for the next few days of work - I even prepped my veggies! Getting things ready tomorrow will be quick. The goal is to do 20 minutes of yoga before I head off to work. Which should work because I have my lunch all ready to go. I'll will let you know if I do get up for the yoga!

Weigh in 20

I must admit - I thought I would be farther along by now. It seems like I have fought with these same 5 lbs for about 3 months. I was up 2.9lbs. So I spent some time today thinking about why I'm doing this - trying to remember where my motivation comes from. This is what I came up with...

I am doing this to be healthy. So my blood pressure is slightly lower than normal instead of slightly higher than normal. I want to get this problem under control now, and not have to struggle with it for the next 40 years. I want to be able to go skiing again (we are having record snowfalls this year - I'm not enjoying any winter sports because right now - all of them are too hard).

I started out blogging really well, but the last month or so, I have been dreading posting any entries because I don't have any positive things to say. The last 2 weigh in posts have been posted several days late! I'm recommitting to this blog and to my readers that I am going to be more consistent with my blogging. I'm losing that accountability factor that was working so well in the beginning.

I also recommitted to my eating program. I'm paying for this food to be shipped to me. And for the past 3 days - I haven't eaten any of it. I have had bread, pasta, popcorn, ice cream, chips and more stuff that I have already block out of my memory. A meal of popcorn and ice cream isn't all that healthy, believe it or not.

And then I have always committed to exercising more frequently. Like daily. I got out some old workout DVDs and starting today - I'm going to try to do one 6 times a week. Even if it is just yoga. So today - I did "Classical Stretch" which is a lot more than stretching - maybe a cross between yoga and pilates. I'm thinking about buying a few more disks (I need an aerobic workout).

So please feel free to comment if you don't think I'm posting about my progress enough. I'm going to try for 3 times a week (depending on my work schedule). I'm going to keep weighing in every 9 days (my work week is 9 days long - 4 days on, 5 days off) and weighing in while I'm working shift work doesn't work as my weight can fluctuate 4+ lbs over the course of a day. And I'm going to try to break the habit of daily weigh ins. All the stuff that I have read seems to say that daily weigh ins are a bad idea, that your weight can fluctuate a lot and you set yourself up for disappointment with daily weigh ins. These next few days are going to be tough as I start to eat the right amount of food again after eating way to much. But I know I can do it. I must do it. I have to work on my discipline.

Weigh in 19

Okay - so I haven't been posting much lately. Not much has been happening in my life. Life sure slows down in January. But I did lose 0.3 lbs. Not very much, but it is a loss. And weigh in was actually yesterday. I didn't even get around to posting this until today. Not that I was doing anything yesterday - just watching the snow storm. I'm back to work tomorrow. Working is good for my weight. I keep busy, and don't have time to eat during the day. Okay, I really don't have anything else to say.