Begining and Winning

This week they announced the the winners of the weight loss challenge at work.  There was one corporate grand prize of $500.  That one was won by someone at the plant in Gustine, California.  He lost 15% of his body weight.  Then there was a $250 prize for top loser at each plant (not counting the plant that had the grand prize winner) I won for our plant.  In 12 weeks time I had lost 12% of my body weight.  Of course that is just what I lost during the challenge.  In total I have lost 17 1/2 % of my body weight.  I think that everyone that participated in the challenge were winners though.  The hardest part I think is just starting and seeing that you can do it.

Many of the people who started the challenge didn't follow through with it.  Several stopped getting weighed in because they knew they hadn't made any progress. Beginning is just a first step.  It takes more than just desire to be thinner. It takes a plan. And to be truly successful, It takes commitment. I was fed up with being tired all of the time.  I was disgusted with myself for letting myself get this huge.  I knew what to do. I knew for a long time what I needed to do.  I had studied out diets and I had seen what works and what doesn't.  I made excuses for why I wasn't doing what I needed to.  When I decided I had to do something, when I hit that point where I was done making excuses, I made a plan. 

My Challenge is far from being over.  This is only a beginning for me.  I am over 40% of the way to my first goal of losing 120 pounds.  I know I will need to lose more but for some reason losing 120 pounds seemed like a more reasonable expectation.  That will put me @ 200 pounds and I weighed that when I got married almost 24 years ago.  I think that I am making wonderful progress. 

The weekends are still the hardest for me.  I don't exercise much and I tend to eat sporadically.  Weekdays, I eat pretty much the same thing each day and I have a structured day.  I get up, call the kids, get ready for work.  Perigrine makes breakfast which is usually a protein shake and some sort of breakfast sandwich.  Killian packs my lunch which is usually some light protein such as fish and chicken, salad, yogurt, a brownie and/or a granola bar.  On good days I don't eat the brownie or granola bar.  That leaves dinner and we figure out the calories before I eat so I know how much I can have. 

Weekends usually start with me sleeping in.  Breakfast of fried eggs or biscuits and gravy.  A late lunch or early dinner and a late snack.  Some weekends I don't eat enough and some weekend I eat too much.  I also tend to drink the diet soda on the weekend.

This past week has been bad for the soda,  I had 3 days that started at 3 am.  Then by the time I got home for the evening it was almost bedtime. I needed the caffeine.  I did eat a little extra on those days but I was also more active on those days.  I still did my work out even though I was very tired.  I think that was why I didn't get drowsy driving.  I do feel better after a work out.

I am thinking I will start doing Curves Smart later this month.  I have noticed that I tend to not push as hard on some days.  I am trying to be careful about that.  I need to make sure I am getting my heart rate up and that I am doing more than just going through the motions.  I just need to get the one time fee set aside for it.  I did start doing the Curves Zumba Circuit and I really like it even if I am not as good as others and stumble through it a little bit.  It is a really intense work out and I know I have done my body some good after I've done it.

So the Old Adage: "Eat Less and Exercise More" is proving true at least for me.

Weight Loss Challenge

I can't believe two weeks has gone by since I last posted.  It is now September.  I have been officially walking toward wellness now for 16 weeks.  On May 12th I weighed in at 320#.  I was disgusted with myself.  I was tired and grumpy and moved very slow.  I was falling asleep driving home from work.  I knew I had to do something but what? 

I knew what I had to do, I had to start exercising but when and how.  I didn't want to spend Money to do something I should be able to do on my own.  I was way too tired by the time I got home.  So I figured I had to do it in the morning.  But I was already getting up at 5:30 am.  Even if I worked out for a 1/2 hr while Kim showered, I would be so rushed that I knew I would never stick with it.  I could probably walk after work but let's face it by May it is already too hot in Southern Georgia to workout outside especially at 5:00 pm.  Excuses are easy to find when you are not committed.

My company had a health fair on the 16th of May and I met Lucy from Curves.  The Bainbridge Curves is part of the Healthways Network.  So I get the basic membership at a discount through my insurance. I joined on May 22nd @ 315# and had my first work out on May 23rd.   I leave work and go do the workout and then drive home.  I am no longer falling asleep on the way home.  I also have some energy when I get home.  I am feeling better and moving better and really enjoying the work out.  Last week I even started doing the Zumba Circuit which is intense.  I wish it was 3 times a week instead of only 2.

Starting on June 11th the company started it's weight loss challenge.  The winner is the person who lost the highest percentage of their body weight in a 12 week period.  I had started losing weight in mid-May so I joined the challenge at 304#.  After all I was losing weight anyway.  This week we had our final weigh in. We chose to get it done before the holiday weekend and the company party.  I have lost 12% of my body weight.  I am quite proud of this.  But mostly I am feeling so much better about myself.  It is nice to know I do have the will power to do it.  We will find out who won this week.  There are a couple of others who may have lost a higher percentage of their body weight but I feel like we are all winners for at least making the effort.

My third official weigh and measure at Curves was this week as well.  I have made great progress.

• Total Weight Lost - 47# (since I started Curves but 52# since I started)
• Body Fat Lost - 23 1/2 # ( not sure how they figure this one)

Inches lost

• Bust -  4 3/4"
• Waist -  5 1/2"
• Abdomen - 4 3/4" (between the waist and the hips)
• Hips - 5"
• Thigh - 1"
• Upper Arm - 1"

I am down from 4X-5X to wearing 3X.  Which is really showing in my face and waist.  I will be bathing and realize that this muscle is getting firmer or that this roll is smaller or I can reach this part easier.  It's funny how you realize how much your body is changing when you are working on it.  What is really ironic is I hadn't noticed it going the other way but I sure do notice the improvement.

I am getting all sorts of support from people everywhere.  People who I didn't even think were aware of me are making comments.  It has been a wonderful feeling that helps me to stay focused.

Things that I am trying be careful about:

• Getting enough protein. I still drink protein shakes every morning.  I have also replaced my regular yogurt with Greek yogurt.  It is more expensive and has more calories but I feel it is well worth it.  It definitely fills you up better and has twice the protein.  Protein is very important to building the muscles that help you burn calories.
• Drinking enough water. you need at least 64oz but I try to drink between 80-120oz.  I need to not drink as much diet soda as I do.  Weekends are when I am the worse about diet soda.
• Eating enough veggies.  Usually this means salads. I try to eat salad at both lunch and dinner.  But lets' face it they can get boring.  I am going to try and work other non starchy vegetables into the mix.
• Eating whole grains.  I try to only buy the whole grain sandwich thins and the thin bagels.  My husband hates the whole grain stuff.
• Eating only when I am hungry.  I have found that many times when I think I am hungry I am only thirsty.  By drinking water first, I make sure that I am not eating when what I really want is a drink.  I am also teaching myself to distinguish between the two signals.
• To stop eating when I am full.  This one is still hard.  After all we were all taught to clean or plates. I catch myself trying to stuff in those last few bites.  Twice in the past two weeks I had to remind myself to stop.  It won't hurt if I don't eat the whole serving, besides I can eat it later if I am hungry.
• Eating what the rest of my family eats.  I won't keep the weight off if I don't adjust my eating to what everyone else is eating.  The goal is to change eating habits.  So if dinner is stew and rolls that is what I have to fit in my calorie budget.  One bowl and one roll and fill up on salad.  That works really well.  Plus my kids are starting to figure out the calories as they make dinner.  This helps them to be aware of what they are eating as well.

I have to say this journey is not as unpleasant as it has been in the past.  It helps to have the encouragement of people around me but it also helps to know this is not a short time thing.  I am not dieting but actually changing habits.  And that I can have a treat now and again without undoing all the work I have done.