Size EIGHTS!

It's been a while since I blogged about weight loss journey. I haven't had much to report since my last post. I have been fluctuating a bit; getting as low as 146.2 three weeks ago; and even a bit over my start 148.1 last week. The past Friday I was back down to 147.5. While my weight loss has stalled (for the time being anyway) I know that I am doing something right because I can officially say that I am now a SIZE 8!

The older two boys went away for the weekend with their Omi and so I took advantage of only having Evan to do some shopping. I can normally shop with all three but it's not as easy or as fun for that matter. I was able to try stuff on and it was nice to try on styles I never felt comfortable in before this journey! I even bought a super cute dress that I can't wait to wear at the Doc's End of Fellowship dinner!

So I am still plugging along; still running hard; just not having as much to report as I get closer to my goal!

My lowest weight three weeks ago:


5/6 Weigh In:


It's hard to believe that this was me a year ago. Granted I had just had a baby a week before this picture was taken; but I have come such a long way since then and I am really proud of myself and the hard work I have done to be so close to my goal!!!

FOUR and a HALF miles!

I have gotten side tracked lately (Photoshop and online tutorials are to blame!!) and didn't take the time to blog about my previous weeks weigh in. It was a half pound gain but I wasn't too worried as I had finally gotten outside to run and did my first ever 4 mile run! It was a great feeling to cross that 4 mile marker! I ran the 4 miles in just under 44 minutes. I also got in another 3 miles that same week. I knew I worked hard and ate right and so even though it's always disappointing to see a gain, I knew it would all even out in the end!

Week 2 Weigh In - April 1, 2011


Week 1: 148.0
Week 2: 148.6
Wk 2 Loss: +0.6
Total Loss: +0.6 (36.8 overall)

This week was an even bigger week for me running wise! MIL came down for a visit and while Evan napped, she watched the older two and so I decided to try and run a little bit further down the beach. I didn't map it out beforehand so I wasn't sure how much more it was going to add to my overall distance but figured it couldn't be much more than 4. I also use a program on my phone called CardioTrainer that tracks my runs using the phones GPS. It's fairly accurate and has only given a false reading a few times. But even if the GPS is off, it still works as a stop watch and I always know exactly how long each run takes!

Well the extended beach run ended up being 4.5 miles! And I RAN the entire course in 50 minutes!! I even forced myself to run up the very steep hill at the end. I ran up that hill very slowly, and probably could have walked it faster, but I was determined to run the whole way!! I felt awesome after because I tackled something I have been avoiding each time I have run outside and now it can only get better!

My knee was (and still is) a little sore after that run as I am just starting to run these longer distances. Before running outside I was pretty much consistently running about 2.5 miles on the treadmill. So it's a bit of a shock to the knees right now, but I'll get used to it. I am trying to improve on my speed and one of the ways to do this is by running longer distances. I can tell you one thing though, I am DEFINITELY going to miss running by the beach when we move. There is nothing more peaceful than the sounds and smells of the beach at 7am in the morning!



Last Week: 148.6
This Week: 147.1
Wk 3 Loss: 1.5 lbs
Total Loss: 0.9 lbs (38.3 lbs overall)

So that puts me about 3 lbs away from my goal, which is to way less than the Doc. If I can get in a couple 4 mile runs each week then I should have no trouble at all reaching that goal! And TWELVE pounds is the magic number, for my overall goal of a healthy BMI! Just got to keep chipping away!!

20% & My New Goal!

Today marked the last day of my third round of the Biggest Loser challenge with my board ladies! Since January 1st I have lost a total of 7 pounds (4.52% of my body weight). Since I started this journey June 18, 2010 I have lost a total of 37.4 pounds which is 20.17% of my body weight!



Last Week: 148.3
This Week: 148.0
Wk 13 Loss: 0.3 lbs
Total Loss: 7 lbs (37.4 lbs)

Thanks to a nasty cold that I have been fighting for the last two weeks, I haven't really had much energy to run (or do any exercise for that matter). So I am really happy that I have not only been able to maintain my weight but even lose a bit more! I have been very vigilant in regards to my diet and it's really made a big difference. It also helps that I can't really taste much thanks to my runny nose! Ha! I am hoping to get back into the swing of things really soon, especially since as today ends one round it's also the start of the next round!

I have set my goals and it's a simple one this time. As I get closer to my goal weight, it is coming off a lot slower. I like setting small (realistic) goals because it's really discouraging when you don't reach a goal that you have set for yourself. So my goal for the next 13 weeks is to weigh less than the Doc and maintain it! It has been almost 3 years since he started his weight loss journey and he lost 40 pounds. His average weight now is around 144. That means I need to lose a solid 5 pounds to reach that goal. That would also put me at my wedding weight which was 8.5 years ago! I am ready to get going!

SHORT Shorts!

For as long as I can remember, I haven't put on a pair of shorts even in the dead of summer. Instead I wore Bermuda shorts or capri's, anything to cover up my THUNDER thighs! Ha! So anyway, I was out shopping last week, and of course I had the boys with me making trying on clothes pretty much impossible. I decided to grab a bunch of different styles to buy and try on at home and then return what I didn't like. One of those items was a pair of 5" shorts (keeping in mind the shortest pair of "shorts" I wore were 12" Bermuda's).

I was curious to see how they would look on me and imagine my joy when I tried them on and they didn't look gross!! The reason I never wore them before was because shorts that short were pretty much tight around my upper thigh and let's just say it wasn't pretty! Dare I say I might actually enjoy bathing suit shopping this year!!



Fitting into SHORT shorts was just the beginning of a great week in my weight loss journey! Today I finally broke through that brick wall that was the 150's. I haven't been in the 140's since right around my wedding 8 and a half years ago!



Last Week: 150.0
This Week: 148.3
Wk 12 Loss: 1.7 lbs
Total Loss: 6.7 lbs (37.1 lbs overall)

That means, that since starting this journey, 9 months ago today, to be exact, I have lost the equivalent of my four year old! Bring on summer so I can rock my new SHORT shorts!

Close But NO Cigar!

So I didn't make it to the 140's this week but you cannot really get any closer than that! Ha!



Last Week: 150.9
This Week: 150.0
Wk 11 Loss: -0.9
Total Loss: 5 lbs (35.4 lbs overall!!)

This was also a very big week for me running wise! I chickened out last week running at 6mph on the treadmill, but this week I got out of my head and went for it. As I was got to a 1/2 mile, I was still feeling pretty good so I decided to keep running at 6mph. I wanted to make it a mile! So I pushed myself (which got a bit harder after 7 minutes!) and did it! I ran at 6mph for one whole mile! I cannot believe it! I ran a TEN MINUTE mile! It was one of my running goals for 2011 and I am pretty darn proud of myself for reaching it!!

Mark My Words

That number WILL be a FOUR next week! There are three weeks left in this round and I WILL be in the 140's even if it kills me!!



Last Week: 151.9
This Week: 150.0
Wk 10 Loss: -1.0 lbs
Total Loss: 4.1 lbs (34.5 overall)

Forgetting about the scale for a minute though, last night marked my best run yet! I ran for 35 minutes at an average speed of 5.5mph, including running for a 1/2 mile at 5.9mph (I thought about trying 6mph but I chickened out). This run also marked my fastest 2 miles (21:17) and my fastest 5k (33:07). Next time I won't let myself chicken out, I will run that 1/2 mile at 6mph, I need to just get out of my head.

Back On Track

After a rough week, I am back on track. I am going to focus on all the positives and forget about the scale! I took last weeks gain hard because it was because I made bad choices and no amount of exercise that week was going to save me! I had to work really hard last week to get back on track and I still have work to do to get back to my low weight and a LOT more to see that FOUR I thought for sure I would have seen by now. I am always telling my four year old to make good choices and think about the consequences of his actions. I think it is time that I start doing the same!

So no more bad choices, though I am sure it's not the last gain I will see along this journey but as long as I know I worked hard hard and didn't stuff my face with crap then it will be a good week and I can be proud! I need to get back to practicing MODERATION! That is how I have been able to lose the 30+ pounds I already have. I can't eat a big bowl of popcorn EVERY night and expect to see the scale move, but, I CAN if I keep it to a once a week treat!



Last Week: 153.0
This Week: 151.9
Wk 9 Loss: 1.1
Total Loss: 3.1 lbs (33.5 overall!)

Fell off the Wagon...HARD!

I have turned into a Yo-Yo and instead of doing something productive about it I wallowed. I wallowed and ate Cookie Brownies. Decadent, delicious, EVIL Cookie Brownies. I am mostly disappointed in my lack of will power when it comes to food. I have the exercise part down and in fact, I have run about 13 miles since Monday, which included a 4 mile run and a 5k. But despite all of that, I am still up almost 2.5 pounds and I have no one to blame but myself. I mean really...you can't eat decadent brownies for three days in a row and NOT expect this to happen.

So on Thursday night I broke down. I am ashamed to admit it, but what kind of blogger would I be if I made this journey look like it was all rainbows and unicorns. It's not, some days it sucks. Especially when I watch the Doc take down a huge slice of Kahlua Cocoa Coffee Cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory and not even gain an OUNCE! This was a bad week and now that I have wallowed, it is time to do something about it. I am forcing myself to start tracking my food again using MyFitnessPal and maybe I'll be able to break through this wall soon! I have also started using my Biggest Loser Kinect game and doing some Yoga and other exercises to strengthen my core. So if nothing else I'll be more toned!

So here is the damage:


Last Week: 150.4
This Week: 153.0
Week 8 Loss: +2.6
Overall Loss: 2 pounds (32.4 overall)

THIRTY FIVE POUNDS!

As of Friday's weigh-in I am down THIRTY-FIVE pounds since June! Slowly but surely I will reach my goal!



Last Week: 151.1
This Week: 150.4
Wk 7 Loss: 0.7
Total Loss: 4.7lbs (35 overall!)

I have definitely hit a plateau, as I have been hovering in the low 150's for a while now. I figured out that it probably has something to do with Evan (Yes, I am shamefully blaming my baby for not being able to break out of the 150's!). Now that he is starting to eat table food and sleeping more at night he is not nursing as much (which can burn up to 500 calories a day) and I wasn't taking that into account when tracking my calories. So I will keep that in the back of my mind and work on increasing my exercise and adjusting the amount of food I eat and hopefully I'll be able to break through this plateau in the next couple of weeks!

A Small Set Back

It was only a matter of time before all those snow days caught up to me! This is only my second gain since starting this journey back in June, so I really cannot complain! And it wasn't even a half a pound. But it's still a gain and as I promised myself in the very beginning of this, I was going to hold myself accountable and so here it is:



Last Week: 150.9
This Week: 151.1
Wk 6 Loss: +0.2
Total Loss: 3.9 (34.3 overall)

Looking on the bright side of this teeny tiny set back, I am getting faster with my runs! I am running 2 miles consistently around 22 minutes (or less!)! And today I ran my fastest 5k by almost minute (33:54) with a pace of under 11 minute miles! Looks like we're not going to be getting snow before the next weigh in so hopefully not being stuck in the house will cure munchies!!

And on a related note I wasn't the only one to weigh in this week! Evan and Shaun had their check-ups today and there stats are posted below! I am happy to report that Evan's weight is now proportioned to his height!

Evan's 9 Month Stats:
Weight: 19.2 pounds (23rd percentile)
Height: 27 3/4 inches (24th percentile)


Shaun's 2.7 year Stats:
Weight: 32.8 pounds (75th percentile)
Height: 36 3/4 inches (48th percentile)

Chipping Away!

I am slowly chipping away at all those extra pounds! I am running when I can during this winter, though finding it harder to stay motivated for various reasons, sickness going through the house, shin splints being back and all the snow days. The snow days have been the hardest for me, since it means being stuck inside and that makes me want to munch and snack.

I am definitely looking forward to all this snow melting so I can get back outside for some of my runs! I am especially interested to see how well I do running my route since I have been getting faster on the treadmill. I don't exactly know why, but I definitely run faster outside than on the treadmill. Probably has something to do with the scenery and that you're actually going somewhere! We have also set up and started using the Kinect Santa brought us for Christmas. It's much easier to use than the Wii (no remotes!) and so the boys and I have started dancing again! This game is a much better workout than the Wii one for sure!

In any case, I have no complaints about how things have been going for the most part. I have some work I need to do in the "diet" department but like I said, this has been a tough winter and we've been on an ordering out kick again. The Doc's schedule changes tomorrow so he won't be getting home as late so that will help! And hopefully Mother Nature will stop pummeling us with snow so we're not stuck inside like we have been because I am really hoping that by next week that 5 will be a FOUR! I haven't seen a FOUR in that spot since the Fall of 2002. There will be lots of celebrating when that happens for sure!



Last Week: 151.7
This Week: 150.9
Wk 5 Loss: 0.8
Total Loss: 4.1 (34.5 overall!)

Yup! Slow and Steady!

They say the last 10 pounds is the hardest to lose. Well I have 17.2 pounds to go to reach my overall goal and so I keep plugging along knowing that as long as I keep running and keep making healthy food choices, I will eventually reach that goal! And I know that by losing this weight slowly, I am increasing my chances of keeping it all off!



Last Week: 152.0
This Week: 151.7
Wk 4 Loss: 0.3 lbs
Total Loss: 3.3 lbs (33.7 overall!)

One of the best things about having a group of women who all have the same goals to lean on during this journey is getting some really great tips to help everyone stay on track. In one of our tip threads I had posted these three easy things that I have done to help me along the way. The first one was to get a really good 24oz. water bottle! And fill it and drink it at least 3 times per day. I used to only drink soda. All day long. Now I hardly drink it at all and to be honest, I don't even miss it anymore!

The second tip was about taking baby steps! I have one overall weight loss goal, but found it overwhelming to think about the 50lbs I needed to lose to reach that goal. The fact that my Biggest Loser rounds are 12 weeks long, helped me break down that goal into a number of small more attainable goals. Making my goals smaller has helped keep me motivated because I am able to celebrate each victory!

And last and probably the most important thing everyone should do when starting this journey is to FORGET ABOUT THE NUMBER ON THE SCALE!!!! It's easier said than done, I know. But as long as you make healthy choices and get in some exercise your body will change and it will eventually show on the scale!! It is the reason that I swear by taking measurements and before and after pictures. Because when the scale is being unkind to me, I can go back and look at those before pictures and see just how far I have come and get back that motivation that I can do this! To add to this one of the other moms took it a step further because as she puts it, the scale doesn't tell the whole story! She suggested setting your goal to fitting in a smaller pant size or setting a fitness goal, like running a 5k, instead of a weight loss goals. That really stood out to me and I am going to remember that on weeks where the numbers are moving more slowly!

18% and 4 Miles!

It's officially been 7 months since I started my journey to a healthier me and I have lost 18.02% of my body weight!



Last Week: 152.7
This Week: 152.0
Wk 3 Loss: 0.7 lbs
Total Loss: 3 lbs (33.4 overall)

I have also finally gotten back to my running routine. I have some new goals I would like to achieve this year with my running and that would be able to run a 10 minute mile and to run a 10k (at least!). There is a big road race down on the Cape Memorial Day Weekend which includes a 1/2 marathon, a 7.2 miler and a 5k. I know I can do the 5k, but I am still debating whether or not I want to give the 7.2 miler a go. It's an entire mile longer than a 10k would be. I still have time to think about it since the registration isn't open for the race yet, but it would give me something to work towards! In any case, this week I have already started working on increasing my distance by running at least a 5k on the treadmill. And tonight I ran 4 miles in 46:35 which is an average speed of 5.1 mph! I continued right into my cool down and was so proud of my accomplishment, took a picture of the treadmill with my phone!



I won't be able to do this every night, but with the help of the best running coach ever (Charlie!), we're working on coming up with a new routine. I like structure. It helps keep me focused. Eye on the prize! Or something like that!

It's New Years Resolution Time

And that means time to get back on the wagon! My biggest goal for the new year, besides getting down to a healthy BMI, is to be able to run a 10k. I am going to start slowly working my way up to running 3 miles consistently on the treadmill and on once the weather is a bit warmer and the side walks clear, I will be running a new course that is a total of 4 miles.

The next round of Biggest Loser is in full swing we had first weigh in on January 1st. I am starting 1.5 pounds higher than where I finished the last round, but considering all the Holiday indulgences and lack of exercise, I cannot complain!

Biggest Loser Starting Weight (my third round!)


Things have been really hectic and crazy around here. I am going on 8 straight months without a full nights sleep (thanks Evan!), add that to a busy Holiday season, and I am just spent! It has finally caught up with me, making it hard to stay motivated. So it's a good thing that the competition has started back up. I still have a good 20 pounds I would like to lose, if not more! And so far so good, I had a great first week. It helped that I have been able to give up my morning bagel sandwich habit!



Starting: 155.0
This Week: 152.7
Wk 2 Loss: 2.3 lbs
Total Loss: 2.3 lbs (32.7 overall)

It's such a good feeling to be so close to seeing that 5 become a 4!! A number that I haven't seen there since my wedding over 8 years ago!!

Is a Big Loser (again!)

Friday was the last weigh in for the 12 week Biggest Loser competition on my board and I came in 4th place (tough competition this time!) having lost a total of 11.4 pounds! In 24 weeks I have lost 17.21% of my body weight for a total of 31.9 pounds, which is basically the equivalent of Shaun!! I am comfortably in a size 10 now and have lost a total of 5.5 inches off my waist!



One of the requirements of the game was to take before and after pictures. I took them, but swore I would never show them on here. Seeing the woman from my board posting their results is what motivated me to (finally) get my lazy butt off the couch and onto a treadmill and so I decided to post mine, in the off chance that my pictures will motivate someone to do this!! Now I am not a crazy person, I'll spare you all the stretch mark belly images by only showing my results from behind!



The official competition is on hold until January 1st, but a few of us have made a pact to weigh in the hopes to maintain during the holidays. I might be a tad bit ambitious but I am hoping to continue losing! I still have 19 pounds to lose to get to a healthy BMI and that is just to get to the top range of healthy! I hope to be there by Summer! I may never be able to wear a bikini ever again (thanks to my little loves!) but it will be nice not dreading bathing suit shopping!!!

The Secret to Beating the Holiday Bloat...

Is to run a 5k Thanksgiving morning! Because, while I didn't stuff my face (as the "old me" would have), I still ate and I even had a sliver of each the pumpkin, apple and pecan pies!



Last Week: 154.2
This Week: 153.9
Wk 11 Loss: 0.3 lbs
Total Loss: 11 lbs (31.5 overall)

I ran in my very first race yesterday and even with a few curve balls thrown my way, (the course was hilly, and no posted mile markers) I finished in just under 40 minutes. My official race time was 39:58, which was 2 seconds faster than I had originally thought!



Here are the Turkey Trotters, me, the Doc, the Stacks and Krystal!


I am so glad I decided to do this! It was an amazing feeling crossing that finish line and I can't wait to do more! And the best part, is that it kept me from gaining the typical Thanksgiving feast weight!!

THIRTY POUNDS! *insert happy dance here!*

Today I can officially say that I have lost 30 pounds (31.2 to be exact!) in 5 months!!

Pinch me, because I MUST be dreaming! I really needed a big week and for it to come right before Thanksgiving is just the boost I need to keep me honest next Thursday! My goal for next week is to pretty much maintain. I don't plan on stuffing my face, but I also plan on eating without worrying about counting calories! It's Thanksgiving after all and I have worked really hard! Running my very first 5k first thing in the morning won't hurt either!



Last Week: 157.0
This Week: 154.2
Wk 10 Loss: 2.8 lbs
Total Loss: 10.7 lbs (31.2 overall)

With only 2 weeks left in this round, it's doubtful that I will reach my goal to lose a total of 10% of my body weight. I would need to lose a total of 6 pounds for that to happen, which is pretty ambitious! But it was an ambitious goal to begin with so I am not even the slight bit disappointed. After all, I have lost over 10 pounds in 10 weeks; who could be disappointed with those kind of results!

Slow and Steady...

I won't lie, it's a little discouraging to see how fast the first 20 pounds came off and now I am lucky if I can lose a full pound in a week. But with the exception of one week I have been steadily losing weight for the last 21 weeks, so I do hate to complain. It's just that I still have 22 pounds to lose to get to a healthy BMI and it looks like it's going to take a little longer to get there than I had anticipated. So to help move things along and hopefully give my body a much needed boost/kick in the pants, I will be walking on the treadmill on my days off from running, with the intention of making one of those days another running day once I am no longer getting up with Evan.



Last Week: 157.3
This Week: 157.0
Wk 9 Loss: 0.3 lbs
Total Loss: 7.9 lbs (28.4 overall)

So next week we'll see if the additional days of exercise have an affect on the scale! It would be a huge boost and so motivating to have a bigger loss next week!

15%

Today my total percentage of weight loss is 15.16%! And on top of that, I am in the best shape of my life. I am now consistently running at least 2 miles four nights a week and looking forward to adding in one more day once my darling 6 month old decides to let me sleep at night. I still have a lot of work to do but I am taking it one day at a time. My overall goal has always been to get to a healthy weight for my height and that is 135, so 22 more pounds to go!



Last Week: 158.2
This Week: 157.3
Wk 8 Loss: 0.9 lbs
Total Loss: 7.6 lbs (28.1 overall!)

Skinny Jeans

After last weeks weigh in I thought I still had a bit before I would be wearing size 10 jeans, but my size 12 jeans were definitely way loose. I decided to head to the store to pick up a pair of size 10 jeans. I had always loved the look of skinny jeans and boots but knew I could never pull it off before. But now that I have lost almost 30 pounds I decided to go out of my comfort zone and buy a pair! So that is just what I did last week, I bought my first ever pair of skinny jeans! It has been a long time since I have felt this good in clothes! I still need to lose about 23 more pounds to be in the normal BMI range for my height but it's nice to be able to look in the mirror and not cringe (as much! Ha!)



Down another half pound this week! Always nice to see the scale going down even if it is in small increments!



Last Week: 158.7
This Week: 158.2
Wk 7 Loss: 0.5 lbs
Total Loss: 6.7 lbs (27.2 overall!)

Now that I have completed C25k, I wasn't really sure what was next for me. I knew I was still going to keep up with the running and work on training for the big race but I wasn't sure what the plan would be. I like structure and plans but didn't know what I should do. Lucky for me, the Doc is a hardcore runner, having recently ran the Boston Half Marathon. He came up with a new plan for me that keeps me on a specific schedule while also working on my speed. I started on Monday and it looks like this:

Day 1: Regular Run (average about 30 minutes - between 2 and 2.5 miles)

Day 2: Intervals - it will work like the C25k program, training my body to be able to run at a faster pace by slowly building up to it! (on Tuesday I did 60 seconds at 5.5mph and 90 seconds at 4mph for about 20 minutes, next time I will increase the interval time, the Doc suggest 2 minutes at the fast pace and 5 minutes at the slow pace to recover).

Day 3: Regular Run (same as above

Day 4: 5k

Tomorrow night is my 5k night and it will be my second go at straight running it. Sometime in the near future I'll be taking this 5k outside and I imagine my times will be very different! The treadmill paces me so I will be very interested to see how I pace myself on my own.