Visits of Any Kind

are bad for weight loss.

I wish I knew how to hang with friends without eating fattening foods. This weekend was no exception. Add to that the impending monthly visit, and I'm just not feeling it.

On the good side, I've been moving a lot more. My job last night was very challenging but I got through it and my back feels a million times better than it did yesterday.

Yes!

I guess I already knew that the JC plan worked. It was wonderful to see it in action. Down 3.5 pounds this week! It is SO helpful to have Mr. ShrinkingT doing a weight loss program at the same time. (of course he's doing something I think is crazy and unhealthy but it's probably just good for him to lose weight any way he can)

The big difference was the work out this week and the commitment to eating the plan. Energy level has been okay (except for the Sinus infection and subsequent allergic reaction to the antibiotic of course)

This week:
- 3 days of cardio
- with out of town guests coming in; limit drinking as much as possible (2 drinks/night)

New Workout Motivation

I guess I was a little hard on myself (considering a 1.8 lb loss). Still . . . .

In other exciting news, I got a new toy to play with last night. My new Nike+ is all set up and just waiting for me to get on the treadmill! Right on! If I get home in a timely manner tonight, I'm going to test it out with my "best of bootie" mix playlist.

Resistance, As Seen on TV

Let's go Princess! I admit I am an infomercial junky. This is one of the times I can say I'm glad I didn't check my impulses. I am SO freakin sore right now. The 11 minute workout that comes with the Tower 200 (installed very easily on my door, by the way) was no joke. I had to pause it so I could finish all of the reps but it was a really outstanding workout. If you too are interested in not being able to move without saying "ouch", visit bodybyjake.com . . . they will be more than happy to help you out.

Other fitness newbies this weekend, a minute longer in my jogging interval (I'm up to 6 minutes jogging with 3 minutes walking) and Crunch fitness's "Candlelight Yoga". I'm a huge fan of the yoga routine. It felt like my entire body got longer and more flexible while I relaxed. Awesome.

Moving in the right direction again

Down a pound and a half this week. It's amazing how well I do when Mr. Shrinking T is not home to tempt me with non-diet foods. I worked out like crazy this week and I think that also contributed mightily to my success.

In other great news, my pants are starting to get loose. This is the first I'm seeing of results to my body and is definitely motivating me to keep going. While I don't think JC is a long term tool for me, it has definitely jumpstarted my progress.

Goals for this week:
1) 2 days weight lifting
2) 3 days cardio
3) try one new video (candlelight yoga anyone?)
4) try one new recipe

New Fitness Goal Achieved

I jogged a full lap . . . that's a quarter of a mile. I did it 4 times last night on my treadmill very slowly. But I did it. I haven't done that since I played soccer regularly some 20 years ago. Mr. Shrinking T has been bugging me to just "jog a lap then walk a lap" forever and I've never been able to do it. Thank God for VS for playing "The Replacements" and for the brilliance of Albuterol. I got off the treadmill last night with the confidence that I might be able to jog a 5k at some point. Amazing. I was starving after but it was well worth it.

Trying Jenny this time

Mr. Shrinking T was the motivator here.  He wanted to try something easier . . . something where he didn't need to think so hard about what to eat.  I have to say, I'm really impressed with Jenny Craig so far.  With my work schedule, it's so much easier to have someone else do the planning for me.  I'm slightly freaked out about not learning how to do this on my own but I've lost 9 lbs since I started the program the last week of October.  It's actually gotten me to start working out a little more regularly.  My consultant calls me on Sundays to talk about my week.  I like the one on one conversations but, with the exception of a little nugget of wisdom about discipline (I wasn't giving myself enough credit), I'm not getting a lot out of our conversations.  She isn't giving me much in the way of tips or guidance on balanced living.  Still, all in all, anything that gets me to A) shed some pounds and B) start working out again is a good thing.  My energy level is way better because I'm eating throughout the day.  Mr. ST hasn't been committed and so I'm frustrated with him.  I'm trying not to nag but it's taking every ounce of self control. If I let it go and have some results, maybe he'll start to try again.

This new way of eating makes me wonder if it might just be good to do batch cooking so that we could have very easy meals in very little time.  Researching that this week.

Also, I've hit a good rhythm with working out.  Found this great "full body" work out on weightwatchers.com which kind of kicked my ass on Saturday.  I'm alternating days w/ cardio.  I've been pushing the intervals a little on the treadmill and have actually been able to get up to 3 minutes of jogging w/ 1 1/2 - 2 minutes of fast walking.  I've noticed my mood is much better and, if I'm careful about stretching, I'm not overly sore.  This week my goal is to do at least 2 days of weight lifting (go Mr. ST for having a home gym set up!) and 3 days of cardio.

Light Beer + Camping = Success at the Scale

Who knew that I could get a buzz on, eat cheetos and gummy bears and still lose 3.6 pounds?  Not me!  I mean, I had hoped that the couple hours I spent hiking and shooting would lead to some loss but I never would have expected that!  And, while it was a little scary to challenge my anemia dizzies, it was well worth it.

Tips for people going on vacation:
1) Try a side of carrots instead of chips with your meal
2) Light beer is just as fun to drink as the more calorie-rich kind in the cooler
3) Have some fruit instead of the candy
4) Go for a little walk

I'm not going to discuss the goals from last week.  I still haven't made progress so I need to reassess this week while going for the goal my WW leader gave me:

FRUIT AND VEGGIE CHALLENGE:
At every meal, fill half your plate with fruits or veggies.
(The goal is to get to the USDA's recommended daily value of 5 fruits and/or veggies a day.)

The Incredible Yo-Yo

Six months before my 30th birthday I resolved to lose a significant amount of weight (somewhere in the vicinity of 30 pounds).  It was by no means a spur of the moment decision.  I had tried and failed several times to lose weight, coming to the conclusion that my body was not meant to be smaller and that I was destined to be the fat sister, the chubby (and funny) friend and the slightly frumpy coworker.  Then came the health problems.  To say I was always a sickly kid is to put things mildly; to name a few of my afflictions: allergies, asthma, ITP, endometriosis, Hashimotos disease.  One day I woke up and thought "if I don't straighten up, I'm going to have a stroke and diabetes to boot" . . . that's the great thing about family history . . . it tells you what you have to look forward to.  So, I joined the Weight Watchers and lost a little over 25 pounds in a little over six months.  And, as I lost, I gained a self confidence and sense of control I had never before felt.  A good friend started calling me "The Incredible Shrinking Tessa".

It's been almost exactly 5 years since I took a look at myself and made that momentous decision to change.  And, as of this morning, I weigh almost exactly what I did when I made that decision.  I am certainly more stable and successful in other areas of my life . . . I suppose that is what made focusing on my health so hard to do.  But it is time for me to be honest with myself and start taking control again.  And if I can get the hubby to join me we will both be the better for it.  Over the next few months, I will chronicle my struggles with the scale.  I will share my tricks for better balance (i.e. how to expend more energy than I consume).  As an avid reader, I will review books I read, letting you know what (if anything) is helpful.  I will provide you with links to articles and tools.  If I find a good recipe, I will post that here.  Most importantly, I will share the ups and downs of my experience.

Your Chubby Friend,
Tessa