Progress Update
By · CommentsWell I said I wasn’t going to do it, and I did it… I have once again neglected my blog. But I think I have a valid excuse this time around. It’s not because I’ve fallen off the wagon or anything like that… it is because my son was born – and life just got a whole heck of a lot more hectic than it was 7 weeks ago. But despite all of the changes around the house and to daily routines, my health related progress has not been stifled.
For the past 3 weeks, I have been hovering around 160 lbs (which is over 50 lbs less than when I started on 1/3/12!!). Over the past month or so, I have been averaging one or two “indulges” per week, whereas before I would only have one or two per month… so I guess you could say that I am not as strict as I was initially, but still have everything under control, and can tighten it back up if I see the scale output starting to slip back in the wrong direction.
I still take my daily progress pictures, and weigh myself daily. I am only around 10 lbs away from my goal – but dang are these last 10 lbs hard! I have started P90X again, and am on Day 10 today and I can already tell I’m getting stronger.
I recently celebrated my 29th Birthday – which means I have less than a year left until my 30th, which is when I have to run my Marathon by. My game-plan is to finish P90X, which will leave me with a pretty solid base fitness level… then I plan to start running and going back to the gym where I still have a few dozen personal trainer sessions on my account. I’m still eating very cleanly, but since I’m more physically active now, I’m not beating myself up over the occasional weekend indulge meal (or indulge evening).
So that’s pretty much it for now! I will post again soon with a P90X update.
I’m Finally Normal!!!
By · CommentsAccording to this BMI calculating website… I am finally in the “Normal” range!!! When I began this journey at the beginning of the year, I was classified as “Obese.” I made it down to “Overweight” and all the way through the Overweight range… and as of today, I am officially “Normal!” I feel like I just joined this exclusive club that I’ve been trying to get in for quite some time… and now that I’m in, it feels great!
Here’s a quick re-cap of my progress so far: On Day 1, I weighed-in at 212 lbs. This morning, 72 days later, I weighed-in at 168 lbs. I have lost 44 lbs (71% of my goal) and still have 18 lbs left to lose (29% of my goal). I have had exactly 7 indulge days and 65 non-indulge days. It has been 11 days since my last indulge. My belt has 7 holes in it. At my largest, I was on the very last hole which we’ll call hole #1. I am currently on hole #5 out of 7. I only have 2 more holes left before I’m going to have to buy a new belt! I’ve already had to purchase new khakis for work, and I need new jeans too – but think I’ll just ask for some for my Birthday which is in less than a month. I’m also able to wear shirts that I haven’t been able to wear in years! All-in-all, I feel great… and I feel like I got here by doing things the RIGHT way. I didn’t do a crazy pineapple juice ONLY diet, or something extreme, where I’m just going to gain back all of the weight as soon as I start eating food again. I got to where I am at by being smart and dedicated. I avoid nutrient empty foods (processed foods, refined carbs, etc) and aim for nutrient dense foods (fruits, veggies, beans, legumes, nuts, etc). I make my own soups and salad dressings at home. I love the foods I eat, and have zero desire to end this “diet” anytime soon!!
Anyway, I have 18 lbs left to lose. Then I will be at 150 lbs, which is in the exact middle of the “Normal” weight range. That’s my goal at least, but I’m just going to keep doing what I’m doing, and let my body plateau when it gets to the weight it wants to be at!
Day 50 Reflections
By · CommentsYesterday marked Day 50 in my journey to get healthy and in shape. What have I learned so far?
- I can do this! When I first started, it seemed like I was embarking on a hopeless, impossible endeavor. But 50 days later, I’m more optimistic than ever. I’m already over halfway to my goal of 150 lbs, and my motivation and determination is stronger than ever!
- No matter how bad I temporarily deviate from the game plan – it’s not game over. I have had some pretty major “indulges” where I ate and drank whatever I wanted… in the past that would have completely ruined me, but not this time. This time, I’ve gotten back on the wagon every time, and picked up right where I left off! And I will do the same the next time it happens, which it will most certainly happen again.
- My will-power is a force to be reckoned with. In the entire 50 days, I have not had 1-single-indulgence that was a result of a momentary weakness. The ONLY indulges that I have allowed myself have been pre-planned and I knew they were coming weeks before they happened. One particular demonstration of said will-power comes to mind. A couple of weeks ago, I walked straight into the mouth of the beast and came out unscathed. In this case, the beast was Five Guys. I was sent on a food run, and everyone wanted Five Guys. So there I went, with a list of everyone’s orders. As soon as I walked through the door, I was smacked in the face with that beautiful aroma of burgers cooking, fries frying, and bacon baconing. I was not even tempted though! And I even avoided the complimentary peanuts while waiting for my order to be prepared. I brought the burgers and fries home, and ate my lentil soup instead. I don’t think you understand how big of a deal this is… not very long ago, the thought of this exact scenario playing out the way it did would have been more unlikely than something in a Stephen King novel.
Anyway, my weight-loss is finally beginning to taper. I knew it would eventually, and to be honest, I’m surprised it took this long! I lost 2 pounds this past week, which is well below my weekly weight loss average. 2 pounds / week is considered “normal” and “healthy” so I’m definitely not fretting over it. I would be thrilled if I continued to lose 2 pounds a week from here on out! Also, I’ve begun P90X. Day 1 was Chest, Back, and Abs, and Day 2 was Plyometrics. I’m on Day 3 today, which is Shoulders, Arms and Abs. I’m very excited to be doing it, but man, I’m sore! Hopefully my body will adjust to this kind of stress in the next week or two. And considering how far I have come in the past 50 days, I can’t to see how far I progress in another 50 days!
