Down 1.6 lbs, but is it accurate?

Okay, I weighed in today. Down 1.6 lbs, but that isn't the full story. Last night I had fried chicken wings from the Chinese joint down the street. I haven't had any of those since I started WW. What made me decide to have that for dinner last night? I dunno. I'm sure I can pick a reason...my son is playing football in Hawai'i and I'm not there to watch him play (I really miss him a lot)...my mother-in-law is in hospice, and we aren't there with her (hopefully we get there before she passes)...I have a crazy/insane week ahead of me when I return to work after the long weekend...ANY one of those will do, I guess. How about, I have no will power? I just wanted some fatty/salty food~something that tastes good but isn't good for me? Yeah, I think that's it.

So, as always, I got up and went to the gym for my Saturday morning Combat class. My friend/co-worker Kim even came along. I didn't expect her to, but I invite her every Saturday and she surprised me by coming (see? nagging really does work, LOL). I got on the weight machines since apparently muscle burns more calories than fat (that's what they said in school, anyway). Then I came home and did 45 min on the elliptical machine. So, I'm tired. But guess what I did after I sweated out all that water? Yup, I got on the scale. Is that cheating? Maybe.

I figured the salt from the wings was causing me to retain water so I might as well get some out before I weigh myself (yeah, how did you like that excuse? I pulled that one out from the archive). So even though my scale says I'm down, I am not really celebrating the loss. I think I basically broke even. I do feel good about working out more than I usually do. For the last couple of months, I was satisfied with just the hour of Combat 3x per week--but the scale wasn't moving. I notice that when I do a little bit more than just Combat the scale moves a little.

You know, my sister-in-law (the one who turned me on to WW) told me she worked out at least 45 min 3x per week so that she could earn enough activity points to be able to eat the food she loves. In essence, I'm doing the same thing. I figure I'm eating most of the calories I burn--especially when I only did Combat. I think that if I do Combat Plus (plus elliptical or Arc Trainer, etc) then I am more likely to see the scale move.

So I am goint to do a little experiment. I am going to try to eat well, splurge some (otherwise I may go on a binge, and that would be worse) and do Combat Plus. If I lose a little more next week, then maybe I will have found a formula.

I have to work at the hospital tomorrow but I'm off on Monday for the holiday. Gonna try "Body Vive"--kinda like low impact Body Attack with resistance bands and a Tai Chi ball. Sounds interesting. Might be worth a try.

I've said some crazy stuff before but...

Okay, I'm craving dessert. Sweets are my weakness. I would rather eat dessert before (or sometimes in place of) dinner. So tonight I wanted dessert and I have nothing sweet to eat in my house. So what did I say to my wonderful husband?

"I think as my husband, it is your DUTY to make sure your wife has dessert every night!"

Yes, I said that crazy sh*t, AFTER I ranted about how we don't have anything for dessert...why don't we have dessert?...what can I have for dessert?...is he going to go out and get me dessert?...I know it's 10:30 at night, but still...

Sounds crazy, huh? Not to mention I've been eating crap for the last 2 days. I didn't just fall off the wagon, I tumbled off and landed face first into some cake--which by the way, my husband bought. And I ate a good portion of that cake, which lasted about 3 days. It wasn't a big cake and it wasn't really all that good, but hey, it was CAKE.

I skipped Turbo Kick yesterday...my husband "dragged me" to a highschool football game. I really wanted to go to Turbo but he really wanted me to go with him to the game. So I went to the game and then made sure I went to Body Combat today. I also tried something new today--something called the Arc Trainer. Interesting machine and wasn't too hard. I did it on level 3 interval hills. I also did some weight training. All this earned me about 7 activity points. Not too bad. But I ate them all up today, I just know it.

My husband and I went to see a movie today~"Julie and Julia" (yeah I know, not really a guy flick but I guess he was trying to make up for dragging me to a football game in the rain). The food looked so good. It reminded me of my love for butter. Butter and bread is the best. Butter makes so much food taste better. Man, I haven't had real butter (not Smart Balance) in so long. We stopped by the Dollar Store before the movies. I got a Coke Zero and Sugar Babies (I really wish the soda cancelled out the candy, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't work that way). Sugar Babies are pure sugar, but low in fat (the one redeeming factor).

So, tomorrow is a new day. The beginning of a new week. Good news is, I weighed in today and I'm down a pound. I'll take that, thank you very much. Could be worse, especially when you consider what I've been eating. Salad for lunch tomorrow when I work at the hospital. Yum, gonna do the damn thang.

Hurray! Inches lost!

Okay, quick post. I have been a little disappointed with the weight loss. I've been working out regularly (good job) but not counting my points regularly (not so good job). In my mind, I've been keeping a "general tally" of points for the day, but as we all know, that number is grossly underestimated.

So today after Body Combat, I went by the trainers section and asked for my numbers from when I started working out--weight and measurements. So, I've lost 4.2 lbs and 13.9 inches. I wish the pounds lost was a higher number, but I'm happy with the inches lost. I've lost 7.3 inches off my waist alone and another inch off my hips. My pannus is what makes my hip measurement so big--not really the hips (you know, that lower belly that just hangs there--I wish I could just slice it off).

I also lost a little off my chest and I'm wondering if that number is slightly skewed because I'm wearing a sports bra instead of the regular bra I was wearing originally. Could be, but whatever.

So maybe people aren't BS-ing me when they tell me I look like I've lost weight. Weight in lbs ain't nuthin but a number, right? So the plan is to continue to work out and keep trying to do right. And no excuses. But it ain't easy. I have lots of stress in my life. My son is moving next week to go and live with his dad. My brother just finished radiation therapy and is about to start chemo soon. My mother-in-law just had brain surgery and is in a rehab hospital now. I work two jobs and all kinds of stress come with that. There are days the comfort food (let's just call her Delishus) just whispers my name. Other days she chants it--over and over--annoyingly. And other days, she's slick about it, just gets into my head and tries to manipulate me...just a bite...just a taste...you know you want it...you can work it off later. I can be so easily manipulated at times.

So, wish me luck. Time to go have lunch. :-)

Flat Belly Day 1 and 2

Okay, I tried the Flat Belly Diet Jumpstart. Day 1 went exactly as planned, textbook in fact. I followed the meal plan exactly. So proud of myself. There was one glitch. I hated, and I mean HATED "Sassy Water"...yuk. I couldn't drink it. Now I know what my patients were feeling when I tell them to drink a gallon of "Golytely" (bowel prep before a colonscopy). I think I needed the NGT to get that stuff down. It's awful. I think I drank about 10 oz or so and gave up. I dumped it out and filled it with regular water. I measured and weighed my food. Drank my "un-Sassy" water.

Day 2 went to crap. I woke up with a headache and felt bad in general. Finally, I took 2 ES Tylenol and drank some water and I started to feel better. I had lunch with my friend I haven't seen in a long time and you can guess what happened. I didn't follow the mealplan. I did at least eat the healthier alternative and then I felt nauseous (do you think it was guilt that made me feel this way? I dunno). So, in order to salvage this day, I will just count the points and move on. I'll eat the Flat Belly lunch I made tonight for dinner instead. UGH! I really wanted to see how I would do on the "Anti-Bloating Jumpstart" and I thought I could do 4 days without too much difficulty.

Reading this post, I feel like I made a lot of excuses. Maybe I am too hard on myself. I dunno. I can say that one thing I have learned from trying multiple diets is: If I don't like the food or the way I feel eating the food, it won't work. Adkins was killer for me. I missed my favorite foods so badly that I spent a crazy amount of time obsessing over them. I didn't feel healthy abstaining from fresh fruits during the induction phase. It felt wrong to be eating all meat and cheese--and not apples, grapes, and grapefruit. I understand the basic principles of the Adkins and Flat Belly diets and I think I can apply them to a certain extent.

I give a lot of credit to people who can "just say no" and stick to a mealplan exactly. I admire people who have the will power to do it on their own. I, on the other hand, feel like I need a buddy on this journey with me. My husband eats whatever he wants. He doesn't have a weight problem and likes for me to go out and eat with him all the time. He doesn't understand why I try so hard to eat a certain way. He thinks all you have to do is just work out and the weight will just fall off. I wish it were that easy.

I feel kind of weak today, Day 2 (geez, like I couldn't even do two whole days of a mealplan?) down the tubes. But I will pick myself up, and take my butt to Turbo Kick tonight and sweat out those feelings of guilt and come out feeling (and smelling, LOL) stronger.

Flat Belly

My husband and son are going to see my mother-in-law this week. I will stay back (with my two dogs) and work/watch the house. Their absence will give me the perfect opportunity to try the "Flat Belly Diet." I know, I know...another "diet". This book was written by the Editor-In-Chief of Prevention magazine. I read through it before I bought it. It's not a diet. It's pretty much all the stuff I already know. But I bought it for two reasons. 1) I wanted to learn more about how a diet high in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) can help prevent and diminish belly fat (my problem area) and 2) get the meal plan. I just got the pocket guide (not the hard cover book), and it was only about $8. One thing I'm worried about--Sassy Water. I don't know if I can drink water with ginger, spearmint leaves, cucumber, and lemon. Sounds gross.

The Jumpstart is only 4 days, and I can do anything for 4 days. It's supposed to help reduce bloating. I'm pretty sure this gut isn't from "bloating" but whatever. I think this is going to be a cleansing. Am I going to need to be near a bathroom at all times? Do I need Depends "adult briefs"? Yeah, that's gross too. But I need to try something different. I need a plan. A goal.

How bout this for a goal? 5 lbs in one week. There, I've said it. I've written it. It's out there in the stratosphere. Done deal. And I'm going to blog about it. And put it all out there for the stratosphere to read. Yikes!

Behold, Thy name is Inconsistent...

My week started out great. Counted my points. Worked out like a fiend. Ate some things I shouldn't have, but tracked the points and moved on. Then I went to Boston for work, and everything went to crap. I accept full responsibility for it. I ate that sushi (which in of itself, wasn't that bad) and tempura (okay, fried food is always bad, even if it's shimp and vegetables) and salad (avocado, crab, and lobster). That was Tuesday after I finally got to Boston and needed to settle down in the room.

The next day, it was carb city for breakfast and lunch. Turkey bacon--who invented that? The texture was...interesting. The flavor was ok, but the texture. That's why I don't eat eggs, I can't get over the texture. And I for sure wouldn't survive on "Survivor" or some other show that would try and force me to eat larva or eyeballs. I wouldn't be able to get over the texture of anything like that. But I digress.

For every break, there was a snack. Berries and cream. Cheese and crackers. You name it, we had it. Did I have to eat it? No, I did not. Did I eat it? Yes, I did. Usually, I don't feel bad about it because I just hit the gym and work those calories off. But I couldn't do that in Boston. One good thing was, the food in the airport was crazy expensive, which kept me from buying any junk food while I waited for my flight (a box of Milk Duds were $3.50!!). And I left before the "Big Dinner" at the Oak Room...which would have been a wild caloric fiesta.

So, now that I am back in my hometown of Virginia Beach, did I go work out? Nope. Instead, I went to an educational dinner sponsored by a drug rep (Genentech). The food was good and open bar. I will go to Turbo Kick tomorrow night. But a baby shower prevents me from going to Body Combat on Saturday. I think I work on Sunday, so no Combat on Sunday. I am scared to step on that scale Saturday--my weigh in day. But I will.

So is there a theme to this story? Yeah, there is. I've been overweight for a long time. I know exactly what I should do to lose weight. Plus, I'm a nurse and I know how being fat ages me and increases my risk factors for all kinds of health problems. Yes, I make poor choices when it comes to food. Yes, sometimes I am just plain weak and lazy. It's easier to eat something I know I shouldn't sometimes, rather than go and find something healthier to eat. Especially when the food tastes so good. It's just that I can't say no sometimes--especially when the food is free. But let the food be overpriced and if I have to pay for it...you know the rest.

Writing this and posting it to the universe for everyone to read is incredibly therapeutic. Even if I am the only one who reads it. I admire the ladies that put their weight right on their blog. Ugh. I've been conditioned to be ashamed of my weight. I weigh more than my husband who is 6 ft tall--six inches taller than I am. I don't like to take pictures of myself unless it's head and shoulders (not the shampoo).

Read a book this weekend by Jennifer Weiner called Good in Bed. Very uplifting. Inspiring. I aspire to be like the main character, so confident and secure in her own skin. But she's only a size 16...and is like, 5'11". If you stretched my body six inches, I bet I would be a size 16. But I'll keep trying and working on it. On myself.

Water Weight??

Okay, I stepped on the scale and I gained 3 pounds. I know that's not a lot, but damn...I am burning off thousands of calories in the gym (so says my heart rate monitor), and I am gaining weight? Maybe I'm burning fat but gaining muscle mass? Muscle is more dense than fat. Which is why I can easily float in a pool and my husband has a hard time. Inversely, also explains why he can sit at the bottom of the pool, and no matter how hard I try, I just can't. But I digress.

I know that I am stronger now than I was when I first joined the gym. The relatively new ability to do pushups tells me so. But I don't think I have that much more muscle mass to explain the weight gain. I'm no Vin Diesel by any means. Still got the double chin and the flabby arms/thighs. I'm not that strong.

I know that I don't drink as much water as I should. I drink when I'm working out and somewhat after. But I sweat a lot. And I mean a LOT. My hair is drenched after my work out, like I took a dip in the pool. Is my body holding on the water because I am sweating so much and not taking in enough? If I were dehydrated, my muscles would be more sore I think. I'd be more sore if I didn't have enough fluids to flush out the lactic acid from muscle use--which explains why I hurt so bad after Body Pump. I dunno.

Do I need a colonic? Is the weight gain due to being full of sh*t? Sorry if I'm being gross--I guess it's the nurse in me--no filter when it comes to bodily functions. Although, I bet I could lose at least 3 pounds after a good bowel prep. Where's the mag citrate? Golytely? :-)

Common sense tells me I gained weight because I took in more calories than I burned off. UGH!! I guess this means I have to start being accountable now. Start counting my points again. Measure and weigh my food. And drink my water. And keep exercising.

On a brighter note...Today, I cooked pasta. Pasta you say? Yup, Ronzoni Smart Pasta--penne style. With Prego roasted garlic and herb sauce. With turkey Italian sausage. Added some chopped bell pepper and sliced mushrooms. And it was so good! My son was upset that I told him it was turkey instead of pork. And 3x fiber pasta instead of regular pasta. But he ate it. He even liked it. And I had the whole meal cooked in less than 30 minutes--take THAT Rachel Ray!

Tomorrow, I pick up my husband from the airport. He'll be back from Vail. Yay! Hopefully he won't want to go out to eat. Let's eat at home tomorrow evening. After I drop him off at home, I'm off to Body Combat and Becky is leading the class. Double Yay! She's also teaching Monday's Body Combat, so I'll be there too. Planning on burning more calories I take in. Let's get with the follow through.