Elusive Weightloss

At the beginning of the summer, I set a goal for myself.  I was really going to amp up my exercise routine, and watch carefully what I ate.  My main goals were to raise my HDL cholesterol level through cardiac exercise, and to slowly start loosing weight.

My plan?  I have been running 3 miles a day, 5 days a week.  I have been doing some light weight lifting.  I have been really limiting my calories and fat intake.

The results?  I have GAINED 3.5 pounds.

That's right.   I GAINED WEIGHT.  It is really difficult to keep up such a strenuous routine when it has absolutely no results.  Do you suppose there is something wrong with me?

The only positive has been that I do feel stronger, and my endurance is getting much better.  However, I really don't want to gain more weight.  I am going to keep it up for a couple more weeks to see if I might be the only person on earth who actually gains weight from exercising.

Pleased and Yet Baffled

Today is Weigh in Wednesday again. I am really pleased with this week's results, but I have no idea why they happened.

I lost 2.5 pounds, and I am now down to 174.3.

Here's why I'm baffled. Remember when I told how absolutely exhausted I am? It's been so bad a lot of days that I have been going to bed at 8:00 and sleeping through until the next morning. I didn't exercise those days at all. A lot of the days when I managed to stay awake after 8:00, I have been way too tired physically to exercise. I think I probably squeezed in three to four exercise sessions last week. The only thing I have been consistent about is my Monday night water pilates class.

Maybe pilates is better than I thought?

But, I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. I'll take 2.5 pounds and run! Which reminds me, I have lost over 5 pounds total for the challenge, so I think I get one of those nifty sidebar buttons from the Sisterhood saying I've lost five! Woohoo!!!

BIG FAT FREAKIN' GOOSE EGG!

That is what my weight loss is this week.

I am EXACTLY where I was last week. Which is to say-176.8.

I was feeling bad about that until I read this. Seriously. I love this girl's blog. Especially today.

So, I am focusing on the long term. I will just try to keep making healthy choices, and getting in my torture sessions with the sadistic Jillian.

And I do feel way more toned, and that I have more stamina. So even though I hate shredding, I love shredding.

Here's to a fresh start tomorrow.

Weigh In Wednesday: WARNING! Whining Ahead

It's Wednesday. The dreaded weigh in day.

I am flat out-TOTALLY-discouraged.

This week I worked my butt off. I exercised harder, and more consistently than I have in years. I drank loads of water each day. I ate salads galore. I didn't cheat. I shredded and shredded and shredded. Jillian Michaels totally kicked my butt. And for what?!

A measly loss of .5 pounds.

I truly did everything right this week. For a payout of nothing.

This is exactly why dieting and exercise are excruciatingly difficult for me. When I try my very hardest, and give it my very best nothing happens. I know I screwed over my metabolism when I was anorexic in high school, but it's been almost 15 years. Shouldn't it be getting back to normal? I can't even tell you how this makes me feel. I also have an urge to maybe cut out a meal or two. Or do something that I know would get me into trouble. But I'm not. I learned that lesson long ago, but oh boy the temptation to starve at times like this is terrible. It is like being in the worst of nicotine cravings.

So here are my terrible numbers.
Last week: 177.3
This week:176.8

Depressing.

Shredding in Prrogress

I've just finished Day Two of Shredding with Jillian Michaels. Yesterday, I started with the Level 1 workout. Afterwards, I felt like I had put in a good workout, and my muscles felt warm, and a bit shaky. But this morning, I didn't feel a thing! I was expecting, even looking forward to, being sore. There is something a bit rewarding in a weirdo way about feeling it the next morning. Let's you know you did something! So I was disappointed. But after I thought about it, not being sore made me feel good about my past 15 months of exercise. Although I didn't see a ton of weight loss, it turns out I got into better physical shape.

So tonight I threw caution to the wind and did the Level 2 workout even though it was only my second day. I definitely feel like it was more my speed, and I worked harder.

I love that the workouts are only 20 minutes long. It's hard to fit exercise into a busy mom's schedule, but these are great. Hard, but quick, and hopefully effective.

Here's to shredding off my 10 pound goal!

Weigh In Wednesday

Today was a depressing weigh in at The Sole Woman.

I gained 1.5 pounds, which I fully attribute to the stupid rabbit who goes around leaving four large baskets of candy on my kitchen counter to tempt me all day long. I didn't gorge or anything, but I did munch on some chocolate here and there. Apparently enough to gain a pound and a half.

I am really bummed because I was SUPER good at Easter dinner, where I only ate salad and a small bit of turkey.

As for Shredding, I must have chose the option "Please deliver by Pony Express" at Amazon, because I just received my DVD late yesterday afternoon, after I had already worked out for the day. So today will be my first day of shredding, and I am really hoping it will take off that extra pound and more.

Totals:
Last week: 175.8
This week: 177.3

Blech. Here's to a clean slate this week and NO MORE CHOCOLATE!

Weigh In Wednesday

It is week 2 of my Shrinking Jeans challenge, and time for my second weekly weigh in. Here are my results:

Start Weight: 180
Last Week's Weight: 177.9
Today's Weight: 175.8

This means I lost another 2.1 pounds this week, for a total of 4.2 pounds! I am speechless. Not only because the number 4 is really exciting, but also because I cheated! I had a donut for breakfast on Sunday, and a brownie on Monday. This next week I am going to really try and NOT cheat, and see if that can kick things up a notch.

My goal this week was to drink lots more water than I usually do. I am totally addicted to diet pop! A good friend suggested that whenever I get the urge for pop that I drink a glass of water first, and then if I was still thirsty I could drink the pop. This was an awesome idea, as more often than not I didn't want to drink anything else after the water. I also noticed I didn't want to snack quite as much when I was careful to get my water intake for the day.

Next week my goal is to start something called "shredding". Shredding is an exercise program on DVD by Jillian Michaels that many of the bloggers over at the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans have been talking about. You do a segment of the video for 20 minutes a day for 30 days, and supposedly it will make a big change in how you look and feel. Not sure why it is called shredding (what will I be shredding? Muscles? Patience?) as I think the name is scary, and maybe a little overwhelming. Perhaps "Shedding" would be better? As in shedding pounds? Whatever it is, after Beth's rave reviews at I Should Be Folding Laundry, I am ready to try it. I ordered the DVD last night from Amazon.com, and it was only $11, with S&H. Another positive! I guess even if it turns out to not work, at least I only spent $11. As soon as it arrives, I will begin shredding my weight loss!

Hopefully it will help another two pounds to disappear this coming week!

Weigh In Wednesday

Today is my first weekly weigh in for my Shrinking Into Summer Challenge with the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans. I am REALLY excited to announce my numbers. Here goes:

Start Weight: 180
Week One Weigh In Weight: 177.9
Total Loss: 2.1 pounds!!!!

The Good: I met my exercise goal for the week. I exercised 4 out of the 7 days of the week. I am really proud of myself for this, because it was hard to be consistent after my month long exercise hiatus. Several nights I was very tired and SOOOOO tempted to go to bed early instead. But I didn't. I am also loving my water pilates class. Some great toning is going on with this!

Remember those pants that were tight? They still aren't back to normal, but definitely feeling looser.

The Bad: Eating healthy while cooking for your family is hard. Especially when your husband is really picky. I try to use very healthy cooking methods, but some of the things I serve because they are easy/quick and cheap (like tater tots) are probably stuff I shouldn't eat. I am going to try and substitute a salad for myself on these days.

The Ugly: It was my brother's birthday on Sunday, and I ate a piece of peach pie with whipped cream on top. And yesterday? I ate an M & Ms monster cookie. Argh. I felt SO guilty afterwards. On the other hand, when I totally deny myself foods, I tend to binge later. So I am going to try and just move on, and focus on my two pounds that ARE GONE!

My goal for this week is to up the exercise to 5 days. I can't "weight" to see if it helps!

I am Going to Be SHRINKING!

Some of my favorite bloggers started an online weight loss community called The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans awhile ago. I have been watching from afar as they lost some serious pounds. I have always wanted to join one of their challenges, but never did.

For the last year and a half, I have been exercising regularly, and I had felt like nothing was really helping, that I wasn't losing any weight. About a month ago, when we were cleaning the house in preparation to move, I fell off the exercise bandwagon. I was so busy cleaning that at first I didn't have time to fit it in, and then I thought to myself, "Why bother? It doesn't help anyway!" Lo and behold, I gained 5 pounds almost immediately, and my pants were tight. Maybe it was making a difference! At least I wasn't gaining when I was exercising, right?

So, last Monday I joined my water pilates class, which was a blast. I got back on the bike yesterday, and I plan to ride every night during the week. I am really watching my calorie intake, so I am hoping this will all equal at least some weight loss. At least that nasty five pounds which are making my pants uncomfortable.

So, today is my first weigh in Wednesday. I am supposed to post my start weight here on my blog, and then my weekly weight loss from here on out every Wednesday. My weightloss goal is to loose 10 pounds by the end of the challenge, which ends on May 10th.

May I first just say, that after I post my weight, will you all please promise to still love me? And not to laugh at me? Because really-it is appalling. I do not even want to truly know myself. But, I guess accountability is the key, right? So, here goes....my start weight is.....

Oh lordy.
180

I am going to go pass out now.