Weight Loss Wednesday; Week 4 recap

I got a huge surprise when I weighed in this week - I was down 3.4 pounds. My four-week total is 10.8 pounds lost. To say that I was excited was a bit of an understatement.

The only problem is, I don't feel like I lost 10 pounds in the past month. I didn't take any pictures when I first started. (I was too embarrassed.) So now I don't have anything to look at and compare myself to now. I also didn't take measurements. Today is officially my one month anniversary with Weight Watchers so I decided to take some pictures today. I took them from three different angles and then put a reminder in my phone to do the same thing a month from today. My husband also offered to help me do some measurements tonight so I'll have that too.

I did also get a really nice message from my sister-in-law. I had mentioned not seeing a real difference and she sent me two selfies of myself side-by-side. Slightly different angles, but it did show me that changes are happening, and I just need to stick with it.

Are you on a weight loss journey? Do you take progress pictures? Do you find them motivating?

Weight Loss Wednesday; Week 3 Recap

Well, it happened. When I weighed in this week I was up 1 pound.

I definitely expected it though, I went out Friday night with my co-workers and then we had a family birthday party on Saturday. I made better choices than I would have (halibut and roasted vegetable instead of fish and chips) but I still had cheese cake Friday, black forest cake Saturday, and multiple alcoholic beverages both nights.

I struggled a bit on Sunday to get myself back on track, but I managed. So far Monday and Tuesday have been good days in terms of eating. I really need to get some exercise into my weekly routine, but I'm having a hard time with that. I did have a ringette game Monday night and another one tonight so that will definitely help in the exercise category.

One of the things I've been finding lately is that I'm not being fussy about what I eat. If it's within my points, I'll eat it. But I'm not making sure I'm getting enough water, and I'm definitely not eating enough vegetables. This journey needs to be about more than getting "skinny," I want to get healthy too.

So I set myself three goals for this week, including eat more vegetables. I'm definitely doing better with veggies so far this week, I bought a big bag of sugar snap peas at Costco and I've been having them with my lunch. I also had salad with my supper last night, even though Jonathan (my husband) decided to just have a burger and fries. And I started putting spinach back in my morning smoothies. It's only been two days though, so I'm not going to celebrate just yet. :-)

Weight Loss Wednesday; Down again!

How is it Wednesday already? Seriously though, I feel like it was just Wednesday. I expected the last week to creep by. It was my weekend to work (which means a 1pm to 10pm Saturday and a 1pm to 10pm Sunday) and I always find those weeks to drag on and on and on. This one didn't, which is extra crazy because I was super under the weather Sunday, Monday and most of yesterday.

Weight loss wise it was another good week, when I did my official weigh-in Sunday morning I was down 2.4 pounds, which brings my two-week total to 8.4 pounds. (Woohoo.)

I've been struggling a bit though, with not feeling well the past couple of days all I've wanted to eat is junk and I haven't been getting my steps in because I didn't want to move unless I absolutely had to. And now that I'm feeling better (and actually keeping my food in) all I want to do is eat. (There's a pattern there, I know.)

My goal for the rest of the week is to make sure I get my steps in, and maybe even get in a short workout or two. I'm going out Friday night with a couple co-workers, and then we have a family dinner Saturday night. I know that I'm going to make some food (and drink...) choices that aren't the best, but I'm hoping if I get some movement in it will help balance out the effects.

And the truth is, whatever changes I'm making on my way to a healthier me need to be changes that are going to last. If I skip out on social events or beat myself up about them I'm just going to revert back to the way I've always been. I'll be mindful of what I'm eating and drinking, but I'm not going to stress out about it. There's no rush to the finish line, I'm not racing anyone.

I think that's what's different this time. I think I'm finally in the right mindset to make lasting changes. I got this.

Weight Loss Wednesday: One week in

I had a fantastic first week back on Weight Watchers. I made better choices, I tracked every bite I ate, I crushed my water goal, and met my step goal almost every day. I also gave up pop and energy drinks too (even zero calorie ones), and I stuck with it.  My hard work showed on the scale - in one week I lost six pounds! And - just as good as the number changing on the scale - was the fact that I already feel a difference in my energy level.

My constant exhaustion was one of my biggest motivators. My husband is a bit of a night owl, so me going to bed at 8 or 9 and him staying up until 10 and 11 was a bit of an issue. We felt like we weren't getting to spend any time together in the evenings. There are still going to be evenings here and there that I'm going to want to head to bed early, but I love the idea of more quality time with Jonathan.

Week two is off to a slightly rocky start. Monday night we had a belated Christmas dinner at my in-laws. I ate less than I would have a month prior, but probably still ate a bit more than I should have. I don't ever want to feel like I'm depriving myself though, I know the minute I feel that way my motivation will tank and I will self-destruct.

I'm also a stress eater, so today has been a bit of a challenge. Last night when we got home from visiting my brother-in-law and his wife our dog was acting a bit strange. We ended up heading in to the Metro Animal Emergency Clinic to make sure nothing was seriously wrong. She had x-rays done, but they didn't show anything. We got home around midnight with some pain medication and instructions to contact our vet if things weren't better in the morning. Things weren't better this morning, so I called our vet and ended up spending a good chunk of the morning there. That meant I didn't eat breakfast, and was starving when I got home. All I can say is that it's a good thing I won't use drive-thrus, instead of stopping for fast food I came home and ate a ham sandwich on Weight Watchers bread. I ate a handful of chips, but I tracked everything and I still have more than enough points left over for supper.

Hopefully the rest of week two goes well. I'm hoping to work some exercise in to my routine, as well as keep focused on making changes I can live with long-term.

Are you a stress eater? How do you try and manage it?

Weightloss Wednesday: The beginning

On January 8th I signed up for Weight Watchers.

Not for the first time, but hopefully for the last time.

I am 5'0 and weight 192 pounds. I don't even like typing it.

My weight has fluctuated a lot over the years, as have my thoughts about it. I alternate between embracing my "plus sized-ness" and being disgusted with myself. (And pretty much everything in between.)

I think what's different this time is that I'm thinking more than just about how I'm going to look if I lose the weight I want to, I'm also focused on how I'm going to feel. We are approved adoptive parents and could get a call any day that we've been matched, When our kids come home I want to be able to go on hikes and chase them around the yard without getting winded. I'm going to need to have the energy to stay up past 9:30pm on work nights.

I think the other thing that's different this time is that I'm thinking long term. I want the changes I'm making to my eating habits and daily routine to be things I can live with for the rest of my life. And things my husband can live with! Jonathan is very supportive, but I don't want him feeling like he has to give up things because of me.

Today is day 3, and I've had two good days so far. Wednesday is my day off, so I feel like it's going be my most challenging day. There's no one here to judge (err, keep me accountable) like there is when I'm at work. And I tend to shop and run errands on Wednesdays, which makes it so easy to stop for fast food. I'm hoping that posting about my weight loss adventure here every Wednesday is going to help keep me on track.

So far today I'm off to a good start - I had a good breakfast (chocolate Shakeology with half a banana, almond milk, and a handful of spinach), finished 500ml of water, and took Daisy (our beagle) on an extra long walk. I've got to run to the grocery store soon and then maybe I'll even get on the treadmill.

Are you currently working towards a new you? Have you made some big (or little) changes on a journey to a healthier you? I'd love to hear about it!