That title is a little deceptive. I have been losing weight, albeit slowly.
Here’s the thing: I’m in my second month of P90X, and I haven’t even hit the 5lb weight loss mark yet. I’m not blaming the program by any means….I know it’s all about what I’m eating….but, really?!! A girl I know just started it, and last week she posted an update on Face book: 1st week, and 2 pounds loss. Ugh….it frustrates me.
On top of that, I’m STILL not below the BF’s weight! He weighs himself whenever he comes over, and yesterday we were at the same weight!
If I keep focusing on my frustrations though, I know exactly what’ll happen…..I’m going to reach right for the french bread and brie. (What a dreamy combination….[sigh]) So, instead, I’m going to end with the positives (which, incidentally occupy my mind about 70% of the time, so it’s not all gloom and doom in these parts.)
1. I feel thinner! I think I can see the difference in the mirror, although my clothes isn’t quite showing it yet. Neither is the tape measure.
2. I end the workouts in much better shape! Sure, I get worn out, but I no longer want to die! I feel stronger. I can actually feel my core, and I keep thinking to myself that when I finally lose the fat at least I’ll have a head start with the muscle!
3. The flexibility I’ve gained is awesome. I remember when I did my first “X Stretch”….I was pretty stiff, and couldn’t firmly grip my ankles when doing a seated one-leg hamstring stretch. Now I can grab my heel and almost touch the ground with both elbows. It feels great.
4. This morning I weighed in at 157.5, and this afternoon at 157.0. That is my first 5-lb loss milestone!! Now, I’m not ready to collect my rewards just yet, but I’m SO close! I just need to maintain this, and weigh in at 156.5 at least once for me to believe it. Actually….I think my official “test” should be to weigh in at that weight on a Monday….after going through the weekend. (And weighing in at 156.5 just once.)
5. I’m losing weight slowly, which I’m hoping means I’ll be able to sustain it in the long run. These last 5 pounds (162-157) I’ve lost them several times…..at least 5 I’m sure! This will be the final time I lose them! I haven’t done anything drastic….just exercise more and eat a little bit less. (I haven’t even cut out carbs this time!) That is my biggest comfort….I’m in it for the long haul!
Fitness Update
Posted on: March 3, 2010
- In: P90X
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After this afternoon’s quick post, I realized I hadn’t updated any of you on my fitness progress! Fortunately, I have kept up with my working out even if I haven’t kept up with the posting.
One of my goals last month (on QL Finances) was to workout every day. If you followed that, you’ll know that I technically failed, although the results were nothing to scoff at. Out of the 28 days of the month I missed 9 days. (Some of those were “allowed” by the P90X plan though, but I didn’t stretch or anything, which is always an option.) As of today I completed the Phase 1 of the “lean” program, and while I’m nearly a week behind (I should’ve finished up last Friday), I’m happy I’ve gone this far! While the scale hasn’t budged much (I say that’s my fault for all the cookie dough I’d been eating), I can definitely feel the difference while working out!
Now, maybe it’s psychological, but ever since I started doing the yoga without my glasses I’m FINALLY making it through without major cheating/skipping! Granted, there are lots of moves that I stumble and struggle with, but I no longer sit out moves due to having no endurance. Maybe no glasses gets me in the zone? Maybe it keeps me from focusing on the fact that I don’t want to do something, or that I couldn’t in the past? I don’t know, but I’m not jinxing things….I’ve done the yoga without glasses about 4 times now and I plan to keep doing so, lol. I’ve also noted improved flexibility….and I’m SO thrilled about that! (I can do the seated hamstring stretches holding my heels with my elbows almost touching the floor!! I can also do the right angle pose while holding my hands under my legs! Well, barely….but only because by that time my legs are dying.)
As for the cardio, core, and Kenpo workouts I almost look forward to them, and I can make it through all the moves (tiny breaks still needed between some parts though). I can FEEL myself getting stronger!
The only parts I haven’t made progress on are with pull-ups….and that’s my own fault. The last two times I did the workout (it’s legs and back) I skipped out on the “back” part, so I haven’t worked on them in three weeks.
So that’s all for now. We’ll see where my weight goes from here, but the biggest motivation for me is the visual and psychological results. My old jeans don’t fit yet, but I feel fabulous most of the time, and I swear it looks as though I’m slightly thinner and more toned than I was a month ago.
Please don’t tease me….
Posted on: March 3, 2010
Scale, I’m warning you, please don’t tease me….
I mean, just yesterday (and a whole week before that) I weighed in at 159 pounds. Yet this morning I hop on and what do I see? 157! My first goal/milestone? Is this really it? Or will you just take it all away tomorrow?
I’d love for us to have a better relationship than we have in the past, but if you play these mind games with me, I’m not sure that will ever be possible.
I guess I’ll see you again tomorrow…
“Don’t eat after 7pm…”
Posted on: February 5, 2010
- In: Diet
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I’m going to go ahead and rant for a bit here. For one reason or another, lately I’ve been finding myself getting into the topic of diet and exercise with various friends of the family. The first (or second) thing I hear from them is “you should stop eating at 7pm.” It always pisses me off and makes me want to blow up in their faces about how that’s a myth….but seeing that they probably wouldn’t care and would think I’m crazy, I’ll just vent right here.
First of all, it doesn’t matter what time of day you eat….calories are calories. If you eat a Baconzilla burger at 10am, it’s not going to make you less fat than if you eat it at 8pm, all other factors equal. If it’s 1,000 calories at night, it will still be 1,000 calories in the morning.
The only reason this “myth” ever came to be is to help people with common dieting and eating problems. Why? Once everyone’s settled at home, after they’ve eaten dinner, people tend to forget that they’re eating. Thus midnight snacking, a harmless bite from that cake, etc. THAT is why they recommend you stop eating at 7pm.
On the other hand, if I’ve eaten two meals before in the day, and I can’t have dinner before 7pm, it DOESN’T mean I should go without dinner because that magical time in the day has come that you can’t eat. You should still complete your meals for the day!
So to all of you that feel compelled to tell me to stop eating after 7pm….I DON’T REALLY CARE! This isn’t my first go around with “dieting” and I think I have an understanding on how it works…..if you consume more than you burn off you’re going to gain weight. It doesn’t matter if I do it all at 6am or 10pm. It will have the same effect.
That is all.
Day 2 of P90X
Posted on: February 2, 2010
First thing’s first….my running group was canceled yesterday! They usually run rain or shine, but since the streets were flooded after a full day of rain, and we run in dark residential areas, they decided those weren’t safe conditions. We’ll meet again Wednesday, and they may possibly extend the program by one Monday to make up for yesterday.
That being said, I woke up this morning (a bit late, again, but that’s ok) and after letting my french toast digest I did my 2nd day of P90X lean. Today was “Cardio X”. I must say it went MUCH better than yesterday (no dizziness) but still, I can tell I’m weaker than previous times I’d tried this workout. I think I need to eat a better dinner in the evenings, and possibly a better breakfast as well. Especially if I’m going to be running in addition to this.
On the bright side, even though yesterday’s workout was pretty wimpy I still woke up with a sore butt! Awesome! I love feeling sore after a workout….it confirms to me that I worked hard and my body is adjusting.
Tomorrow is Arms and Shoulders, quite possibly my favorite P90X video, and that’s a good thing, because I didn’t want to have to do something like Cardio on the morning of a run (although next week I’ll have to do Cardio on the morning after my run….I have to fuel up that day!)
In case anyone’s wondering, I thought I’d post the schedule for the next three weeks:
Mondays – Core Synergistics (involves cardio moves, and lots of core stuff)
Tuesdays – Cardio X (combines a little bit of yoga, “Kenpo X” moves, Plyometrics, and plain old cardio)
Wednesdays – Arms & Shoulders (with weights….I think that’s why I like it. I’ll admit, it makes me feel like a bad-ass. lol), followed by Ab Ripper (which rips your abs in 16 minutes flat. No joke.)
Thursdays – Yoga X (quite possibly my least favorite workout. Because it’s so difficult for me!)
Fridays – Legs & Back (leg exercises and all kinds of pull ups), followed by Ab Ripper.
Saturdays – Kenpo X (love it to. Lots of kicking and punching, with jumping jacks in between.)
Sundays – Rest or Stretch X (LOVE Stretch X. If I ever skip it, it’s just because of the time constraint….its an hour of stretching. Awesome.)
After I repeat that for 3 weeks, it is followed by a “recovery week”. Basically the workouts with weights are taken out and replaced with a whole bunch of yoga. Yeah, you can tell I’m excited by that, right? lol.
Day 1 of Restarting P90X
Posted on: February 1, 2010
- In: P90X | Running
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I’m not sure how many people read this that don’t already follow my other blog, but for those who don’t know….I got laid off on Friday. It wasn’t exactly a surprise, I knew it was coming (just not when), and I’m ok with it, I guess. No anger, no panic (thanks to my savings), and to be honest….I was a tiny bit excited.
First one my reasons for my excitement: I can take some time off and have no excuses for not working out! lol. (I know, I’m weird.) Since I’d been expecting to get laid off for a few months, I found myself thinking relatively often “well, I’ll be able to do [this] once I’ve been laid off.” Anyway, since today was my first day with no work I decided it would be a good day to start back up with P90X. I’m following the “lean” schedule, so today’s workout was Core Synergistics.
In conclusion: I’ve either gotten way out of shape again, or something just wasn’t right because at one point I found myself getting dizzy (and almost seeing spots), and after that I had to wimp out on a lot of parts. Maybe I’m dehydrated? Malnutritioned? (I had french toast for breakfast though.)Either way, I’m going to try again tomorrow and hope it goes a bit better. Tomorrow is the cardio workout, so it’s a short one.
As far as my weight goes, while I haven’t updated my Weight loss tracking page on the site, I do have a very detailed spreadsheet on my desktop that’s tracking my actual weight versus where I should be if I assume I want to lose 1 pound a week. Right now I’ve been holding steady at 160 for a few days, but I’m hoping that goes down! As of next Friday I’m “supposed” to be at 159. How exciting! It’s been months since I’ve weighed in the 150’s.
So that’s that. I actually still have my running group tonight, but it’s been raining so hard all day that I’m not sure I want to go. The weather channel doesn’t predict that it’ll stop, however since they meet “rain or shine” there will still be a meeting. I’m feeling kind of lazy and running in the rain doesn’t sound particularly pleasant, however it would be a bit of an adventure. So part of me is leaning towards going. I’ll just make sure to take a towel so my car doesn’t smell like wet dog.
Fitness 101 – Day 7
Posted on: January 28, 2010
You’re probably wondering “what happened to Day 6?!” Well, I had to work late due to a deadline that was pushed up….that meant I worked until 7, and my running group starts at 6:30. (Plus it takes me an hour to get there in traffic.) So that was quite a bummer.
Day 7 was yesterday, Wednesday. I showed up feeling pretty good, energy-wise, however once I started warming up I realized I hadn’t had a real meal the whole day (I had “veggie pizza”, but that was basically a crescent roll covered in cream cheese….not the most nutritious thing). The second strike was when I found out the “two-one” group leader wasn’t there (the one that always stays behind to push me to finish), and instead we’d be running with only one (new) leader (we usually have two for each group).
I’m not sure if she started running faster than what we normally do, but by the first mile with the tw0-ones I was worried about not making it with them the full 3.8 miles and being left behind in the darkness. So, I stayed behind and joined the one-ones.
To make a long story short, I stayed with the one-ones, who were doing a 3.0 mile run, and by the end I was as tired as I had been with the two-ones. I’m not sure what my deal was…..perhaps its the fact that I hadn’t run at all in a whole week? The fact that I didn’t have a real meal? (Although I did have a protein shake 1.5 hours before, and a peach 1/2 hour before….or perhaps that was part of the problem too?) The fact that I felt disoriented with a new group leader? Either way, I wasn’t thrilled with my performance, although I did enjoy talking to some of the girls as I was running with the one-ones.
Anyway, next week I’m giving the two-ones a shot again. I’ll make sure to eat a proper lunch, and a carby snack a couple hours before. Oh, and more water…..I’m pretty sure I haven’t been drinking enough lately. I’ve convinced my BF to do a run with me on Saturday morning, so I’m fairly excited about that!
Fitness 101 – Day 5
Posted on: January 21, 2010
I counted out the days, and this was Day 5 of my Fitness 101 Training group! To recap the first days…
Day 1 – Ran with the one-one’s at about a 14:30 – 15:00 mile pace. Did great. Only in the last interval was I a bit winded. I felt gypped when I found out we only did 1 mile and every other group did 1.5 or more.
Day 2 – Ran with the one-ones. This time we went a bit further, 1.5 miles. I felt good throughout.
Day 3 – Ran with the one-one’s again. This time our leader sped up to around a 13:30-14:00 mile pace. Much more challenging, but I was right there at the front of the group. We ran 2.0 miles
Day 4 – Supposedly, the last week had been an “experiment” to get us to see if we could handle a faster pace. They encouraged us to step up to the next level if we did ok. I decided to run with the two-ones this time. It was a smaller group, and I was at the back. The first mile was ok, but after that it got tougher. Really tough. I thought I was going to die near the end, but I stuck with it and I finished! I was at the end of the group, but I finished with the group. We ran 2.5 miles. (Turns out everyone else had run more, but I was ok with my 2.5.)
Which brings me to yesterday, Day 5.
I was running late from work, and I thought I wouldn’t make it. As 6:20 rolled around, and I still wasn’t there (traffic SUCKED yesterday) I was debating just going straight home. I didn’t want to run in the dark by myself! I’m not sure what changed, but a few minutes later I realized it was dumb of me to skip my running day….first of all, I’m paying for it, and second of all I’d had a boatload of teddy grahams earlier and needed to burn them off. So, I got the idea that if I was a few minutes late it would still be ok. I could run slightly faster until I caught up with the one-ones! Perfect!
Well, I parked my car, and rushed into the store to change, and was slightly disappointed to find that they were just finished up their warm ups. Damn, I was STILL on time! So in the two minutes they gave out the day’s announcements/instructions I had a tough decision to make: Should I try to kill myself again and join the two-ones? Or should I take it easy for one day with the one-ones?
When they called out the groups, I had only a moment of hesitation….and I found myself walking towards the two-ones. Yikes! Apparently I missed the announcement where they said we had a choice between 2.5 miles (like last time), or 3 miles this time. Umm….no one else was objecting, so I didn’t want to be the only one saying no!
So, we started out. Already in the first interval I was getting nervous. (Oh, and did I mention I had a very rough day at work? I was emotional all day and almost had several anxiety attacks.) When the second interval came along and we stopped to walk, one of our leaders came over to give me encouragement, which is when I stopped to say “actually, I was debating whether or not I should drop back and join the two-ones”. Apparently he didn’t like that, so from then on he made it his mission to make sure I DID NOT drop back!
At the time I was slightly annoyed, and I’m embarrassed to say what happened next. During the next 3 minutes I proceeded to have a hissy-fit enduced breathing attack. It hadn’t happened in a while, but I guess my throat starts closing up, making it pretty hard to breathe without making a racket. I don’t know if he noticed, but I got kind of embarrassed at myself and forced myself to work through it. When the next running interval started, I went for it. Slowly, but I had made the decision to work through it nonetheless.
It was still difficult from then out, but I’m really glad he made me stick with it! And guess what….I ran the three miles! I didn’t finish as closely to the group as last time, but I finished strong. I must’ve gotten my 2nd wind because in that last interval I passed three people!
Anyway, yesterday proved to me that joining this program was what I needed to do. By the end of the 7 weeks I’m not sure I’ll be able to run a full 5k without stopping, but I have confidence that my running is going to improve greatly.
The Rambunctious Adolescent
Posted on: January 15, 2010
- In: Beck
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One of the biggest things that made me realize that I needed to “get back on” the Beck Diet was a conversation I had earlier this week…..a conversation with myself. Scratch that. An argument. And it was a pretty heated argument at that. Keep in mind I hadn’t looked at my advantages cards or my response cards in WEEKS…
You see, it went a bit like this. I was sitting in my office, doing work. For some very odd reason I had bought Teddy Grahams the day before (Buy one get one Free….I blame Publix, haha). I had just finished my delicious lunch (home made tuna salad wraps with alfalfa sprouts) and my bonus snack (cheese curls. A minor obsession of mine….and just 140 calories!), when I remembered the Teddy Grahams. The intense craving started.
I remember thinking to myself “they aren’t very high in calories. And my ‘bonus calories’ came in under 200 as I’m allowed. It wouldn’t hurt.” After that argument didn’t work (I was very tempted though) the rambunctious adolescent within me came bursting out.
“But I want them! I don’t have to be on a diet. This is just a game you’re playing….who cares if you lose?!”
I was very, oh, so very close to giving in. But for some reason I kept arguing with myself. Eventually, the light bulb went off….
This is NOT a game.
I’m not trying to “win” a game….I won’t prove anything to anyone by giving in. Who cares if I lose?! Well, I CARE! The only thing I’d be doing is giving up on myself. Letting myself down. Sure, it’s “just” 100 calories, or whatever…..but that’s 100 more than I should have already. The only thing I’ll lose is the chance for me to lose weight and achieve my goals.
I guess that’s the thing I have to realize. I’ve always done well on diets because I’ve treated them like a game. I love games, I get very competitive when I’m playing against myself….to see how far I’ll go to “win”. That’s all well and good until I feel like I want a time out, or the game gets boring.
Well guess what, THERE ARE NO TIME OUTS in this game. As one of my response cards reads….NO CHOICE. I don’t have a choice. I follow the rules, or I gain weight. Isn’t it worth skipping those Teddy Grahams for the satisfaction of knowing I’m doing everything I can to make it?
Finally, another one of my response cards popped into my head…..”I can always plan to have this food tomorrow.”
And that’s what I did. As soon as I made that decision the adolescent calmed down a bit, and I was able to get back to work.
It’s kind of funny, how even weeks after I stopped using my response cards, their message stuck in my head. I really think there’s something to this program, and so I decided to get back with it in full force. It’s not a game….it’s my life. In life there are no time outs, so I have to be ready to push through all of it. And guess what? I’m excited to do this! Even though it’s not a “game” it doesn’t mean I can’t treat it with the same intensity I have when I think I’m playing one.
I don’t think the rambunctious adolescent is gone forever, but for now I think I have the tools I need to fight it!
Back with Beck
Posted on: January 14, 2010
Thanks to Prior Fat Girl’s Beck Diet discussions, I’m hitting this stuff hard again! I’ve rearranged things on the site to make more sense, and keep me on track (unfortunately that means no more couch to 5k tracking….since I’m not really working on that program right now). So, I now have a Success Skills tracking sheet tracker! (Geez, what a mouthful.) I’m hoping to use this blog as my “Diet Buddy”, as well as anyone else that wants to join me.
Now, to the funner stuff (I know that’s not really a word)….I’ve also re-thought out my weight-loss rewards, and redone my “Advantages” card. My old one had a bunch of stuff, that while true, it wasn’t really getting me motivated. I needed something that could remind me, I mean, really remind me of the things that bother me about being weight. Here’s my new Advantages list….
Advantages of Losing Weight
-Looking great in my belly dance costumes
-Shopping for jeans ANYWHERE! (My thighs are pretty big, so that means out of 20 jeans in a store, I can only try on one or two styles….if that.)
-Enjoy looking at pictures of myself. (While looking at some pictures recently I was mortified at how I didn’t realize I was gaining weight…until it was too late!)
-Wearing thigh-high stockings! (I’ve always wanted to buy a pair, but being realistic about the size of my thighs, I haven’t….I don’t want them cutting into my legs and making me look like a sausage!)
-No rubbing and chafing in the summer! (Any other girls with big thighs should know exactly what I’m talking about….)
-Feeling in complete control of my body. (When I’m heavier than usual I feel like a blob….I remember how great I felt even just 5 pounds ago!)
-Going to the beach this summer. (I live really close to the beach, and the BF loves going. Due to my self-consciousness, I haven’t worn a swimsuit in years, let alone gone to the beach….)
Notice that most of them revolve around my legs. When I start losing weight it starts disappearing from my waist first. While that’s great, what has happened in the past is that I’ve become complacent with losing X inches, and I stop before I lose some from my thighs. I can’t do that. I deserve to have great legs! Right?!! (And I used to have great legs!! So I know I can get there!) I need to make sure I remember these things so that they keep me going until I reach my goals.
Enough of that.
As of today I’m making sure to plan my meals the night before. Otherwise what ends up happening is I “make room” for a bunch of extra food I shouldn’t eat, and then convince myself that it’s ok, because I supposedly planned to eat it. The silly mind games we play….
Feel free to check my “tracking” page periodically if you want to see my progress. I should be updating it nightly with the day’s accomplishments.
QuarterLife Girl Gets Fit! 
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