We made it to the 160s

Yes, April was challenging. Took time to understand eating. Yes, there is a lot one learns in this weight loss process. You get fit in the gym and trim in the kitchen. There is no shortcut.

See the thing is, I love to exercise but I also love to eat! I'm talking cakes, pies and all manner of lovely pastries. Those bad boys have calories upon calories. Usually, we eat them with meals and boy can those numbers add up. Lets say I eat a nice slice of cheese cake (lets give it 300 calories). Then, I eat my nice bowl of Chinese Fried Rice (1000 calories on a good day and based on portions they dish out). In one meal, I have consumed 1300 calories. That is usually not the end of my meals for the day. I watched myself for about two weeks and I was STUNNED.

For a week and a half, my weight loss stalled but I did this to really understand what was going in my mouth. I am not saying stop eating all sweets, I am just going to get to the point where I can cut that cake in half. Slice that pie in 4 places and divide that fried rice in 2 or 3 places. I also realized I eat with my eyes. I am making great progress and the numbers are dropping. I took some before and afters and goodness...I like what I see. I have shed fat, I would say more than the number on the scale presents. I am stronger, I can say I am fitter (more fit :-p) and I feel like I am accomplishing something I could not years ago when I started this blog.

So cheers to the 160s. By the end of May, we will see where the scale and measuring tap will take us.

Week 2 Update (-2lbs) 172lbs

It has been another successful week. I spent the week fine tuning my eating because believe it or not, I actually have been under-eating! Any one that knows me will know that it is a miracle for that to happen. I have been doing research to ensure that my progress is not stalled by the popular plateau. I have heard this happens when your body gets used to the exercises you do, the calories you have restricted it to and your routine. I am working on making each week different so I can shock my body.

I have continued to exercise everyday for an hour minimum (due to time constraints, the max is usually 2 hours but not at once). I am strength training and doing water aerobics.

It was amazing to step on the scale today and see the numbers. The great thing is, the numbers on the scale and the measurement tape are dropping together. I will do an overall inches measurement and report back. I feel good, I am not at my goal but I feel awesome!!

This week:

Goal is to exercise 6 times a week

Stick to the calories for the week

Ensure that I eat enough calories to avoid my body going into starvation

See you next week o dear weight loss diary (praying for good numbers)

Week 1 Update (-2.5lbs) 174lbs

I decided to update on a weekly basis for now to give comprehensive updates. It has been an awesome week. I unknowingly had no rice this week(if you know me, you would know that is a big deal). I had little snack treats here and there because I did not plan meals properly. I worked out faithfully.

My Workouts

Every day 1hour to 1 hour and a half

Cardio

Circuit Training

Strength Training

Dancing for an hour in my apartment

Kickboxing Exercise DVD

Water Aerobics

Walking

Walking up and down stairs at a moderate pace

My eating was pretty clean. I found myself struggling to hit 1300 calories now that I have cut out soft drinks (sodas, pop), and chocolates. I'm eating more fruits, veggies and salads. Lean protein and more veggies. I LOVED THIS WEEK. I also lost 2.5lbs!! That is 1.3kg. I am hoping to keep my fat loss at a healthy 2lbs per week. I look forward to this new week and really doing some fat damage :-). I am also waking up earlier than usual and I have so much energy. I will be measuring inches in a few days and I will report that also.

Here's to an even better week!!

I'm Back!!!

So I had no idea anyone was reading my old posts. Thanks for the comments and encouragement. I am so sorry I dropped off the surface of the "earth". I was in the heat of graduate school and got swept away with life. On graduation day, I was down to 165lbs. This was stress induced weight loss (if there is a term as such). I was not leading a healthy lifestyle. I got a job shortly after graduation and packed on pounds. I have not gone back to 200plus lbs but I flirted with 180-183.

As of today, this very second...with 2 full weeks of intense exercise and sensible-ish eating, I am whittling down. I went from 182lbs to 176lbs. I have lost 3 lbs per week. This is from working out 1hr per day and cutting down on sweets. Some days I find myself working out for 2 hours. So how did I get into the 180s?? Well, when I returned to work this year, I became best friends with the vending machine that sits close to my office...it was always calling my name. Seducing me with treats to ease the stress. Boy do you pack on the pounds when you eat junk day in day out.

My "light bulb" moment came when I walked past my bedroom mirror and saw an unfamiliar body whizzing (wobbling) by. To be honest, I ignored that extra roll attached to my abs. I started wearing big tops to hide this. The last time my abs looked this way was when I was in the 200s. I knew I had to get it together or end the semester in a bad place.

I knew the drill, so I immediately got back to the gym one evening (truth be told I stuffed my face that afternoon with cake and so much junk as a bye bye to junk food). It felt good to be back at the gym, I pulled off a good hour without too much pain. Unfortunately, I continued the habit that I never broke...working out to compensate for those cookies, treats etc.

Fast forward to 2 weeks ago, my office started a Biggest Loser Contest. The Contest is a play on the TV show Biggest Loser but we pay a fine for every pound we gain. We work out 5-6 times a week. Each person has a nutrition chart that was put together by a nutritionist. I know myself, so I decided to modify my chart and ease myself into the program...so far, so good. I am weening myself from the dreaded vending machine and the sweets that chase me around.

My meals are sensible:

• I eat a good breakfast; could be 2 slices of bread, a boiled egg and fresh squeezed (squoze :-D) juice.
• Lunch, depending on day could be salad and protein, small serving of rice, bigger portion of veggies and protein or something else.
• Dinner after working out is protein and a sensible carbohydrate. I am chugging water like my life depends on it (well it does actually).

As for my workouts, I am having a blast. I have embraced intervals, some of my exercises are:

• Run, Jog or Jog, Walks on the treadmill (too hot to jog outside)
• Circuit training
• Extreme Kickboxing DVD
• Strength training-Cardio Combo
• Pavilion Stair Climbing for 30mins (your glutes, calves, quads and hamstrings will not be happy)

The difference this time is, I am not the spring chicken I was when I last blogged almost 3 years ago (sorry y'all). My health is so important to me and I need to take my fitness seriously. The beautiful thing is, I love to work out. I am working on getting my eating and fitness together. I walked into the supermarket today and picked a yogurt over a cereal snack pack (accompanied with tin condensed milk)...my go to evening "snack". I am making strides. That roll is slowly disappearing and my energy is coming back!

So, let's see if I can win this competition and finally get below 170lbs.

170!!!!

So I am finally at 170lbs and I feel GREAT. Not just because of the weight loss, but I was able to half way run a 5k walk this past weekend and I did a hill interval on the treadmill (might seem small, but I know where I am coming from :) ). I really want to go below 170 by Oct 1, lets see how it goes. I don't plan to over-exercise just to get there. I'm just going to be responsible with my eating and keep exercising...I really want to make this a part of my life. It is looking like we can hit 159 by November. Ok, so why am I focusing so much on numbers instead of other things....I'll tell ya, numbers for me are like a re-assurance that my hard work is really panning out well.

I am doing a lot of resistance band weight training and calisthenics with my body weight...I am not against free weights and weight machines but I find that I don't do enough reps with those. I push myself harder with my resistance bands and body weight because I know I don't have that assistance (a mental thing for me I guess).

This weekend, I sorta pigged out (had Ghana bread :p and cajun...but the cajun was smaller than usual so I am still happy). I know my metabolism is working well because if I don't eat enough on a particular day, I feel very weak and I can tell my body starts moving into starvation mode.

Ok, its time for me to get back to my work but I just had to take a second to "talk" about my recent triumph.

My new goals...aside from dropping some poundage
Work on my belly (not with crunches et al, by walking and trying to run). My stomach flab is definitely shrinking...I look better in my tops and I can actually hold it in for an exxxxtended period of time and the rolls (sorry to gross you out) are almost gone.

Try to run/jog longer

Walk more around campus

Do interval exercises on machine as opposed to just manual (Intervals are tush-kickers)

Of course eat better...I am really proud of how far I have come with my eating but I know I can do better.

Well, I'm really getting back to my work now. Ciao

GOAL SETTING

I understand that saying I am going to lose x number of pounds in n number of days might seem overwhelming at times. I heard something in class about breaking goals into smaller pieces to make them seem achievable. Smaller goals also help you assess what you are doing right and wrong and make necessary changes....so here goes,

Big goal-Lose weight

Small weekly goals
Exercise daily by waking up and heading to gym at 5:50am
Pack breakfast and lunch...and on Tuesdays (dinner)
Snack on fruits and veggies
Keep drinking water
Portion Portion Portion
Understand, that cheese cake will not do me any good :(
Know when to eat and when to stop

I will keep adding but I feel these goals will be good to start me off.

Its a new day....

I haven't blogged in a number of days but I am back with updates. It has been that time so I have been extremely tired. I worked out faithfully and I am proud of that. Eating was a struggle, I gave into a chinese food craving and a cheesecake craving. I felt horrible afterward but I also learnt how to use oranges to curb my sweet tooth craving.
To be honest with you, I feel very good. My jeans are soooo baggy..my rolls are disappearing. I havent weighed myself but I feel great and thats what matters. For exercise, my sister showed me this interval training thing that kicks your behind on the elliptical or treadmill. Did some good calisthenics that also kicked my tuckus.
I did not get to work out today bcos I was running around looking for fuel and trying to get to class on time. I hope to continue the coming week with early morning exercise and good eating. Catch you later..........