199.4 Goal Reached!

I finally reached my goal to be under 200lbs! I've lost 58 lbs. I'm proud of myself. I wanted to reach it before an event I had coming up. I hope this weekend doesn't ruin it. It just seems like lately I go up and down so much. All I can do is keep doing what I've been doing. I wish I had the money to treat myself because that keeps me motivated. Oh well. Today I went to my storage unit and got some clothes I had stored away that I haven't worn since before my first anniversary. Most of it fits or is just a little tight which I was shocked. I really didn't think I would fit into any of it. I officially don't have any pants to wear so its off to the thrift store for me. Losing 30 more lbs to reach my ultimate goal seems so much more doable now. It would be nice to reach it by Nov 1st. However, even losing it by the end of the year would be good. Every pound I lose from here on out is a real victory for me.

203.6

So, not much has changed since I ranted last. However, I don't want to be that negative because it doesn't help anything.

I can pretty much say that July has been a bust. I don't think it's a plateau. I have been making bad choices on the weekend. You reap what you sow. I'm not going to say it hasn't been fun though.

Since summer is here, there's an abundance of snow cones and ice cream along with fireworks and other bad bad, but so good things, lol. We've been hanging out with family and friends and I have been having a lot of fun. I just need to realize that fun doesn't always include lots of treats. Maybe one treat a weekend is enough. One weekend (with Monday being a holiday) I gained 8 lbs! I know exactly what I did wrong. Last weekend, I kept my treats to one per day (Sat. and Sun.) and gained 2 lbs. So, now I know that I can only treat myself to one treat per weekend. That will just have to be enough for now.

I should have reached my Goal by the beginning of July. That didn't happen. I can't waste time beating myself up about it. I've got to move forward. I actually did get down to 202 earlier this month and have working like a dog to get back there and under 200. I'm hoping that it will happen this week. And then if I can maintain on the weekend, I should be making real progress in August! Also, I'm going to have to find a way to refocus!

It's crazy how much attention I'm getting now. I used to get mad because no one noticed, but now it's kind of embarrassing. People sure like to talk about weight and the body, especially when it's not theirs. They always want to know what 'the secret' is and are disappointed when it's the sage old advice of eating less and exercising.

I actually feel completely different now. Nothing in my closet fits. I have no boobs! I don't feel like people are staring when I eat or when I try on clothes. The fact that I can find a bra in my size off the rack is nothing short of amazing to me. It's a whole different world knowing that I don't have to tear the clothing rack apart just to find something in my size.

Other things are different as well. My husband is transforming himself too. I feel like we are dating again! We have so much more energy. We can stay out all weekend without feeling like we were hit by a truck. This is the best 10th anniversary present. It's about time we finally did it. I can't wait to see how much farther we can go.

207 Rant

It's been a while since I posted. I was waiting to be able to have some good news. It's not all bad I guess.

My weight loss is slowing down considerably. But it's fluctuating as well. A couple weeks ago, I got down to 205. I was soooo happy! I had finally passed the 50lb mark, and 199 was looking very close. I wanted to post on that day, but I got busy. It's not that I got too confident. I think in fact I became more strict with myself. For a long time I was only eating about 900-1000 calories per day. I was eating about 100 grams of carbs as well.

First, I tried increasing my caloric intake. However, my carbs increased as well. So, I started doing a modified Atkins diet and started losing again. The problem came in two weekends this month. I wasn't as strict with myself. I expected to gain a couple of pounds like I always do, but last weekend I gained a whopping 4 pounds! I have found that it's so much harder to lose the weight for the second time.

It's sad because all I wanted to do was have fun with my friends. We had a couple over and along with my vegan food, I had a few pieces of banana nut bread. I thought since I had eaten better during the day that I could afford it. The next day, we had Chinese with them and then a snow cone. Now, I don't usually do that. But we were having fun. Everyone was having one. It was a sweltering day, and I really enjoyed that snow cone! But that night we also had fast food. I should have known better.

I feel like I'm never going to be able to let up on dieting for the rest of my life. I already knew that, but I thought an occasional slip up would be OK. I guess not. I guess I'm always going to have to be the odd man out. The one who passes up a slice of cake. Or a snow cone. Or whatever is the treat of the day. Because I can't afford these slip ups. It's hard for me to come to terms with that. My body has changed significantly, but I still can't just relax and enjoy it. It's going to be a constant battle with my body. Even though I'm not super happy about it, I know it's just something I have to do. I have to trade a little fun for my health.

So now, I'm eating between 1,200 and 1,500 calories. I need to keep it at 1,200 though and limit the carbs. I lost a couple pounds this week, but I won't be able to breathe easy till I get past 205. I hate going backwards and staying there for so long! I was so confident that I'd be able to get down to 199 by the end of June, and here we are on the last day of June. Just goes to show you that it's not always as easy as you think.

I gotta stay positive!! I've got to look for ways to work through a plateau. I've incorporated weights and abs on most days of the week along with my workout video. I feel like I'm training for an Olympic marathon, lol.

Measurements: Waist 44", Bust 41.5" (wow!), Thigh 19 1/8", Calf 17", Neck 15", Wrist 7 1/8", Forearm 10 7/8", Upper Arm 13.5", Hips 47

210.2

I'm starting to feel like a different person. Today I got my hair cut and I almost didn't recognize the person staring back at me in the mirror. Finally, my face is beginning to look more defined. When I got home, I snapped a few pics of my new haircut and I compared those pics to those of just a month ago and my face is more defined and my neck tendons are showing. I'm very pleased.

What was strange is that this is the first time I've ever met this hair dresser. She asked how much weight I had lost. When I asked how she knew I had lost weight, she said she could just tell when someone has lost weight. That was eye opening! I've never had someone notice something like that about me after knowing me for only 10 minutes.

I had a doctor's appointment on Tuesday which was unrelated to my diabetes. My doctor was praising me for my continued weight loss. It had been a month since I'd seen her last and she said that it looked like I had lost more weight. I confirmed and said that I had lost about another 10 lbs, and she looked at my chart and said it had been 11! :)

It hasn't been easy trying to get over another two weeks of stalled weight loss. But I've had a really good week so far. This just encourages me to stick with it even when it seems like I'm going nowhere or even backward. Last weekend I did so much better and even saw that I had lost a pound on Saturday morning. So, I just really have to be diligent and not let myself slip even though I've made so much progress.

I still almost don't believe it. I'm almost to my Goal weight of 199. It's looming closer and closer, I can feel it.

Waist 44.0", Hips 47", Thigh 20", Bust 44", Upper arm 13.5", Calf 17", Wrist 6.34", Neck 15.25"

214.4 Progress

Well, after my setback, I had some significant progress.

Usually I gain 3 lbs after the weekend. Last weekend, I thought would be a repeat. I didn't do so well as usual, and my parents invited us over for dinner Sat evening. I had a salad and a little bit of their greasy chili. So, I was expecting to gain a little.

However, when I stepped on the scale Monday morning, I had actually lost a pound! I was 216.4! I suspect it has something to do with the fact that we've been pretty broke lately and haven't eaten out much. I've been having to get stuff at the store to eat during the weekend. I think we only ate out breakfast once. So, I was pretty stoked about that! I hope that continues which may mean an even bigger loss of convenience...but I know it's worth it.

One big change I've made is that I'm no longer walking at the college (for now). I needed to increase my physical activity. I started doing a combo of walking at the college and the exercise tape, but the time it was taking was really cutting into my day. So, now I'm just doing a 30 min intense video. I was doing a 45 min. one but Comcast decided to take it off >:o. But the 30 min one seems more intense anyway, and seeing how I'm still losing weight, I'm going to stick with it for a while. It really makes me sweat! I don't have to put up with burning my face every day with sunscreen and don't have to worry about being run over. I still like a good walk, but will probably reserve that for leisure time.

You know it really irks me that no one but my husband has noticed my weight loss. I mean, you would think that someone could tell I've lost 43 lbs. No one has said anything. Maybe it's because when you have to lose 100+, 43 lbs doesn't make much of a dent in appearances. But I mean, I've lost several dress sizes and my clothes are falling off! It's not that I need constant praise or anything, but it would be nice to at least be recognized for all the hard work I'm doing. Thank goodness I have a loving husband who tells me so all the time, but sometimes you just want some women to notice, lol! When I told my Dad how much I lost, he doesn't seem to believe me. I think it's because they don't see me day in and day out and don't notice those subtle changes. There are some disadvantages to people noticing that you've lost weight. Like, women become jealous and people start asking what you've done to lose weight. That's a tricky question because what works for one person will probably not work for another. And I don't think most people could cut out all added sugar and live on a thousand calories a day.

I'm really starting to get the feeling that 199 isn't far off. Before it seemed so far, but now it's within reach. Only 15 lbs to go. There is no reason why I shouldn't reach it. I would love to get there by my birthday, but that's a long shot. Maybe by the end of June. I really want to treat myself for that! :-) Or maybe someone will treat me...hint hint.

ETA: Thighs-20" Last reading was 23" :-)

217.4 Setbacks

Well, I've official lost about 40lbs. I'm proud of that. Really proud. But that doesn't mean there haven't been setbacks along the way.

The week of my doctor's appt, I didn't lose any weight. The week after, despite still following my program, I gained 3 lbs. I also had a high calorie meal last Sunday. I really regretted that, especially because I knew that I needed to cut back on the weekends.

I went back up to 223 :/ So, I really took to heart what my doctor told me about upping my physical activity. I did try jogging, but it's really painful for me. So, I decided to do a combination of walking and then a workout video. That has helped me lose 6 lbs this week so far. It's been brutal. I've been sweating more than a hog! Oh, and I also cut my calories back down to between 900 and 1,000. I know that's probably not the most healthy thing, but I feel like I have to in order to keep losing weight.

I also feel that I've just recommitted myself to weight loss. Not that I ever gave up. It's just easy to get in a routine that makes you feel like your going nowhere.

I just hope and pray that this was the last plateau that I have before reaching my goals. I reeeeealy want to get down to 199!

220 lbs-Mini Goal Reached

Yesterday I had my 3 month checkup with my doctor. It went very well. She was very proud of me for losing so much weight. She asked me what I've been doing. She said my blood sugar numbers were perfect and took some bloodwork. She should be getting back with me soon about that, but it all looks good from here. That gave me a little boost. It was exactly the vision I had in my head of what I wanted my doctor's reaction to be to all my hard work. It's what has kept me motivated for so many months. I wanted to prove to her I could do it.

She encouraged me to step up my workout routine so as not to plateau. I've been worried about that some as well. For the last week I've been walking 2 miles for about 45 min. She suggested that I workout for 30 min but intensify it by jogging for two minutes and walking for one. I haven't quite worked up to that yet. The last time I tried jogging I started getting shin splints. I kind of want to wait till I get down to 200 before I start jogging...unless I start to plateau.

One thing I know for sure is that I'm going to have to walk at a different time because we're having highs in the 90's already. This heat is really torturous. We've been talking about getting treadmill too which looks like a good option for weather extremes.

I've increased my daily calorie limit to 1,200 and that seems to be working well. Weekends still prove to be a harder area for me to control. It seems that I always gain 2-3 lbs by Monday. I just wish so badly that we had more healthy convenience foods. But overall, I'm really proud. I weighed in around 222 the morning of my doctor's appointment, so I just about reached the goal of 220 by my visit. No one is perfect!

She said that because I'm doing so well, I can wait 6 months to see her again. By that time, I don't think she will recognize me =)

Oh, and by the way...that dress I've been trying to fit into for two years...fit! I wore it to a funeral last weekend. I also got me some wedge heels to go with it. Funerals are really sad, but I hate to say that I felt really happy about fitting into that dress!