So I had to post today. Just had to. Reached 2 milestones this morning.
Last night I had the pleasure of meeting my new awesome friend, Jessica. She just graduated the C25k and is running her first race tonight! We live in different towns and through her mom we "met" on Facebook and follow each others' our blogs. You can see her journey here: http://thefosterfamily03.blogspot.com/. She posts some awesome recipes too.
Well she came to town and we finally met face to face - and talked until around 10pm. I was intent on exercising when I got home - I had planned to do Tae Bo and needed the calorie burn to meet my deficit goal for the day. I laced up my shoes and did my workout, finishing around 11pm.
Then this morning I went for a run at 5:30am. Did I want to get out of bed? No. In fact, I thought the alarm had been set too early by mistake. :) No mistake...made myself get up.
Thinking of my new friend and her achievements just fuels me on even more. I had planned to run with her this evening in the race, but we had our weekend plans change and instead are heading home to see family for a long weekend. Because I knew we wouldn't get to run together I set a goal for myself this morning - to beat my 5k time in her honor.
And that I did.
I ran an average of 11:02 mins/mile for a total of 34:12 in my 5k time. This is the fastest I've ever run one! Very very exciting. I have officially beat my original 5k time of 44:27 by over 10 minutes!
I guess you get faster when you get lighter, eh? I ran that race last June weighing in at 243 pounds.
Which leads me to my next milestone. I weighed in this morning a day early for the BL challenge on my SparkPeople team.
Ready?
189.4
I'm back in the 180s! Holy Canoli! Super duper exciting.
The last time I weighed in my 180s was in 2000 when I got married.
AND...I am just 4.4 pounds away from having lost 100 pounds!
I honestly cannot decide what I am more excited about!
That said, let me give you an update on my Body Bugg. I love love love it. It keeps me on track and I love how I can really see my results, both intake and output. I'm being 100% on target with tracking my food. I had gotten a little lax on that. Nice to see the effort is already working. My first Body Bugg weigh in is next Wednesday.
Dare I say I will reach 100 pounds lost in time for my journey's anniversary??? It's a stretch...I started mid-August of 2009. I think I can...I think I can...
Off I go...will post later how its going!
And here's a shout out to the 180s - very nice to be back...It's been 11 years. I don't plan on staying long, but you hold great things for me, including my 100 pounds lost goal, so I am REALLY glad to see you. :)
~Clara
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Thursday, July 21, 2011
I Am Bugged!
Hey, I'm back!
I wanted to do a mini product review for you today. Sounds official, eh? Well, it is only day 1 of using my Body Bugg but I am super excited about it and wanted to throw my first impressions out there.
A Body Bugg is a device you wear on your upper left arm that somehow (magic?) measures your true calorie expenditure throughout the day including your workouts and just general breathing, walking around, etc. You sync that information with your food intake online on their website and you shoot for a certain calorie deficit each day. That deficit, added up over a week, should equal weight loss (different amounts based on how much you want to lose).
The challenge I've been having with my weight loss lately has been twofold - having too wide a range of calories to stay in and then I think I've been underestimating my food intake as well. An article I read said that we underestimate our calorie intake by 20-40%. I really do think that was part of my more recent challenge. I also have less to lose and that factors in as well - SO I was ready for some help.
So it took a week to get here and I was going nuts waiting on it. But the package arrived on Tuesday evening and I set out to set it up right away. Unfortunately it would not charge...called Customer Service on Wednesday and turns out the USB they sent me was bad. SO - I had an extra around the house (who doesn't?) and managed to get it charged and set up. ***side note*** customer service was EXTREMELY helpful...and threw in an extra 2 months subscription (you get 6 months with purchase) to the online program.
I wore it to bed last night. I didn't expect much but when I woke up it said I had burned over 700 calories while I was sleeping! Nice start.
I went for a run this morning - just a few miles with intervals due to time and it being HOT but I still burned a good 450ish calories - which was estimated to be more than my Garmin says I was burning when running...(the Garmin just uses your weight, speed, distance etc to determine that - no sensors involved).
An extra item I purchased with it is a watch that shows throughout the day what I've burned. It has a "trip" button I can hit to only measure certain things (like a workout) and it also doubles as a watch and isn't too bulky so that is nice. Throughout the day I could see how many calories I had burned doing my every day activities. It also measured my steps as well.
Along with the purchase I will get a 30 minute coaching session with someone from Body Bugg. I'm excited about that - so I can really decide what goals make the most sense for me. For now, I've set out to lose 22 pounds by October 30th (from 191 - 169). That is 1.5 pounds per week. It would put my body fat just under 25% which would be awesome! I would weigh what I did in high school again. Still might have another 10 from there, but its a good first goal.
My daily deficit goal is 750 calories. For now. If this thing works I may go up to trying to lose 2 pounds a week. Or not. Lets just see how I feel and be sure I'm not hungry or cranky. No one wants that...
So far so good folks. Will post after I have my coaching session. I think it will be interesting as they don't have to teach me healthy living (haha) just how to use their device and program.
I like burning calories by my sheer existence. That makes me happy. Ooh - I'm burning calories by typing. Like right now. Neat. Deficit here I come!
~Clara
I wanted to do a mini product review for you today. Sounds official, eh? Well, it is only day 1 of using my Body Bugg but I am super excited about it and wanted to throw my first impressions out there.
A Body Bugg is a device you wear on your upper left arm that somehow (magic?) measures your true calorie expenditure throughout the day including your workouts and just general breathing, walking around, etc. You sync that information with your food intake online on their website and you shoot for a certain calorie deficit each day. That deficit, added up over a week, should equal weight loss (different amounts based on how much you want to lose).
The challenge I've been having with my weight loss lately has been twofold - having too wide a range of calories to stay in and then I think I've been underestimating my food intake as well. An article I read said that we underestimate our calorie intake by 20-40%. I really do think that was part of my more recent challenge. I also have less to lose and that factors in as well - SO I was ready for some help.
So it took a week to get here and I was going nuts waiting on it. But the package arrived on Tuesday evening and I set out to set it up right away. Unfortunately it would not charge...called Customer Service on Wednesday and turns out the USB they sent me was bad. SO - I had an extra around the house (who doesn't?) and managed to get it charged and set up. ***side note*** customer service was EXTREMELY helpful...and threw in an extra 2 months subscription (you get 6 months with purchase) to the online program.
I wore it to bed last night. I didn't expect much but when I woke up it said I had burned over 700 calories while I was sleeping! Nice start.
I went for a run this morning - just a few miles with intervals due to time and it being HOT but I still burned a good 450ish calories - which was estimated to be more than my Garmin says I was burning when running...(the Garmin just uses your weight, speed, distance etc to determine that - no sensors involved).
An extra item I purchased with it is a watch that shows throughout the day what I've burned. It has a "trip" button I can hit to only measure certain things (like a workout) and it also doubles as a watch and isn't too bulky so that is nice. Throughout the day I could see how many calories I had burned doing my every day activities. It also measured my steps as well.
Along with the purchase I will get a 30 minute coaching session with someone from Body Bugg. I'm excited about that - so I can really decide what goals make the most sense for me. For now, I've set out to lose 22 pounds by October 30th (from 191 - 169). That is 1.5 pounds per week. It would put my body fat just under 25% which would be awesome! I would weigh what I did in high school again. Still might have another 10 from there, but its a good first goal.
My daily deficit goal is 750 calories. For now. If this thing works I may go up to trying to lose 2 pounds a week. Or not. Lets just see how I feel and be sure I'm not hungry or cranky. No one wants that...
So far so good folks. Will post after I have my coaching session. I think it will be interesting as they don't have to teach me healthy living (haha) just how to use their device and program.
I like burning calories by my sheer existence. That makes me happy. Ooh - I'm burning calories by typing. Like right now. Neat. Deficit here I come!
~Clara
Monday, July 11, 2011
Update on Operation Shrink-a-Booty
So my first week + of not counting calories has been interesting. My weight is up today for my BL weigh in (they are Sunday weigh ins and I don't like Sunday or Monday - my best weight is Tuesdays!). But not by alot, just a pound or so. I traveled over the weekend and still did pretty well all things considered. I make it a point to exercise while vacationing so I was alone on Saturday morning in the hotel gym running my 5k. The only crazy up and not at breakfast! :) It's also my time to gain some water weight so I'm not shocked about the scale today...
Strange though...
Funny thing is, I bought a pair of size 12 capris this weekend and wore them to work today. Size 12. I actually realized today that I have not ever bought a size 12. When I was in high school, I wore a 9, then an 11, then a 13. Went straight to a women's 14. Never wore a 12. Isn't that funny? I've bought a few skirts in size 12, but putting something on over your butt and thighs and then buttoning and zippering - that was a first for me with that size this weekend.
All that to say that while the scale isn't moving my way, I know for a fact that my body is still changing for the better. I was even complimented on my shoulders today - someone told me they were pretty. I never imagined I would have pretty shoulders. Thumbs up for Strength Training! Now to continue working on the biceps and triceps....that will just come with time and more fat loss I'm sure.
I am realizing too that my body fat % on my scale is out of whack. It says I am 41% body fat. I don't see how that is possible...
I'm not tiny in this picture by any means...but I am definitely not 41% body fat! So I'm on a quest now to figure out what my real body fat % is. Maybe won't get to that myself anytime soon...but one of these days. I might just have to buy some calipers!
For now, I know I'm doing the right things and I'm feeling great. I ran 5k this morning with a friend, and did Zumba tonight. Planning to run again in the morning. Will get another workout or two in on Wednesday. I'm going to push that scale in the direction that I want to see it move.
Dang it. :)
My mantra this week is this: Each drop of sweat brings me closer to where I want to be. Each indulgence sets me back.
Fewer setbacks this week are on my menu. Looking forward to a good loss next week.
~Clara
Strange though...
Funny thing is, I bought a pair of size 12 capris this weekend and wore them to work today. Size 12. I actually realized today that I have not ever bought a size 12. When I was in high school, I wore a 9, then an 11, then a 13. Went straight to a women's 14. Never wore a 12. Isn't that funny? I've bought a few skirts in size 12, but putting something on over your butt and thighs and then buttoning and zippering - that was a first for me with that size this weekend.
All that to say that while the scale isn't moving my way, I know for a fact that my body is still changing for the better. I was even complimented on my shoulders today - someone told me they were pretty. I never imagined I would have pretty shoulders. Thumbs up for Strength Training! Now to continue working on the biceps and triceps....that will just come with time and more fat loss I'm sure.
I am realizing too that my body fat % on my scale is out of whack. It says I am 41% body fat. I don't see how that is possible...
For now, I know I'm doing the right things and I'm feeling great. I ran 5k this morning with a friend, and did Zumba tonight. Planning to run again in the morning. Will get another workout or two in on Wednesday. I'm going to push that scale in the direction that I want to see it move.
Dang it. :)
My mantra this week is this: Each drop of sweat brings me closer to where I want to be. Each indulgence sets me back.
Fewer setbacks this week are on my menu. Looking forward to a good loss next week.
~Clara
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Decisions, decisions...
My ponderings last week have led me to make some decisions this week about my current blueprint.
The amazing thing about my journey is it has been so fluid. When something is not working for me, I assess the situation and try to determine what I need to do to make a change.
I haven't lost more than 2 pounds and kept it off in a month. It is crazy. I had a wildly successful May and then a not so successful June. I began doing the zig zag method of calorie counting but it became really complicated and I ended up zagging (adding more calories) on days when I didn't need to. Do I believe the Zig Zag method works? Absolutely - because it is about not letting your body go into homeostasis, by keeping it guessing. Will it work for me? Maybe one day. But not right now.
So I have made a courageous and scary decision for right now.
I'm not going to count calories for the month of July.
GASP!
I usually eat in the Sparkpeople range (1360 - 1730 for my activity level) but I almost feel like I eat as much to the top of my range when I might not really need to. And eating in my range, but not losing weight consistently is making me crazy. SO, I need a break.
I'm not taking a break from Sparkpeople altogether...I'm planning on staying in contact with my teams there and participating in the July BL challenge...but I'm feeling entrepreneurial right now and want to give myself a chance to try something brave and outside the box again.
This may totally flop. I may post in a week or two telling you I've gained 5 pounds and I need to get back into tracking my food. I'm willing to take that risk.
Or, this could be wildly successful and I may post soon that I've found my groove again and am losing and feeling less psycho about my food intake. It may be that I know enough about nutrition, my body, and how to tell if I'm hungry or not that I will figure out how to do this without being a crazy calorie counter.
Did I mention I lost my first 40 pounds before ever finding SparkPeople and without counting one calorie? Don't get me wrong, I love love love that online community and they have helped me lose another 50 pounds. But I'm getting a little obsessive and I don't like feeling that way.
I did it on my own without the stress of tracking every bite before.
And its worth trying again. In fact, I haven't tracked in 3 days and have lost another pound. Coincidence? Maybe. But maybe not...
The best part is that there isn't just one way to do this healthy lifestyle stuff. The key is to find YOUR way and go that way. And be ready to tweak, tweak, tweak along the way to keep it interesting, keep your head straight, and avoid ruts and plateaus.
I'm almost 2 years into this and trust me, you have to keep it real, keep it fluid and be willing to change courses every now and then to make it work.
I would not be where I am today if I wasn't willing to do that.
Will keep you posted my friends! Thanks for following and encouraging me. It's a blessing to know I have peeps out there checking in on my progress. Definitely helps with accountability.
Have a great 4th. We have 2 BBQs, one tonight and one tomorrow. But I know what I am having at both and have made healthy choices all weekend SO lets see where that takes us.
~Clara
PS: Starting this "challenge" with my most recent weigh in of 192.8...here's to a successful July!
The amazing thing about my journey is it has been so fluid. When something is not working for me, I assess the situation and try to determine what I need to do to make a change.
I haven't lost more than 2 pounds and kept it off in a month. It is crazy. I had a wildly successful May and then a not so successful June. I began doing the zig zag method of calorie counting but it became really complicated and I ended up zagging (adding more calories) on days when I didn't need to. Do I believe the Zig Zag method works? Absolutely - because it is about not letting your body go into homeostasis, by keeping it guessing. Will it work for me? Maybe one day. But not right now.
So I have made a courageous and scary decision for right now.
I'm not going to count calories for the month of July.
GASP!
I usually eat in the Sparkpeople range (1360 - 1730 for my activity level) but I almost feel like I eat as much to the top of my range when I might not really need to. And eating in my range, but not losing weight consistently is making me crazy. SO, I need a break.
I'm not taking a break from Sparkpeople altogether...I'm planning on staying in contact with my teams there and participating in the July BL challenge...but I'm feeling entrepreneurial right now and want to give myself a chance to try something brave and outside the box again.
This may totally flop. I may post in a week or two telling you I've gained 5 pounds and I need to get back into tracking my food. I'm willing to take that risk.
Or, this could be wildly successful and I may post soon that I've found my groove again and am losing and feeling less psycho about my food intake. It may be that I know enough about nutrition, my body, and how to tell if I'm hungry or not that I will figure out how to do this without being a crazy calorie counter.
Did I mention I lost my first 40 pounds before ever finding SparkPeople and without counting one calorie? Don't get me wrong, I love love love that online community and they have helped me lose another 50 pounds. But I'm getting a little obsessive and I don't like feeling that way.
I did it on my own without the stress of tracking every bite before.
And its worth trying again. In fact, I haven't tracked in 3 days and have lost another pound. Coincidence? Maybe. But maybe not...
The best part is that there isn't just one way to do this healthy lifestyle stuff. The key is to find YOUR way and go that way. And be ready to tweak, tweak, tweak along the way to keep it interesting, keep your head straight, and avoid ruts and plateaus.
I'm almost 2 years into this and trust me, you have to keep it real, keep it fluid and be willing to change courses every now and then to make it work.
I would not be where I am today if I wasn't willing to do that.
Will keep you posted my friends! Thanks for following and encouraging me. It's a blessing to know I have peeps out there checking in on my progress. Definitely helps with accountability.
Have a great 4th. We have 2 BBQs, one tonight and one tomorrow. But I know what I am having at both and have made healthy choices all weekend SO lets see where that takes us.
~Clara
PS: Starting this "challenge" with my most recent weigh in of 192.8...here's to a successful July!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)