Successful Summer Weigh-In Update – Week 4

It’s summertime! Which means that life is a lot easier – my schedule is free, healthy fruits and veggies are plentiful, and I have nothing but time to work on this goal. Success is practically guaranteed – all I need to do is follow through with my actions. My re-assessment meeting with my surgeon was on Friday, June 8th, which just so happened to also be my last day of school before summer vacation, making Fridays the perfect day to weigh-in. So throughout the summer, I’ll be giving Friday progress updates called Successful Summer Weigh-Ins.

This week was strange. I had a great week, but with my birthday on Monday and then the 4th of July on Wednesday, things were a bit off for me.  My food was ok, but I did have more calories than normal on Wednesday at the BBQ.  All good food, but just maybe too much of it.  The other days I ate fine, but I didn’t have the same “pep in my step,” especially in terms of workouts.  Last weekend I didn’t workout at all really, other than taking Sofi for a walk.  I just wasn’t very motivated for some reason.  Monday started off well with 90 minutes of bikram on my birthday, but then I just fell flat Tuesday-Thursday.  I had every intention of going to Zumba or getting in some other workout, but each day something happened that through a kink in my plans and then through me off schedule.  Like I said, it was a weird week.

{Okay, Bella, that’s all good and well, but what we really want to know is how you did on the scale}. Right?!

Today I weighed in at 304.4, which means I gained 2 pounds this week, so I have 23.4 lbs to go to reach my pre-surgery goal. I’m not going to freak out about this.  Mother Nature gave me a bday gift on Monday with TOM, I ate a big meal on Wednesday, and really only exerted myself on Monday.  No big surprises.  Even my water intake was “just okay” this week.  It was just an off week, and while I’m not excusing myself, or giving up on my goals, I’m not going to get crazy or discouraged.  What good would that do?

And by walking, I mean, “walking the talk.”

Which is exactly what I did this morning.  Right after I got off the scale, I quickly whipped up a berry green smoothie, grabbed a cup of coffee, picked up my gear, and headed to a 9am Bikram yoga class.  Today’s class was phenomenal.  A different teacher than Monday, and I’m not sure if it was her, or the fact that this was my second day this week of practicing, or a combo of both, but I could already see a marked improvement in my ability with the poses.

I still have to make some major modifications because of my weight, for example, with #6 you’re supposed to kick your foot into your hand and hold your ankle, but I can’t do that at all, so I just lift my leg and hold my arm as if the ankle was in my  hand.  Not perfect, but still attempting the posture.  The same thing for #19.  I really can’t do #20 or #21 at all, and for today, I just laid in Savasana (corpse pose).  I’m going to ask about a modification for those poses, because I don’t want to sit poses out just because my body can’t get into the perfect form.  They say #23, the Rabbit pose is one of the toughest, and I can’t do it at all…yet. As class ended, I felt good about what I did because my body got into the poses more quickly and with more fluidity than just 4 days ago.  Progress!  (I also ran into my mom’s cousin, MM, whom I have always looked up to.  She’s 10 years older than me, and when I was younger I thought she was the coolest.  Seeing her at yoga  today and getting to practice next to her was a fun experience).

Directly after yoga I headed to the pool to cool down.  I have been leaving the class a sweaty mess.  I’ve always been somewhat sweaty after a bikram class but this week I was literally dripping with sweat and my clothes were soaked through, top and bottoms.  I wonder if the vitamins I’ve been taking are helping my body sweat better?  Anyway, I was gross, hot, and just wanted to cool off, so I was so glad I took the time to pack my swimsuit, etc. with me so that I could quickly change, jump in the pool, and do a few laps.  About 20 minutes worth, which was nice.

All told, I burned 1769 calories today – halfway to 1 pound!  I’m not just saying that I’m going to do better this week, I’m actually taking the actions that will insure it.  Since I spent quite a bit on the 1-month yoga pass, I want to plenty of those classes, but knowing that I would get burnt out on all yoga all the time, I also want to keep swimming, doing Zumba, and fitting in some bike rides.  So, here’s my workout plan for July:

Sunday: Yin Yoga, walk Sofi
Monday: Bikram, swimming, walk Sofi
Tuesday: Bikram, swimming, walk Sofi
Wednesday: Zumba, walk Sofi
Thursday: off/ bike ride, walk Sofi
Friday: Bikram, swimming, walk Sofi
Saturday: Zumba, gentle yoga, walk Sofi (bike ride in the late afternoon)

It seems like a lot, but I think it’s doable.  It’s the sort of intensity I’ve been craving, and it’s high time I bring it!  I think it’s a nice balance of yoga and other workouts that I love to do.  And I think it will help me achieve my goals – on and off the scale.

Until next week, my friends. I hope the scale treats you well, and that you have a wonderful weekend!

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Release and Recharge

I appreciate all of the wonderful comments, emails, texts, and phone calls I got from everyone regarding my last post.  I’m feeling so much better tonight as I sit here writing this post.

I did give in a bit more to some self pitying moments, and I made some choices that were less than stellar on Friday and Saturday, but I logged each and every bite into MyFitnessPal, so I feel good about that, at least. One thing working in my favor this weekend was that I was busy, both yesterday and today, and I know that that’s a key to overcoming emotional eating.

For the past couple of days I’ve been mulling over what I should to do change some things up and make significant progress toward my goal.  First and foremost, it was time to figure out my food.

At first I thought I was going to go hardcore (because we all know how well that works for me) and have Green Monster Smoothies and Premier Protein shakes for all meals.  And then ScaleWarfare sent me a great email and reminded me that I don’t do very well with only having shakes because I don’t really feel satisfied without being able to “chew.”  So then I thought about having Green Monsters and shakes during the day and then have a Lean & Green dinner.  But my mom and my sister both thought that I might be a bit bored with that, too.  And then today when I met Kim for coffee, she echoed everyone else’s advice, and then she also said:

Bella, you are way too hard on yourself!  Listen, when I first met you, you had 45 lbs to go towards your goal.  Now you what? 20?  Maybe 25?  You’re halfway there!   So you had a slipup, everyone does.  You may have another one, but I can tell that you’re determined in a way that you haven’t really been before.  Give yourself a break; you don’t have to be perfect!”

It was something about the sincerity in her eyes that really hit home with me.  She was pleading with me to treat myself more kindly and realize how far I’ve come.  She told me exactly the kind of thing that I would tell anyone that was struggling.  And she was absolutely right.

Kim also brought me a bunch of samples of different protein powders I can use in smoothies and shakes, which was so sweet of her.  That way, I can figure out which ones I love before I buy the whole container.  So then she and I headed to Whole Foods and I bought a few things to help me with my new food plan: (click on the photo to see it a bit more clearly).

A few notes:

• The Green Monster has the banana nut bread protein powder included (I can’t wait to try it).
• I’ll have the first snack, the protein bar, as a snack between breakfast and lunch.
• The salad will help keep me full.
• It’s been months since I’ve had apples (or any fruit, really), and I’m looking forward to it.
• Kim had mentioned how delicious the Casa Giulia fig jam was, and let me tell you, she wasn’t lying.  I had some of tomorrow’s snack for lunch today and it was delicious.  I won’t have that snack every afternoon after school, but it’s a nice treat.  The other snack I’m planning is to have Greek yogurt with frozen fruit (strawberries, blueberries, and peaches).
• I’ll eat the same Lean & Green dinners that I have been.
• My calories are more than I have been eating lately (which were at 1200), but I think I’ll feel more satisfied. Plus, as long as I’m working out about an hour a day, 6 days a week, I can afford to eat more calories.  This is even more incentive to make sure my workouts happen.
• Getting away from so much processed food and eating real, whole food is going to make me feel better and will give me more energy.
• This is closer to the way that Kaiser outlined my food plan to be.
• It may take longer, but I’ll be a lot less likely to binge or go off the deep end if I feel happier and healthier in my choices.

So when I got home I spent over two hours prepping all of my meals.  I took the meat off the rotisserie chickens and portioned it into 3 oz packages, half of which I froze. I cut up all of the veggies for my salads – romaine hearts, Persian cucumbers, beets, and mushrooms.  I made all 5 salads for my lunch this week and put them in pre-portioned containers.  I also put the salad dressing in smaller containers so that it’s ready to go.  I cut up all of the bananas I had and portioned the equivalent of half a banana into individual baggies. I did the same thing with the 2-3 cups of spinach.  That way, making the Green Monsters will be quick and easy in the morning – I’ll just put it all into the blender and whiz it.  And then I made sure that I had all of my dinners planned, so that all that’s left is to cook them, which is no problem in the evenings.

I can’t tell you how organized and happy I feel after having done all of that!  You would think it might be a pain in the neck to prepare all of that stuff, but I have to say that I actually really enjoyed it.  I had the music blaring and I just kept on going.  Plus, knowing that I’m going to be eating real, whole, healthy food is sort of exciting.  I know I’m going to enjoy these meals more than I did just eating the packaged food that I have been.  I still have some of the BC food to eat, but I’m going to incorporate one or two of them a day, not eat it all the time.

So I’ve forgiven myself for my slip up.  I spent the weekend recharging my batteries.  I reached out to all of you and was overwhelmed by the response.  My mom and my sister called me and offered me so much support and encouragement.  BeautyJunkie824 told me that I can call her anytime I’m feeling frustrated or depressed and just need to vent.  And I know that Kim and ScaleWarfare are there for me, too.  I have so many special people in my life and I know just how lucky I am.  With all of this on my side, how can I fail?

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Weekend Update (with video)

I don’t have any major events to report from this weekend.  It’s been a nice, mellow weekend.  Sofi and I went on a couple of nice walks, I’ve been getting things cleaned and organized around the house, and I got back on track with my weight loss plan.

First, here’s a video about the food I bought from BariatricChoice.com

I’m not looking my best in the  video, but it’s Sunday, and I’ve been cleaning and doing errands, so whatever.

In this next video, I get real about what’s been going on with me:

Please help me stay accountable, look for my updates, follow myfitnesspal diary, whatever support you can offer.  I don’t want to stop because the finish line is right in my sight.  I’m going to leave you (and myself) with this thought:

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Oh What a Weekend Wrap-Up

Sometimes in life you have weekends you will never, ever forget. This was one of those weekends for me.

Saturday started out slowly – coffee & breakfast, a 45-minute bike ride with my sister, and taking my time getting ready. Then the main event – going out to my favorite wine bar with my closest friends. The entire day reminded me that getting older is wonderful because it means you have that many more memories to add to your collection. My friends were incredibly generous and made the entire evening so much fun. We laughed, we reminisced, and we enjoyed each others company. I imbibed quite a bit, and even discovered a new cocktail – Patron and gingerale. Before you balk, give it a try – it’s really refreshing. I have to thank FavoriteCousin for that new drink idea. The best part of the night was sharing the evening with those that I loved.

Gorgeous lillies that one of my friends brought me and the wine bar arranged.

That night there was a photo take of me that gave me a glimpse into what I might look like when I’m thinner. It was a great shot of my sister and me, and it must have been a great camera angle, because I look 50 pounds lighter. Then there was another one in the mix that showed how I look at my worst possible angle. Each picture is a good reminder of where I am and where I want to go. I’m going to keep them with me so that when I feel my resolve flailing, I can look at them and remember what I’m doing this for.

Sunday night my parents took me out for a birthday dinner at one of our favorite seafood restaurants. As a treat we got oysters on the half shell as our appetizer. It was a scorcher, so having these lovelies on ice was really refreshing.

We also had lots of wine and I had a seafood Cobb salad. Delicious.

Last night for the 4th my parents, sister, and nieces came over to my house.  My parents really hosted it (they brought the meat, wine, and dessert); I just had it at my place so that Sofi and Minnie could run around in their own environment.  (Even though Sofi has literally only had two accidents, I think my mom is hesitant to have her over their house, because she remembers Lulu’s “surprises”).  We had a nice time getting together, but again, the food and drinks were plentiful.

The weekend was amazing – the best I’ve had in months if not years – yet I’m so happy that it’s over.  I need some normalcy in my schedule.  I need to get back on track with food.  I need to pump up my workouts.  My feet look like two balloons which means I’m really retaining water.  I indulged quite a bit and it’s showing up on the scale in a big way.  Scarily so.

But today is a new day with new choices and new opportunities.  The time for indulging has passed and now it’s time to show myself what I’m made of and get that much closer to my goal.

How did you spend the long weekend?

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Weigh-in Wednesday: 8 weeks left!

This week I wasn’t sure what to expect on the scale.  I’d had quite a few high-points days because of my nighttime noshing, I hadn’t been working out because of my cold, and to top it all off, TOM came again (I feel like I just had it 2 weeks ago). 

So, without further ado, it is time to face the scale:

(Please forgive the feet – I’m in desperate need of a pedi).

Yes, that’s right: I’m up 4.9 pounds since last week.  But, I’m not going to let it get to me.  I’m fine with the gain, because I know I deserved it, and it’s about time for me to get back to proving  to myself that I am worth it. 

I’ve also decided to start taking photos of the scale each week, just to make myself that much more accountable.  Now that I’m not going to weekly WW meetings, I want to make sure that someone besides me is also looking at the scale with me. 

These last few days I’ve put a few things in motion that should really help me get back on track and stay there:

• No more eating in the living room.  Dinners (and any other meals on the weekends) are eaten in the breakfast nook. 
• I “close the kitchen” after dinner.  When I’m done eating, I clean up the dishes, put away leftovers, set up the coffeemaker, and make my breakfast/lunch for the next day.  I make myself a cup of decaf tea, and then I turn off the lights. 
• Right after the kitchen is closed I send an email to Scale Warfare with my food journal.  She’s my accountability partner, and knowing that she’s going to read the journal has been helping me stay on track. 
• Bringing my personal training sessions back down to twice a week.  Three times a week was really taking its toll on my schedule and sense of organization.  I’ve also changed days so now I’m going Wednesday and Friday/Saturday.  It helps not going on Monday, which is generally a crazy day anyway. 
• I’m committed to working out with at least 30 minutes of cardio each day, but some days it will be simply Wii games (the BL Wii game really makes me sweat), while other days it will be a gym trip or a bike ride/walk on the weekends. 
• I also joined WW Online last night, so I’ll be continuing to track my food, exercise, and weight with those tools.

So, the results aren’t good, but I faced the scale today, which is something that I normally wouldn’t have done.  I would’ve avoided the scale altogether and “hoped for the best” next week.  I’m proud of myself for not burying my head in the sand. 

As Mary said yesterday in her comment: I CAN AND WILL DO THIS!

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Get on the scale and get serious

I haven’t really been weighing myself recently because I wasn’t following the program very strictly as of late. Making stops at the grocery store for Ben & Jerry’s is certainly not on the SBD program, I’m sure.

But that was just a minor setback for me. Yesterday was a great eating day, and I feel good about myself. (I’ll write more about what I made for dinner later).

I weighed today, and while I’ve gained 3.4 lbs since the last time I weighed in, this isn’t too bad considering the other night’s indulgence.

I am now back on track and ready to get serious.

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A Christmas Present to Me

Enough of this feeling pathetically sorry for myself stuff. Now it’s time to stop wallowing and start doing something about it.

I followed Phase 1 really strictly and had amazing results — lost 8.5 lbs in two weeks! Then came Phase 2 and things sort of went downhill. I did well enough the first week, but then came the week before Christmas and all bets were off. Not that I went wild by any means, but I just didn’t stick to it like I should be. It was Christmastime and all, but still, there’s always going to be some holiday or some celebration, and if I really want to reach my goals, this has to become a true lifestyle.

So tomorrow I’m starting to workout again. It’s been some time since I’ve been to the gym, but who cares? I’ve got to get back into the habit of going, especially now that I have my prep period back and can go to they gym on “A day” mornings. Ahhhh, how nice it will be to go to the gym and still have time to come home and shower, eat breakfast, and read the paper with some coffee. I love easing into my mornings like that. I’ve missed it more than I can say.

I have strong hope that by combining diet and exercise I’ll start seeing results a lot quicker.

I’m not going to get totally back on SBD until after New Year’s Eve, because I just don’t think all the drinking I plan to do on NYE is going to work well with Dr. Agatston’s plan, do you? I know what I just said about everyday not being a celebration, but I do have some fun plans with CCLuv on NYE, and I’m really looking forward to it. Plus, I’m going to try to stick to Phase 2 up to and including that day, until we go out at night. I’m not going to be super-strict with myself, but I am going to avoid as many high fat/high carb foods as I can.

I feel good about this decision. It’s not really a new year’s resolution anymore — now it’s a New Me resolution.

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