February – love is in the air, and this month is going to be all about loving myself enough to continue making 2014 my year to shine. I’m vowing here and now that I will reach my goal weight in 2014. What an amazing accomplishment it will be! To achieve my goals, I’m going to focus on the basics – eating well, drinking lots of water, taking my vitamins and getting in 5 cardio workouts a week. I’ve started strength training with #ToneItUp and their #LoveYourBody series is helping see just how strong I am as I change my body. Sunday weigh-ins will keep me accountable through the weekend. This month is going to be all about loving all the little things that make life special. My Sunday progress updates will be called Fabulous February Weigh-Ins.
Week 38 was stressful and challenging, but I’m happy to say I made it through better off than I began. It wasn’t a terrible week, just one where everything seemed to be running at a fever-pitch. I did get my workouts in, and I’m noticing some great changes in my body.
So, what did the scale show?!
When I weighed in this morning, I was 193.8, which is a loss of 0.8 pounds this week, and a loss of 83.2 lbs since surgery! I’ve lost a total of 121.2 pounds from my highest weight!! I have 43.8 pounds to go to my ultimate goal weight of 150 pounds. I’m really thankful for a loss this week, because of my poor choices on Friday. Let’s be honest, it was one meal, and I still stayed under my calories for the day. I made good choices the rest of the time, but with the challenges of the week, I’m happy to see a loss at all. Plus, last week I had a big loss, and that’s usually followed by a smaller one.
One of the things that struck me this week were the changes I’m noticing in my body. When I’m laying flat on my back about to do some ab work, I can really see and feel my ribs, and my hip bones are becoming apparent. When I look at myself from a side-view standing at the mirror, I can see the start of definition in my stomach, and I’m definitely seeing a very slim profile. All of these changes are the result of my weight loss, sure, but I do think it’s because of the toning I’ve been doing with the #ToneItUp program. I started four weeks ago, and I really wish I would’ve taken measurements at that time, but I didn’t. Today the ToneItUp trainers will be sending a new set of workouts to get ready for spring, and I’m going to make sure to take measurements and photos for comparison at the end of the 6-week plan.
On a side note, I’m really upset that I haven’t been taking measurements all along since my surgery. I meant to, but one thing or another would distract me and then I never did. I do have some measurements from way back pre-op, March 2012, when I weighed 297 lbs or so. I just went back on this blog and I noticed that I wasn’t weighing in regularly at that time, probably because I was having such a hard time losing weight and regular weigh-ins were stressing me out. Plus, there was more than a bit of denial there – if I wasn’t seeing that the scale wasn’t moving, I wasn’t having to admit to my failings. Regardless, when I take my measurements later today, I’m going to do a major comparison just for fun. My plan is to start taking measurements every Sunday, along with progress photos, so that I can start recording the changes in my body, and post about the progress once a month or so.
This week I have the entire week off, and since I didn’t end up going to Tahoe (I decided to save the money I would’ve spent and put it towards my Hawaiian vacation in April), I’m going to spend the week trying out a bunch of fitness classes that I can’t normally attend. Here’s my cardio plan for the week (I’ll add in the toning once I get the week of workouts from ToneItUp):
- Sunday: Run/walk with Di. She and I have been meeting up every Sunday morning, and I really look forward to this time to catch up and then get our sweat on.
- Monday: Pilates. I tried Pilates a long time ago, and liked it for the first 10 minutes, but my almost-300 pound frame just couldn’t do most of the moves, so I left the class early. I can’t wait to see how much more I’m able to do now.
- Tuesday: Spin. This is the class I’ve been dying to try, but was also completely intimidated at the same time. Not because I didn’t think I could keep up, because even at my heaviest weight, I had so much strength in my legs/thighs, but because of my girth and the close proximity of the bikes to one another in the spin room. The bikes are literally on top of each other, and when I was at my heaviest, I felt like I’d be overflowing into my neighbor’s space, and that just wasn’t something I wanted to deal with. So I’ve avoided the class for all this time. I have a feeling I’m going to love spin and it’s going to become one of my regular things.
- Wednesday: Warm Yoga Flow. This is a vinyasa yoga class done in a room heated to about 90 degrees. I love taking heated yoga because you feel so much better afterward. In the past I avoided any sort of vinyasa or flow class because the poses moved too quickly for me to keep up with, but I think I’ll be able to keep pace much better now.
- Thursday: Zumba Step. I love Zumba and haven’t been a class in a really long time. I somehow got out of the Saturday morning routine of going. I think the fact that one of my favorite teachers stopped teaching at my location also had something to do with it. When I heard that 24 Hour Fitness was featuring this new class, which includes a step, I thought it sounded like a fun thing to try. Right now the Zumba Step class is only offered in the middle of the day during the week, so this is a rare opportunity for me to try it. If I like it, I’ll definitely seek it out once summer starts.
- Friday: Body Combat. This is a Les Mills class and the description taken straight from their website says, “This fiercely energetic program is inspired by mixed martial arts and draws from a wide array of disciplines such as karate, boxing, taekwondo, tai chi and muay thai. During this ultimate warrior workout, you’ll strike, punch, kick and kata your way through calories to superior cardio fitness.” I’m not sure if I’m physically ready for the class, but I figured it doesn’t hurt to try.
All of these classes are brand new to me, and I’m excited to try them. You guys know how much I love variety in my workouts, so this is something that I’m really looking forward to. A few of the classes, like Spin and Body Combat, are offered several times a week at the gym, so if I like them I can take them regularly. Warm Yoga Flow is offered a few times throughout the week at the yoga studio I like to go to, but I only have a limited number of classes that I’ve paid for, so I’ll need to space those classes out a bit if I like it. Pilates and Zumba Step are only offered in the morning during the week, so I’ll have to wait for summer if I really like those.
I really can’t wait to see how I perform in these classes, and I think each of them will offer a challenge, but one that I can achieve. So many times in the past, I had the desire to take classes like these, but physically I just wasn’t up to the task. Not to mention that feeling of “other” that I got whenever I looked around a room and saw that I was, by far, the biggest person in there. What a different experience it will be this time! Just another way that this weight loss has transformed (and is transforming) my life.
Until next Sunday, my friends. I hope the scale treats you well, and that you have a wonderful week!
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