redi2lose7

That’s right.  This morning I got on the scale, and saw that my weight had gone from 206 to 209.  I was pissed! Automatically, I replayed this entire week to see if there was anything I did to gain those pounds.  Sure, I took a break from Thursday and Friday (partially because there was a wasp in the garage and my dad forgot to kill it >.>), but I didn’t do anything that I thought would make me gain 3 lbs.  So I said to myself, “You know what?! This is a scale.  How about we get down to the bottom of this with a highly accurate fat caliper.” So I did, and behold! I’d actually gone down .5% body fat and gained 3 lbs of lean muscle! How exciting! After the killer leg, chest, arm, and shoulder workouts…I’d better have gained 3 lbs of lean muscle! My thighs and butt are still sore! lol.  However, it showed that I didn’t lose any fat lbs.  Now, I know I said I lost .5%, and that’s true.  But, the percentage is more of a muscle to fat comparison.  I mean think about it.  You have 1 orange(fat) and one apple(muscle), right?  that’s 50% orange and 50% apple in your total of fruit.  Now, if you add an apple, but keep the number of oranges the same, you’ll notice that the percentage of oranges dropped from 50% to about 33.3% while the percentage of apples jumped to 66.6%.  Now that’s why you have to multiply the percentage to your total body weight to get the number of fat lbs, then you subtract that number from your total body weight to get your total lean body mass weight.  It’s VERY accurate.  That can be a good thing or a bad thing lol. Plus, it just goes to show you that while scales dont lie, they don’t exactly tell you the whole story. But, what in the world could have caused me to lose no body fat?

Here’s one thing.  It’s the summer, and I’m NOCTURNAL. lol.  It’s always been that way.  While I have forced myself to not stay up the whole night(as I usually do during summer vacations), I can’t but stay up until after 12 AM.   Well, I’m shooting for going to bed at 10 PM and waking up at6 AM.  Hopefully, that will solve some of the problem.

Carbs! OMG I can’t tell you how pieces of toast I have had in the last week! I feel like the magical toast fairy! lol.  Part of it is because we don’t have any fruit or veggies in the house, and the other part of it is that I LOVE toast with peanut butter on it.  I’ll just have to cut back on that…

Salt! No sunflower seeds. Enough said.

Calories! My rotation is 1600, 2000, 1800.  I exercise A LOT and put A LOT of energy into it, so I figured I could eat a bit more because my exercise cals made up the deficit.  It could be that I’m eating the amount that is good for maintaining my weight.  But, I think I’ll keep them here for now and experiment with my other factors. Or maybe, I’ll make it 1500, 1900, 1700.  That sounds good.

Anyways, I hope this  was informative about how the scale doesn’t say everything, and how fat calipers and measurement tape should also be used to track progress.  I, personally, use the scale, a caliper, and measurement tape.  It’s sort of like buying a new car.  Are you really gonna decide which car to buy based on only one angle? Well, I hope there isn’t a broken window anywhere…lol.

With weight loss, everyone always thinks about how they want to look, how they want to feel, and how they want to do it.  While it’s great to have goals, and I do highly recommend them, one needs to ask his or herself if these goals are just thoughts words written on paper.  These thoughts and words are nothing without action, and action can only occur in the present.  There shouldn’t be a “I will” do it.  There should be a “I AM doing it”.   Once you have a plan of action, make sure that every move you make in the present will keep you on the path that you planned.  You could easily compare weight loss to a GPS giving you directions to your destination.  In order to get to your destination, you simply need to turn left, turn right, or keep going straight as your GPS tells you.  As soon as you make a left turn on an assigned right turn, your GPS has to recalibrate itself.  Now, it’s much easier for a GPS to do that, but with weight loss, you may be looking at weight gain from “minor mistakes”.  Losing those pounds is in no way easy.  So basically, take your weight loss one step at a time once you know where you’re going.  You’ll surprise yourself when you reach your destination.

My first goal in weight loss wasn’t about the weight at all.  It was more about sticking with it.  I’ve read that it takes 21 days to form a habit, so I aimed for that.  I know I said yesterday that I was pretty used to the whole weight loss thing.  That’s true, but I want it to be set in stone so that a breeze, so to say, won’t knock me off the path I’m on.  But as for the day itself…Nothing out of the ordinary.  I did my workout in the morning, which was great! I think I’m a morning exercise person.  Once I get it done, I don’t have to think about it for the rest of the day.  I like that.  It’s less of a drag.  lol The only problem is that throughout the day I feel lazy, since I don’t have a workout to expect.  That’s more motivation to move even more, right? lol.  I guess it’s a plus then. Now on to my day…

Well the only problem I have so far is we’re running out of healthy food….Everyone decides to delve into it after their junk food is gone, which sucks for me v.v  Anywhoo.  The last time we went to the store, I bought a huge bag of ranch sunflower seeds.  When I turned the label over to see how much sodium was in, I didnt eat it all last week.  300 mg.  It sounds like a lot, even though the daily recommended is about 2000mg.  I didn’t want to take any chances lol. But today, I let myself have one serving as a treat.  But that’s about it.  I’d rather not retain water and gain weight. My brother seems to like them though, so he can have them. >.>

Well, I’m on day 9, and there’s really no struggle with eating and working out.  It’s all something that I do.  It’s weird because now I feel like I’m not working hard enough, though I know that is not the case.  But, I guess that’s what it feels like to get used to something.  The only problem I see is, I am a bit resistant to strength training.  That’s just out of laziness, but I know I’ll need to do it to keep my metabolism up.  I hope it comes easier as time goes on.  I really want to weigh 200 by the end of this week, but I think that may be pushing it…Who knows.  Maybe some of this 206 lbs is water weight, and I will lose 6 lbs. lol.  Doubt it, though

Words cannot explain how happy I am now.  I’m soooo close to breaking the 200 lb marker! That’s my next mini goal.  I’m setting my mini goals at increments of 10.  It’s a number that’s not super hard to achieve, yet not super easy.  It all depends on the time of the weight loss, how much you weigh/have to lose, and how well you did with your diet and exercise.  Speaking of which, I’ll tell you exactly what I did to lose these pounds on my first week back on my weight loss journey.  btw.  Don’t get on the scale everyday.  It’s discouraging.  Instead, weigh in one day of the week(Always the same day).

Diet:

Calorie zigzagging.  1600 cal, 2000 cal, 1800 cal rotation.

Eating 5-6 times a day. Every 2 1/2 - 3 hours

Multivitamin once a day

No real food restrictions such as low carb low protein, etc.  I just didn’t eat any junk food, except a daily treat.  With the eating 5 times a day, I was never hungry.  As a matter of fact, sometimes eating became more of a chore lol. But eating right was actually the easiest thing for me to do this week.

Water:

Drinking 3 32 oz bottles of water daily. 96 oz total.

Exercise:

Steps. AT LEAST 10,000 steps daily(including interval) Buy a pedometer(my cell has one built in).  I guarentee you’ll feel lazy when you think about how little you used to move around compared to the recommended 10k steps.

Interval training/Cardio. 6x a week 20 minutes of interval training on treadmill. 40 sec going 5mph followed by 1 min going 2 mph and so on.  Then 10 minutes of steady cardio at 3mph.  In total, 30 min of exercise daily. Sundays off.

Strength Training. 5x a week. Mondays: chest, biceps, triceps. Tuesdays: thighs and butt. Wednesday: delts(shoulders), abs, calves, back Thursday: Monday repeat. Friday: Wednesday repeat(thighs and butt were still sore). Weekends off.

As the week went on, the interval training got easier, and so did the strength training.  I’ll have to up the amount of weight I used last week.

Motivation:

Kept a list of daily goals: Do not exceed caloric intake, do cardio, do strength training, take daily vitamin, drink 3 bottles of water, get 8 hours of sleep, read long term goals, write in blog.

Long term goals: I read it every day, at least once.  I even retyped them on the computer to get them stuck in my head.  Every goal was written in “I am” form.   Such as, “I am thin” or “I am 150 lbs”I read it was a better motivator if it is written in present tense, rather than future tense.  It feels more real.  Boy, were they right!At first, it felt weird saying that I was 150 lbs, but I got used to it, and it made my goal feel more attainable.  With that alone, I was easily motivated.

Anyways, that’s what I did this week.  I plan to continue this this week.  Hopefully, my results will be the same.  Good luck everyone!

So today, I did my interval training on the treadmill for the fifth time this week.  It’s my cardio where I, at this moment, go 5 mph for 40 sec, then 2 mph for 1 min for recovery, and finally finish off with 10 minutes of steady cardio at 3 mph while at a 2.5 incline on the treadmill.  I was really happy because it was so much easier than it was when I restarted my weight loss journey.  I had to look twice to make sure the treadmill was really going 5 mph.  Anyways, my cardiovascular fitness had dwindled since I hadn’t been exercising, and now it was coming back after only a week! I was able to really push myself, sweat, and get a really nice workout.  I came back upstairs ready to shower, and my mom starts getting on me about how it’s hot outside and I shouldn’t be exercising when it’s hot so I wont sweat.  First of all, I tell her, I was downstairs in the garage(totally away from the sun’s rays) and on a treadmill.  Second of all, even if I was outside, it was a totally breezy day with the sun behind the clouds.  Third, I go all scientific and tell her that sweat is the body’s natural way of cooling itself off. (I love using science or any knowledge to prove my point because they can’t argue back. Being the smart kid has its advantages) You can’t stop nature, can you? So, she then proceeded to say that I shouldn’t exercise until we put a fan down in the garage.  She says sweat I’ll sweat out my perm(which doesn’t ever happen to me).  Honestly, if I’m ever unable to move or live my life because of this fat, the last thing on my mind will be how my hair looks.  Fixing your hair is easy.  Besides, I’d rather be sweating on a treadmill than sweating everytime I have to walk a few feet or climb up a flight of stairs! See, by getting on the treadmill, I’m actually preventing unecessary sweating! I’m planning ahead! Hurray for that! lol. I’ve made so much progress, and a little sweat isn’t gonna stop me from going any further.

In other news….

Tomorrow’s my first weigh in! Wish me luck!

So, this is day 6.  I’m almost done with the hardest week of weight loss.  I feel successful lol. It’s getting easier by the day, though I do have days when I want to avoid the treadmill like the plague.  Luckily, I keep a LONG list of my goals in my pocket and in the binder where I keep all my weight loss data.  I haven’t gotten on the scale, since I decided to wean myself from daily(and often depressing/discouraging) weigh ins.  But, I can already see that the weight is coming off my face and stomach, especially the area right under my chest and where the abs separate into the love handles.  I’m not sure if this is weight loss, but my hands sort of slide off my hips when I put them there.  My hands used to remain snuggly on my hips. I hope it’s weight loss lol.  Anyways, maybe I’ll lose 5 lbs this week >.> Wishful thinking lol.  But, at least I’d know it was fat.  So 205 lbs would be amazing! Actually, it would be a 10 (i rounded) lb loss because I actually weighed 214 at the beginning of this week, but I assumed that was my usual pre-period 5 lb temporary weight gain after looking at the calendar.  Turns out I was right(which is why I didnt feel the need to reflect it on the weight ticker).  My time of the month came around a day or two later. So, the bloat weight gain should have disappeared by now, and my weight loss should reflect as if I started at 210 lbs.  Anyways, I haven’t binged or anything because I’ve allowed myself controlled servings of treats like popsicles (50 cal fruit and 100 cal fudge).  I haven’t missed a workout, and I’ve basically made sure I had all of my daily goals met and checked off.  I’m pretty sure my daily and long term goals are making a big difference.  Of course you guys are as well. ^^  Good luck to everyone in their weight loss.

So yesterday I went to the mall to get some shoes.  Now, you know what happens when you go to the mall for just “one” thing.  Anyways, so I ended up browsing the mall with a shoe box in my hand, and I was amazed at all the really cute clothes that I could be wearing.  Every single store had something that I liked. The only problem was, they don’t make them in my current size. Now, I’m not one to break down and cry because of this.  In fact, just the opposite happened.  I was happy! Why? Because my motivation points skyrocketed! There was a new found determination within me. So, I thought to myself, “I’ve got to work hard to fit in those clothes!” I’ve been fat most of my life, so I’ve never gotten to shop in the juniors  or ladies section.  Well, that’s gonna change.  I wanna enjoy shopping! I want to be able to walk into any mall and have confidence that every store will have something in my size. I want to lose this weight!

Oh yeah! I forgot to mention.  I bought some clothes that were only gonna fit when I lost the weight. They are NICE! but not cheap >.> Can you say financial motivator?! lol

After going to the mall, which was motivation on it’s own(will talk about that later in another blog), we went grocery shopping. Well, if you read my last blog, you know how that went.  My bro went on a junk food triathalon (coined by me for when he used to run through the store in order to grab some cookies, chips, etc; though he no longer actually runs through the store lol) and grabbed my favorite fudge cookies, CHEDDAR chex mix, some doritos, and sprite.  So, im practically crying inside as I look at the cart filled with his junk.  But my grapes, apples, oranges, bananas, and grape fruit, healthy cereal, and so on (i put A LOT of healthy food in there) gave me hope. So did my 100 cal fudge fit an active popsicles.  (Everyone’s gotta have something in moderation to keep them sane). Anyways, we got home, and my bro is already digging into my FAVORITE cookies! I look at the cookies, I look at the calories, and I consider it.  3 cookies=170 cal, I said.  Maybe I could just have one…. But I thought to myself.  Just one may lead to just one more, and so on.  You know the lays slogan. “Can’t have just one” Yeah.  I wasn’t gonna fall for that one.  Plus, I thought of the horrible feeling I would get after eating them.  Guilt sucks, and I didn’t want to deal with it. So, I didn’t eat it.  I didn’t eat the cheddar chex mix either.  I felt so proud of myself! I succeeded where I failed b4! My whole day was then perfect! I drank enough water, I got my cardio and strength training in, I got my 10K steps, and I didn’t go over my calorie limit.  This whole day was motivation on it’s own.  The feeling is much better than guilt! I think I have the strength to turn down the junk food again.  Day 5 here I come! (Actually, since it’s 12:36 AM, it’s already here lol)

Warning…Long rant.

So, today my dad went to wal-mart, and guess what he got. Sprite, my absolute favorite soda! and BLUE Hawaiian Punch, my favorite flavor!  Now, that might not seem like much (afterall, he didnt buy much this time), but it reminded me of other occurrences that just prove to me how unsupportive they are.  Okay. Let’s start with them in general.  They all say that I’m naturally big and nothing will change that.  Okay, so I’ve been fat since age 7 and I’m 17 now, which is 10 years.  That may evoke that message, but I keep telling them that those were because of my eating habits, not my genes! But they don’t believe that.  My younger brother, though I believe he says this to get on my nerves, even goes so far to say “You’ll never get skinny!” I can’t wait for the day he eats those words… I can’t even tell them I’m losing weight or I’ll have to face their negative remarks of how I’ll be anorexic and blah blah blah! How am I gonna be anorexic from losing 10 pounds?! I weight 211, last time I checked! I used to be the same size as my mother (totally ashamed of this) when I weighed 230, so we used to share clothes sometimes.  When I was going to an awards ceremony, I asked to wear one of her dress suits.  To my amazement, I couldn’t wear them.  The pants were fallin off, the jacket was WAAAAAAAY too big, and overall, I looked like a kindergardener playing dress up with his dad’s clothes.  I went to show my mom this and told her it was because I had lost 20 pounds.  She then proceeded to say that I was losing too much weight, and I’d make myself sick if I continued.  I was appalled! She should have been happy! But instead she wanted to give me a lesson on losing too much weight. That’s absurd! Then there’s my dad.  I swear he’s on my brother’s side with the whole food thing.  Instead of trying to make the family healthy (the whole family’s obese and my brother’s overweight, weighing 230, though he’s a really tall guy), he buys my brother the cookies, chips, hotdogs, sodas, pizza, and every other unhealthy food known to man, forcing me to retreat to the depths of the fridge where the apples, oranges, and salads struggle to survive…(btw, those only end up in the cart when I SPECIFICALLY ask for them or sneak them into the cart myself).  It’s ridiculous. I feel like I live in GET FAT camp.  I’m surprised we have a treadmill in the house, which I specifically asked for.  I had to buy my own free weights as well. Thank you walmart! OH, and get this! Suddenly there’s a need to go to Checkers or Micky D’s every Sunday! What the crap?! We never used to go there because they claimed it was bad for you, which is true.  Now I have to hide in my room until everything is gone.  But of course, I get a knock at the door with my mom saying “Come eat, Yvonne(real  name), fast food every once in a while isn’t bad for you.” Who knew every once in a while was every week?! Gosh! I feel like the only family members who live in GA who are supportive of me are my uncle and a close family friend that I call my Auntie.  My uncle is the one who’s always on my case when he finds me eating or drinking something that is unhealthy.  His famous line is “I thought you were trying to lose weight”.  lol. I always get so guilty when he says that, I stop eating/drinking w/e it was.  When I attempt to argue my case, he always wins, so I don’t even argue about it anymore.  He’s always great to talk with because he himself lives a healthy lifestyle, and we exchange valuable information (years of trying to lose weight makes you an expert at it. Motivation is the only problem lol).  My Auntie is pretty much the same way.  When I go over to her house she makes sure to serve as a good example for me with the food she serves and eats. She also tries to take me places where I get a lot of moving in.  I love her and my uncle for what they do.

So yeah, it’s pretty much me against the family right now.  BS is pretty much the only place I can let my thoughts run lose w/o getting slapped across the face with negative remarks.  The whole 10,000 pounds thing at school pretty much died down, and I’m the only one who still wants to lose the weight.  Anyways, sorry for this ridiculously long post.  I just had a lot to get out.