I lost 1.5 pounds at Jenny Craig tonight! I was surprised it was that much.
My bathroom scale and the scale at Jenny Craig have been closer than usual lately. This week there is only a one pound difference, but in prior weeks it's been as much as three pounds.
Though I probably shouldn't have, I did a junk food splurge tonight. This week it wasn't ice cream -- it was Rollitos. And you know? Not worth it. Ice cream is better. I was not in the mood for ice cream tonight -- I should have left it at that.
My goals this week are: (1) to not slide back on exercise. I especially want to focus on the exercise bike. (2) watch what I eat while attending a professional conference this week -- I think that will be okay since it is in town.
Weekly summary:
Weight loss at JC (6/21/04): -1.5 pounds
Total loss at JC (since 3/22/04): -18.1 pounds
Total loss on bathroom scale (since 3/8.04): -20.2 pounds
Monday, June 21, 2004
Moment of truth . . .
That Skyline chili made me jump yesterday a whole 1.4 pounds on the bathroom scale! But I was better yesterday and came back down a pound. I am going into my weigh-in today only 0.6 pounds lower on the bathroom scale than I was last week. So we'll see. Whatever happens, I need to exercise more this week.
Saturday, June 19, 2004
Week of successes!
After being discouraged the first part of last week, I got my act together and got back to "work." I swore off the big tub of deluxe nut mix at the office. I not only made my fitness commitment for the week (4 days a week, 30 minutes a day) -- I went beyond it. I exercised five days for 30 minutes or more (usually more) and then even did 15 minutes on a sixth day. I also limited my alcohol intake on the weekend.
As a result, I started setting new lows on my bathroom scale again. (That Ben and Jerry's I ate the night I took the jump at JC did show up on the scale the next couple of days.) I walked into JC this past Monday expecting to be down two pounds, maybe. I was down four whole pounds! My counselor and I almost squealed with excitement (but not quite). I was kind of shocked.
The next big success occurred this past Thursday. I had been inching toward a significant 20-pound mark on the bathroom scale -- 20 pounds since my peak weight of the year on March 8, 2004. On Wednesday morning I was a mere 0.2 pounds from that mark. On Thursday morning I blew right past it, as I was down a whole 0.8 pounds!
I'm now fluctuating around the mark I set Thursday morning. And I feel that I'm struggling a bit. I'm getting hungry more often this week -- at work I used microwave popcorn to satisfy it, though I know that that is dangerous. This afternoon I was out and about running errands, got hungry, didn't really want to drive all the way back to my house to eat a Mesquite Chicken dinner (not one of my favorites), and got struck with a craving for Skyline Chili. Actually, I had dueling cravings for Skyline, Doritos "Rollitos" and ice cream, but thought the Skyline would be the least of those three evils because it would probably satisfy me more than the others. It did, and I felt like I overate, but then I felt hungry again only three-and-a-half hours later. That needs to be a lesson to remember in the future, I think.
I also feel that I'm slacking on exercise, but I have already exercised 3 days this week for a full 30 min or more, plus I walked for about a total of 20 min with Mom on Thursday evening. So maybe I'm not as bad off as I think.
Summary:
Weight loss at JC (6/14/04): -4 pounds
Total loss at JC: -16.6 pounds
Total loss on bathroom scale since 3/8/04 (as of 6/19/04): -20.6 pounds
As a result, I started setting new lows on my bathroom scale again. (That Ben and Jerry's I ate the night I took the jump at JC did show up on the scale the next couple of days.) I walked into JC this past Monday expecting to be down two pounds, maybe. I was down four whole pounds! My counselor and I almost squealed with excitement (but not quite). I was kind of shocked.
The next big success occurred this past Thursday. I had been inching toward a significant 20-pound mark on the bathroom scale -- 20 pounds since my peak weight of the year on March 8, 2004. On Wednesday morning I was a mere 0.2 pounds from that mark. On Thursday morning I blew right past it, as I was down a whole 0.8 pounds!
I'm now fluctuating around the mark I set Thursday morning. And I feel that I'm struggling a bit. I'm getting hungry more often this week -- at work I used microwave popcorn to satisfy it, though I know that that is dangerous. This afternoon I was out and about running errands, got hungry, didn't really want to drive all the way back to my house to eat a Mesquite Chicken dinner (not one of my favorites), and got struck with a craving for Skyline Chili. Actually, I had dueling cravings for Skyline, Doritos "Rollitos" and ice cream, but thought the Skyline would be the least of those three evils because it would probably satisfy me more than the others. It did, and I felt like I overate, but then I felt hungry again only three-and-a-half hours later. That needs to be a lesson to remember in the future, I think.
I also feel that I'm slacking on exercise, but I have already exercised 3 days this week for a full 30 min or more, plus I walked for about a total of 20 min with Mom on Thursday evening. So maybe I'm not as bad off as I think.
Summary:
Weight loss at JC (6/14/04): -4 pounds
Total loss at JC: -16.6 pounds
Total loss on bathroom scale since 3/8/04 (as of 6/19/04): -20.6 pounds
Tuesday, June 08, 2004
Discouraged, but slowly getting over it
I had a weigh-in at JC today and was up one pound. I did not expect that -- I had hoped to be down a half-pound because that would be consistent with my bathroom scale. I did, however, get a bit of good news -- I have lost a half-inch each in my bust, waist, hips and thighs. Still, the pound jump upset me. It could have been that I drank a lot of water right before I weighed this evening, but I also realize that I have been eating a lot of mixed nuts at work -- probably too many. And I had alcohol over the weekend, but I'm not sure that would have impacted me that much.
While I'm trying to take this as yet another wake-up call, I was rather discouraged when I left the JC center. I also did not want to discuss it with my mother, because I knew if I talked to her she would give a "pep talk" that would turn more into "do you know what you are doing?", which I hear as "do you know what you are doing wrong?" Given that I had already discussed what I might be doing right or wrong with my JC counselor, I did not want to rehash it. This is why I've been reluctant in weeks past to even report to her on my success, because I knew I'd only raise expectations.
So I still haven't talked to my mother, though my dad called me and I told him to "break the news" of my gain to Mom. Dad didn't quite get my "break the news" joke. He must have talked to Mom, because I haven't heard from her. Contrary to the impression the above rant may have left, I think she's giving me space.
After the past few hours, I feel better. I did one "right" thing and one "wrong" thing. My wrong thing was eating some Ben & Jerry's Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk. I had been wanting that all day, though I had no idea I'd gain at Jenny Craig. I guess the only consolation is that in the past I would have binged on some kind of cracker snack food and maybe even another pint of ice cream.
The "right" thing I did, however, (besides resisting the urge to jump back in my car and get more junk food) is ride my exercise bike for 30 min. I know that doesn't counter the ice cream, but it doesn't hurt. And, of course, it probably made me feel better tonight than eating the ice cream did. But, for once, the ice cream actually did satisfy my craving.
Weekly update -- Up one pound
Total weight loss at JC: -12.6
While I'm trying to take this as yet another wake-up call, I was rather discouraged when I left the JC center. I also did not want to discuss it with my mother, because I knew if I talked to her she would give a "pep talk" that would turn more into "do you know what you are doing?", which I hear as "do you know what you are doing wrong?" Given that I had already discussed what I might be doing right or wrong with my JC counselor, I did not want to rehash it. This is why I've been reluctant in weeks past to even report to her on my success, because I knew I'd only raise expectations.
So I still haven't talked to my mother, though my dad called me and I told him to "break the news" of my gain to Mom. Dad didn't quite get my "break the news" joke. He must have talked to Mom, because I haven't heard from her. Contrary to the impression the above rant may have left, I think she's giving me space.
After the past few hours, I feel better. I did one "right" thing and one "wrong" thing. My wrong thing was eating some Ben & Jerry's Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk. I had been wanting that all day, though I had no idea I'd gain at Jenny Craig. I guess the only consolation is that in the past I would have binged on some kind of cracker snack food and maybe even another pint of ice cream.
The "right" thing I did, however, (besides resisting the urge to jump back in my car and get more junk food) is ride my exercise bike for 30 min. I know that doesn't counter the ice cream, but it doesn't hurt. And, of course, it probably made me feel better tonight than eating the ice cream did. But, for once, the ice cream actually did satisfy my craving.
Weekly update -- Up one pound
Total weight loss at JC: -12.6
Monday, June 07, 2004
What this blog will be about
Right now I intend to focus this blog primarily on my current quest to lose weight. I am not, however, intending to use this simply as a log of what I eat each day and how long I exercised each day. I've already been doing that on paper and my Excel spreadsheet. Besides, on the Jenny Craig program, what I eat each day would start seeming repetitive after about three weeks. So I probably won't talk about what I eat each day unless I had to deal with a specific challenge like eating out. I'm more likely to log my exercise as a boost to my self-esteem, but I may not log in every day.
I also am not interested in touting the benefits of one type of diet over another, i.e., lowfat vs. low-carb, though I might share why I believe the current diet I'm on works for me.
My prime interest in keeping the blog, however, is to share some of my emotions along the "journey back down the scale." And in doing so I may discuss issues that have previously been roadblocks to maintaining a healthy weight, such as my methods of self-sabotage and the reasons I so sabotage myself.
And I will, of course, try to give periodic updates of my progress down the scale, and even some of the bumps.
I also am not interested in touting the benefits of one type of diet over another, i.e., lowfat vs. low-carb, though I might share why I believe the current diet I'm on works for me.
My prime interest in keeping the blog, however, is to share some of my emotions along the "journey back down the scale." And in doing so I may discuss issues that have previously been roadblocks to maintaining a healthy weight, such as my methods of self-sabotage and the reasons I so sabotage myself.
And I will, of course, try to give periodic updates of my progress down the scale, and even some of the bumps.
Thursday, June 03, 2004
The First Post, But Not the First Day
Welcome to the first post of my first blog! I've been reading other people's blogs along with articles about the "blog phenomenon" for some time now, and while I've wondered for a while if I would enjoy doing one myself, I never really felt the urge to keep one until a couple of days ago.
While most of the weight loss blogs I have seen begin with a dieter's first day, I actually renewed my battle with my weight in March. Last year I did a low-carb diet, but I "fell off the wagon" in February and started gaining again. On March 8th I hit my peak for 2004 on my bathroom scale -- it may or may not be my lifetime peak because I went a long time last year without writing my weight down, but it's at least very close to a lifetime peak. While I don't want to discuss the actual numbers, I will say that most health professionals would consider me at least forty pounds overweight. Okay, okay, more like fifty pounds. (Oooh, it hurts to say that.) Seeing that peak -- combined with the gradual realization that, yes, I was really out of shape and this would eventually affect my long-term health -- scared me into keeping track of my weight on an Excel spreadsheet. For me, that was a big step -- for one thing, the computer is on the opposite end of my home from where my bathroom scale is. Therefore, I actually must make an EFFORT to record the weight in the computer. (haha)
I cut back a little and immediately came back down from that peak. My Excel spreadsheet shows that I lost about 4 pounds in two weeks. However, I had no real plan -- I was just not binge-eating like I had right before that peak. I knew it wouldn't last if I didn't have some sort of plan. I kept thinking to myself that I'd get back on a low-carb plan, maybe try South Beach. But when I browsed through the book and realized the amount of meal-planning and cooking it required, I just didn't have the energy. I have an hour-plus commute and usually don't feel like cooking when I get home. Heck, I barely have energy to go to the grocery salad bar.
So I went back to Jenny Craig. (Auto-disclaimer: "Jenny Craig" is trademarked by somebody and I'm sure that somebody would want me to say that it has nothing to do with this blog and in no way endorses anything I say in here. The lawyer in me will go away now.) I used Jenny Craig the last time I really lost a lot of weight -- seven years ago during my last year of law school. (Of course, if I weighed now what I started the JC program at back then, I'd be thrilled.) I didn't think I'd go back to it because it was too inflexible, but I realized that inflexible was exactly what I needed right now. Don't just tell me what to eat, hand it to me!
Seven years ago I had bought the "platinum-whatever" level membership, so I knew I could go back without paying for anything other than the food (expensive enough, but I'd would've spent that money on junk food otherwise). So on March 22, I bit the bullet, called, made an appointment for later that night, before I lost my nerve. And I went to the appointment. And I was kind of excited to learn that you still get that French Toast with Fruit Cup.
After 10 weeks, I have lost 13.6 pounds on the Jenny Craig scales. I have lost a total of 19 pounds on my bathroom scale since March 8. I broke through a plateau this week, so I'm feeling pretty good about my successful journey thus far. As I was looking at various weight loss websites, I suddenly realized that keeping this blog might help keep me motivated, because I know there will be other plateaus.
And so it begins. . .
While most of the weight loss blogs I have seen begin with a dieter's first day, I actually renewed my battle with my weight in March. Last year I did a low-carb diet, but I "fell off the wagon" in February and started gaining again. On March 8th I hit my peak for 2004 on my bathroom scale -- it may or may not be my lifetime peak because I went a long time last year without writing my weight down, but it's at least very close to a lifetime peak. While I don't want to discuss the actual numbers, I will say that most health professionals would consider me at least forty pounds overweight. Okay, okay, more like fifty pounds. (Oooh, it hurts to say that.) Seeing that peak -- combined with the gradual realization that, yes, I was really out of shape and this would eventually affect my long-term health -- scared me into keeping track of my weight on an Excel spreadsheet. For me, that was a big step -- for one thing, the computer is on the opposite end of my home from where my bathroom scale is. Therefore, I actually must make an EFFORT to record the weight in the computer. (haha)
I cut back a little and immediately came back down from that peak. My Excel spreadsheet shows that I lost about 4 pounds in two weeks. However, I had no real plan -- I was just not binge-eating like I had right before that peak. I knew it wouldn't last if I didn't have some sort of plan. I kept thinking to myself that I'd get back on a low-carb plan, maybe try South Beach. But when I browsed through the book and realized the amount of meal-planning and cooking it required, I just didn't have the energy. I have an hour-plus commute and usually don't feel like cooking when I get home. Heck, I barely have energy to go to the grocery salad bar.
So I went back to Jenny Craig. (Auto-disclaimer: "Jenny Craig" is trademarked by somebody and I'm sure that somebody would want me to say that it has nothing to do with this blog and in no way endorses anything I say in here. The lawyer in me will go away now.) I used Jenny Craig the last time I really lost a lot of weight -- seven years ago during my last year of law school. (Of course, if I weighed now what I started the JC program at back then, I'd be thrilled.) I didn't think I'd go back to it because it was too inflexible, but I realized that inflexible was exactly what I needed right now. Don't just tell me what to eat, hand it to me!
Seven years ago I had bought the "platinum-whatever" level membership, so I knew I could go back without paying for anything other than the food (expensive enough, but I'd would've spent that money on junk food otherwise). So on March 22, I bit the bullet, called, made an appointment for later that night, before I lost my nerve. And I went to the appointment. And I was kind of excited to learn that you still get that French Toast with Fruit Cup.
After 10 weeks, I have lost 13.6 pounds on the Jenny Craig scales. I have lost a total of 19 pounds on my bathroom scale since March 8. I broke through a plateau this week, so I'm feeling pretty good about my successful journey thus far. As I was looking at various weight loss websites, I suddenly realized that keeping this blog might help keep me motivated, because I know there will be other plateaus.
And so it begins. . .
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