Week 3 - Vacation!

I've been on vacation since last Saturday, but I'm not on vacation from my goal.  I'll start with the positives for the week.  This morning was the 7th day in a row that I worked out.  My friend, sister, and sister-in-law have been walking each morning, about 3 miles.  On Tuesday, I started doing some additional calisthenics after our walk - just some crunches and push ups.  In addition to the walks, we are just so much more active.  I've managed to burn an average of 2373 calories a day - which is almost 400 more calories than a non-exercise day.  I have also averaged over 10,000 steps.  This is all good stuff!  I feel good, too, not too tired, and not injured, although I got this weird blood blister under a callous on my toe.

Ok, so now cue the waa-waa music.  I gained 3 pounds.

This is what is so frustrating about my recent attempts to get healthy.  I put all I can into it, and I see some progress, but I end up having this gain back that erases all my losses, and it's very discouraging.

I know that I'm on vacation, and my eating has not been great, but I would have had to have eaten/drank an additional 1500 calories a day for a total average of 3800 calories a day.  While I recognize that I could easily eat my daily burn of ~2300 calories, I really don't think I'm eating 3800 calories.  I've actually been good about passing on my usual treats - like fudge or ice cream.  I've let the kids have it, but skipped it myself.  So, with all the exercise, and the sacrifices, I expected that I would at least stay even :-(

But, I can't let it get to me.  I'll just have to work harder to make up the deficit, and I may have to go to a more austere plan with food, etc.  That will be easier to do when I am back from vacation.

Week 2

Stats:  1.5lbs lost, 4.5lbs total weight loss

Week 2 was even better than week 1.  My exercise goal for the week was to exercise 5x, and I made my goal.  I started on Saturday, then my bf went with me on Sunday, I took Monday off, but I got up in the morning on Tuesday.  Because I was working from home, and I didn't have to take Tess to school, I was able to sleep until about 5:45 am, and then I walked from 6-7am.  I took Wednesday off, but then I finally got up in the morning around 5:30 am on Thursday and Friday.  That is a big deal because my alarm has been going off at 5 am for over a year, and every morning I hit the snooze.  I have had a few times when I've gotten up, but none I have been able to sustain.  Not to say that I'll sustain this, but I am still happy to have done it.

I'm writing this a little late because I am so busy getting ready to go on vacation.  I am fortunate that my friend and sister have a tradition of walking every morning on vacation.  We have a beautiful path along the ocean that we walk.  Our total walk is about 3 miles.  I've been walking 4 miles, so I'll have to figure out how to get that extra mile in.  I'm not that anxious about making my goals during these two weeks, although maybe I should be.  Vacation is typically a time for indulgence, and I haven't had much self control lately.  My plan is to try to control the sweets aspect of eating.  I don't go crazy, but I do usually eat more than I do at home, so I'm just going to cut out all the extras.  If I am going to indulge, it will be with alcohol :-)  But, even then, I'm going to try to be reasonable.  I was watching a tv show, and the people were drinking wine, and I was practically drooling I wanted a glass so much.  But, I deferred - not only because of the calories, but also to keep a clear head to complete my packing.

My exercise goal for this week is exercise 6x a week.  I think this will definitely be achievable because of our daily walking.  I am also bringing my bicycle, and I really hope to get in a bike ride or two.  I really enjoy biking, and it's a great way to get a different workout.  For my second week, I'm not sure what my goal will be.  I do want to get to exercise 7x a week, but I'm not sure I can really do that.  I know I can do 6, but I may not be able to workout all 7.  What I am thinking of as an ultimate goal is to get my calorie burn up to 2500 calories in a day - maybe I could start out with 4 days.  I could also switch the focus to my eating.  I am trying to make good choices, but I'm probably doing that 70% of the time, but I'll definitely need to bump that to 90-95% in order to lose a pound a week.

So, we'll see how my vacation week goes!

Week 1

Well, first, the stats:  I lost 3 lbs this week.  It's a good start, but I'm not getting excited yet.  I'm sure there will be weeks when I don't lose a pound, or I lose less than a pound, so the "lead" I have will be used up, I'm sure.

I've set some other goals for myself, mostly about exercise/activity.  I also have been overly aggressive in my past attempts at getting fit, and this time I'm giving myself permission to ease back into a routine.  My mind jumps to getting to running as soon as possible, but I have to remember that walking is just fine - I get my heart rate up, I enjoy it, and it's lower stress on this old, tired body.  So, I'll walk.  The downside is that I have to take more time to get the same caloric burn than some other exercise.

So, for this week, I set a goal of exercising 4x.  I made it 3x.   But, my weeks are going to be Saturday-Friday, and I really didn't start until Monday, so I feel like I had a little bit of leeway.  The truth is, I need to get back to a routine because my plans for a walk at lunch or after work are most often not going to happen.  The best laid plans and all that - I just have too many distractions and responsibilities to be able to count on that plan.  Those plans will best be for a second session of physical activity.

On my walks, I've done a lot of thinking.  I'm excited to be in a different place by next year.  I keep my ultimate goal in mind, and I think about how great it will be to start next summer not embarrassed to be in my bathing suit.  I do, however, have a shorter term goal to help me stay motivated.  My bf and I are going to Florida at the end of the summer.  I should be 10# lighter by then, and although I will still be 40 pounds overweight, I know I will feel better about myself.

The Tipping Point

I just had my birthday last week, and the reality finally hit me that I have to do something about my weight and health.  I really don't want to complete my 50th year of life looking and feeling like I currently do.  I need to set myself up for my next 50  years, and it's not in my current body.

The challenge is, however, that this isn't the first time I've done this.  I've gained and lost hundreds of pounds.  I know how much work it takes to be able to achieve my healthy weight and fat % (not to mention cholesterol level).  I think, though, I have had high expectations in the past, and got discouraged when I did not meet my goals.  That's why I thought if I just set a goal of 1# a week, it would seem more manageable, more realistic.  I have to say, though, when I was almost a decade younger, and working out like a maniac, and eating very clean, I often had weeks when I did not lose 1#.  It gets harder the more you lose!  But, I can't think about that now, I can only think one week at a time, one day at a time really.

So, here I go.