Week 42 - Pain In The A**!

Stats:  0 lost
Avg Burn:  2366
Avg Cal:  1539
Avg Deficit:  827


Not sure if I've mentioned this before - I'm surprised that I haven't, but I have been having this deep pain in my left buttocks for about a month now.  It just started one day.  It sort of feels like sciatica (nerve pain vs. muscle or ligament or bone), but deeper, and I mostly feel it when I am bearing weight.  I thought if I concentrated on stretches, it would go away, but it hasn't.  Sometimes it's really painful when I start exercising - shooting pains in my buttock, and sometimes it radiates down my leg or up into my lower back.  I've tried different things to try to get rid of it - I stopped doing my walking/running on an incline, but it still persisted.  I finally figured that I have to go see a doctor to get it looked at.  I asked my neighbor, who is a physical therapist, what she thought.  I was hoping she would say something like, "Oh, that's your blahblah nerve and you did xyz, but if you do these 3 stretches religiously for the next two weeks, you'll be fine."  Well, of course not - she said to see my dr., who would prescribe PT.  That was over a week ago - I just have not had time to go to the doctor, so I haven't even called to make the appointment.  And, it comes and goes - it's most annoying when I start walking/running or if I have been sitting for a while, my first steps.  And, although it's painful, it's something I can ignore, unlike sciatica pain that would keep me up at night.  So, my goal is to do something about it - just not looking forward to the process of going to a lot of doctors appointments and not getting a straight answer or any resolution.

Ok, so what else?  Well, tomorrow is Easter, and I am having my family over for Easter brunch - the chocolate eating has already begun!  It has been a very stressful week and month.  My mom has been going through a breast cancer thing because of something on her mammogram.  I had my final paper due for my class this week, I think I will eke out a B, but that's partly with fingers crossed.  I am still struggling with the time change, and once again I did not have a whole week of having to get up early took a morning off and Friday was a holiday, so I didn't have to get up at the butt crack of dawn :-)  I had planned to start doing a 2nd 5k on Monday, my idea was to do one of them outside to start to get training for that, but it is still pitch black out at 5 AM (and cold!), so that is not going to happen.  I may do it at lunch at work, we'll see.

Ok, much to do for the breakfast tomorrow, I will sign off.

Week 41 - 9 more weeks to goal

Stats:  +1.5lb
Ave burn:  2191
Ave cal:
Ave deficit:

Well, obviously weigh-in this week was not good.  I saw it coming, though - all week I was up, so at least it wasn't a complete surprise.  Why?  I don't know - could be the not great week before caught up with me.  I had a total pizza binge on Saturday followed by date night.  I also didn't work out on Saturday, and I ended up skipping Monday too.  Saturday I just kept putting it off and putting it off in the morning, and then I ended up being too late to work out.  On Monday, I had an alarm/human malfunction - I pressed the off button when I thought it was the snooze.  So, my burn was low, but I still managed an ~800 calorie deficit, so why gain?

My mom has been going through some issues with regards to breast cancer.  She had a biopsy on the 4th, and then she had to go back for a lumpectomy on the 15th, so I'm sure that has been weighing on my mind.

Sunday was St. Patrick's day, and in addition to going to a BBQ buffet, I made "Irish Car Bomb" Cupcakes. Nuff said?

This was my first official week really dealing with the time change, and it s*cked.  I could not make the alarm once this week - typically did not get out of bed before 5:10, which leaves me with no extra time to do any weights or isometric exercises.  On Tuesday, we had another big snow storm, and the kids did not have school.  This meant I could sleep in (again - since I did on Monday), and so really I only had 3 days where I had to get up early, and it was hard!

On the plus side, I have been keeping up with my tracking, and I at least can say with an honest conscious that I have been eating X amount of calories - even if it isn't perfect, it is close.

I've continue to use my supplements.  I have upped the morning dose to 2 pills, and I try to remember to take 1 more before/around lunch time, but I missed a few this week.  I don't know it they are doing anything, I guess I won't know until I stop taking them.  When I first started, I definitely felt a difference, but now I don't feel any different at all - is that because I'm just used to it?  Also, weight loss has been less than stellar, but I have to wonder how bad it would have been if I wasn't taking the supplements.

So, I thought more about what I could do to make a dent in my weight loss for the remaining 10 (now 9) weeks.  One goal is to not eat out so much.  It definitely is a temptation, and even though I try to make good choices, I know that I'm eating and drinking more than I should be.  The problem is that going out is a real treat for me because it means I don't have to cook.  But, I'm not saying no going out at all, just try to decrease it, and I can do anything for 9 weeks - that's a blink of an eye.

Week 40 - Daylight Savings Time

Stats:  -2lb
Ave Burn:  2206
Ave Cal: 1396
Ave deficit: 810

So, this week was about trying to adjust to DST.  I wasn't very successful.  It wasn't horrible, but I did find it challenging.

It was actually not a good week for me.  I left on a business trip on Tuesday morning, and you know how you can be on a business trip - you think you are on vacation.  But, I packed my workout gear, and I made good choices when I could, and I logged my food as best I could.  I had to skip Tuesday's workout because I was leaving for the airport at 5 AM.  I'm sure that didn't help my weekly burn numbers.  And yet, I finally got a loss, and I finally crossed into a new decade.  I even saw my fat % # register under 30% a couple times this week - that is a great feeling.  My goal is to be 29% or less fat.

I should start with the weekend, though.  Saturday was ok, I worked out, and my sister came over and we hung out, so that entailed drinking some wine.  Sunday was the first day of DST, and I slept in.  Well, officially it was really only 8 AM, not 9.  We had a late breakfast, and I ended up taking a walk outside for my exercise.  I did that later in the day - I kept waiting for it to warm up, but it never did. 

On Monday, I woke up and did my exercises, even if it was a little late.  I already mentioned skipping Tuesday, and on Wednesday and Thursday, I had the luxury of getting up as late as 5:45!  Friday I did get up at usual time.  So, it hasn't been consistent enough to get into a routine.  I need to push myself to do it so that I do get into a routine as soon as possible.

I can't believe I only have 10 weeks left of my "challenge".  It would be nice to think I could lose 10 pounds in those weeks.  I would still be 10 pounds off my goal, but I would be looking much better, and that's what I really want - I don't want my weight to be a factor in how old I look!  Ah, vanity, woman is thy name.

So, what should I do to achieve my mini goal of being at least 10# lighter at the end of my journey?  I think I definitely need to step up the exercise.  If the weather will cooperate, I am definitely going to fit in some walking at work.  If I can just burn a few more calories, I'm hoping that my deficits will be larger.

As far as food, well, food is really key, and I'm not always very good about the food.  And drink.  I'm fine in a structured environment, but as soon as it's the weekend, or I'm working from home, I get very liberal with food.  I need to really look at that and come up with some strategies for avoiding that.

10 weeks, 10 weeks - that's nothing.  That's a blink of the eye.  I could do anything for 10 weeks (except maybe give up drinking - well, actually, I have given up drinking for longer than that before, but I really missed it!).  Ok, I'm going to really think about some over-arching goals I can try for the next 10 weeks.  Something to get me motivated.

Week 39 - 19 weeks in the same decade

Stats:  -1
Ave Burn: 2255
Ave Consumed: 1459
Ave deficit: 759

This week was a good week in terms of diet and exercise.  I did not get up on Monday morning, but I did walk at lunch that day.  I have decided that I will sleep in on Sundays (but still work out later), and take Mondays off (but try to walk at work - but it will be ok if I don't).  I ended up taking Thursday off.  No reason, really, except that I delayed getting up, then turned on the TV to see if school had been canceled because we were getting a snow storm.  It hadn't, but I decided to sleep in.  I knew there wouldn't be a chance to walk, but I actually brought my stuff to work just in case.  I have to let myself be ok if I take a day off here and there. I had worked out 9 days in a row, which is ok.  I rather go 10, but stuff gets in the way.

So, speaking of stuff, one of the things coming up is work travel.  I'll be flying to NC Tuesday morning, so I won't have time to work out before I go.  So, already my "Mondays off" plan has to change to Tuesday - but that's ok, that is what I need to do.  I'll bring my stuff to NC, and I'll work out Wed. and Thurs morning in the hotel gym.  So, I should be able to keep on track.  I guess we'll know by next week's post.

Otherwise this week, my eating was good, and I kept track all week.  I feel good about the numbers being 99% accurate.  My burn was a little low, but I still managed over 500 cal a day deficit, and 500 is my goal, so I'm good with that.  I had a full week on my "supplements", and I started upping the morning dose to 2 pills because I felt my body had adjusted to the 1.  I don't really feel that they are doing anything, but it's hard to tell.  Would I have not lost anything this week without them?  Would I have gained?  I have to say that the results have been less than amazing.

My other goal this week was to get up by 5 AM in preparation for DST.  We lost an hour this weekend, and I am so dreading getting up at what my body will feel is 4 AM.  I have a hard enough time getting up at 5 AM.  I didn't do very well with this goal.  I only made it one day out of the 3 that I got up.  As I mentioned, I didn't work out Monday or Thursday morning, then Friday was a snow day for the kids, so that meant I could sleep in.  I did get up at 5 on Tuesday, but pushed the time to 5:15 on Wednesday.  I am really in for it this coming week :-(  On the news this morning, they quoted an expert saying that it only takes a week to adjust.  Well, not me.  I really never do adjust.

So, the scale was a disappointment after the good week I had.  I was so hoping to get to the next decade (I am 1lb away!!), but it wasn't to be.  I am so sick of being in this weight range, I just want to see some progress.  Since it will be at least 20 weeks (please no more than that!) before I get to the next decade, that means .5lb a week - I'm so off of my goal now, that there will be no catching up without surgery. :-)  This is very disappointing, but I cannot give up.

Week 38 - It is what it is

Stats:  0 lb
Ave Cal Burn:  2303
Ave Cal Consumed:  1303
Ave Cal Balance:  1000


That's a regular saying at work, "It is what it is."  It's a great way to sum up the fact that, despite our best efforts, despite what we really want to happen, there are circumstances and obstacles in our way that will prevent it from being what we want it to be.  It just is what it is.  And that is what my weigh-loss journey is right now.

I'm philosophical about it right now.  What else can I do?  Is there really something wrong with me?  How can I be having 1000 calorie deficits and not lose any weight?  If this were just one week - well, I've had them in the past, I am fine as long as my average is still a loss.  But this week after week, it makes you crazy.  There must be something I'm not doing right, right?  I go on-line - most people would say I'm not eating enough, but that's just not true.  I mix it up a lot.  Yesterday I had 2164 calories - almost 200 over what I burned.  That doesn't happen every week, but I definitely have a 1800-1900 day once a week, and I'm not going hungry.  If I get hungry, I eat something.  I just try to make it a healthy snack like fruit or yogurt.  I really am eating enough, that I feel in my bones.

So, am I eating too much?  Could both my eating and my burn be off enough so that I'm basically in maintenance mode?  So, say my average cal consumed is off by 200 calories - bringing it this week to 1503 and burn is off 300 calories, bringing it to 2000, that's still an average balance of -500 calories a day (or 1lb for the week).  I could see being off another couple hundred calories on the food (it's so hard to be precise unless you eat the same thing every day), but I don't think it would be every day.  As far as the accuracy of the BodyMedia monitor, well, it does have some other inaccuracies, but it's been very consistent with the burn.  It seems to adjust up or down and accurately monitor my workouts.  The only thing that I have noticed is that it doesn't record my weight/isometric exercising after my cardio as physical activity.  I'm ok with that as long as it is recording my calories that I'm burning correctly.  I know that I often break a sweat with those workouts.

So, I will continue to ponder, and I'll continue to just say, "it is what it is"  there are areas where I could be more restrictive, but I need to have a manageable life - this has to be part of my life, so I may give up progress for reasonableness.  I hope I can still get to my goal close to when I wanted to.  I know now that I won't be down 50 in 50 weeks, but I do know that when I turn 50, I will be feeling much better about myself, and I will look better, and I will be a better me.  And that is what it is.