What Happened to the Wagon?

At the end of January of 2008, I realized how overweight I was -- I'm 5'2" and at the time weighed 152 pounds and wore size 12/14 pants. I didn't like what years of inactivity, seating in front of a computer, and unhealthy eating habits had done to my body, so I did something about it. I lost almost 30 pounds over nine months. By November 2008, I was at my lowest weight of 122.4 pounds. Even though that did not last for more than a day, I was under 125 for almost a month before the holiday season came and I began to slip.

Over the last 6 months, I've gained over 10 of those pounds back. As I slowly saw my weight creep up, I told myself I was just gaining muscle since I was very active--training to run a half marathon, biking 15 miles to work (one way), and training for a triathlon. I believe this was true for the first few pounds, since my size 2/4 clothes still fit comfortably. However, the more active I became, the more I let my healthy eating slip. We've been eating out a LOT lately, and I've even flexed on my "no fried food" rule. It's hard to say no to any food when you've just biked 45 miles or swam 1000 meters, but that is no excuse. This week, my size 2 clothes are uncomfortable, and I've hit the 135 lbs mark that I hoped to never see again. I refuse to go up a size in clothes (I wear size 4 from time to time, but I don't want to begin wearing size 6 again), so it's time to stop being delusional and do something about this.

Admitting you have a problem is the first step, so here I am admitting to the world that I've fallen off the wagon and slipped down the slippery slope a bit. I don't plan to see what's at the end of the slope. I intend to pick myself up before I slip further down this hill, and starting today begin making my way back to the wagon. I lost 30 pounds before, so I know I can lose 10 pounds with a little dedication, and a little help from my friends :)

I'll use this blog to post my goals, progress, and accomplishments every week, and ask that you help keep me accountable.

Current Stats:

• Height: 5'2"
• Starting Weight: 135 lbs (2/24/09)
• Current Weight: 135 lbs (2/24/09)
• BMI: 24.7
• Current Goal: 125 lbs
• Pounds to go: 10

Before Photo:

I can't believe I am posting this, but what the heck. I know I don't look that bad, but I'm not happy with the growing belly you see here. I don't really care that much about my actual weight, I just want to lose the extra fat and inches around my waist.

My Action Plan:

• Stop eating fried food -- the occasional french fry is ok, but a whole order is NOT.
• Limit eating out and processed food -- we're going to make a better attempt to plan ahead and cook most of our meals at home from scratch, with enough leftovers for lunch the next day.
• When I do eat out, make healthy choices -- sweet tomatoes, seafood, steamed vegetables, NO fried food, and split a meal with Jason or save 1/2 for lunch the next day.
• Limit sweets -- I'll only eat ice cream/sweets at the end of the day IF I've eaten all my fruit and vegetable servings.
• Eat 3 small meals a day, specially breakfast, with at least one healthy snack between meals (fruit, veggies, yogurt, nuts).
• Go grocery shopping regularly to keep fridge and office stocked with healthy snacks.
• Log everything I eat and my weight at TWYE and My Pyramid Plan Spreadsheet (I count servings instead of calories).
• Do at least 30 minutes of exercise a day -- this includes walking or yoga on rest days.
• Log all workouts at Dailymile.
• Set weekly goals to help me stay on track. 
• Post my progress on this blog once a week. 

Weekly Goals

• Meatless/Seafood Meals: 50% of main 3 meals/day (11/21) 
• Home Cooked Meals: 80% of main 3 meals/day (17/21) 
• Fruit/Veggies: 5 servings / day (35 servings) 
• Water: 64 oz / day (448 oz) 
• Follow Pyramid Plan: focus on fruits and veggies this week 
• Exercise: 30 mins / day - run 2x; bike 2x; swim 2x; yoga 2x

Weight Update

I haven't posted about this in a while, mainly because my focus has been on running and I have mostly just been maintaining and slowly losing, but this has been an incredible week. I've only gone out to eat once so far, I've run or biked or both every day this week, I've been drinking water and eating fruits/veggies like crazy and it has really paid off.

I've shown a loss in weight every day this week. Yesterday I finally weighed 123, my lowest weight ever ... until this morning when I weighed 122.4! OMG! If I keep this up, maybe I won't ever see 125 again! At least 130 is long long gone :) The most I've seen lately was 128, and that was after a particular late night eating out. I am sure I will gain a little of this over the weekend because I plan to eat out at least twice, but I now know I can counter it with really clean eating and exercise the rest of the week.

I am so excited. I am only 1/2 a pound away from my goal of 122, which means I would have lost 30 lbs in about 9-10 months. When I started this journey, I had no idea I even had 30 lbs to lose. I went from a size 12/14 to a size 2 and I am now a runner training to run my first 1/2 marathon in 4 weeks! I feel so good!

I'm going to feel this tomorrow

Summary of today's activity

• run/walk: 2.65 miles
  
• bike: 4.58 miles
  
• push ups: 54
  
• crunches: 108
• squats w/weights: 10
  
• plank: 30s (modified)

Great Start
Today started great (except for the fact that I did not wake up in time to run). I was ecstatic that I weighed 131.4 this morning--finally showing a .6 loss since my 132 weigh-in on 5/30. Ever since then, it has either stayed the same or gone up and hovered near 133. We'll see if that holds tomorrow--I somehow doubt it. I drank 24 ounces of water, ate an oatmeal bar and banana for breakfast, and ate a tuna sandwich for lunch, all before noon. But, then ...

"Fried" Ice Cream, Yikes!
Jason said they were going to Maria Bonita (local mexican restaurant) with a friend of ours from Melbourne that is in town. I decide to go and just munch on some chips and salsa and maybe a bite of his food. I figured that since I had already eaten, and I am not a big fan on Mexican food anyway, it would be ok. WRONG! I got a free chicken soup (it comes with every meal--and apparently even if you don't order anything), which was actually really good. But then I spend the rest of the time eyeing the dessert menu and order "fried" ice cream. Is basically a ball of vanilla ice cream, covered in crumpled graham crackers and corn flakes (they supposedly then deep fry this but I had them skip that part). It was SOOO good. Thankfully, I had 3 guys to helped me eat it, but I should have just stayed in my office.

Running, Take I
I had every intention of running on my way home from work, but since we leave tomorrow after work to camp, I needed the bike at home to switch out my tires. So I rode my bike home and promptly went for a run before the rain started. The rain decided to just stay away and it was so hot that all I managed was 1 mile, but I also was running pretty fast (12:41).

Push Ups/Crunches
So I came home and did day 2 of the push ups/crunches challenge. I decided that it would bother me to be in different weeks for crunches, so I am going to do the same week/day for both and just double the numbers for crunches. This was tough, but totally doable. Last time we did the entire push up workout and then the crunches workout. This time I had the brilliant idea of alternative between the two so I would do the crunches during the push ups rest and vice versa. I also did a modified plank for 30 seconds. I was exhausted when I finished, and I could only do the minimum for the max level for a total of 54 push ups and 108 crunches. Not sure if the alternating thing was a bad idea, or if it was just that I had biked 2 miles and ran a mile before this workout.

Running, Take II
Once the sun disappeared, and my dinner settled a bit, I went for another mile run in a light drizzle. It was kind of nice running in the rain, but I don't think I could do it if it was any heavier. I just don't like being wet and cold. I ran this one a lot slower (14:35), but it felt great. Man I had missed running. This is the first time I run since Saturday. I am hoping to get up tomorrow morning and run some more since I've been a slacker lately. We'll see how that goes.

Goals Update

• [9.66/16] Bike: 16+ miles
  
• [3/10] Run/walk: 10+ miles
  
• [0/45] Yoga: 45+ mins (20 or 45 min sessions)
  
• [2/3] Meatless Meals: 3+ for lunch or dinner (breakfast is always meatless)
  
• [4/5] Eat Out: <=5 (this means eating out AND leftovers)
• [2/3] Strength: week 1 (3 days) of Push Ups & Crunches Challenge
  
• [4/7] Water: 64+ oz per day

Fitness Update: -20 lbs in 120 days

Starting Weight: 152 (1/29/08)
Previous Weight: 133
Current Weight: 132
Weight Loss: -1
Total Loss: -20 in 120 days
Current Goal: 130
Lbs to go: 2

This has been a great week! I completed the C25K program (though I am redoing a few weeks to get up to the 3 miles mark), I fit into a size 2 skirt, and I lost another pound--meeting my mini goal of 20 pounds lost! That is incredible. To think, in early 2007 I was 160 lbs (probably more but that is the highest I have recorded). I was almost obese. To this day, I have no idea how this happened; but I vow never to let it happen again. I should check with my doctor and see what the highest weight she has recorded for me is. I bet it was higher than 160.

I mostly focused on the running this week and only got to ride my bike to work twice. I still neglected weight lifting and yoga, so I lowered that goal to just one day each this coming week. I should really be able to fit that in somewhere. I've been doing a bit of yoga before and after each run, but my body feels tired and really needs a full yoga session.

Accomplishments this week:
- Completed my 3rd 5k
- Ran 30 minutes--C25k Week 9--without walking (3 times)
- Ran 2.31 miles without walking
- Ran/walk 12.6 miles total
- Biked 9 miles total
- Fit into a size 2 skirt
- Lost 1 pound
- Met mini goal: 20 lbs lost

Goals for the upcoming week:
- Run 2.5 miles without walking
- Bike at least 12 miles
- Run/walk at least 10 miles
- Lift weights at least 1 day
- Yoga at least 1 day
- Eat out at most twice

Fitness Update: -19 in 113 days

Starting Weight: 152 (1/29/08)
Previous Weight: 134.6
Current Weight: 133
Weight Loss: -1.6
Total Loss: -19 in 113 days
BMI: 24.3
Current Goal: 130 (mini goal: 20+ total loss)
Lbs to go: 3 (1 to mini goal)

I finally show a substantial loss, and I didn't even work out that much this week. I guess it really is the muscle growth that is contributing to my non-loss, but I also ate a lot better this week. For the past 2 days I've been eating nothing but veggies and fruits for my snacks instead of sugary things or granola bars. I only ate out twice this week, both at Sweet Tomatoes and had one slice of pizza at Saturday's party.

I have my next 5K tomorrow morning. I am excited and nervous, as usual. The weather calls for rain, but I am hoping that won't start until after the race is over since it's called for rain all week and we've just had short scattered showers. My plans is to run between each mile marker or water stop, then walk for 1-2 minutes, then repeat this pattern until I reach the 3 mile marker and then I'll sprint to the finish. I really want to try to improve my time a little bit and finish under 40 minutes.

Accomplishments this week:
- Ran 28 minutes--C25k Week 8--without walking (3 times)
- Ran 2 miles without walking
- Ran a total of 5.86 miles (7.88 miles including walking)
- Biked a total of 11.74 miles
- Only ate out twice
- Ate lots of fruits and veggies
- Lost 1.6 lbs
- Workout Log
- Food Log

Goals for the upcoming week:
- Complete a 5k in under 40 minutes
- Run 30 minutes without walking (C25K Week 9)
- Run 2.25 miles without walking
- Bike 16-20 miles
- Run/walk a total of 5-10 miles
- Lift weights at least 2 days
- Yoga at least 2 days

Fitness Update: -17.4 lbs in 98 days

Starting Weight: 152 (1/29/08)
Previous Weight: 135.2
Current Weight: 134.6
Weight Loss: -.6
Total Lost: -17.4 lbs in 98 days
BMI: 24.6
Current Goal: 130 (mini goal: 20+ total loss)
Lbs to go: 4.6 (2.6 to mini goal)

Not a huge loss, but not bad considering it's that time of the month, I ate out several times last week (Buca di Beppo, Sweet Tomatoes twice, Disney) and went to a BBQ. I only rode my bike twice to and from work since the last weigh-in, but continued with my every other day runs (C25K). I've been slacking on weight lifting and yoga, so I need to pick that back up.

I joined the Healthy You Challange and Up for the Challenge to help me in my journey. It is great to hear about the success of others and share mine. I think I am also going to do this Virtual 5K and we may organize our own at the Couch to 5K Community. What a great idea!

I completed W6D2 of C25K yesterday, my last interval run. From here on out, I'll be doing increasingly longer runs from 25-30 minutes (and beyond until I reach 3.1 miles). I am excited and anxious.

I decided to keep track of weekly goals and accomplishments. So here goes the first installment.

Goals for the upcoming week:
- Run 25 minutes without walking (C25K Week 7)
- Run 1.5 - 1.75 miles without walking
- Bike at least 16 miles (4 days to/from work)
- Light weights at least 2 days
- Do yoga at least 1 day
- Do kickboxing at least 1 day

Accomplishments this week:
- Workout Log
- Food Log
- I weigh less than 135 lbs (I am no longer overweight)
- I fit into size 4/6 pants (down from 10/12)
- I can run a mile without walking
- I ran 20 minutes without walking (~ about 1.5 miles)
- I finished a 5K in less than 42 minutes (ran ~ 1/2 - 3/4 of the race)
- I continue to inspire people to start C25K or their own exercise program

Fitness Update: -16.8 in 91 days (3 mo)

Starting Weight: 152 (1/29/08)
Previous Weigh-in: 136.2
Current Weigh-in: 135.2
Weight Difference: -1
Total Weight Loss: -16.8 in 91 days (3 mo)
Current Goal: 130 lbs (5.2 lbs to go)

I am no longer overweight! Yay! Actually, I miscalculated and anything below 136.4 is normal for my height, albeit on the high end. Since I am so close to my 135 lbs goal (and I actually weighed less than that at one point this week), I'm setting a new goal of 130 lbs, with a mini goal of 20+ lbs total loss.

I think I may stop posting weigh-in updates (or do them less often when I show a significant loss or meet a goal); I need to put less stock in these now that I am more active and building muscle. I need to focus on inches instead and the fact that I can now wear size 6 pants (depending on the store, I can also wear size 2 and 4). I used to be a size 10/12 when I started this, so this is awesome.

My activity since last weigh-in: C25K 2mi run/walk every other day, 4mi bike 4 days, lift weights 2 days (I've been slacking on my strength training, so I need to do a bit more here).

Tomorrow is the next 5k at Epcot, and I am so ready! It will coincide with W5D3, in which I run 20 minutes straight. I am actually looking forward to this and a day at Disney afterwards.

Read W5D2 Update.

Fitness Update: -15.8 in 85 days

Starting Weight: 152 (1/29/08)
Previous Weigh-in: 136.4
Current Weigh-in: 136.2
BMI: 25

Weight Difference: -.2
Total Weight Loss: -15.8 in 85 days
Current Goal: 135 lbs (1.2 lbs to go)

Not much of a loss this week, but at least I did not put on any weight. I ate awful last weekend, so it would not have surprised me; I guess I made up for it with all the activity I did this week. I weighed myself before and after the run, and it seems I lost about 1/2 a pound just from this morning's workout. I also rode my bike to work today and to Waterford yesterday. I am feeling great!

Fitness Update: -15.6 in 78 days

Starting Weight: 152 (1/29/08)
Previous Weigh-in: 137.6
Current Weigh-in: 136.4
Weight Difference: -1.2
Total Weight Loss: -15.6 in 78 days
Mini Goal Exceeded: > 15 lbs lost
Current Goal: 135 lbs (1.4 lbs to go)

I wasn't expecting much of a loss this week since I have not been as active as normal and my food intake has been off (not really eating bad foods, but probably not eating enough because of stress). I did continue with the C25K running program 3 days this week, but that was about all I did; I did not lift weights or do much else on the days off. But I am thrilled that I've lost over 15 lbs total in the past 2 months.

Fitness Update: -14.4 in 71 days

Starting Weight: 152 (1/29/08)
Previous Weigh-in: 140.2
Current Weigh-in: 137.6
Weight Difference: -2.6
Total Weight Loss: -14.4 in 71 days
Mini Goal Exceeded: Weight < 140 lbs
Current Goal: 135 lbs (2.6 lbs to go)

I am finally showing a significant weight loss and I weigh under 140 lbs! Obviously I have been very active this week with 4 days of C25K walk/runs and 20-30 mins of weightlifting and abs on the other days. I also did yoga last Sat and will probably do that tonight and after the race. I kinda miss kickboxing, but I don't want to overwork my legs so I am focusing on upper body and abs on days off from running. I am taking it easy tonight to give my body a rest and be ready for the race tomorrow.

Fitness Update: -11.80 lbs in 64 days

Starting Weight: 152 (1/29/08)
Previous Weigh-in: 140.4
Current Weigh-in: 140.2
Weight Difference: -.2
Total Weight Loss: -11.8

Current Goal: 135 lbs (5.2 lbs to go)

I am a little disappointed that I practically lost no weight this week. I felt I was fairly active, but I guess I didn't make the best food choices. I think I got carried away because of last week's huge loss (which I knew wasn't entirely real) and made some bad choices. I ate out 3 times this week, including the character buffet at Disney after the race, backyard burger yesterday, some fried food and a milkshake on Wed (I hadn't eaten anything fried or had a milkshake in about 2 months). Since I've been more active, I've also been more hungry but I guess I did not choose the appropriate additional calories (even though I felt I ate more veggies and fruit than usual this week). The other explanation, which I prefer, is that I am gaining muscle from all the walking/jogging/biking and weight lifting I've been doing. I am sure it is a combination of these. At least I did not have a gain, but it is a little frustrating that I cannot break the 140 lbs mark. On a more positive note, I can now fit comfortably into a suit I've own for years and have only wore once if at all. I'll have to kick it into high gear next week to make up for this week and get ready for next Sat's 5K.

Fitness Update: -11.60 lbs in 58 days

Starting Weight: 152 (1/29/08)
Previous Weigh-in: 143.2 (3/15)
Weight before Mexico: 142.8 (3/19: -.4)
Weight after Mexico: 145.6 (3/24: +2.8)
Current Weigh-in: 140.4
Weight Difference: -2.8 / -5.2
Total Weight Loss: -11.6
Mini Goal Met: over 10lbs loss
Current Goal: 135 lbs (5.4 lbs to go)

It is a little alarming that I lost over 5 lbs in the 4 days since I've been back from Mexico, but I think the heavy weigh-in on Monday reflected all the bad food, sodium, alcohol consumption and water retention from the day or 2 prior rather than my real weight. Despite my best intentions, I did not workout while in Mexico--unless you count all the walking, which was not enough to counter the amount of food (take out) that I ate. In the 4 days since I've been back, my food intake went back to normal and I got my workout regimen back on track. I walked 2-4 miles everyday this week and did 20-30 minutes of cardio kickboxing on 3 of those days. That is amazing compared to the 10 mi/day of cardio kick I did when I started.

I've been trying to figure out what motivated me to keep going this time since I've had many false starts in the past. I guess I didn't really mean it before and didn't have goals in mind. This time I have focus and specific goals (e.g. get fit so Jason and I can compete in the Urban Challange without me feeling like I am going to pass out). I think the slow and steady pace has really helped. Other than adding more veggies, fruit, and healthier snacks and eating smaller portions more often throughout the day, I have not really stopped eating any of the foods I love--only the amount of them I have in one seating.

This really has been a lifestyle change because I now look at doing physical activity in a whole new way. Jason had tried to get me to ride our bikes to work and I cringed at the thought. I tried it once and decided it was not for me. But now I do not even bat an eye at the thought of walking 2 miles to work or to the corner store (did that last night with Mel and walked back with a backpack full of beer). Best of all, I feel great, have more energy and I am saving money by not eating out as much and walking to work (if I can keep it up with the hot Florida weather).

I probably should give some credit to the 365 days self portrait project. I think it has helped me become more self aware and thus more motivated in bettering myself. Who knows. I never really thought this project would have this effect, I just wanted to take better pictures.

Fitness Update: -8.8 lbs in 42 days

(I should have posted this on Friday, 3/14, but I kept forgetting: better late than never)

Starting Weight: 152 (1/29/08)
Previous Weigh-in: 143.6
Current Weigh-in: 143.2
Weight Difference: -.4
Total Weight Loss: -8.8

Current Goal: 135 lbs (8.2 lbs to go)

Not much of a loss this week, but at least I did not gain any weight; and the size 8 pants I bought at Target a week or two ago fit comfortably today. This really does not surprise me because I only did 3 days of cardio last week. I completely skipped Friday (I think this will have to become my official rest day). I went to Disney Sat & Sun, so I at least walked around quite a bit, but no actual workout on either of these days. On Thursday I did Yoga because I tried a new workout on Wed and I needed to relax my muscles; and I don't usually have time to workout and eat before poker night. I am starting to see a pattern here, so I think Thursdays will be my Yoga day, Friday my off day, and the rest alternating cardio and weights.

I leave for Mexico Wednesday, so I will weigh myself that morning and then on Sunday when I return. I may try out the Fitness Ladder while I am there so I still get some exercise, on top of all the walking we'll probably be doing. I may put some of my workout videos in my ipod, but I think it will be difficult to watch that and workout at the same time. If I put ones I've been doing a lot I should be able to do it by just listening. I am trying to be good and workout everyday until then since I am sure my food choices won't be the healthiest either.

On March 29th, we're doing a 2 Mile Run/Walk in Winter Park if anyone wants to join us. I'll probably just walk for the 2 miles, but I do need to go for a walk or hit the treadmill to figure out my pace.

Fitness Update: -8.4 lbs in 37 days

Starting Weight: 152 (1/29/08)
Previous Weigh-in: 146
Current Weigh-in: 143.6
Weight Difference: -2.4
Total Weight Loss: -8.4

Current Goal: 145 lbs - Exceeded!

New Goal: 135 lbs (8.6 lbs to go)

My next goal was going to be 140, but since I am so close to that already, I am going to go for 135 lbs. I cannot believe I lost that much weight this week; but I did workout everyday but yesterday, for 30 minutes on most days, and I ate pretty good this week. I had a few days with only 20 minutes or so of activity, and one day of yoga (Dynamic Stretch) because my knee was bothering me again. I really need to schedule at least one day a week for yoga or the like to give myself a productive break and relax. I just always feel like I have the energy to do a cardio workout and don't want to waste it on yoga, but I need to because it is just as important as the cardio and weight training.

I am giving up on Gyminee because it really is more than I need. I only track what I eat because it helps me make better choices when I have to write it down, so I am now using TweatWhatYouEat for that. It is super easy and convenient (I just IM it what I eat--I can even do it from my phone). I use Google Calendar to track my daily exercise and weekly weigh-ins; it helps me to look at how active I've been during the week or the month at a glance.

I am really happy with my progress so far and I am going to reward myself with some new Legos after work (see next post for details).

Fitness Update: -6 lbs in 30 days

Starting Weight: 152 (1/29/08)
Previous Weigh-in: 147.6
Current Weigh-in: 146
Weight Difference: -1.6
Total Weight Loss: -6

Current Goal: 145 lbs (1 lb. to go)

I sorta skipped last week's weigh-in; well, I did weigh myself but didn't show much of a loss so did not post about it. There were parties 2 Saturdays in a row and Jason's birthday dinner, so I didn't eat the best. I was also not feeling as good and thus did not workout as much as I should have. I weighed myself last Friday because I figured it would not be good to weigh myself the morning after consuming alcohol and junk at a party, but that weigh-in was after work after I had drank tons of water, so it is a bit off. It did show a .2 loss, but anyway.

This week I tried to eat better and workout more to make up for the bad choices last week and it paid off. I was getting a bit discouraged, but looking at the scale this morning gave me that extra kick I needed. One more pound to go for my first goal! Hopefully I'll reach that by next weekend and I can then set a new goal. But a 6-lbs loss in one month is a good accomplishment, so I should feel good about that. yay!

Fitness Update: -4.2 lbs in 17 days

Starting Weight: 152 (1/29/08)
Previous Weigh-in: 148.6
Current Weigh-in: 147.8
Weight Difference: -.8
Total Weight Loss: -4.2

Current Goal: 145 lbs (2.8 lbs to go)

I actually did my weigh-in yesterday morning because I knew I would be drinking last night and it would affect my weigh-in today. I think I am going to switch to Saturdays permanently because it will be a more accurate representation of the week, since I think I tend to make worse eating choices during the weekend.

I was fairly good last week. I did eat out twice (once for lunch and once for dinner) and last weekend I didn't make the best choices. I still managed to do cardio for at least 10 minutes everyday this week, with 20-minutes or more at least half the week. On days when I only did 10 minutes of cardio, I also added 10 minutes of toning or yoga. On Friday my knee started to give me trouble so I need to ease up on the kickboxing and launges a bit. I also need to do better at warming up and stretching since the 10-minute workouts don't leave much time for that. I found a Walk Away the Pounds workout to do for when I need something a bit lower impact (read rest) and I think I am going to use part of it as a warm up for when I do any of the 10-minute workouts. The last thing I want is to seriously injure myself and not be able to workout at all. Even on rest days I want to go for a walk or do yoga. The idea is to be active in some way every day. I've also been parking further at work so at the very least I get that extra brief walk each morning.

It does not look like I will meet my goal of 145 lbs by Jason's bday, but I am fine with that as long as I continue to show a loss. I am going to try to watch what I eat more closely and workout at least 20 minutes each day this week to make up for some of the bad choices I made last week and the ones I'm likely to make at Jason's bday party.

Fitness Update: -3.4 lbs in 11 days

I am hesitant to post about this because it seems every time I do I fall off the wagon, but I really want it to work this time. So I need your support to help me stay on track.

I've been trying to workout and eat better on and off since sometime last year, but about 2 weeks ago I started using gyminee to seriously track my food intake and exercise activity. I am not on a diet persay, because I know that I won't keep that up and all I really need to do is eat healthier and workout more. However, I've started to pay attention to what I eat and working out regularly.

I am eating breakfast everyday. This is huge for me because I am not a morning person, but I know its very important to losing weight, kickstarting my metabolism for the day, and forming a healthy eating habit. We've cooked dinner at home and taken our lunch to work for the past 2 weeks. I think this alone will be a huge help because it is much harder to make healthier choices when I go out to lunch, not to mention all the money we're saving that we can spend on healthier food. Instead of eating my typical 2 big meals (lunch and dinner) and random snacks in between when that is not enough, I am consciously eating smaller meals more often and drinking lots of water throughout the day. I'm trying to eat more veggies and fruit with my meals and as snacks, so we started getting deliveries from Orlando Organics again every other week. Since I know I have a sweet tooth, I also got some 100 calorie packs and granola bars from nabisco. They are healthier, low in calories, and will give me that sugar fix I need every so often so I don't cave and run to the vending machine.

I managed to do at least one 10-minute cardio kickboxing workout everyday last week (I wanted to start small and work my way up). The week before that, I worked out 3 days. Now that I am starting to build a habit, I am going to kick it up a notch and try to do at least 20 minutes of cardio each day with some toning thrown in there. Yesterday I did 20 minutes of kickboxing toning (arms, shoulders, butt, and thighs from 10 Minute Solutions - Kickbox Bootcamp) in the morning and 30 minutes of Kathy Smith's Kickboxing Workout in the afternoon. I really love kickboxing because its high intensity and fun, so it doesn't feel like work. I joined netflix again so I can try out other workout videos to find enough things to mix it up and prevent me from getting bored and quitting. I am also going to incorporate yoga into this because with all this punching and kicking, I need some stretching and relaxing too. I am going to try to do some activity every day, even if it is just one of the 10 minute videos, butI think I may take one day off each week to let my body rest. Today I am beyond beat and only managed 10 minutes of kickboxing, but that is better than nothing.

So, here are my current stats (I'll update them every Sunday after my weight-in):

Starting Weight: 152 (1/29/08)
Last Weigh-in: 150.2 (2/3/08)
Today's Weigh-in: 148.6
Weight Difference: -1.6
Total Weight Loss: -3.4

Current Goal: 145 lbs (3.6 lbs to go)

My current goal is 145 lbs, which I hope to reach by Jason's birthday (2/23). I figured instead of setting one massive goal, I'll set smaller ones that I can reach easily so I stay motivated. I have no idea what my ultimate goal is, but the ideal body weight for my height is in the range of 105 - 135. I'll probably set 135 as my next goal, or maybe I'll just continue in 5 lb intervals until I am happy with my body. Ultimately, I'd like to be down at least 1 pant size. I'll be happy as long as I am showing a loss of 1-2 lbs. each week. I want to do this slow and steady and be healthy about it so I can sustain it and maintain the weight once I lose it.