After yesterday’s weigh-in, I felt the need to prove to you all that I am, in fact, still eating starches. Thus, this is what I ate for lunch yesterday: a delicious turkey sausage pesto pizza made on the Ezekiel 4:9 pita bread. It was really tasty.
I also had a sub sandwich for dinner yesterday. It was on whole wheat, but still, it was a sandwich. I went ahead and took the risk because I was pretty exhausted and Hubbo had a craving for Dion’s, the local popular pizza chain. I obviously didn’t want to order pizza, and I was way too exhausted to subsist on a salad (though their salads are fabulous), and so I went for the sandwich.
So I am at 195 lbs this morning. That is absolutely fine with me for a couple of reasons. 1) I am still at my goal, which was set for next Wednesday, and so I’m early. 2) It makes me believe that yesterday’s weigh-in of 193 lbs was, in fact, accurate, because I do tend to gain after having a sandwich for dinner. And if gaining put me at 195 lbs, it stands to logic that I was surely under it before.
Anyway, right smack dab in the middle here I’m going to post a bit of TMI, so go ahead and skip to the next paragraph if you don’t want to read about my period. My TOM started yesterday, and I have to tell you: it seems like the more weight I lose, the worse my cramps get. I don’t understand it. I’m on BC, so for the past several years I’ve had really light, fairly painless periods (though before that I had terrible, terrible cramping every month). Over the past months, I have had bad cramps every time. Why?? Losing weight is supposed to make my cycle healthier and more stable, is it not? And so is BC, so I’m really at a loss. Is anyone else out there experiencing this?
I also noticed a bit of an NSV yesterday. I was sitting with my legs crossed and I realized I can actually do that now. It should be noted that I have enormous thighs, and that it’s there that I really want to lose a lot of weight – even more than in my tummy at this point. Anyway, I am encouraged that they are actually getting smaller! When I used to cross my legs, I couldn’t get the bottom of the top knee to rest on the top of the bottom knee because my thighs were so giant, and so my top leg was always at an exaggerated angle. No more! Huzzah! (Note: I don’t expect that this description accurately depicts what was happening to my legs for most of you, but just trust me. Anybody that’s had this problem will understand.)
I believe that’s it for the day. I hope you liked my photo. I keep meaning to take pictures of some food and blog about it but I never remember, so hopefully that will get me started. See you all tomorrow!
I am ridiculously scared to write these numbers down. I don’t believe them. It feels like if I put them here on the website then I am saying “Yes, I reached this. Give me credit for it and expect more!”
Let me be clear that this was a Phase II week. The beginning of this week contained two days that were completely Phase I days. Yesterday, also, was mostly Phase I, but included a snack of Peanut Butter on Whole Wheat bread. All the other days I had Phase II meals; my diet this week included shamelessly eating bread brought to me at a steakhouse, rice pilaf, couscous and lots of other starches. I’m assuming those three days of eating Phase I foods almost entirely by accident account for this weigh-in.
The only other possibility I can think of is calorie shifting, which I’m not sure I really buy into. (Please note that I link to this article simply to explain what calorie shifting is, not to recommend it. Check out this article for the dangers of relying on a diet like that.) I haven’t been doing this on purpose because I’m on the South Beach Diet, not a calorie-shifting diet. But I did try a lot of new things this week (hence the post entitled “Trying New Things“) and varied up my diet quite a bit.
Is that enough of a disclaimer for you to believe that I had nothing to do with this?
Starting Weight: 226.5 lbs Last Weigh-In: 199.5 lbs Current Weight: 193 lbs Weight Lost This Week: 6.5 lbs Total Weight Lost: 33.5 lbs
Starting Waist: 45 in Last Weigh-In: 37.5 in Current Waist: 37 in Inches Lost This Week: 0.5 in Total Inches Lost: 8 in
Starting Hips: 47 in Last Weigh-In: 43.25 in Current Hips: 43 in Inches Lost This Week: 0.25 in Total Inches Lost: 4 in
So needless to say I’ve met my goal of 195 lbs. The next goal is 191 lbs. I’m afraid that this weigh-in is a false low (though I stepped on and off over and over in disbelief, and even moved the scale to a different room to see if it was just unbalanced) and that if I act as though it’s real I won’t give myself enough time to hit 191 lbs. But there’s this other part of me that says I should believe in myself. I have lost thirty pounds. Why do I still think I can’t lose weight?
So the next goal date is going to be August 6th. That way, even if I wake up tomorrow morning and weigh 196 lbs again, I should be able to meet it. Here’s to luck…
I guess the scale was more accurate yesterday than I thought. It stuck to 195.5 lbs this morning.
I really think one of the things that was holding me back the past couple of weeks was lack of water intake. Now, I know diet bloggers tend to harp on drinking enough water, and I know this isn’t an original idea. But truly – I stopped paying attention to it as much as I paid attention to the rest of my diet and my weight loss slowed down. Now I’m back in action and as of right now I’ve lost 4 lbs since last Wednesday (6 days).
I really hope tomorrow’s weigh-in goes well. I mean, I know that I will have lost, so I’m not worried about that. I guess I’ve just gotten used to seeing these super-low numbers and I’ll be kind of disappointed if tomorrow I get on the scale and it says 197 lbs again. I know that’s 2.5 lbs in a week and nothing to scoff at, but it feels like I’m moving past that now. It’s just so unpredictable… I hate that my weight fluctuates so much from day to day.
I know fluctuation is normal and I keep telling myself that. But still… I’m on a diet! I’m eating fewer calories than I’m burning, and I’m eating low-carb, so: what’s the problem? Why is it that if I eat one non-diet meal I gain? Why is it that one week on vacation (with lots of healthy snacks and no overeating) sets me back 5 lbs? Honestly, this makes me really afraid that I’m going to get to my goal weight, go on maintenance, and balloon up from eating normally. I’m afraid I won’t be able to prevent gaining if I’m not losing.
Ah well. I have a ways to go before I have to worry about that. It presently annoys me because I want an amazing weigh-in tomorrow, but I’m going to let the big worry just kind of sit there in the recesses of my mind until I absolutely have to deal with it.
Yesterday I ate almost totally Phase I foods. I find this is really easy to do when you incorporate lots of beans, therefore: a three-bean salad for lunch! It wasn’t that great of a recipe, though (much too acidic for me) and I think I’ll be trying to jazz it up a bit with my own twists next time. If I’m successful, I’ll post the recipe here; otherwise, go find yourself a three-bean salad recipe! It’s worth it. And anyway, we went out to dinner and I had a fabulous salad, but I couldn’t control myself: I had half of a dinner roll with butter and a couple bites of Hubbo’s Mac ‘n Cheese.
Randomly, this morning I weighed in at 196 lbs. New low. Lost 3.5 lbs in one day. Even while cheating with rolls and cheesy pasta.
I really think my body was just holding onto some of my camping weight for a little while extra and finally decided to release it after a few days of mild torture. Maybe I hadn’t been drinking enough water. Who knows? I just hope the trend continues.
I’m so ridiculously pleased. It looks like C25K is having an impact on my weight loss (and inches lost) after all! Thanks to this weigh in and a little prodding from my new diet buddy Lavender Lemonade, I will attack Week 2 Run 2 with renewed fervor this morning. You can bet I am going to finish today.
Starting Weight: 226.5 lbs Last Weigh-In: 200 lbs Current Weight: 197 Weight Lost This Week: 3 lbs Total Weight Lost: 29.5 lbs
Starting Waist: 45 in Last Weigh-In: 38.5 in Current Waist: 37 in Inches Lost This Week: 1.5 in Total Inches Lost: 8 in
Starting Hips: 47 in Last Weigh-In: 44 in Current Hips: 43 in Inches Lost This Week: 1 in Total Inches Lost: 4 in
I also did all my other measurements (including body fat) for the first time this morning. I’m going to be keeping track of those from now on, too.
It’s so awesome to know I am only .5 lbs away from a 30-lb loss! Amazing!
I was so wound up about my little weight gain yesterday that it took me several hours before I noticed: my legs weren’t sore from C25K the day before. Bizarre, right? It was only my second run, but my body seems very interested in cooperating with me already. Sweet.
As for today, I had a completely unreliable weigh-in. When I first got on the scale, it said 199.5 two times. Then it started saying 201 over and over. I got frustrated with that and moved the scale to re-set it and start over. After that, it said 199 once and then 200 lbs several times in a row. I hate it when the scale can’t decide how much I weigh.
But since I am such a masochistic glutton for punishment, I got on the scale again after I finished Week 1, Run 3 – just to check in you know? (Read: I am completely neurotic and must know exactly how much I weigh every day.) That time, the scale did not deviate – it picked 199.5 lbs and stuck with it, despite the fact that I had eaten breakfast and had half a liter of water by this point. So that’s the number I’m sticking with, too.
Anyway, Run 3 was a great success, in my opinion. I bumped up my speed a little because the slow jog on the treadmill really kills my knees – I have to take tiny steps in order for it to work. I hung out between 4.8 and 5.1 mph for the most part, although on one of my run intervals I was feeling pretty good running at 5.3 mph. I’m pretty sure this will have to decrease a bit again next week, at least for the first run. I don’t want to push too hard (and yes, jogging for 90 seconds at 5.1 mph could be pushing too hard. I am a wuss, but this is my blog, so you can’t laugh at me because I will censor you. Ha!)
Tomorrow I plan to do some weights at the gym. Cardio is great, but it does nothing for my thunder-thighs.
I am totally stunned. I stepped on and off the scale several times again this morning to verify, and the number didn’t change.
I guess there’s nothing else to say by way of introduction. Better to just let the numbers speak for themselves this week.
Starting Weight: 226.5 lbs Last Weigh-In: 204.5 lbs Current Weight: 200 lbs Weight Lost This Week: 4.5 lbs Total Weight Lost: 26.5 lbs
Starting Waist: 45 in Last Weigh-In: 39.5 in Current Waist: 39.5 in Inches Lost This Week: 0 in Total Inches Lost: 5.5 in
Starting Hips: 47 in Last Weigh-In: 44 in Current Hips: 43.5 in Inches Lost This Week: 0.5 in Total Inches Lost: 3.5 in
So just to sum up, total weight loss for the two weeks of Phase I (Part II): 11 lbs!
It boggles my mind that from Wednesday through Saturday I can lose absolutely nothing, and then suddenly, without changing any behavior at all, drop 4.5 lbs from Saturday to Wednesday. I really thought I had stalled at 204.5 lbs. I guess it just goes to show what a little perseverance can do.
Anyway, I expect to see a little bump up in the numbers tomorrow as this is the first day of Phase II (Part II). I am, however, reintroducing the carbs a lot slower this time. Last time I just started eating fruit and starches and everything at several meals on the first day. This time I think I’ve rationed it out a bit better to be a little more gradual with my system.
Phase I and the NBA Championship are officially over, and it is with great relief that I bid them farewell! (So sorry, Hubbo, but if I had to hear about another Celtics game this month I think I would have about had it.)
The scale said 201.5 lbs today. What?! I wasn’t expecting that. I got off and got back on several times, though, and it stayed the same. Another pound-and-a-half gone. Wow! I just really hope I don’t gain it back tomorrow. I want my weeklong low for weigh-in day (although it doesn’t usually work out like that).
I don’t know why, but I am still surprised whenever the scale jumps like that. I had almost convinced myself that it wasn’t worth it for me to do two weeks of Phase I – that the second week I never lose more than I would on Phase II anyway. Well, I guess I done got served.
Anyway, something I forgot to mention yesterday amid all the talk about rewards and goals and whatnot – I didn’t say what my next goal was going to be now that I’ve hit the 10% goal! I’ve set it for 199 lbs to break the 200 mark. And since yesterday I weighed 203, I gave myself three weeks to hit it – looks like I should be coming in a little early if things keep happening the way they are. But we’ll see… I don’t want to count my chickens, you know?
I guess I will leave you with that. I am in a fantastic mood today. Two months and two days after beginning, I have hit the 25 lb loss mark. Awesome!
Sorry to have disappeared for the weekend. We had a fairly busy one what with Father’s Day being my grandfather’s 93rd birthday and all. (I had one bite of Hubbo’s piece of cake, by the way, and that was after I passed around the bread, potato salad, and fresh fruit without taking a scoop. It was so good I wanted to cry.) Anyway, to make it up to you, I’ve put up a new Rewards Page! This is where I’m listing the little celebratory things I will give myself when I hit certain goals. If I were smart, I would have done this a while back and included something for a 10% weight loss. Unfortunately, I would feel cheap listing a reward for a goal I’ve just hit – it doesn’t seem quite fair to add that into my self-contract late.
That’s right, I said I’ve hit it. Both yesterday and today I weighed in at 203 lbs. Over ten percent of my weight is gone. Woohoo! And I am so close to being under 200 lbs I can smell it. There is nothing special about breaking the 200 mark, I know, but it really is just going to feel so nice to know that the first number in my weight is a one. I’m going to feel like I really accomplished something there.
And I gotta tell ya: the end of Phase I (Part II) is coming, and I cannot wait. I don’t crave carbs, I’m just bored with the menu!
Yesterday at the office I was called “The Incredible Shrinking Woman.” Teehee. I feel very silly admitting it, but I do like the positive attention. This is very strange to me, as I am usually one to avoid being the center of attention at all costs. I guess this is just an accomplishment I am actually proud of, whereas most of the other things I get complimented on I was always raised to downplay and shrug off. I like it better this way.
Anyway, here’s a little nugget for you. I found this on another blog this morning. It’s the trailer for a new documentary called “Simply Raw.” It’s over nine minutes long, but if you get a chance, give it a look. It’s about how a raw food diet can completely reverse the effects of insulin-dependent Type 2 Diabetes.
Now, South Beach is not a raw foods diet, but it has also been shown to reverse Type 2 Diabetes. Of course, nothing has been “proved” and the American Diabetes Association doesn’t buy it. But my mom was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes several years ago. She went on SBD, lost 50 lbs, and her blood sugar is completely under control when she follows the SBD guidelines. I’m not a doctor, but I’m just saying: give it a chance.
Anyway, here’s the trailer:
I guess I’m posting this here because it’s so relevant to me. My grandmother, my mom, and my dad all have Type 2 Diabetes. Combine that with what I weighed at my last doctor’s visit on April 7th – 230 lbs! – and there was very little chance of me escaping the disease even at 22 years of age. All these studies give me hope. We don’t have to eat crap, people! I mean, there’s a lot of crap out there to eat, but there is good stuff, too! I know it might be a little more expensive, but it’s totally worth it to eat food the way God made it instead of out of a box or in freeze-dried powder form. Our bodies were designed to eat pure foods, so it’s no wonder they don’t function great when we fill them up with processed junk.
Okay, I’ll get off my soapbox now. I know most of you are not here for a lecture, so here’s what you’ve been waiting for: my weight is 205.5 lbs today. Gained a pound from yesterday but it’s fine; I’m sure it’s just normal fluctuations.
I’m also going to see my mom tonight for the first time in several weeks (over a month?) as she’s been out of state. I hope she notices that I am smaller.
After yesterday’s weigh-in, I felt the need to prove to you all that I am, in fact, still eating starches. Thus, this is what I ate for lunch yesterday: a delicious turkey sausage pesto pizza made on the Ezekiel 4:9 pita bread. It was really tasty.
My TOM started yesterday, and I have to tell you: it seems like the more weight I lose, the worse my cramps get. I don’t understand it. I’m on BC, so for the past several years I’ve had really light, fairly painless periods (though before that I had terrible, terrible cramping every month). Over the past months, I have had bad cramps every time. Why?? Losing weight is supposed to make my cycle healthier and more stable, is it not? And so is BC, so I’m really at a loss. Is anyone else out there experiencing this?