5 Pounds in 2 1/2 Weeks

I'm shedding pounds! My weight has been dropping ever since I started adding fruit to my diet. From July 9th to July 21st I lost a total of five pounds. That means my weight has dropped over six pounds in the last month! I'm so relieved. I want to make sure I don't lose weight too quickly, but at the same time I want to make sure my weight loss stays constant and steady.


Total Weight Loss since March: 12 pounds


My plateau really slowed me down during May and June, but I'm glad I'm back on track. It's healthy to lose weight slowly, anyway. I believe things will be better from here on.

The Plateau is Gone!

I'm now back on track once again! Hooray! I weighed myself a couple of days ago and I was very happy and impressed with what I saw. I will continue to keep weighing myself every morning and record what I eat every day in my food diary. Life is going great!

Breaking My Plateau

I'm finally seeing some weight-loss results! My plateau is breaking and very shortly I will be lighter than I have been in a year. The answer to my plateau break? Five letters: F-R-U-I-T

I simply added more fruit to my diet.

Record keeping turned out to be a brilliant idea, because I was able to see the changes in my body every single day and see how foods and exercise contributed to my weight. As soon as I added more fruits to my diet I immediately started seeing results. My weight plummeted! What I did was I changed my diet so all I was eating in the morning was fruit. I also became more conscious of how I ate my meals. I began to eat smaller meals and added small snacks throughout the day, which turned out to be fruit every time.

Now my biggest challenge I foresee in the near future is going on vacation next week. I must try to maintain the progress I have been making and not give in to old bad habits. I will report further success in two weeks!

Record! Record! Record!

I am now recording details on my weight-loss program daily. I record what I eat, how much I weigh each morning, how much water I drink (usually estimation), if I took vitamins and herbal supplements that day, and if I went to the gym or walked. My goal is to become more aware of any changes that occur in my body so that I will know how to overcome my weight-loss plateau. I am hoping that if I am more health conscious on a daily basis I will do better in the long run. I have been doing this for the past three days, and so far I am very happy with this arrangement. I notice I eat less when I am aware that I have to record exactly what I have. I am better at taking my vitamins and herbal supplements, too.

Exercising! Walking! Weight Lifting!

I made a huge effort to exercise more than usual this week. I spent a great deal of time weight lifting at the gym, which I don't normally do, as well as walking with my step-kids and mother-in-law. Every morning I walked about 25 minutes with the children to school, and then fifteen minutes home again (it always takes longer with kids). I went walking with my mother-in-law along the Jordan River Parkway on Wednesday, and I walked 30 minutes with her on Friday (today). My legs and feet are a little sore, as well as my back and arms from weight lifting, but Brad has been very nice to me and has given me plenty of massages, much to my delight.

Despite my extra effort to exercise more this week, I unfortunately did not lose any weight. My plateau continues to linger on, much to my dismay, but I have every hope that I will get past it soon enough. I just need to be patient and try harder not to cheat with food. Brad has suggested that I keep a food diary, and that I weigh myself every day so that I can monitor myself daily instead of weekly. I will try it his way and report how that goes.

Please keep cheering me on! I need the extra encouragement to help me get through this difficult, unchanging time. I'm tired of waiting and working each week and seeing no positive results when I weigh myself. I feel distressed at times.

2nd Month Report: Weight Loss Plateau

My weight did not drop drastically during the month of April. In fact, it barely dropped at all. Right now my weight appears to be at a plateau stage, where I’m not gaining or losing any weight. I’m still eating healthier than a few months ago, and I exercise every day, but it appears that I am not doing enough to keep me on track.

But I have not given up! I still feel I can lose the weight. I just need to improve myself in some areas to get me back to where I want to be. Here are my ideas:

1) I need to exercise more during the day, even if it’s mild. Right now I spend too much time sitting around indoors. My plan is to walk with my stepchildren to school every morning: about a 40 minute walk. I still plan on going to the gym for 20 minutes every weekday morning, and go walking with my mother-in-law.

2) I will eat lighter dinners. Right now I often take large helpings at dinner time, because I’m usually hungry during the evening. Sometimes the food we have is not all together “light,” so I need to learn to take smaller helpings and avoid foods that have a large amount of calories.

3) I should eat healthy snacks during the day, like high fiber cereal or fruit, so that I will not be hungry at dinner time.

4) I plan on lifting weights at the gym more often, instead of spending the whole time walking on the treadmill. I think I need to focus more on strengthening my muscles so that I’ll burn calories more efficiently.

I will report my success next Friday. Stay tuned!

Slow and Steady

I woke up this morning dreading the inevitable.

"It's time to get up and weigh yourself," came Brad's cheerful and annoying voice.

Drat! I wished he had forgotten. My response came in indistinguishable groans and moans as I defiantly rolled over in bed and pulled the blanket over my head. "Nooor... grrraaa... umph...."

I only went to the gym once this week, due to my lingering cough. I thought for sure I had either gained a pound over the week or did not lose anything. Nothing tempted me to get out of bed and willingly make my way to the scale. I did not want to see the results of my neglectfulness.

Despite my grumbling and protests, Brad somehow managed to get me into the bathroom. Grudgingly, I stepped on the scale and waited for the results. Three seconds later I was surprised by the numbers I saw. I had lost weight! Not a lot, but still some. I had lost 1.6 pounds since last week!

I am still amazed at the weight I lost even though I hardly exercised last week. I got to keep in mind that "slow and steady wins the race." It's good that I'm losing weight constantly, even if it's small.

Another Week Gone By

I was sick this week with a cold and did not make it to the gym. Even though I was resting most of the time I was still able to lose weight, probably because I was still eating carefully. I'm happy with my weight-loss. I've decided not to stress out about losing 1.6 pounds every week. As long as I lose some weight I'll be happy.

My First Month

I weighed myself this morning, and even though I'm not quite on track anymore, I still weighed a little less than last week. My body is having a hard time losing weight at the moment. I'm not really sure why, because I'm eating fairly strict and I exercise every day. My sister, Susie, gave me some encouragement, though, and told me that as long as I'm losing weight, even if it's small, I'm still doing fine. She told me that when she got off her mission it took her body a couple of months to start dropping off weight. I'm hoping that will be my case as well. I'm not giving up!

Monthly Weight Loss Report
I've lost 6 pounds since the beginning of March, so that means I've got 79 more pounds to go before I reach my ultimate goal. I'm about 3 1/2 pounds heavier than my desired weight for this week.

Darn, that Leatherby's Ice Cream!

Leatherby's Creamery is sooooooooo good! Have you ever gone there before? They make the best tasting ice cream sundaes EVER, plus they give you HUGE servings so by the time you're done you feel like you had a full meal. Even a "mini" sundae is huge, let alone the gigantic, gooey, Woody's Family Creation, which was what Brad and I had last week on Friday (not the same as in photo). Mint ice cream, almonds, pinapples, strawberries, fudge.... YUM! Brad and I shared the sundae, so at least I didn't end up eating all 9,000 calories, but I probably consumed approximately my entire daily limit, plus 2,000 more. Mm mm... it was SO good!

Oh, and have you ever been to the Grille From Ipanema? It's a restaurant that specializes in Brazilian barbecue. Waiters move from table to table bringing different types of meats on skewers from which they slice portions onto your plate. You can have as much as you like, as often as you like, as long as you keep the little wooden square block on "green." Plus they have an all you can eat salad bar that includes far more entrees than just salad and green vegetables. Geez, that was yummy!

Oh, and have you ever tried Sam's Club delicious whipped cream cake with blue frosting? That was mighty tasty, too. It seemed to melt in my mouth each time I took a spoonful...

So, with all this food I ate last weekend I suppose you can guess that I didn't make my goal for this week. I had way too much crap over the weekend. At least I didn't gain a lot of weight back, but I'm now a week behind, which makes me a little upset because that means I'll to work harder next week to make my goal. Oh, well! I'll do better next week.

A Successful Week!

I am very relieved that I met my goal this week. I tried really hard the last few days to stay on track, because I knew that I was right on the borderline of my goal. Being sick helped a little, because I didn't feel like eating much and when I did eat I was very careful not to eat greasy foods or anything that would make me queasy. But I did have soda this week. I had Sprite to ease my stomach a few times, as well as fruit juice and Gatorade, because I needed the extra liquid. I probably drank gallons and gallons of water, too. My goal this next week is to pull a ahead of my weekly goal, so I won't be stressed about losing the 1.6 pounds. I don't like being on the borderline. I get worried and stressed.

Health Tip: Do it Slow and Steady

The average adult gains 1-3 pounds per year. One pound of fat equals 3,500 calories. So what makes you think you can take it all off -- and keep it off -- in just a few short months? The best and most successful approach is slow and steady, at a rate of 1-2 pounds per week. Weight lost at this rate is primarily fat and has a much better chance of remaining lost forever. A slower and maybe even more effective way of keeping pounds off for good is cutting out just 150 calories a day. This seems like such a small amount, but your body will not miss those extra calories. This will add up to 1,050 calories a week and 4200 calories a month, which will result in a weight loss of more than a pound a month. Remember “Slow and Steady Wins the Calorie Race!”

Drinking Water Pays Off!

I weighed myself this morning and discovered that I lost the 0.8 pounds yesterday after drinking 8 glasses of water, so now I weigh exactly how much I needed to yesterday in order to meet my goal last week! WOW! OK, I think I'm converted to the whole drinking-water-thing. I was not expecting to see such a dramatic difference.

Oh, but I still didn't meet my goal for last week, because I was supposed to be 0.8 pounds lighter yesterday not today, but that's OK. That just means I'll be ahead 0.8 pounds in the coming week.

Health Tip: Drink 8 Cups of Water a Day

Drinking almost eight cups of water (2 liters) may help burn nearly 100 extra calories a day, according to findings of a small study from Germany.
That may not sound like much, but it could add up to 700 calories a week or 2,800 calories a month. And that's by doing something we should do anyway to keep our intestines and kidneys happy, and to help keep us from confusing thirst with hunger. Be careful not to drink too much water, though. Moderation is the key!

0.8 Pounds

I didn't quite make my 1.6 goal this week. I was 0.8 pounds too heavy. But that's OK, because I know I can do better next week. At least I still lost some weight and didn't gain any back. I think the main reason why I didn't make it this week was because I let myself go hungry too often, and I didn't drink enough water. My mother-in-law also made too many fried foods for dinner this week, and I'm afraid I gave in to her cooking too many times.

It will probably be harder for me to control my eating habits on Easter, but I will try to make up for it during the following week. I plan on eating small portions during the weekend and avoid eating fried foods and candy. I'm still making it to the gym almost every day, and I go walking a few times a week, too. I've been really good at avoiding sodas and fruit juice, and I haven't had any french fries in weeks, so I'm doing well in those categories. My goal is to drink at least 8 glasses of water each day next week. I think drinking more water will help me feel less hungry. I will report my success next Friday.

Have a Happy Easter!

Health Tip: Do Strength Training to Build Muscle

When you exercise, you use muscle. This helps build muscle mass, and muscle tissue burns more calories -- even when you're at rest -- than body fat. According to Wharton, 10 pounds of muscle would burn 50 calories in a day spent at rest, while 10 pounds of fat would burn 20 calories.
"The most effective way to increase metabolism and burn more calories is by aerobic exercise and strength training. Both are important," Megan A. McCrory, PhD, a researcher with the School of Nutrition and Exercise Science at Bastyr University , says in an email interview.
Strength training becomes especially important as we get older, when our metabolisms tend to slow down. One way to stop this is to add some strength training to your workout at least a couple of times a week. The largest muscles (and therefore the largest calorie burners) are in the thighs, abdomen, chest, and arms.

First and Second Week Success!

I met my goal of losing 1.6 pounds on March 7th and March 14th. I lost a total of four pounds those two weeks. Today I had my first taste of soda (notice I said "taste") since February. I earned it! I'm glad I've been such a good girl. It sure pays off looking at the scale and realizing that I'm making progress. I just want to hug myself!

Weight Loss Plan

Goal

My goal is to lose 1.6 pounds per week for one year (unless I get pregnant).

My desired weight is 155 pounds.

Reward System

Weekly Goal: Lose 1.6 pounds

Reward: 1 fancy dessert and soda

Monthly Goal: Lose 6.5 pounds

Reward: Fancy restaurant date with Brad

Quarterly Goal: Lose 20 pounds

Reward: Shopping Spree! Buy new clothes.

Ultimate Goal: Lose 85 pounds within the year (or get pregnant)

Reward: Bed and Breakfast Inn weekend getaway

Diet

The goal is for me to not eat more than 1900 calories a day. I should eat most foods in moderation and should only have small portions at meal times, especially dinner.

• Fruits and vegetables-- no limit.



• Whole wheat bread (no white bread)



• Nonfat yogurt



• Low fat cottage cheese



• Boiled eggs



• Lots of water



• No soda, fruit juices, or milk



• Fish and chicken (not fried)



• Small portions of red meat



• No ice cream or other tempting desserts (unless earned)

I've decided to let myself go easier on weekends and eat what my family is eating so I won't feel left out. I also plan on taking daily vitamin supplements just in case I get pregnant during the process of trying to lose weight.

Exercising

Luckily, I've already established a daily habit of exercise with Brad over the last five months, so exercise is already a routine for me and won't be a big adjustment. Brad and I go to the gym every weekday morning at 6:00 before Brad goes to work, so it has become a daily ritual for both of us. My area of improvement includes doing more weight lifting so I can burn more calories when I exercise.

My Goal

My Goal

I want to weigh less than 155 pounds by next March. My husband Brad and I have been trying to have a baby since last April, but I believe my weight has been contributing to my not being able to conceive. I've gained 45 pounds since we were married in 2006. I was already slightly obese at that time, but now I'm even heavier than before, due to my poor eating habits and lack of daily exercise.

My goal is to either get pregnant or lose 85 pounds by March 2009. Brad and I have already discussed how we were going to meet these goals and we have come up with a plan. Brad has been a big help and support to me. He's my greatest motivator.

OK, so my goal is to lose 1.6 pounds every week. Doesn't seem too hard, does it? I want to have a healthy, realistic goal so I can feel like I'm making progress every week without becoming discouraged or upset if I mess up. I also want to make sure I'm getting enough vitamins in my system in case I do become pregnant while I'm dieting.