Clothing as progress

This is a black skirt that I own. I quite like this skirt but I haven't worn it in quite awhile as it's been too tight. However, I tried it on the other day and IT FIT! It was even a little loose! While that was very exciting, let me tell you this: I bought this skirt six years ago for a work Christmas party and when I bought it, it was a bit tighter - and tighter than it is now! So I'm in better shape than I was six years ago! That, my friends, is progress worth celebrating!

WW Weigh-In #25

And so it goes. And so it goes.

Last week: 185.8 lb
This week: 186.8 lb
Total gained this week: 1.0 lb

Weight loss target: 181.8 lb
To reach target: 5.0 lb

Sigh. I've been gaining and losing the same few pounds for about two months now - coincidentally, the same amount of time we've been house hunting. As I mentioned yesterday, stress eating has been a thing but now that I've recognized that I'm hoping to defeat it. Still, it would be so much easier if we could just buy a damn house!

I'm still working at finding a way over this hurdle. The Couch to 5K program will help; I did the first workout yesterday and it was pretty easy which will help me keep going. The running I've done in the past is definitely going to help but it's also nice to start at the beginning of the program and do really well - it's that kind of instant success that will help me keep going.

Also, I'm not going to hit my goal weight by July 4, alas. Losing 5 lb in a week is possible, but it's neither healthy nor sustainable. All I can do is keep working at it.

Self-sabotage

Guys, it's time I admit it: I've been self-sabotaging.

The past few weeks my weigh-ins have been a little bit of a loss or a little bit of a gain, but no major progress/regress has been made. And it's all my fault. Sure, I've admitted to being a lazy points tracker but it's more than that. I haven't been tracking points because I've been making lousy food choices and I've been too embarrassed to track them. Well, also lazy. And I've been drinking more beer and wine than I really should be.

Wow, it feels good to finally admit this.

I've said I want to find a balance in my lifestyle, something I can sustain weight-wise but that will also make me happy. Thing is, I haven't been trying all that hard. I did so well at the beginning because I was trying, I was making smart choices, I was being honest with myself. Now, I'm just taking too much for granted.

And while I'm being honest, I'm struggling with finding my groove again.

To get back on track, I need to figure out where the self-sabotaging is coming from and I had a bit of a breakthrough on this last night. I've been having a hard time with stress eating ever since we started house shopping. I've tried to play down the stress but it's there and not just the stress of finding a place but the stress of getting our condo ready to sell - and that's the bigger issue. There is so much to be done and we're starting but nothing major can really happen until we buy a place and have schedule to work with. And the house hunt has consumed all our free time, whether it be for viewings or prepping the condo. I tried to go out of town this past weekend and had to cut my trip short to view a house - and the house was a piece of shit.

So now what? Now that I know what the stressors are, does everything get fixed? And what about the bigger theme here, namely how do I deal with stress without sabotaging myself?

None of these questions are easily answered, but as the saying goes, the first step is admitting you have a problem.

If only finding the solution were so easy....except I know the solution. It's just getting from "knowing" to "doing" that I have to work on.

Couch to 5K

I've seen mention of the Couch to 5K running plan on Facebook and Twitter so today, when I found myself looking for a good training program for a 5K (that zombie run is coming up) I thought I'd check it out.

It's an 8-week program, which is perfect for me; I now have July and August to get into running shape and then another three weeks before the zombies come at me so with any luck I'll be able to do this. And the workouts are similar to what I've already been doing: walk/run intervals a few times a week, working up to longer running distances.

I thought that I could do my own program if I just tracked it myself but I'm discovering that I like workouts (both weights and cardio) that are structured for me by someone else (namely, someone with more fitness and exercise experience than me). I like having someone tell me that walk/run intervals three times a week will be enough to get me into shape. And I like seeing other people using it - even Jimmy Fallon! - and having success with it.

If you're interested, you can check it out HERE.

I'll let you know how I like it. Really, the only thing I can see impeding me is my own laziness!

WW Weigh-In #24

Now that's what I'm talking 'bout Willis! Finally moving in the right direction, at the right pace:

Last week: 186.8 lb
This week: 185.8 lb
Total lost this week: 1.0 lb

Weight loss target: 181.8 lb
To reach target: 4.0 lb

One pound down, four to go!

I wasn't able to fit in a workout on Monday BUT I had a great one yesterday (weights and a run - awesome!) and another one today. And my muscles have that lovely day-after soreness to them that I do so love. Though I'm kind of over gaining and losing the same few pounds so maybe that will help me stay on the straight and narrow!

I'll be honest: I haven't been as diligent as I should with my points tracking. I'm discovering that I do know the better choices to make and I'm aware of what I'm eating but I really need to get back to the points. I do just fine until I drink too much on the weekend and need greasy hangover food the day after and then I'm to ashamed to track anything. That said, I always weigh in. I may cheat with the points tracking but I won't cheat with my weigh-ins because that's really only hurting me.

One reason I find weight loss in the summer so hard is because it's the time of year for patios, beer, burgers and ice cream and when it's hot and hazy (and, let's face it, way too humid for human consumption) I become the embodiment of hungry laziness. Of course, the irony is not lost on me, as summer is also the time for bathing suits and less clothing and exposed skin and such. Oh, the paradox I find myself in! Though with a little more will power and some better points tracking, I can get myself out of this.

Yeah. I'm going to do just that!

Urgh

I have FINALLY kicked that stupid cold and can actually breathe properly again - which means I can get back to working out tomorrow. And, seriously, not a day too soon; I feel so soft and dumpy right now.

I don't know if I'll get right back into running. I haven't been stretching as much as I should (but that's my own fault) and my breathing is still a bit tight due to allergies. But I'm already dreaming of lifting weights and doing some stair climbing. After all, it's June 17 and I've got 5 lb to lose by July 4.

But most of all, I just want to feel strong and healthy again. For once, I'm looking forward to Monday!

WW Weigh-In #23

I had some hopes for this past week, that I might be able to lose a pound or so. Turns out 'twas not to be:

Last week: 185.6 lb
This week: 186.8 lb
Total gained this week: 1.2 lb

Weight loss target: 181.8 lb
To reach target: 5.0 lb

On the plus side I'm almost done with this stupid cold so I can finally get back to being active. And even with the ups-and-downs I've had over the last little while I've been able to consistently keep off 15 lb, so that's something.

But over the past couple of weeks I've fallen into a trap that has caught me before: I eat rich, heavy foods then don't feel like being physical; the rich foods make me crave more so I eat more; this leads to even less exercise; and so on and so forth. So it's back to good foods and physical activity (I'm eating shredded wheat with strawberries as I write this).

I'd still like to hit my next weight loss target by July 4 - wish me luck!

Still sick

Ugh. I'm at the tail end of my cold, but it's still hanging on. Yesterday I woke up to find my head cold had also taken up residence in my chest, giving me a lovely and painful bark. I spent most of the day sounding like a circus seal, only with less fun and more pain.

It's been just over a week, which is really not that long to have a cold, but I'm just so tired of feeling so drained. And the worst part of a chest cold is that I really have trouble breathing, so exercise is definitely out. My body just feels so worn out and run down.

I'm really looking forward to finally kicking this and going for a lovely run. Oh running, how I miss you!

More house hunting

After what felt like a slow May for house listings, June is already proving to be better. We're going out this afternoon to look at five - FIVE! - houses. In all of May we only looked at seven places so if this is any indication to how the market will be in June, it seems very promising. Recently we were able to increase our budget to a level that we're still comfortable with but has opened up many more options. And with a little more to spend, we're also able to look at neighbourhoods we thought we couldn't afford.

And we're FINALLY going to get to see not one but two townhouses in a complex we've had our eye on for over a year now. On paper, this complex seems perfect and if we can find the right unit, it should give us everything we need and we've been waiting for a chance to get in. The catch, of course, is that what looks good on paper doesn't always look good in real life. But because we've been idolizing these townhouses for a year it's been hard to really consider other things until we've seen them. It's so great to get to see two units; hopefully after today we'll know if that complex will work for us.

There is one thing I'll never understand, though: in the over-heated Toronto market, where it's not unreasonable to see small homes priced at half a million dollars, why WHY WHY do realtors list homes without including pictures??? 

(Of course we would look at any home in person before even considering an offer, but how lazy do you have to be to not even take a picture of the exterior of a house? It boggles the mind.)

What my weight loss looks like

Here's a shot of my weight loss chart, from Weight Watcher:

It's a little tough to read but that purple line is my goal weight and the jagged green line shows my progress since I started. There are three stars along the way, demarcating 5 lb lost, 5% of my body weight lost, and another 5 lb lost, respectively. As you can see there have been a few spikes where I've gained, but overall it's really rather lovely to see it going down the way it does.

It's one thing I love to be able to look at as it gives a great visual reference of where I started and how far I've come.

WW Weigh-In #22

Hi guys. Sorry I didn't update yesterday, but I have a good excuse: I'm sick. I've been battling a cold since Sunday but it's the kind of cold that just knocks me out, so I spent yesterday sleeping. (Seriously. I got to bed about 4:30 am Wednesday morning - after work! - and between then and 11:30 pm, I was awake for about six hours.)

I did manage to fit in a weigh-in during those brief waking hours but I didn't have it in me to blog. I'm feeling better today and I'm back at work, so if I can work I can blog, right?

Here's how I did:

Last week: 186.0 lb
This week: 185.6 lb
Total lost this week: 0.4 lb

Weight loss target: 181.8 lb
To reach target: 3.8 lb

I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting a loss at all. I had little exercise this past week and I felt like I was eating constantly, never mind the Southern food dinner I had Saturday night at book club (we read To Kill a Mockingbird, so Southern food was a must!).

Still, any amount lost is a loss and it counts. And now that I'm only 3.8 lb away from my next target, I'm aiming for Four Pounds in Four Weeks. Losing a pound a week is not only completely possible but reasonable and healthy and it helps break down these last four pounds before my goal.

And it just so happens that July 4 will be the scheduled day I'll hit my target, so it's Four Pounds in Four Weeks by July 4th. How great is that!

May the 4th be with me!

45 pounds in nine years

Remember those old infomercial ads for the Hair Club for Men? With the guy who would say, "Not only am I the president, but I'm also a client" (or something to that affect)? It always felt so cheesy because the Hair Club for Men just seemed to ridiculous.

Today, I came across another president who also uses the services of the company he heads, but it was much more credible. It's an article in the Globe and Mail about David Kirchhoff, the president and CEO of WW International. He's the one who took nine years to lose 45 pounds and he's written a book about it.

But he also offers up some great advice in the article, which not only makes sense but rings truer than the Hair Club ever did because he's using a program that has been proven to work for millions of people (me included), but he also didn't have instant, immediate and forever-lasting success from the start. It's nice to see that other people struggle and that they're not afraid to talk about it. Among other things, the article has this to say:

The reason why so many people tend to fail when trying to lose weight is they expect a “miraculous and massive achievement” to happen overnight. The truth is, success comes from slogging it out over years, not days or weeks.

Sure, Jennifer Hudson is a great celebrity spokeswoman for WW, but she has more resources at her disposal than I'll ever have so of course her success has been astronomical. That's not the reality for the majority of people and I enjoy seeing how the normal ones make it work.

While I'm hoping it won't take me nine years to lose 45 pounds, suddenly it doesn't seem so bad if it does.