Before Photo

A new year and a new me.  I just complete 50 minutes on the treadmill, nice and slow.  As I walked, I listened to a Jillian Michaels podcast.  I also began visualized myself running.  I have decided to do my best to take a photo each month.  I was doing a great job taking monthly photos in 2014.  I just wasn’t uploading them.  Unfortunately, my old phone completely died, without any backup or way to retrieve them, I lost all those photos.

I took a photo today and really looked at myself.  I now have this yucky spare tire.  This time last year I was at least 25 pounds lighter.  I am not going to beat up myself about it.  I know my journey and success to fat loss and a healthy weight is not going to be linear. I’ve been experimenting here and there with my eating habits.  My last experiment resulted in a weight gain.

 

Now, I’m back to a semi-vegetarian eating plan.  I have to admit that now that I have been lifting on a regular basis I am worried about not getting enough protein.  However, my body responds much better when I eliminate red meat and poultry from my diet.  I feel more energetic.  The podcast I listened to today was about the spirituality of food.  I am already one of those people who says grace before I eat.  I made a mental note to pay better attention to how I prepare and eat my food.  Am I truly grateful for the food I receive?  Do I understand how the  food I eat sustains me and gives me energy?  Which foods are good for me and the environment from a spiritual perspective?

I am looking forward to another year on this journey.  I can’t wait to see more muscle and less fat!

Weigh-In Wednesday

It’s the first weigh-in of 2014 and I’m down three pounds! I have to be honest with myself. I heard that negative, scolding voice reminding me that although I lost three pounds it is weight I gained the last four months of 2013. I acknowledge what happened in the past but I am focusing on the present. I am planning for the future but taking it one day at a time.

While I am happy about the loss, I have to prepare myself mentally for the times the scale does not move. This is how the weight started creeping back in the first place. I was working my butt off and the scale wasn’t moving. So what do I do? I get discouraged and stop tracking my food. I will not make this mistake again.

My goal is to track my food intake every day this year. In fact, I have logged my food on My Fitness Pal for at least 30 days. I think the longest I’ve consistently tracked was 40 days. At this point in my journey, everything is mental. I know I can work out. I’ve completed the Couch to 5K program – twice. I know I can run. I’ve taken swimming lessons. I know I can swim.

My area of opportunity is my food. I haven’t completely given up on OA but I am not working my program the way I used to. I no longer have a sponsor, although I am in contact with her at least three or four days out of the week. I do embrace the spirit of OA that my eating/food issues are not about food and I do not need a diet.

I will continue working on my mind, spirit and body and this will help with the weight loss. It’s my state of mind that needs healing. I have to keep that number on the scale in perspective. I also did my measurements and check my body fat. As long as I am doing what I need, what I want to do to take care of myself, I will be fine.

Goodbye 2013! Hello 2014!

This year has been filled with some accomplishments. My intention for 2014 is to be more consistent with my workouts and running. My other priorities are hydration and sleep.

I read a great article today. I wished I'd marked it so I could give proper credit. The main point I got out of it was to set small, manageable goals. While reading this, it dawned on me that I need to set some smaller goals to help with my Peachtree Road Race goal. So, at the halfway point, March, I plan to run a 5k to assess how my training is going.

Not too much else to say. I am very disappointed I am not at my healthy weight. In fact, I stepped on the scale this morning. I've gained 12 pounds! I have to put forth the effort to plan and cook my meals in advance. I was very successful when I was doing this. I started logging again. As much as I hate it, it is a very useful and supportive tool.

I will work on accepting the lifestyle changes I need to embrace in order to live the healthy life I envision.

So, 2014 I am ready for you. Let's do this!

Transformational Tuesday

Many of the blogs I read and Facebook pages I "like" post Transformational Tuesday entries. Most of them are about physical transformations. For me, at this point in my journey, I need to work on a mental transformation. I am reminded of that part of the scripture which says,... be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind....

More than anything right now I need to get my mind in shape. With the exception of the occasional pain and discomfort I have in my back and knee, most of my challenges are with my mind. My workouts are fine, when I am consistent. I would like to be more consistent. For whatever reason, there are times I get so self-conscious about working out at the gym or walking/running in public. The truth is people are so self-absorbed, especially at the gym, they probably do not even notice me. Even if they do, it's their problem not mind.

I also know I can achieve the goals I have set for myself. Lately, my opportunities are with my food, not my exercise. I cannot out-train a bad diet. Every time I feel like I am depriving myself of something, I am mentally sabotaging myself. I need to turn that around. Each time I make a healthy choice, I am going to remind myself that I am empowering myself.

I also went out today I purchased a presentation board so I can make a vision board. It will be fun to add to work on over the next six months:

Picking Up the Pace

For the past couple of days I have been thinking about running. One of the things I did that really helped me get through the Couch to 5K program this time is rest between walk/run days. The only thing I did was plank and stretch. Now that I am done with the program, I want to start working on my swimming again. I also want to get back to the weights.

The issue is that I am so wiped out after running. I know this will improve as my running improves. I also know it would help if I dropped more weight and did a better job with my nutrition. It is all so confusing. I do know that I need more energy if I expect to be able to run and do strength training at three times a week.

I’ve been working out off and on for four years so I know how to work out. What I still need to work on is rest, sleep. Even if I go to bed early as planned, I am not falling asleep until around 11. This is not going to work when I am getting up at 5 to run. Even doing this twice a week and saving one of my runs for the weekend, I find I am tired most of the time. I need to rest, hydrate, and pay attention to my nutrition.

Today I did some meal planning. Tomorrow I will be preparing:

• Roasted sweet potatoes
• Sauteed cabbage
• Oven-baked chicken fajitas

Breakfast is usually steel-cut oatmeal and turkey sausage.

I am going to have to learn by trial and error what I can eat that will still help me drop some pounds!

Challenges

It's been a while....

Lately I have been consumed with challenges. Yesterday I finally completed the 30-Day Squat Challenge. I am so proud of myself because this was my second attempt at this challenge. My intention from this challenge, besides learning how to do squats with proper form, was to develop consistency in my fitness routine. I am very grateful for the willingness to complete this challenge.

Another challenge I've had is with the scale. I have gained 10 pounds! At first I wasn't that worried when the scale was moving up because my clothes size has moved down. I'm still getting comments about looking great. I had lunch with a friend a few days ago and she said my face looks slimmer. I don't know. My eating and portion control has been okay yet I had to admit I have been indulging in way too many yogurt pretzels. The bottom line is that I am motivated by numbers. I still want to see a certain number on the scale. Sigh....

I have also had a challenging time listening to my body. Last week I was supposed to do a 5K. The truth is I was in no position to run. Beside not training, I needed to give my knee a break. I want to run but my body is saying not now. The challenge has been keeping my ego in check.

Tomorrow I am started a 30-day yoga challenge. I have seen a number of yoga challenges. I have decided to take what I like and create my own challenge. My intention is three-fold: integrating mind, body, and spirit into my fitness journey. I believe for the most part I do this. However, completing this challenge is also about focus and consistency.

In addition to yoga, I will be drinking a gallon of lemon water, meditating for at least 30 minutes, and reading 10 pages from The Art of Happiness each day. I am also thinking about blogging/journaling each day but I'm not sure.

Weekly Weigh In

No weight loss this week.

I started Week Four of the Couch to 5K. It’s weird because this week was a breeze. Not that I have been running consistently, my body feels better. I am not as drained before. I do need to work on more stretching. I’m still training on the treadmill. Hopefully I will be able to start running outside soon.

I dropped out of the 100 Day Burpee Challenge. I just couldn’t do more than 30. I am proud of myself for making it that far.

Weekly Weigh In

Whew! I cannot believe it! I'm down another two pounds. I'm really quite surprised since a couple days ago I wrote I have been slacking on my goals. The only difference? I have been making sure I go to bed at a decent hour. I need to stick to my plan of getting enough zzzz's!

Week Six Weigh In

Down three pounds this week! This makes my total weight loss so far this year at five pounds. I pray these pounds are gone for good! More than my exercise plan, I really need to stick to my food plan. I've been tweaking it and I truly believe this is the reason the scale is beginning to move. Woohoo!

Week Five - Weigh In

I’m down another pound! I have so many emotions about losing that one pound. Why is it so darn hard? I want big numbers! So easy to put on and so hard to take off! My biggest danger right now is comparing myself to others. More than anything I feel a sense of gratitude and humility. I started this journey in 2009 and these last 50 pounds have been so difficult to release. I am now wondering if it’s symbolic of something in my consciousness that I am also holding onto. Well, I’m bound and determine to work on whatever it is. I want to be free of this excess weight!

Thursday’s Spin class was so hard. My body couldn’t do what my mind wanted it to do. I felt so defeated and discouraged. After class, I sat in my car and had one of those The Biggest Loser’s cries. When I first started watching that show, I didn’t understand why anyone would start crying over a workout. Now, I do it all the time. It’s a great emotional cleanse.

I’m tweaking my food plan a bit. The plan is to continue adding fruits and veggies. I also need to start eating less popcorn. I eat popcorn almost every day. I’m starting to think it feeds into my compulsive eating habits. I’m going to have a conversation with my OA sponsor later on today about it.

I started Couch to 5K yesterday. It wasn’t as bad as I thought. I’ve been using the cold weather as an excuse not to run because I hate running on the treadmill. I need to stop with the excuses!

Weekly Weigh-In: Week Four

Today’s weigh was a big, fat disappointment! I’m not sure if these weekly weigh-ins are more detrimental than helpful. We’ll see….

I just watched a very inspirational video by Mindy’s Fitness Blogthat really touched me. She talked about setting New Year’s resolutions and how it is more important to set monthly goals. HELLO! I’m doing great in this area!

I started taking a nutrition course this week. I also started Spin classes a few weeks ago. I know all about S.M.A.R.T. goal-setting yet I still allow that number on the scale to discourage me. So, as January is coming to an end and it’s quite apparent I will not be where I would like to be on the scale, I’m still off to a very good start with my goals.

I will continue focusing on my daily, weekly, and monthly goals and my yearly goal to be at a healthy weight will take care of itself.

Week Three: Weekly Weigh-In

No weight loss this week. I’m not surprise because I did not go to the gym at all this week. I was so busy with work I couldn’t get it together. I am grateful that I didn’t gain. My food plan has been very good. I usually do really well when I take the time to do my food prep. Yesterday I made broccoli salad and turkey chili. Right now I have salmon patties in the oven and I’m going to sauté some green beans in olive oil and garlic.

I’m supposed to be running in the MLK Day 5K tomorrow. I did not train at all! All I have done is complain that it’s too cold to run. I hate running on the treadmill. I also have to cancel my plans to participate in the Color Run because it’s the same weekend I plan to surprise my best friend for her 50th birthday.
I need to find another 5K soon and get my butt in gear!

Week Two: Weekly Weigh-In

I lost one pound! There's a huge part of me that is disappointed. There's another part of me that has seen those pics of a pound of fat and is very pleased that stuff is gone from my body! I'm continuing with my plan to add more fruits and veggies to eat meals. I am also working on my daily water intake. Some days are harder than others. My body is getting used to it and the constant trips to the bathroom! I need to do a better job of drinking first thing in the morning instead of trying to get it all in at the end of the day. I'm making progress. Spin class was fun! I'm looking forward to class next Thursday. My meal planning wasn't so great. I ran out of food by Friday. As a result, I ended up eating not one, not two, but three energy/protein bars on Saturday. I guess it's better than fast food but I do see the opportunity. I should have purchased fruit instead of bars. However, I was concerned about getting some protein.

Nonscale Victories

Since I have been so frustrated with the scale, I saw a post on Facebook about celebrating nonscale victories (NSVs). It dawn on me that I do not do this enough. So here are my recent NSVs: 1. Finally completed my goal of being able to run a mile nonstop 2. Joined a gym 3. Started strength training three times a week 4. A friend gave me a pair of jeans that were too big for her and there are almost too big for me! 5. Completed a spin class 6. Learned how to swim 7. Planked over 1 minute 8. Ran (with the exception of the hills) a 5K 9. Complete a set of 100 squats I'm looking forward to added to the list this year!

The Good, The Bad, The Encouraging

I just returned from my doctor's appointment. I like my new doctor. I think Dr. G did a great job in choosing her to take over her patients. She has the same approach about prescribing as little medication as possible. Well, according to her scale, I've gained five pounds since my visit three months ago. The encouraging news is that she thinks it may be due to the results of my thyroid test. My TSH is 4.21. I think that's the highest it's been. Anyhow, she wants it to be around 2.0. So, she's going to work on tweaking the dosage on my Synthroid. This gives me encouraging hope that my efforts have not been in vain. I truly believe I've been giving it my all during my workouts. Hopefully, getting my thyroid regulated will help kick my metabolism in gear. The bad news is that my A1c went it. Last visit it was 6.0. The visit it was 6.1. It's not that big of a deal but my goal is to get it under 6.0. My plan of action is to make sure I'm getting enough protein and work on paying more attention to my carb intake. The good news is that she's cutting my cholestoerol meds in half! My total cholesterol is still 100. My HDL is 65 and my LDL is 19. So I have some work to do. I already set a goal to add more green veggies to my food plan. I think this will help lower my A1c. There's not that much I can do about my thyroid besides take my medication. I will continue to monitor my fat intake and eat my oatmeal for breakfast.

Numbers Don't Lie!

I am not very happy right now. I just weighed myself and I’ve gained four pounds! I guess I shouldn’t complain. It could be worst. I also shouldn’t be surprised since I’ve gone over my calorie goal for the day a few times this past two weeks. Translation: Sheila, you've been eating too much and not burning enough calories! Anyhow, I am grateful for the courage to face the truth. The old me would have been in denial and stayed off the scale. I also have a new tool – a fat loss monitor. My focus for 2013 — building muscle and losing fat!

LA Fitness

I just returned from a tour of LA Fitness.  I feel a little uneasy and intimidated going to such a large and open gym but I can get a really good discount through work and it has a pool.  So I shared a little bit of my story with the guy who was giving me the tour.  He was really cool.  He then shared with me that 1.5 years ago he lost 120 pounds and now he’s managing a gym. He is working on losing the last 20.  He advised me to focus on weights and take the spin and aqua fit classes.  I am so very grateful that Spirit continues to place in my path so many loving, supporting people. 

So, tomorrow I will be doing my first workout at my new gym!

Also, while I was there he checked my body fat – 44.30 and my BMI is 39.4.  Yuck!  I'm looking forward to seeing how much I improve those numbers.  What was really surprising is that according to his chart I need to lost 47 pounds.  This is exactly the amount I on my weight loss ticker.  I’m not sure if how I chose my goal weight but I’m right on track.  I’m really excited to get started!

Progress and The Big Picture

I received my test results the other day.  My A1c moved from 6.1 to 6.0.  I'm so happy.  My doctor is pleased because the goal is 6.5.  I'm still bound and determined to get is below 6.0 and get off diabetes medication.  She's discouraging me from this goal.  I do trust her judgment and know she supports my goal to be on as little medication as possible (unlike my previous pill-pushing doctor.) Then again, she thought my goal to participate in a 5K was "quite ambitious." 

Speaking of 5Ks, I had a blast at AIDS Walk Atlanta on Sunday.  Unfortunately, I was unable to time myself.  I was walking with others and we had to stop a few times for a friend to catch her breath.  It was a very humbling experience for me to be able to be there encouraging someone else.  I am almost shocked that I'm in such great shape.  I say "almost" because it was nice to get confirmation that all those workouts are paying off.  Sometimes I start losing sight of the big picture -- improved health.

The scale may not be moving as quickly as I like but my lab results look great and I'm in pretty good physical shape.

Vacation Wrap Up

Well, I survived my vacation.  In fact, I lost two pounds. Yay!  Hell, I should go on vacation more often.  I think those two hours workouts did the trick.  Plus, I guess I was so paranoid about not being able to monitor what was going into my food that I may have been underestimating my calorie intake.  Since working on a modified version of the C25K last week, I feel a little better about moving onto Week Four.  So, it's back to business as usual.  I'm working a Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday schedule this week. Wish me luck!

January Report

Yay! I am so happy to say I’ve completed one full month of exercise. I set a personal record by increasing my cardio workouts to 45 mins.




My February goal is to continue with 45 mins cardio but increase the intensity. It’s time to ramp up the incline and the resistance a bit more. I’m also going to add 15 mins of strength training two days a week.



Sundays will still be my active rest days where I’ll focus on my flexibility.



My food has been great. I’m dropping weight.



One month done. 11 more to go. Life is fine!