Day 162 - Getting There!

My official weigh in day saw me down another full pound! Yay me! Yes, 1 pound is a little slower than I'd like, but I know that I will see bigger loss weeks in the future.

The good news is I only have 5 pounds until I can claim to have lost 70 pounds. That's a lot of weight! The goal weight my Dr. set for me, a few years back, was 160. Although my current goal weight is 149, I'm only 24 pounds away from his set goal weight for me. I'm getting there!

Five months ago, I had 100 pounds to lose. Today, I have 35 pounds to lose to get me to a healthy weight. I'm getting there!

I've changed my exercise plan from doing walking DVD work outs, some with jogging intervals, to a faster paced jogging work out. It's only 1 mile, so some days, I hope to jog 1 mile in the morning, 1 mile in the evening. Other days, I will do the video twice in a row. I am adding various floor exercises, including ab work to my jog. Hopefully, that will confuse my body that seems to have adjusted to my current routine.

I couldn't believe how many readers commented on my jogging/running dreams! It's just as I thought all along, runners belong to a cult! They get wind of someone showing a slight interest, and they get you. They tell you a marathon is in your future. Running changed their lives. I'm in for it...joining the jogging/running cult! If that means I can maintain this weight loss with never having to count a calorie, count me in! Some time ago, I made a goal to be able to run with my daughter along the canal, as she runs for her rowing training. By the way, rowing is a cult all of its own!

Most exciting is the peace I feel inside. A peace that I know comes from above. Peace that says to trust in my eating plan. Peace that says my body will respond and I will lose these remaining pounds. Peace that tells me not to be tempted to do crazy things to get that scale moving. Peace that tells me to limit myself to my two weekly weigh ins. (I've been a bit scale happy this week!) Peace that tells me the outside will change as the inside is obedient to change. Peace that tells me I'm getting there!

Eating less, moving more,

Dawne

Day 161 - Spring is in the Air

There was something about the sun today that gave me the promise of Spring. It hasn't be a long or difficult winter in Niagara, but cold enough to keep me from jogging outside. My husband has encouraged me to mix my exercise up in order to get this weight coming off a bit faster, and I would like to be a jogger.

I've watched joggers with great interest over the years, as we live very close to a path that runs along the Welland Canal. I've wondered why they jog when it's proven walking is good for you. I've wondered how they can stand being that sweaty? What drives them? How do they keep going?

I have only experimented a little bit with jogging, but I am hooked. It feels great and it burns the legs. It seems like a lot of successful weight loss maintainers jog for exercise, even running marathons. Let me state it now, that is NOT my goal. I'll leave the marathons to those with more stamina, but I do want to continue along the path of jogging.

The in home jogging workouts are satisfying for now, but I remember how much harder it seemed when I jogged on the canal with my husband. Although they say that snow is coming tomorrow night, I know that Spring is just around the corner, which means no more ice to contend with and the start of my new friend - jogging. I've got some great Acsis Outdoor Running Shoes, a cute striped Nike hat and a gut that needs to get smaller! I'm ready...come on Spring.

Tomorrow is weigh in day. I am hoping for two pounds down. If it's one, I'll deal with it. If it's none, I guess I deal with it. If I've gained, uhm...don't know how I'll deal with it!?! I've eaten well , kept well hydrated with water, changed things up a bit, exercised and tried to add variety into my work outs, trying to kick this metabolism back into the land of fat burning. Tomorrow will tell.

Eating less, moving more,

Dawne

Day 160 - Encouraging Words!

I have whined enough about the slow pace my scale has decided to take. Maybe by Tuesday, it will be down 2 pounds, and I promise to be happy and satisfied with that.

When overcoming addictions, it's easy to replace one with another. I have been warned by a commenter and have felt convicted, not to replace my overeating with an obsession with the scale. The only thing to replace my overeating is time and devotion to God. Minnesota Mom - your words were God's very words for my heart! Thank you.

I have had some very encouraging words this week.

On Friday, a couple of my high school choir members approached me, quite sheepishly, and said, "Dawne, we have noticed that you are changing. Are you losing weight?" They were so glad not to get into trouble for getting too personal and I assured them that they are always allowed to tell me that I'm looking good! :) Then, my sweet, favourite choir boy. yes I have favourites, told me that he was the one to first notice and bring it up in their group. So sweet. I almost told them about the blog, but knew it was crossing a personal boundary in regards to our relationship.

Later, I received an e-mail from a teacher from the High School commenting on my change. She said she suspects that a lot of hard work and determination has gone into my physical change. It was very kind of her...it must be going around the school!

Yesterday, I bumped into friends I haven't seen for ages, which is a story in itself because I'm really hoping it was divine intervention in regards to another matter. Right away, my friends commented on how much weight I had lost! It's so nice when people notice and look a little shocked. I love it. Yep, I know it, I like being the center of attention.

And, the center of attention I was this morning, as I showed up in my sari for a church service in Oakville. (oops...I forgot to take pictures) Dressing in that sari, without the help of a Bengali, took some work. We used a You Tube video and there was a little bit of bickering as my husband tried to wrap me in the yards of silk. He really is a good guy! I even wore some bindi - a jewel on my forehead. It was wonderful to share our story and the ongoing concerns of the people in Bangladesh. It made me miss our lives there, as it was a very special time in our lives.

There was a "Rice Dinner" after the service, which is how this Church kicks off their Partners in Mission Campaign. I wanted to shake my eating up - well, I sure did! There was only rice for consumption, served in cabbage leaf bowls...very creative. I enjoyed a few varieties of rice, but it was carbs overload. My body must be totally confused! Good - take that and metabolize, will ya?

These people do not know us at all, and yet the lady at our lunch table told me about a woman named Alicia Snell, who is leading a weekly abs class at their church. She is a lady who transformed her life, losing 173 pounds by reducing her calorie intake and exercising. No surgery, no gimmicks, just plain life change. She is a motivational speaker in demand and has been featured on The Oprah Show. The lady at the lunch table would have no idea about my current journey and I really believe God gave me some motivation in discovering Alicia's story. I am going to order her book - the pictures from the web site are unbelievable!

Later that afternoon, my daughter arrived home from a weekend trip and I ran outside to greet her. She said, "Mommy, you look so skinny! Your boobs are way bigger than your stomach!" I don't know exactly how I feel about that comment, but it was meant as complimentary. I do have a thing about my boobs - as in loving them, weird I know - so I'm glad that they are more noticeable without my big ol' gut hanging out!

Then, the young lady who was driving my daughter, came out the car, and in a shocked, freaked out kind of tone, exclaimed, "Dawne - you look so skinny!" Inside my head, I corrected her, that's svelte not skinny! :)

I realize that I'm far from skinny, but I am looking relatively normal, I think. And, so I face these last 36 pounds with some serious "KICK BUTT" attitude. I refuse to become complacent and I will fight with everything I have! I know that means obedience to God as I know He has given me a plan. I can get side tracked so easy, thinking I should do it this way or that way, but I know that He gave me a plan and I plan on living in obedience to it.

Eating less, moving more,

Dawne

Day 159 - Plateaus Part Two

I have done some plateau research today, and I found "Seven Ways to Break a Plateau".

One - Hang in there!

The article suggests that even if the scale is barely moving, you are probably still losing at least 1/3 pound per week, which is 17 in a year. Most would break a plateau long before a year's time!

Two - Avoid Fuzzy Math!

I like this one. Avoid fancy math calculations to figure out it all out. Look for places in your eating that you might be consuming calories without realizing, like extra dressing on your salad, etc.

Three - Put Up Some Resistance

Increase activity with more focus on muscle tone. I think I need to add more strength training to my work outs.

Four - Up Your Protein Quotient

OK! I love meat!!!! I had a nice, juicy, grilled steak for supper. The article suggests shifting fat and carb calories to protein calories.

Five - Shake It Up!

I really like this one! Have some less restrictive maintenance days. (basically, like my weekly freedom day) Alternate exercises - change from walking to swimming. Change may get the progress rolling.

Six - Recharge Your Drive

Is motivation lagging? Are you being honest with yourself about what your eating? YES...I am being honest! Ask friends and family for support...I've got that covered with y'all!

Seven - Reconsider the Skin You're In

Is it worth it? Do you really need to loose more? Should you consider maintaining?

Yes, it's worth it. I'm still possibly considered obese at 5'4 1/2 and 185 pounds. Although I've lost 64 pounds, I still carry a fair amount of belly fat, the most unhealthy in terms of heart health.

The article concludes with...

Remember, eating well and being physically active are good for you. (really? Didn't know that...seriously, do they think we're brain numb?) Do a little of both everyday and you will be a success!

On Tuesday's weigh in, if I'm not down more than 1 pound, I may consider some of these options, except the last one. Maybe I'll add two freedom days to my week...now, that would be fun!

Today, was a freedom day and I enjoyed my meal choices very much. I made a big breakfast, which is unusual for our family, except at Christmas, Easter or when we're camping. I ate 1 slice of whole wheat toast with margarine, about 1/4 scrambled eggs and 2 slices of bacon. I had one bite of a freshly baked cinnamon roll with icing and decided it wasn't worth it. Lunch was a peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwich on whole wheat bread with a strawberry/yogurt smoothie. Dinner - a medium sized steak, 1/2 cup oven fries, a half a plate of broccoli and 1 tiny, slice of calabrese bread with margarine. Take that metabolism and let's see what you can do with it!

Tomorrow is a regular eating day, with lunch out at a church we're speaking at in Oakville. Our church denomination is focusing on Bangladesh as it's International Country focus, so we are going to speak about the various programs in place to help the many desperate people in that country. I'll be decked out in my sari, so I'll take some pictures. Saris are good for hiding "problem" spots.

Eating less, moving more,

Dawne

Day 159 - Plateaus

Have I reached a plateau? What exactly is a plateau? Has my weight loss slowed down enough to be labeled a plateau? It feels like it has gone from moving moderato to lento! For those of you who don't speak in musical tempos, from a moderate pace to a slow pace!

I am feeling frustrated. I am not planning to give up and I truly would rather stay at my weight right now, and never lose another pound, than give up and go back to overeating. I feel frustrated with the whole "God" concept in this, one that I know many of you don't understand, which is okay. I live my life in relationship with God - a relationship where I pray, study His words, worship Him and hear Him. I feel I have walked in the path of obedience as far as my eating goes and that I'm no longer being rewarded. Yes, you read that right, I'm selfish enough to think that I'm being ripped off by God!?! Crazy, I know! That's simply how I'm feeling at this moment.

I read this article on hitting plateaus and how to break from them. I had already implemented some of these ideas, as I have heard about them via Weight Watchers etc. I try to vary my eating and I think that my Freedom Day allows for that beautifully! With my exercise, I try to keep my body guessing - sometimes 2 miles, sometimes 4, sometimes jogging, sometimes using weights and resistance. Maybe I should try a week's break? I don't know if I'd ever go back to it.

I have tried adding a few calories - adding some low fat mozzarella to my egg white omelet, which tastes a lot better by the way! I've tried to include more snacking on fruit and low fat yogurt between meals. I have only implemented these strategies for the last week, so we'll see what happens.

I made the foolish, and I mean foolish downright stupid, mistake of stepping on the scale a few minutes ago - at a totally different time of day than I weigh in and not on a "weigh in" day, on the heaviest day of my lovely monthly cycle. Let's just say I wasn't happy. How will the scale be down more than 1 pound by Tuesday?

I know it's not just about losing...really, I get that. Tuesday will tell. If I'm not down, I have to change something. I'll be really sad if I have to start counting points or calories to reach my goal. My "number" goal isn't the most important thing to me anymore...I want my stomach fat gone. That's when I will have reached my true goal. When my stomach is flat, with the exception of loose skin, which is going nowhere without the help of surgery, then I have reached my goal.

Maybe, I should stop weighing for a while, continue what I'm doing - eating less and moving more, and weigh myself at the end of the month? I am throwing around ideas here, but am at a loss for what to do. I will wait for weigh in day to make a decision. I will pray about it. I will practice some patience.

I'm now off to exercise.

Eating less, moving more,

Dawne

Day 158 - Oh, Mr. Scale...

Oh, Mr. Scale,

You are but plastic, metal and electronics, yet you hold power over me. Despite your lack of soul, feelings or personality, you have the ability to brighten or ruin my day. That's right, although I have very little control over you, you seem to have ultimate control over me!

I can celebrate "non-scale victories" until I'm all partied out, but in the end, if you don't show me the results I'm looking for, I'm not truly successful in this weight loss journey. I write about the journey, about seemingly more important things than a number, yet in the end, it's that number you produce that I'm longing for.

I could be experiencing a miserable day, with everything going wrong, and if I stepped on you and saw you flash a number 5 numbers less than last time, my day would suddenly turn around to a great day. I could have be experiencing the best day of my life, yet a number 5 higher than the last time I stood on you, could ruin whatever good occurred that day.

I can experiment with the latest workout methods, interval training, weight resistance training, 30 Day Shred, Biggest Loser, but the ultimate goal is to see you move, lower and lower. I say the exercising is for more than weight loss, and it is, but in the end, if you don't comply with my work out efforts, I will not be satisfied.

I research various methods of weight loss that the experts suggest, questioning if I'm doing it "right". There is so much conflicting information out there, even within the network of blogging friends. It's mind boggling really. Calorie cycling, fasting, add extra calories every few days, high protein, green smoothies, eat less, eat as few calories as possible, splurge on one meal a week, eat raw food only...in the end, the ultimate goal is to see YOU, Mr. Scale, move.

Instead of fighting your importance and place in this journey, maybe it's time to accept it. Accept you. I can't control you...oh, how I've tried. Mr. Scale, you have a mind of your own. Sometimes you are kind, oh so kind, even if I haven't been kind to my body. Other times, you hang on and hang on, despite all of my hard work. My self esteem and value CANNOT be measured by what you say, yet you are a certain measure of success, whether I like it nor not.

Oh, Mr. Scale, how I wish you'd move a little faster into the 170's.

Sneak Peek Weigh In - down .2 of a pound, which in my rounding methods is down nothing! That doesn't mean my weekly weigh in will be down nothing, but honestly, let's speed this up! February in Canada, at least Southern Ontario, is not a month to face a plateau.

Eating less, moving more,

Dawne

Day 157 - TGIF...almost

Often, I am living in the tomorrow before it arrives! It has been one LONG week and I am looking forward to the weekend! I couldn't wait for my last voice lesson to be over this evening! Usually, there is one student away at school, so I get a little break in my day. (paid of course:) Not today! Everyone attended their lessons, so it was a full 6 hours, without a break, then on to another 3 hours of at home teaching.

The last thing I wanted to do at the end of the night was exercise. Generally, Wednesday and Thursdays are my rest days, but something inside of me told me to get downstairs and work out. I really had to talk myself into it, but I felt better at the end of the work out and felt excited about working out before going to work tomorrow morning.

Fridays are short work day for me, my only commitment being preparing for choir rehearsal and leading it. I am home by 1:30pm and the weekend begins! Fridays are also my sneak peek weigh in days. I look forward to weigh in days because it's helpful to see progress. The scale hasn't been moving as quickly as I would have liked this past month, although I did lose 11 pounds in January. It has slowed down a bit, and it seems like it's taking forever to get to the 170's!

Patience...we need a lot it in this journey, don't we? Patience for the body to respond, patience to learn from the process and I need patience to wait for the weekend! I've worked hard enough this week! Bring it on...

Eating less, moving more,

Dawne