Week 8 Update [Sept 8-15] and Insights about Weight Loss

I know some people are just joining me on my journey now, so I'll try to recap where I've come so far. This links to my first post, if you want to start there.

I had been watching my weight creep up for some time, which was something I was getting more accustomed to after the last few years. In the back of my mind, I always knew that when I was ready to focus and start counting calories, that I'd be able to lose some weight. I just hadn't been ready. Until my husband and I decided to commit to a Beachbody challenge group, which consists of doing one of their workouts and drinking a daily meal replacement shake. Then, I knew that I needed to get serious about being healthy. After a couple of weeks of cleaner eating, I started the program I chose, PiYo, which is a combination of Pilates and yoga moves. I've progressed from getting slightly winded during the warm-up (seriously) to really being able to push myself during the workout in order to see some results. I can even do burpees pretty decently. I've now finished 6 weeks of the 8-week program. I took progress pictures 2 weeks ago, and I can see a big difference. I plan to eventually post my before pictures on here, but I am not brave enough yet. But, through cleaner eating, healthy choices, and consistent exercise, I am so pleased with my results.

One thing that I keep thinking about is my previous attempts at weight loss. I have used the app My Fitness Pal, for the last couple of years when I've been focused on losing weight. I've always "bragged" that all I need to do is count calories, and I can lose weight. And it's true, I do lose weight. But looking back at the weight loss progress that I've recorded on the app since Dec 28, 2011, I can see that I'm making better progress now. In the same amount of time (each time I started), I lost 7 pounds, then 11 pounds (which I guess is pretty similar to my current weight loss), then I didn't even stick with it this long. But one major difference is how I'm doing it. Back then, I still "had to" have my chocolate, or whatever dessert I was wanting. I knew as long as my weekly average was low enough, I was okay to lose some weight eventually. But, really, I know too much about how nutrition plays a bigger role than even working out does in the ultimate results, and I just can't do it like that anymore. When I still eat junk, just less of it, I still feel sluggish and don't get the benefits of eating food that fuels my body.

This weekend we had a rare night without our daughter, so we decided to go to one of our favorite restaurants for some "cheat eating." I wasn't too bad on my meal, I had fish tacos, so they were pretty light, although they were flour tortillas. But we went to the bakery for dessert, and I chose TWO doughnuts. Both with some candy topping. And they were good. Like I've said, I'm definitely not about giving this stuff up forever, but just like my last dessert cheat, I didn't want to well, COULDN'T, eat the whole thing. But more than that, afterward, I just felt gross. And we pointed out to each other that we used to eat like this (feel like this) every weekend, if not each day in the weekend.

So, I'm just really thinking lately about how healthy we really are. We know the statistics, most Americans are overweight, if not obese. When you really remember that the purpose of food is to fuel your body, and you think about all of the crap that you eat, you've got to wonder how much better our body would perform if we gave it better fuel. Just some "food for thought." (Pun not intended.)

So here is my update for this week. One more pound!