Still on the Journey

This post has been a long time coming. I got busy at work, life got in the way; other things came up that called for my time, and I didn't use it to keep up with this blog. I've created snippets of this post in my mind for the last two months. I've stuck with my workouts, overall. The clean eating, not as much, and it really shows in my weight. But I knew I'd come back to it at some point.

First, I'll start with my P90X3 progress. I had started Round 2 on April 6. You can see my first couple of weeks' workout pictures in this post and this post. While I did stick to the schedule (for the most part), I didn't stick as well to the eating, so I don't really feel like I "went" through it. I certainly didn't want to take progress pictures like I had for my first round, because I was not making the right kind of progress. But, I did the workouts, at least 4 or 5 days each week instead of the 6 I usually did. Right at the end of the round, I had to start working 10-hour days for three weeks in the summer. And I got tired! So, I was a little more lax in my getting out there and getting it done. But, I did take a picture every day that I did work out, so it is still documented. Here are a few, for now.

Next, I'll talk about my eating. I already have said a couple of times, I did not stick to the eating like I should. I'm not quite sure where it started. I guess it kind of was a combination of stuff, including some Disney trips where we indulged a little. Also, I found myself getting away from trying to eat to fuel my body and started wanting to eat things because they taste good. I knew I needed a balance, but I was just letting myself indulge some.

So now, my weight. I still monitored my weight, pretty much daily. No, it was not where I had been back in March or even April, and it was not where I wanted it to be. I definitely yo-yo-ed a bit more. I actually was a little surprised at how quickly my weight shifted from the beginning to the end of May. Then June. This picture is from My Fitness Pal in June, showing the last 6 months of my weight progress. I basically started and ended the same, but look at that dip and then the recent spikes.

And now, the beginning of July. Although, I stepped on the scale this morning after a 4-day Disney vacation, and I have to say, I figured I'd be back in the 170s. Thankfully, no, I wasn't, but I was pretty close.

In the last couple of weeks I've been reminded of why I think that it is important to eat healthy and be active, so I have had a renewed drive to get back on target. I am almost a year out from starting this journey, and this is just proof that it is a marathon, not a sprint. There are going to be good times and bad times. Times that I'm motivated, and times that I just want to eat an Oreo doughnut. I just need to remember the 80/20 rule. I want to make the healthy choice 80% of the time.

On Monday, I will be starting Body Beast. This is another Beachbody program that focuses mostly on weightlifting. Not that I want to get into bodybuilding, but I just want to tone up. I am excited to see my progress with that. But since the majority of weight loss is going to be due to nutrition, I am getting back on track with my eating as well. At least 80% of the time.

Weight Loss Update Week 19

So, we've made it through Thanksgiving, and we're now in the Christmas season. I didn't worry too much about my calories, because I knew that I would get back on track after that. I forgot to take a picture of my food plate, but I did get my dessert, I'm not ashamed. (That's pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake, and a pumpkin muffin.) Gotta love pumpkin!

For the most part I've gotten back on track with my eating, although we did get some pizza yesterday for college football rivalry weekend. I've stayed with my workouts, but of course, the eating is more the key to the results. I've said this before, but I'm not out to only eat clean for the rest of my life. That's not realistic. But I AM out to make more healthy than unhealthy choices. So my choice for Thanksgiving was to enjoy the food.

When I weighed yesterday, I had gone back up a pound, but I know it will come back down as I completely get back on track. One of my Beachbody coaches wrote this in her blog, that I really liked, about having a range for your target weight. Of course, I'm still not in the range that I ultimately want to be, but it's the same idea. I know there is going to be some fluctuation along the way. (Although I am a little bummed that my rate of weight loss is decreasing...just a little over a pound a week. But, on the other hand, I'd rather be slow and steady and keep it off than to do the yo-yo diet thing of losing a lot really quickly, but not developing healthy habits.)

Week 18 Weight Loss Update and Progress Pics

Well, the holiday season is upon us. I already have had two Thanksgiving dinners, one at my work and one at our church. Now, I didn't worry too much about clean eating, but I also didn't go crazy, eating EVERYTHING available. And, as a reader, you may know that I am OKAY with that right now. I still have some pounds to lose on my ultimate journey, but I don't want to gain weight (and keep that weight on.) I've heard bigger numbers, but I just looked it up, and the average American gains about 1-2 pounds during this season. (I'm thinking that has to be adjusted for sodium/water gain and all of that, because I think that I could easily gain 3 pounds on the scale from all of that.) The problem is that most people don't ever lose those 1-2 pounds, so in 10 years, you've easily gained 10-20 pounds.

Anyway, I have now completed Block 2 of P90X3. I will talk more about the specifics of that block in another post, but for now, I'll just say that I ultimately liked it, and I'm ready for even better results with Block 3.

This week I actually maintained my weight. Didn't lose, but didn't gain. BUT, I'm pretty pleased with my progress pictures! I still have a little ways to go, but I'm really starting to see that I've come a long ways now!

Week 17 Weight Loss Update

I didn't get my weight loss update post up before today, due to being out of town this weekend. This last week was a little tough to get out of bed to work out each morning, but I'm glad to say, I STILL DID. It's really important to me that when I finish this program I can say that I did all of the workouts and didn't skip any scheduled workouts. It's funny, but back in July when we decided this, I secretly wondered how long we would stick with it. Then, when we DID start the PiYo program in August, I was determined to finish it, which I did. I knew that I would be doing P90X3 in the fall, and I halfway thought that I would probably ease up on myself, especially with the holidays. But NOW, I am just as determined to finish without skipping any workouts.

Not that I'm being extreme, though. I want it to be about making more healthy than unhealthy choices. Especially during this time of year. But I also still want to get to my goal weight, so at this point I will continue to do my best.

But I'm happy to say that I was "back" this week (after gaining back a pound last week), with a 2-pound weight loss.

Weight Loss Update (Week 16): Overeating

I keep reiterating that this is a JOURNEY. It's not a fad or a diet, it's a new way of living. So why do I get so nervous when I choose to eat an item that doesn't align with my "new way of living"? Do I think that I will so easily go back? I think deep down, I am a little worried about that. But if I really believe what I say, then I should be confident that, yeah, I may have overeaten a couple of times today, made some not-so-great choices because it sounded good, but THAT's not my norm, and it WON'T be my norm. I mean, I'm roughly 20 pounds lighter than I was 3 months ago. I can look at pictures and see a definite difference. It's funny, though, because when I was that big and saw pictures of myself, I halfway wondered who I was looking at anyway, because I was never accustomed to being that big. So, now I at least feel like I'm pretty much back to normal, even though I still want to lose another 15ish pounds.

Yesterday Jason and I decided to get some steak. (This was after shopping for new clothes since we've lost some weight.) We hadn't had any in a while, and it sounded good. So we went to a steak restaurant and both got a steak meal, along with an appetizer. I ate pretty much the whole dinner. And I felt pretty full. THEN we decided to get some ice cream. Really? I didn't need it. But it sounded good, so I didn't argue. We took it home, and I started out eating it slowly because I was so full. But I still ended up eating the WHOLE thing. Part of what was running through my mind was if I save it until tomorrow, then that's two days that I'm not eating great. I also was formulating this blog post in my mind, thinking about how much my stomach just HURT because I overate. I thought about talking about how bad the food made me feel, and was it really worth it? And, yeah, my stomach did hurt a little bit overnight, but when I woke up this morning, I really felt okay overall. Now, Sundays are my exercise rest day, so I didn't have to get up and work out, so maybe that would have been tougher. But maybe not.

I have read and experienced weight loss enough to realize that if you treat it like rules that you have to follow, you'll eventually break the rules. And sometimes in an over-the-top binge fashion. I do almost feel like I can't eat ANYTHING that isn't "clean" or I won't lose a pound this week. But that's not normal life. That's not something that I can keep up long-term, and that is just too restrictive. So I really need to rethink my mindset, and make sure that I am overall making healthy choices rather than unhealthy choices. The other thing, I know that the number on the scale can fluctuate based on things like how much water you're retaining due to sodium intake. So I also know not to focus TOO much on the actual number, although that still is a relatively good indicator of progress and what I have chosen as my weekly measure.

Anyway, this week I actually was up a pound from last week. So there it is, But I still am overall feeling good. And I'm really liking my morning workouts! (For the most part. They are a little tough at times and hard to get through.) Guess I'll just go back to those nonscale victories that I wrote about in this post. My clothes fit better, I'm getting better range of motion in my push-ups and squats, my rings are much looser, and I'm definitely proud of myself.

Weight Loss Update (Week 15)

We are into THAT time of year. People always joke that it is hard to lose weight between Halloween and New Year's with all of the candy, parties, and family gatherings. Well, I've read recently that the average person gains 7 to 12 pounds during this time of year. Wow. I definitely don't want to do that. I'm going to ENJOY the season, but I will not go crazy. And I will be sticking to my exercise routine and eating plan overall. Remember, it's a journey, a lifestyle thing. Not a fad. So I will enjoy, but I will maintain the discipline that I've been working for the last 3 months. Stay diligent, and don't consider the holidays as a food free-for-all.

I have had some candy for Halloween. But definitely not what I typically would have had. I certainly did more of the free-for-all thing before I started this journey to be healthier. But a lot of it is about planning. Jason and I definitely plan all of our meals for the week. I will stop right here to say that HE is the cook in the house, and not me. So he is more of the planner, but I plan too. And that is more than half of what our success is attributed to. We even brought our own homemade meal to Legoland the other day when we took our daughter for the day. Chicken and broccoli quesadillas. They were pretty tasty. And it was a whole lot healthier than the typical meal you get at a theme park. And we spent less money. Which, by the way, we have been finding our grocery bill to be reduced a lot, despite the common thought that eating healthy costs more.

Another thing that I wanted to explain, in case anybody didn't catch it, is I am only exercising once a day, for about 30 minutes. The cleaner eating really HAS been key in my weight loss. Another thing that Jason and I started doing for the last few weeks is eating at lunch what we typically would have eaten at dinner. That means I'm now eating my salad that I would have had at lunch for my dinner now. This way, we're eating the lighter meal last, before our body's metabolism starts to slow down for the night. Jason posted this picture on his fitness page a couple of weeks ago, and I think it's pretty striking. In fact, check out his page on Facebook, here.

I started the second block of P90X3 this week, and you guys, it is tougher, I think! But, I know I'm getting stronger and soon it will be nothing to me. I love feeling more athletic and healthier. But I also want to see others come on this journey with me. There are so many unhealthy people who just don't FEEL good. It's really difficult to fulfill the purpose in your life if you don't even feel like getting up off the couch to do anything. So, while I'm using this blog to share my journey, I also want some people to come along with me.

I lost another pound this week. One pound closer to my goal. Of course, I know the number on the scale isn't everything. And in fact, I saw some pictures from a couple of years ago when I was at a similar weight, and I think I look a little heavier than I do now. Back then I wasn't building muscle like I am now, and we all know that muscle weighs more than fat. So keep your eye out on me during the holiday season, and anyone that wants to join me, let me know!

P90X3 Block 1

I'm still excited about P90X3. It is a 90-day program that is set up in 3 blocks. The first block is 4 weeks long, with the first 3 weeks being the same, and the 4th week being more of a transition week. There is a mix of routines that focus on your cardio, strength, and flexibility. All of the workouts are 30 minutes. As of today, I have finished the first block.

Block 1 Exercises (3 weeks):

Day 1 (usually Monday) is called Total Synergistics. It focuses on the whole body. You're doing squats and lunges while holding weights, you're doing pull-ups and chin-ups (I use a resistance band), and you're doing things to focus on your core.

Day 2 is called Agility X. It is more aerobic/cardio-based. There are a lot of lunges again, but it's a little faster-paced. It also is designed to improve precision, flexibility, balance, and strength. There is more jumping and quick-stepping around. I wouldn't say that it is my favorite.

Day 3 is Yoga X. I really like this one. But I usually like yoga exercises anyway. It's tough, but it isn't cardio, haha! There are several poses that weren't in PiYo. Of course, yoga is great for flexibility. And you get it all done in 30 minutes.

Day 4 is called The Challenge. This is completely upper-body, alternating between pull-ups and push-ups. You do lots of different variations, like staggered push-ups, where you have one arm forward and one arm closer while you do your push-ups. There is also a pull-up where one hand is forward and the other is reversed.

Day 5 is CVX, which is another cardio-based whole body workout. Pretty much everything you do with a light weight in your hands. It's another tough one, but I like it slightly better than Agility X.

Day 6 is The Warrior. This is another one with lots of push-ups. It also focuses on legs and core. It is more focused on increasing strength.

Day 7 is Dynamix, or you can choose to rest. I usually take the rest day.

Block 1 Recovery Week (1 week):

Day 1 is Isometrix. This involves holding a lot of the yoga poses for about 45 seconds. It's pretty tough, but I liked it.

Day 2 is Dynamix. This also involves a lot of stretching to help increase range of motion, flexibility, and stability. I think it's a little tough, too, but I have only done it the one time. Maybe when I get accustomed to it, it will be easier.

Day 3 is Accelerator. Whew, I thought it was tough! It's back to cardio, somewhat similar to Agility X.

Day 4 is Pilates. This is mostly focused on core. I have to say, I didn't like it as much as I thought that I would, but again, it could just be because it's not familiar yet. I'll have to see when I do it again.

Day 5 is CVX and Day 6 is Yoga X, both of which I've already described.

I'm ready to see what Block 2 will bring.

Posting my current progress picture. July 26, 2014, before PiYo. October 26, 2014: After PiYo, and P90X3 Block 1, plus clean eating and drinking Shakeology.

As for my current progress, I lost 2 more pounds this week! I am now at 21 pounds lost, and the lowest weight that I've been at in 2-and-a-half years. I've lost another inch or so in my waist. I definitely see more of a difference in my shoulder and arms than I do anywhere else. But, it'll get there, right?

Now, what about you? Anyone who wants to do this, can, if they're ready to be consistent and give some effort. If you want to join me, let me know! I will be there to offer accountability, encouragement, and motivation.

Week 13 [Oct 12-18] Benefits and Weight Loss Update

I would say that committing to this fitness journey has been hands-down one of the best decisions that I've ever made. There have been so much more than physical changes in me, although those have been great. Aside from the weight loss, I am seeing myself get stronger, my clothes are looking and fitting better, and my legs and arms are becoming more defined.

Like I said, though, this journey is making more than just physical changes. It also has made some emotional changes in me. My confidence has increased, my self-esteem is better, and I get irritated less easily.

Yep, I can tend to get irritated pretty easily. I guess you could say that I was frumpy and grumpy. And I didn't like being that way. But really, when you aren't making healthy choices, you're not going to feel that great, you're going to make other not-great choices, and then you feel pretty lousy about that, and the consequences of those choices. Which makes it more likely that you're going to make another bad choice. And it pretty much is just a downward spiral.

I know that there are a lot of factors that have changed, all of which probably contribute to my decreased irritation. One, I'm exercising, which creates endorphins, so I feel better. Two, I'm seeing some good physical changes in my body, which makes me feel better about myself and how I look, so my base level of irritation is lower. Three, I'm drinking a very healthy meal replacement shake that has helped me in a lot of ways. I'm sleeping better, I crave and eat less sweets, my digestion has improved, and my energy levels are improved. And, I see that I don't get irritated as easily as I used to. (I asked Jason if he sees that, too, and to my delight--and relief--he said he does.) And just like the downward spiral, I'm sure the opposite effect is going on. I feel better, I make better choices, and the consequences of those choices continues to make me feel good, thus increasing the probability that I will continue to make good choices.

No matter the exact reason, it's another reason that I want to continue on this journey. I'm realizing that being "fit" is more than just a physical thing. I didn't realize it when I started, but MY OWN journey to be "Fit After Forty", is more than just my becoming physically fit. It's about being emotionally and spiritually healthy, too.

 Now for this week's update: I lost 2 more pounds! I know that the scale is not the BEST indicator of success, because of normal fluctuations from water retention and things like that. But, weighing once a week helps to even that kind of thing out. Initially, I had chosen Mondays to be my official weigh-in days, but I decided since we often ease up some on the weekends, Friday or Saturday mornings would be a better official weigh-in day. But anyway, I am now officially more than halfway to my goal weight. 

Can't wait to see where I go next!

Week 12 Weight Loss Update

Wow, I can't believe that I've been on this journey for 12 weeks now. It doesn't seem that it has been that long. But the majority of the changes seem like part of my life now. Getting up first thing and working out is pretty much like second nature to me. Food prepping on the weekends, as time-consuming as that can be, is the best method for me and our family.

I'm getting stronger, too. I am doing more push-ups on my feet, not on my knees. I still may not be going down as far as I should, but I'm trying. And I will get it before this first round of P90X3 is over. I also think my cardio is getting better. And I love seeing a little more definition in my legs and arms.

I am now at a weight that I haven't been at in a year and a half, according to the My Fitness Pal app. Yet I think I look a tad smaller than I did, just because of building muscle and getting leaner. I guess the next set of pictures will tell.

But I did lose another pound this week. After not really losing last week, I'm glad to see that I'm back! I'm pretty much halfway to my goal!

It's a Marathon, Week 11 [Sept 29-Oct 6] and P90X3

Click here to read from the beginning of my journey.

For a lot of things lately, I've been hearing the phrase, "It's a marathon, not a sprint." That can be said about getting out of debt, it can be said about personal development, and it certainly can be said about losing weight. To be truly successful, it has to be something that you can stick with for life...a lifestyle change, not just a temporary diet. I've been thinking about that a lot this week, as I found it to be a not-so-successful week in sticking with healthy eating.

This was more than my previous special occasion cheats that I've written about before. It started with craving some pumpkin muffins. They aren't very high calorie, you just mix a can of pumpkin with a package of spice cake mix. So I had bought the ingredients a couple of weeks ago, but Jason wisely advised me to wait until after we took our after pictures, so I did. I took the pictures last week, and I made the muffins that night. He only ate them that night, but not me. I had a couple more Monday, and another one on Tuesday. But I also had two mini-cinnamon rolls at our staff meeting on Wednesday this week. Not that terrible either. Then Thursday was Jason's birthday, and he wanted to go to Kobe's. We LOVE Kobe's. I had to make it worth it, and I did get two meals out of it, but that was two more days of cheat-eating. Then Saturday, we had points for a free pizza, which we got, along with some chocolate chip cookie pie. I've been guilty of this before, where once you blow it, you just keep blowing it, but I know better.

Not that I'm beating myself up, because I'm not. I know this type of thing will happen sometimes. It's life. I just am reminded that ALL of my weeks can't be like this, and that's where it had been getting. I'm writing this before my official "weigh-in," but I'm pretty sure that I will not lose this week, and may have even gone back up from last week. But I'm not that worried about it, because I'm still staying on this journey. I just got a little sidetracked.

So now, my first week with P90X3.

I actually really liked it! I wasn't sure what I would think about it, or even if I would be able to stick with it, but I was ready to kick it up a notch. It was definitely tough, and I went to the modified moves a few times, I even took a few breaks sometimes, but I got right back in it. And I finished the first week. I'm pretty pumped about that. My muscles were sorer than they got with PiYo. The first block, which is weeks 1-4, has a good combination of cardio/plyometrics, using weights, and yoga.

So when I officially weighed, I'm glad to say that I didn't gain, but I didn't lose any this week, either. But I just keep plugging away. Next week I will.

Week 10 Update and PiYo Before-After Pics [Sept 22-29]

This post is about the beginning of my journey.

First, let me just say this...I FINISHED A PROGRAM! I am so proud of myself for that. Six years ago my husband and I had started another program, P90X, and got about 6 weeks in, which was not even halfway through. I even started it again another time or two, and never even lasted that long. I also tried to do the yoga component of that several times, but I just lacked the accountability and support that I needed. But not this time, and I do owe it to the people that I have teamed up with, along with my own determination.

I have liked PiYo. It's a great workout for those who want to feel a little stretched, get their hearts pumping a bit, and start to strengthen some muscles. I will probably go through it again sometime. My favorite line from PiYo: "Your hamstrings are saying, 'Are you kidding me right now?' and you're saying, 'No, because I care about you in my bikini.' "

Ok, I have to say that I am nervous and slightly embarrassed to share these pictures. But, I've invited whoever reads this blog to come on this journey with me, and what better way to see that than in the (ahem) flesh? So here it is...July 26 to Sept 28...Lost: 16 pounds, 5 inches in my waist, and all excuses.

Not where I want to be yet, but I am already continuing on the next leg of my journey. I started P90X3 today. I am still determined to finish this one, just like I finished PiYo.

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!