Weight Watchers Weekly Weigh-In No. 10

I tracked every bite, lick, and taste.

I weighed or measured food at home.

I got in six workouts.

I weighed-in with a 2.8 pound lost.

I believe in Weight Watchers. Still, I know that A, B, and C above could have resulted in E (instead of D)  - 2.8 pounds gained. Would I have been pleased with E? No! However, I know that in the end, I will be able to say I lost x pounds with Weight Watchers, but I won't be able to tell anyone that following WW guaranteed me a loss each week. Even though every member is given the same guidelines, no two people will have the same results. Life must be factored in.

Sometimes, it pays to look at the big picture. Other times, it's best to concentrate on the matters right in front of us.

So, Fred recommitted to tracking and planning and he saw a loss of 4 lbs! I am proud of my hubby! I almost feel partly to blame for his weight gain over the years because my cooking is just sooo good. (Almost doesn't count though!)

One star for Fred:

Our First Nonstop 5K Run

Last night as we were getting ready for bed, Bridgette asked me how I felt about running a new route. I told her that I was just fine with it. After she told me which route she had in mind, I told her that I could see myself running the full distance. I never actually thought it would happen today. Our goal distance for today was to run a 5K or 3.1 miles nonstop. This goal was at the top of the list of goals that we've set for ourselves, and we've been on a mission to accomplish it for a few months now.



Victory is Ours!

Taking a look back at our accomplishments over the last three to four months has given me the encouragement and the will to add to our list another non-scale victory. I actually crossed one off the list about two weeks ago when I ran an eleven minute mile. I beat my anticipated time of a 12 minute mile by one whole minute. Knowing  that today I could actually cross off another non scale victory was plenty enough encouragement for me.

As each quarter mile of our run passed, I felt better. I was concerned for Bridgette and how she was doing because I knew that this would be an anticipated victory for her as well. I'm surprised to say that every time I asked her how she was doing she could answer me, "I'm Okay Baby," with free flowing words. Usually she would answer with heavy breathing and pauses between each word, but not today. She was doing great; it motivated me even more.

Around 2.5 miles Bridgette told me she was tired and needed to slow down. I was okay with that; I just didn't want her to stop. When Runkeeper signaled that we were at 2.75 miles I told Bridgette we have a little over a quarter mile left and I could hear the change in her voice. "Really?" she asked. Next thing I know we were on our last leg and she gave it all she had down the stretch, even speeding up a bit, and I sprinted to the end. 3.16 miles was my final time, and I felt like I could go another mile or two. (Bridgette stopped at 3.1 miles, but I raced to the nearby stop sign.) We gave each other a high five, and thanked the LORD that we made it.

I was an athlete up through high school, but I have never in my life run this far without walking or taking a break. It feels so good knowing that I can run a 5K nonstop. I'm motivated more than ever.  PRAISE THE LORD!

Chalean Extreme Burn Circuit 2 in Pictures

 

 

 

 

Looking at over 100 pictures of us exercising was quite eye opening. We got to see when our form was good and when it was poor. Do cameras really add ten pounds? If they do, I feel much better about what I've seen!

 

I really enjoy doing Chalean Extreme. Each time I find I am able to increase my weights on almost every exercise, which is why we invested in SelectTechs in the first place. I purposely started off light because I hate that sore, gotta roll out of the bed, hurts to sit on the toilet feeling. I also like that I can actually see several people performing the exercise so I know how the exercise should be done. (I wish I had a mirror at times though.) We have a weight lifting book of workouts that's kind of awkward for beginners who have no idea of correct form. I like that someone modifies the exercises to make them slightly easier. Chalean tells you what weight she's using and sometimes what the others use. (She and another person use SelectTechs. Two people use three sets of free weights, and one person uses resistance bands.)

 

In case you are wondering, Fred and I work out at the same time. One of our kids took the pictures above. They may not be the best shots, but we have good ones to judge our form and we have good body shots that we can compare to later ones down the rode and say, "I can't believe I used to have all that stomach!"

Success without a Scale

In working to achieve a healthier and fitter self, it's important to have more than one way to measure success. Since I'm trying to lose weight, one of the ways I measure success is with a scale - pounds lost of course. I'm grateful that I am wise enough to want more than to weigh 150 pounds (or whatever magic number). I want more! I want to naturally gravitate towards healthy food choices. I don't want it to be a chore either. A "poor me" attitude would be self-defeating while out to eat with family and friends.

At a baby shower this past weekend, I got a small plate with party wings (I had points for), stuffed eggs, and veggies: carrots, tomatoes, celery. I tasted a cheese dip (two tablespoons) using about three chips instead of covering my entire plate with the dip and the biggest handful of chips I could grab.  And, I didn't get cake just because it was a party. It just wasn't worth it. Sometimes they are good, more often they are awful, and rarely are they great (talking about those decorated party cakes). I'd much rather have plain ol' homemade pound cake. I packed my own snacks for the six hour drives there and back: fresh fruit, homemade snack mix, LARABAR. YUM! Now I don't always make the best choices, but I did this day!

At this stage in my life I am so much more inclined to appreciate the benefits of physical exercise. I really feel so much better. This past week I've been able to increase my weights in Chalean Extreme. Just yesterday we finally covered 3.1 miles in one outing. When we started with C25K we were always pressed for time because we both work and have four kids. We wanted to get done as soon as possible. So, when the C25K app was done, we were done. Now we are reassessing our priorities and making it work. As slow as we are, we can't cover five miles in thirty minutes, so we've got to extend our workouts. Another non-scale victory I'm proud of is running just shy of 2.5 miles without taking a walking break! Some worry about speed, but endurance is most important to me right now.

For the past two weigh-ins my scale has moved the wrong way. However, I'm not discouraged because I achieve new victories EVERY day.

Weight Watchers Weekly Weigh-In No. 9

 

I was up four tenths at weigh-in. (And I didn't even eat cake at the baby shower!) Really, I am not bothered by it at all. There were times during this past week that I did a lot of estimating. I do prefer to make my food myself. Perhaps the gain has to do with the increases in weight lifting.

I really didn't !

This upcoming week, I'll be meticulous in my tracking (so I know that's never the reason for a gain) and get my exercise in (I missed a bit of this). I'm doing well with my July goals.

Fred relapsed: mental tracking. He saw a gain of two and two tenths pounds. Having done Weight Watchers before, I know without a doubt that tracking is essential to success. I started him off this morning by pre-tracking five of six meals and snacks, but it's something he has to learn to do. I think he's a believer now.

And we're off!

This post will be quick since we're about to head out to weigh-in.

Last week was a fairly relaxed week as it relates to exercise. Believe it or not, one of us overdid it with some late night Wii Sports! Not Chalean Extreme or running, but boxing. This coupled with late nights and an out-of-town baby shower left us with little energy for anything. But today we accomplished great things (at least for beginners anyway). We ran for 2.38 miles without any walking (then walked a bit). This is our longest distance to date. At times I slowed way down, but I didn't stop. YAY!! 

This week will be business as usual since we've set our eyes on being able to do 3.1 miles without stopping.We are getting there one day at a time. I can finally see the finish line!

Snacks: Family Favorites

I like to have snacks around for the kids (and me!). I am less likely to eat something I later regret when there are healthy snacks all around. Our favorite snack this time of year is fresh fruit - watermelon, pineapples, and grapes especially.

I like chips, but I hate them. They are very addictive and not at all healthy for our little ones: "Betcha can't eat just one!" If I buy chips for the family I prefer to get ones with three or four ingredients: potatoes, salt, oil. Our alternative is stove popped popcorn. We all love this.

Another snack we like to eat to tide us over between meals is a snack mix containing mini pretzels, plain M&M's or Reese's Pieces, and peanuts or plain almonds. Of course, I like the M&M's with the peanuts as does Fred. (Peanut M&M's are were my favorite!) My leader told me that chocolate chips might be a better choice. I'll look into this on my next shopping trip.

Snack Mix:

15g mini pretzels (1pts +)
14 g either candy (2pts +)
14 g either nut (2pts +)

We keep the snack mix in jars that the kids need help opening!

Weight Watchers Weekly Weigh-In No. 8

I prepared myself for a gain. I did gain. My leader asked me if I knew the scale would go up after she saw the number. I told her I figured it might be up a pound or so given I attended a family reunion this past weekend. I gained one and nine tenths pounds. Oh. Those darn ribs!

While I didn't overeat or stuff myself, I did indulge in foods I haven't been eating. I also didn't count points for foods I ate outside my home. Without Etools, it seems too difficult since I don't regularly eat the foods I had. One good thing is that I didn't drink any calories; all I had was water.

I need a plan! I have a go-to meal for when I have to eat out - several depending on where I have to eat. (Which reminds me that I need to get a sushi fix SOON!) What do I do when invited to eat elsewhere? Not eat? No one I know goes out of their way to make healthy foods. We serve salad at our house when we invite others over. Most of our family members don't serve salad, but I know they eat it. Maybe I could make and take a salad and then have a piece of meat and some vegetables that hopefully aren't loaded with butter. (Surprisingly, I do weigh and eat 7 grams of butter regularly for 1pts +.)

So, I had a gain. It's not the end of the world (for me). Fred had a gain too. It was only four tenths of a pound. What the? MEN!

Victory over Defeat

After enduring an extended holiday weekend that was overshadowed by an overwhelming number of tasty treats, I am completely satisfied with the remarkable restraint I showed by not overdoing it. I did not indulge myself by over-eating as I have always done in the past. Although I did not lose any weight this week I am proud to say I only gained about 0.4 lbs. I would have been happy to have only gained 2 to 3 lbs if it were the case, because I usually pig out. "From the kitchen to the cooler" -  that would have been my mantra in the past; however,  my health was my number one priority this time around.
    
I am also proud that I only had ONE alcoholic beverage, one cup of Kool-aid, and two cups of sweet tea over the past weekend,  which is another big feat for me. I would usually turn up a cup without regard to how many calories or points it might contain. It was not as hard as I thought it would be though, and I know that the reason it wasn't  hard is because I had my mind made up already. This was never the case before because instead of a plan, I had good intentions. Of course I would usually forget about my good intentions whenever I got in the presence of my adversary - tantalizing foods and drinks. This is definitely a non-scale victory for me.

Yesterday we fell slightly off schedule by not doing Chalean at our regular time, but we did find the time to get it done later in the evening. I admit that I had some concerns about doing it so late because usually I wake up sore and stiff after an evening workout with weights. Surprisingly I felt great this morning and did not have any new soreness other than that in my foot (plantar fasciitis).
    
I can smell the sweet aroma of VICTORY in our future!

Hard Work + Dedication = Great Results

     Today was another successful day of Chalean Extreme. Its only our 2nd official day and I know that we will continue with our success because we are totally committed to this new way of life. I know I won't see any changes in our bodies for a while as it relates to seeing some muscle definition, but the dedicaiton will definitely pay off big time.



Chalean Extreme Burn Circuit 2 - Deadlift with Double Row

     I know how it feels now to hear the stories of people saying that it took a lot of hard work and dedication to achieve their goals. The one example I remember most vividly is the time when LL Cool J stated that people criticized him by saying that he was on steroids. He stated that he had not used steroids, but he had worked extremely hard to get the body he has acquired. LL also stated that he stayed away from sweets and other foods that he knew were unhealthy and would be a detriment to his progress and would undo all the sacrifices that he had made. That has always been one big motivational story for me although it was years and years ago. I now understand that it takes hard work for sure. Hard work AND dedication.
    
    One day I hope to share a similar testimony with others and use this blog as the proof to show how far we have come and that our lifestyle (of healthy habits) has truly changed for the better. Hopefully we will inspire others to change their lifestyles for the better also.


Chalean Extreme Burn Circuit 2 - Triple-Threat Push-ups

     Oh, I almost forgot about our run yesterday. We worked on our speed again, which turned out to be successful as we both improved our average time and pace. Although we have improved some we agreed to run longer times even after the app is done because we still have lots of energy once we get finished.

Finishing with a definite non-scale victory -  I did some swimming at our annual family reunion and did not have one alcoholic beverage. And while I may have eaten more than I planned, I ate nowhere near what I would have eaten in the past.

July Goals!

We probably should have posted our goals for the month on the first; nevertheless, they have were established prior to the start of the month, and here they are for all the world to see:

Bridgette's Goals

1. Drink two cups of water with each meal and snack
2. Increase push ups from two to ten at a time (Up until about two weeks ago, I couldn't do a single one!)
3. Read the Bible daily (as part of my 90 day plan)

Fred's Goals

 

1. Refrain from drinking pops/sodas at work (We don't even buy them for the house!)
2. Track food intake daily (on paper, not in head)

 

Shared Goals

 

1. Do 3 training runs a week AND 3 Chalean workouts a week
2. Continue to be active with our kids

 

Strong

Strong. That's exactly how I feel today. Today was our first official day of Chalean Extreme Round 1. This is not my first time doing the program; I have completed all three phases one other time about a year and a half ago. My goal is to push myself to lift heavier without overdoing it - getting out my comfort zone, but without injuring myself.  I LOVE strength training. My only problem is consistency. You know - working out for two or three weeks then not working out for two or three months. I have been consistent with something I don't exactly love (running) for over three months, so this should be a piece of cake. I will admit that I do hope to love running. In fact, I've always wanted to be a runner. (Yesterday we are able to do some speed work as part of our first 5K training!)

In the past I've tried to start everything at one time: eating right, cardio, strength. This has always lead to me going too fast, getting burnt out, sore, or injured, and finally, quitting. This time around we started with C25K and fought off the urge to jump into doing strength exercises. Our second step was tackling portion control with Weight Watchers. We already eat healthy stuff and have been for years. (You can ask our family members who  consider us child abusers for fixing vegetables, brown rice and such for our children, or ordering veggie pizzas instead of Meat Lovers and limiting their sweet treats like Kool-Aid, cakes, and cookies.)

Now after all this time we are adding in strength training with Chalean Extreme. I love it. You lift heavy slowly. Heavy doesn't necessarily mean 50 lbs either; it could be 15 lbs for you or as low as 5 lbs. At times in the past I've simply used my body weight and no additional weights.  (Today I used between 5 and 15 pounds for the various exercises and will have to increase most weights next time.)

This is me doing the Bench Press and Leg Lower of Burn Circuit 1. Of course, I'm not doing the Leg Lower - I'll add that in next week. I really love those Bowflex SelectTechs.

I love that we are making exercise a part of our daily lives. We have always known to eat and drink to live. Now we know to exercise to live. Of course, it's not enough to know that something is right, the right thing must be done.

This is Fred doing the Lunge with Core Rotation of Burn Circuit 1. He sweats so much! See Chalean on the TV?

Happy Independence Day!

Healthy Choices over Bad Decisions: Hard Habits to Break

As tomorrow approaches I know I will have to prove myself and show that I can control myself when staring down the likes of our southern style 4th of July barbecue meals and the ice coolers that I know will be filled to the top (one for the kids and one for the adults). Although I am not a person who HAS to indulge in the likes of alcohol, I always find myself having a few when it comes to family gatherings. I know I will show control in this area, but I'm not so sure what it will be like when looking at the tables lined up with barbecue chicken, smoked sausages, fried fish, steaks, and my favorite, RIBS. Just thinking about them has my appetite flaring up. These are just the main course items not to mention all of the side items and desserts. My family sure knows how to have a good time and it is always in a nice environment as well. I know that my life is changing before my eyes and I have made a promise to Bridgette to keep our lifestyle on a healthy track and I cannot break that promise. These gatherings do not come many times of the year so I have to suck it up and think about our future and our health. Its only one day and I will not undo months of hard work for something as simple as food and beverage and send me back to where I first began. These old habits of yesterday will have to be used as firepower in my fight to keep running on tomorrow. Really I have to run away from the ribs and the drinks.

Weight Watchers Weekly Weigh-in No. 7



This week at my weekly meeting a loss of one and one tenths pounds was recorded. This brings me to a total loss of eleven and five tenths pounds.



Source

Fred was down two pounds. And he is tracking!