It all started TWO YEARS ago!!!!

Today marks the TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY of my weight loss & better health journey!!!  There are times it seems like I just started and others that feel as if I've been eating this way and exercising forever.  Amazing!!!!

It all started first with a quest to lose weight; a diet.  I was so tired of being fat.  I also had terrible balance; I really couldn't stand on one foot.  I saw and read terrible things about the aftermath of falling.  I didn't want that to happen to me.  Things had to change!

I started with my Atlanta personal trainer and Body Solutions guru, Dan, and the goal setting began.  Lose 10 lbs, another 10 lbs and on to 50 lbs; master (?) squats, walking lunges, curls & presses.  Walk the IJT 10 miles for breast cancer, run 1 mile, run a 5K, start boxing and now train for a half marathon.  The goals got bigger & bigger and I'm hooked! 

The weight came off, some came back on a little and I took it back off.  Two years later and I'm still at my goal weight!!!  My fitness routine has remained;  still doing 3x/week w/Dan plus 5x/week cardio!!!  Two years later and I still journal every day!!! 

My life has changed!!!  No diet for me; lifestyle change.  The physical changes are great - weight loss, strength, endurance and so are the changes to my mental & emotional well being.  I won't even go into that, trust me. 

Yeah me and as I've said so many times..............NEVER AGAIN and I'M FOREVER GRATEFUL!!!

Yea, losing weight!!!

I did it!  I'm back on it!  I'm SO excited.  My first official weigh in was a great success and just what I needed to get me back in the game.  I lost more than 3 lbs this first week back!!!!  You may have heard some screaming near you about 10am Saturday morning.  Yep, that was ME!

Results!  Rewards!  Ahhhhhh!!! I love it!  That is of course when the scale gives me good news.  I kicked my bad habits and am back in my groove.  Amazing how I got so off track and didn't even realize it.  Thank goodness for my food journal. One look @ the journal and Dan immediately pointed some junk out.  Thanks (again) Dan! 

The great scale news made for a spectacular Saturday.  Lunch with a friend, a little shopping (new lipstick! and run tights!), mani and then fell into bed.  It's a sunny, yet chilly, morning but almost time for my run.  Have a great day all!   

I'm a LOSER...!!!

Yea!  I'm happy to report I'm back on the losing side of things.  I think I mentioned earlier that last Saturday, I got refocused.  Dan looked @ my food journal and pointed out some bad habits I've developed that are most likely getting in the way of my losing weight.  Funny how I know this stuff but totally missed this.  It sure helps to have a Coach - thanks (again) Dan!!!

#1 - I waited too long to eat breakfast after waking up.  I was going @ 3-4 hours before eating after I got up.  TOO LONG.  So I cut that back to only 1 hour!  I don't like to eat right when I get up so 1 hour is working for me.

#2 - I was eating too often during the day; only @ 2 hours between snacks and meals.  Dan pointed out that all I was doing was "grazing" all day long.  Ugh!  So I'd trained my body to just be hungry all the time.  CUT THAT OUT.  This week, when I'm feeling a little hungry, I either grab a piece of gum or drink more water.  Of course I'm living in the bathroom :-) but at least I'm LOSING. 

#3 - I cut out or greatly reduced carbs at dinner & after.  I did this all along my initial weight loss journey and it worked for me.  Lots of people can eat carbs at night but it doesn't work for me. 

This week, I'm excited to get up in the a.m. and jump on my scale.  Yep, I do that every morning too.  And so far, the scale says.................I've lost @ 2 lbs this week!  Can that be?!

The real deal comes Saturday morning when I weigh in @ Body Solutions.  I'm feelin it and think I'm off to a good start!!!  Back to goal weight by 2/12/2011 - that's my goal!!!

Am I a statistic?!?!

Whatever works for you, go with it.............One year later and I'm still journaling.  Yep, I carry this with me everywhere I go....along with everything else in that big ole bag. 

During the last 18 months, I ordered every journal I could find.  They were so complex so we decided to create our own.  I partnered with my trusty friend & coach, Dan, and here it is.  You can get one if you want too.........

You know.......Study after study shows that 'those" who write down what they eat, lose & keep off the weight.  I guess I'm now one of "those"..........

View the journal - click here

Bloggers block and....

....random thoughts.  It's been @ 3 days since my last post and I think I'm suffering from bloggers block OR maybe there is just too much stuff jumbling around in my head.

Man o man so much going on right now.  My business is picking up (YAHOO), headed to NYC for another class weekend; lunch with a friend from 1st grade (that's a looooong time ago).  My bro & his wife are going to be in NYC too so hookin up w/them.  Client meeting, class and leaving a little time for whatever comes my way.  Maybe a museum this time around cause it's going to be a boiler there too. 

Some random & totally mindless stuff:

• Book reading - finished Girl in Translation - liked it!  Now reading Backseat Saints - weird but making it thru.  Anyone read anything great?
• More magazine - for the over 40 readers, haha.  Some good articles this month on multi vitamins, eating to avoid breast "c" - good read. 
• LOST 1 lb....4 more to go.  Tried on my skinny pants.  Can't zip them and goal is to zip up on July 4!!!!  Back to journaling.  
• Lucy - shop there?  The power shorts are on sale.  Love these!   
• Topsy turvy - haven't started it yet.  Will try over July 4th weekend.  Any tips?  I love tomatoes.
• Converter - got to get converter for trip to Israel.  Counted up all the "plug in's" I use, ugh!  Laptop, cell, iPod, blow dryer, flat iron.....Do they make a converter power cord :-)!!!
• USB on laptop going - driving me nuts.  The one I use for my mouse.  Anything I can do @ this other than replace laptop!  LOL. 

OK, solved. Less bloggers block and more......so, so much going on.  Making it another great day!!! 

Eat to lose....

I'm back in the weight loss game.  I'm maintaining my loss pretty well but I stopped journaling a couple weeks ago and picked up 5 lbs and it's not coming back off so fast.  It never did the first time so why should I be surprised I guess.  Not surprised but disappointed & today a little frustrated. 

I've been able to take off 1 1/2 from the 5 but haven't been able to break past it yet.  I'm back to journaling every day, eating right/making good choices and regular exercise but no go.  Nada!  Not happening for me just yet.  I'm not giving up...never.  It's just the way it is. 

Its funny when I mention my gain to friends, they sort of dismiss me - "you got this," "5 lbs is no biggy," "you've done this before" and on go the comments.  Yeah, I've done it before, many times in fact but frankly it doesn't get any easier.  I'll turn one year older in a couple days and I think its gettin harder!  But I'm never going back so this is just the way it is for me. 

I guess this is my very own game of cops and robbers - good guys/days and bad guys/day.  The game I will play for the rest of my life.  It's my lifestyle now.  I got that and am much happier because of it yet there still are those days (like today) when its frustrating.....The great news is today's a new day and I'll take it one day at a time.  Relaxing @ a goal is not my strongest point but I'll work on it........

Gadgets and data.......oh me!

For the last 12 or so years, I've been crazed by all the techno gadgets.  I partly have my business partner to thank.  He had a MacIntosh computer on his desk in the early 90's (nope, they didn't call it "Apple" back then) and was always into tech stuff.  Starting with the PalmPilot; I had to have every new version.  I had one of those electronic notepads that you write on and then download to your computer.  Great concept but it never worked.  The SmartBoard - had that.  Then I moved to the BlackBerry which first started out looking like a pager and progressed thru many versions.  Now to the iPhone and who knows what's next.  I'm not gettin the new iPhone that's for sure.  I really want the iPad but how can I justify that?!  Please someone give me one good reason!!!!

Now enter exercise and fitness.  Once Dan, my coach, said "monitor your heart rate"....you can probably guess what ensued.  We drove all over Atlanta; me driving, him looking for the right HR monitor for me.  That led us to our Internet search.  My first heart rate monitor was a Suunto.  I didn't keep it long; couldn't really see the #s that well and way too complex for me. 

Next a very basic Polar that gave me my HR and the time of day.  Hmmmm....I wanted more information because if you don't know already, I'm a data junky.  I've tracked my workouts since I started in February 2009 and I have journaled my eating every day since then as well.  For me, journaling keeps me on track and is a key. 

My next and current is the Polar RS300x combined with the Foot Pod (pedometer) and the Flowlink (allows me to download to My Personal Polar account).  LOVE THIS.  From this, I get my HR, time, pace, distance and I don't use all the functionality either.  I then download the info and can track my activity by day/week/month.  Crazy!

Awww but it doesn't really stop there.  Enter the Gruve.  I wear the Gruve everyday to track calorie burn.  It's a cool tool and the concept is to ensure I'm movin alot!  It projects colors and the goal is green.  Not easy but a good challenge. 

More importantly is WHY do I use, do all this?  I'm a competitive, goal oriented and data driven person.  Put that all together and I use my journal, my HR, my time, my distance, my calorie burn to encourage & inspire me to keep going, to celebrate progress or a great day, to recognize a not so great day and get with it the next day.  It's my own personal formula.  As in everything, it's not one size fits all so each person should find what works for them and then go for it with gusto!

The health halo..

Have you ever been lulled by the "health halo"?  You know, it's organic so it's "good for me".  Right so that makes organic pop tarts, animal crackers, gummy bears, etc good for me?

I guess it depends on what I was eating before, how often I eat these "good for me" products, how much of these "good for me" products I eat and/or when I eat these "good for me" products. 

Last week, the answer for me was all the time (except the pop tarts).  I was eating the organic cookies and candy every day, way too much at each sitting and mostly at night.  Combine all these and what I got was a big ole 4+ lbs weight gain, felt sluggish, tired but in a great mood.  I let myself fall victim to the HEALTH HALO concept.  Just because something is made with whole and/or natural ingredients doesn't mean I should eat it! 

This week I'm back on my game.  I went to Whole Foods yesterday, passed right by the animal crackers and candy aisles and I restarted my journaling.  Journaling for me is a must.  Been doing it now for 15 months.  It works for me.  The HALO is gone and I'm back in my zone.  Ready!

The Heart Rate........

What's it all about?  There is resting, recovery, training, target, normal, healthy and on..........For the first 50 years, I was simply glad I had a heart rate/beat.  Over the last year, I've learned more @ the importance and how to positively affect my heart rate and my health.  I did my HR first thing this a.m. when I woke up and WOW! 

Some basics - My heart rate is beats per minute.  Things that affect HR are my age (51), female (males typically have lower HR), weight (135), my health and fitness levels. 

So I thought I'd take a look at where I started and my progress:

• 
  
  March 2009 - 170 lbs - resting HR 79
• 
  
  November 2009 - 135 lbs - resting HR 65
• 
  
  April 2010 (TODAY) - 135 lbs - resting HR 55

Just like with weight loss, lower is better with HR.  It's a measure of physical fitness and heart health.  WooHoo, 24 beats lower.  I'm learning all this and I'm excited.  All these months of food journaling to keep my weight down, continuing my cardio workouts and my strength/weight training with Dan is really having an impact.  It's so much more than just how I look in the mirror (although that's a good one too).  

What a CREEP

Weighed this am and UP 4 lbs.  The "weight creep" has started - 2 lbs became 3 and now 4 lbs.  Holy *&%$#!  

Thank goodness for my food & exercise journal.  I've sort of slacked off on it over the past month (thought I "had it" and wasn't feeling good).  Typically my journal is always with me.  At work, it sat on top of my desk, always in my handbag and ready for entries and tracking.  It worked for me and I lost 50 lbs with this trusty tool so I gotta go with it.  Or should I say - get back to it. 

After weighing this am, I looked back at my journal over the past 3 weeks and not so pretty.  My eating sucked (can you say nachos) and I only exercised @ 2 days/week.  So there I have it.  Back to the future as they say. 

Here goes Ethel Merman in my head - starting here....starting now....OK Ethel, here I go into my week of getting back on track. 

It's time to weigh in and it ain't going to be pretty......

This past week, under the "I'm not feeling good," I abandoned most of my basics; good health habits and choices I developed during my weight loss journey and over the last year.  I hardly ate any veggies the whole week.  I ate only a of couple apples; I always have an apple in my handbag.   I ate way too many sandwiches - PB, egg salad, cheese - whatever I could put between 2 slices of bread.  My protein was so/so - not great - no chicken, turkey once and that was last night, no fish - I guess mostly eggs now that I think @ it!  I didn't workout except for yesterday so I cut back my food intake thinking that would offset the no workouts.

Everyone has a bad week, right?  Now as I sit having my am coffee, getting ready to go for my weekly weigh in, I'm thinking @ what was so wrong with the week.  How come I didn't lose any weight?

1. From my home scale I stayed the same - which is 2.5 lbs up from my goal weight.  But I ate less?!
2. I DIDN'T JOURNAL ANYTHING this past week so I really can't recall what I ate.  Ugh, I haven't mentioned anything @ the ice cream and all the nuts I ate.  Nuts are good for you but high in calories!  Cheese, the "it's not a diet food."  May have gone over on that too.  Ooooh what did I eat that I can't remember?  Oh yea, Dots yesterday but only 2 mini boxes. 
3. I don't think I ate enough this past week.  Not small, more frequent meals like I typically eat. But I wasn't exercising so was that still necessary?!
4. Outside of Sun-Tues, I didn't drink enough H2O.  I know I didn't yesterday cause I have a hangover today and I had no alcohol last night.  When I don't drink enough water, this happens to me. 

Oy!  What a week and this is only what I remember.   OK, Ethel Merman I need you NOW......starting here.........starting now!  The sun is out today (we've had nothing but rain for the last 4 days) and it's going to be beautiful weather.  I still don't feel so great but today's a new day.  I'm headed to Body Solutions to weigh in (miracle? miracle?) and workout with Dan.  I have a busy weekend planned with lots of great stuff packed in so I'll start over today!  Dust off my journal, slice my apple and throw it all in my bag. 

T.G.I.F.

It's been five days since my last post and while I would have liked to stop time or jumped off the world for a few days, I'm still here.  The week has been a blur and I think my daily food choices have in some part been a blur too.  Tomorrow when I have some time, I'll look back over my food journal and see just how I did this week.  I hope I wrote everything down! 

One thing I struggled with alot this week was CHOCOLATE.  I could not get enough of it; I craved it constantly.  Anyone have any suggestions for me on this?  I need help.  The dear Tauheedah suggested a sensible swap - vegan choco chips.  I love them and they worked for me on a few days but were often followed by organic choco dipped bananas/apricots (these are awesome-Next Organics) or WW ice cream chasers!!!!  I don't think the scale will change much @ tomorrow's weigh in.  

Oh well, *&%$#@ happens, right?!  It does and now I need to learn from this as opposed to letting one week stretch into two.  Thank goodness, I've been exercising a bunch.  I think that has been as much for my mental health as it's been for physical or weight maintenance. 

Girls on the run (my co-workers and I) have moved up to 4 miles now.  We tried a trail yesterday, Rottenwood Creek in Cobb County (Atlanta, GA).  It's a beautiful two mile (each way) trail with 1/2 of nothing but hills.  My running coach reminds us constantly, "hills are a girl's best friend."  If you want leg and butt work, take to the hills girls.  Fortunately Rottenwood has @ a mile of fairly flat also.  You can walk, run, bike; great sounds and will be spectacular when things start blooming (hell on allergies for sure).  The girls want to go 6 miles today.............Actually 6 miles may have been thrown out by me.  I'm always up for a new challenge.  What's your new challenge? 

Grab a pen.............

What's all the hype @ food journals? The research is there.........old research, new research and it all points to people who keep a food journal loose MORE weight than those who do not. That means we've got to fess up and write down all we eat and drink. If we can loose more weight, isn't it worth it?!!! So grab a notepad, cocktail napkin, or whatever (I recommend a spiral notebook that lives with you all the time).

For those of us who need to read it to believe it - check out the study from Kaiser Permanente’s Center for Health Research. The study was published in the August 2008 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. “Those who kept daily food records lost twice as much weight as those who kept no records...."

So grab a pen and start writing!