Archives for 2007

Month 9 Check-in: September 07

Starting Weight: Jan 1 – 278 lbs
Previous Month Weight: Sept. 1 – 214.6 lbs

Current Weight: Oct. 1 – 210.6 lbs

Month 9 Weight Loss: 4 lbs

Total Weight Loss: 67.4 lbs

Initial Measurements (1 month in):

Arms: 15.5 in.
Chest: 46 in.
Waist: 44 in.
Hips: 56 in.
Thigh: 29 in.

Measurements: Oct. 1:

Arms: 13.5 in.  (-.5)
Chest: 41 in.   (-1)
Waist: 36.5 in.  (-1.5)
Hips: 48 in. 
Thigh: 26.5 in.   (-.5)

Month Decrease in Inches = 3.5 in.
Total Decrease in Inches = 25 in.

2007 Fitness and Weight Loss Goals: 9 Month Check-In

 

*9 month Check-in/Revision in blue
*6 month Check-in/Revision in red

In 2007, I will focus on 2 main areas – Physical (weight loss/fitness/health) and Financial (which included personal business goals)

Tho I will revise my weight loss goal for the year, I feel that this is an area of my life that is going very well. I’m feeling fit, strong and unstoppable! πŸ™‚ I know that I will reach my ultimate goal and am not discouraged that it may take a bit longer than 1 year.

For the second half of 2007, I intend to continue working on this goal while pouring the same kind of initial intensity (as with my fitness goals), into the area of Finance/Business.

It has been a struggle for me to really get going with my financial/business goals. My intention is to be more focused on this in Q4-to have a system in place and at least a few sites up going into 2008. I would like to start 2008 with the same intensity towards my financial/business goals as I had at the beginning of 2007 with my Fitness/Weight Loss goals.

Physical:

  • To weigh 150 lbs or less by Jan. 1, 2008 (this will be 128 lb loss) – starting weight is 278
    *Revised: to weigh 178 or less by Jan. 1, 2008 (this will be 100 lb loss) 
    *Revised: to weigh 193 or less by Jan. 1, 2008 (this will be 85 lb loss)
  • To have a varied, consistent exercise routine that includes: walking, swimming, aerobic dvd workouts, pilates, strength training, biking, etc. 
    *Update: this goal has been and will continu to be accomplished. My current exercise routine includes: walking, biking, pilates, strength training and ab work. I would like to add some swimming before the end of the year.
  • To have normal/stable blood pressure and to be off medication 
    Update: last blood pressure check was great…medication/weight loss (I hope it’s due to the weight loss) πŸ˜‰ seem to be working! 
    Update: If blood pressure is good Oct 2, Dr will take me off the 1 remaining medication and monitor for a few months

 

 

 

Week 38 Check-in: September 24, 2007

Starting Weight: Jan 1 – 278 lbs
Previous Week’s Weight: Sept. 17 – 213.2 lbs

Current Weight:  Sept. 24 – 212.2 lbs

Week 38 Weight Loss:   1 lb

Total Weight Loss: 65.8 lbs

Exercise Report:
Cardio (bike) x 5 – 104.7 miles and walk x 2
Strength Training (upper body) x 3
Abs x 5
Pilates x 3

Food Report:
Average daily calories: 1797

Notes:

  • 22nd – started P

 

Pizza and Chicken Wings – Is this turning into a Regular Occurance?

I did order pizza again this month while I was in the midst of PMS and I thought I’d write a quick post about it as I was thinking about how I was feeling about the whole thing.

I’m always pretty deliberate when I do this and it definitely seems to follow a pattern. I figure if I let myself have this as a treat every 4-6 weeks or so (dare I say once a month) it’s not going to kill my progress. I mean, this is real life we’re leading, right? AND we’re bound to have craving, especially when we’re PMS-ing big time. lol πŸ˜‰

I think there may be times when I can have the craving and NOT give in to it, and most often during the month, I do not crave this and I’m perfectly fine with my "normal" healthy meals. Also, I do hate to do this right before a weigh-in…especially if it is a monthly weigh-in, so I will definitely try to wait until after if these 2 events coincide at all.

Pizza and chicken wings…strange – I’ve always loved pizza, but never really went for the chicken wings before so I’m not sure what all that is about!

What are your craving? Feel free to share and also let us know how YOU deal with them.

Week 37 Check-in: September 17, 2007

Starting Weight: Jan 1 – 278 lbs
Previous Week’s Weight: Sept. 10 – 214.4 lbs

Current Weight:  Sept. 17 – 213.2 lbs

Week 37 Weight Loss:   1.2 lbs

Total Weight Loss: 64.8 lbs

Exercise Report:
Cardio (bike) x 5 – 107 miles
Strength Training (upper body) x 3
Abs x 5
Pilates x 3

Food Report:
Average daily calories: 1786

Notes:

  • PMS?
  • Sunday night had pizza/wings (seem to crave this right before P)

 

Don’t Quit: A Mantra for Cycling and for Life

This morning I rode my bike to a nearby Lake. This is a great Sunday ride for me because there is a road that on other days is quite busy where on Sundays it’s no problem, so I like to take advantage of the early quiet Sunday morning. Of course when I get there, it is a beautiful ride around the Lake which is roughly 4 miles. The whole ride is about 16 miles and on the way back there’s a bit of a hill to climb.

I find myself playing this little game as I go up the hill where I pick a spot just ahead (maybe a driveway, tree or mailbox) and make that my goal.  Typically when I ride I have a goal to go for distance or speed and today I was thinking that when I’m on an incline, the goal is not necessarily the distance or the speed, but rather just not getting off the bike to walk it up the hill. πŸ˜‰

The mantra in my head at this time is "Don’t Quit" – round the peddles go – "Don’t Quit" – a little further up the hill – "Don’t Quit". AND of course in just a bit of time and with legs burning, I’ve made it to the top AND it feels so awesome!

After clearing the top today and then coasting for a bit I was thinking how making it up this hill is such a metaphor for the weight loss challenge and our quest to lose weight. Every month and week so far this year, I’ve had goals that I’ve been trying really hard to attain, but because this journey is NOT fast and NOT necessarily easy (who said that it would be, right?) sometimes the goal of the DAY is just NOT to quit! Do you know what I’m saying here?

I don’t ALWAYS feel like exercising when I get up in the morning and I sometimes do want that pizza or sweet, BUT I know that I will not quit at this, so any concession I make does not lead to throwing in the towel. Sometimes we DO exercise when we don’t "feel" like it and we DO use restraint when we want to make an unhealthy food choice because like riding your bike to the top of the hill, it is the little choices that we make along the way that will get us to the top – to our goals – to health and freedom!

I predict the view’s gonna be great! Are you with me?! πŸ™‚

Don’t quit! Keep going!

Biggest Loser Season 4 Premier

The Biggest Loser Season 4 Premier aired last night.

I’ve been really excited for this show to start up again because it was such a big part of my own motivation to lose weight this year. I don’t know that it is completely realistic for the average person to lose as much weight as fast as they do on the show, but it is encouraging to watch. Of course they are going to lose much faster and bigger as they have really intense workouts and this is basically what they are doing for weeks on end. Meaning that they don’t have the distractions of "regular" life and can 100% focus on their weight loss, exercise and dieting.

For me, it has shown the value of focus and back in Dec. I had decided that weight loss/health goals would HAVE to be my #1 focus/goal for 2007…and so far it really has. I think sometimes you really do need this intense amount of focus on ONE big goal to get the momentum going.

I thought the show was great and I really look forward to this season. I love it that Alison Sweeney is the new host and I think she will be great! The show started with all of the contestants being dropped off in the middle of a desert. Yikes – what must they be thinking?!

Trainers, Bob Harper (Blue Team) and Kim Lyons (Red Team) then skydive to the ground to greet them. Pretty cool! The big twist this season is the make-up of a surprise Black Team – they were the ones not chosen by the original Blue and Red Team captains – who will be led by Jillian Michaels. They will secretly be training in the desert and meet up with the other teams a bit later in the show.

The season is off to a great start and I’m hoping that it will help with my own motivation as well as provide a source of good diet and exercise tips that I can follow from home as I continue with my own weight loss challenge.

Week 36 Check-in: September 10, 2007

Starting Weight: Jan 1 – 278 lbs
Previous Week’s Weight: Sept. 3 – 216.2 lbs

Current Weight:  Sept. 10 – 214.4 lbs

Week 36 Weight Loss:   1.8 lbs

Total Weight Loss: 63.6 lbs

Exercise Report:
Cardio (bike) x 5 – 85.6 miles
Strength Training (upper body) x 2
Abs x 5
Pilates x 3

Food Report:
Average daily calories: didn’t count calories every day (see below)

Notes:

  • sis (M) was in town for job interview
  • ate out a bit

 

2nd Flat Tire!

Ahhhhh…it’s only been a few short weeks since my first flat and would you believe that I just had another?! I guess these roads I’m riding on have a lot of junk!

Today, I was actually en route home from the same beach that I had the first flat. The road is called Greenville Loop and it would be unusual for me to not see another cyclist at some point in the morning. Knowing that I did have the equipment this time to fix the tire, I decided I would try to enlist the help of another cyclist as I was not overly confident that I would remember exactly how this was done. πŸ˜‰

The first guy I saw coming from the opposite direction did turn around and come to my rescue. He had already done the majority of his ride and was more than happy to help me out AND he was also a great teacher – having me go through the steps along the way. All in all, a very good experience and I now do feel pretty confident that I could change the tire on my own next time.

I went immediately to the bike shop to purchase more tubes (I decided that I better keep 2 on me as the guy helping me did say that he’s had 2 flats in one ride before!) and some more containers of air. Goodness! The bike shop periodically runs a class on basic bike maintenance which I think would be a perfect idea for me.

Not letting it get me down…just need to be prepared! πŸ˜‰

 

Biggest Loser Special: Checking in With Past Contestants

The Biggest Loser TV show has been such an inspiration to me and played a large part in my motivation to create my own weight loss challenge beginning last January. I had gotten several of the Biggest Loser books and dvds for Christmas. (they were on my wish list – just in case you were wondering who would have the nerve to buy these items for someone for Christmas – ouch! ) πŸ˜‰

The new season starts up again next week and I’m really looking forward to it! Last night there was a special that brought in past contestants to be weighed and talk about what has been happening in their lives. 

Big news on the show was that contestants Matt and Suzy were married and also have a new baby! How cool! Most contestants that were featured (of course!) had either kept their weight off or close to it. Another 2 contestants, Marty and Amy got engaged during the show! Goodness – that’s what I call life changing – go on a show, lose tons of weight AND fall in love. Hmmmmm….  πŸ˜‰

Other news about the upcoming season which starts next week – Allison Sweeney is the new host! Yeah! I actually watch one soap (Days of our Lives) and she is on it. Also, Jillian will be back and I love her! Talk about killer bod! I can’t wait until the new season starts!

 

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