I know I’m a day late in posting. Monday’s are always busy, and frankly I was hesitant to post my results. I exercised so much more last week than I have since I started this project. Not only did I walk the four mile round trip to work and back but I put in a couple sessions of swimming, a rigorous step routine and two sessions of various activity on my Wii Fit. I thought for sure I would be able to report a loss for the week. You can imagine my dismay on Monday morning when I weighed in and found myself to be two pounds heavier.

It’s bad enough to be in a plateau, but to actually be moving backwards is extremely demoralizing. I’m trying to tell myself that it’s muscle weight. My whole body hurt this weekend from all the extra activity and I can tell that my strength is increasing. Still, it’s difficult to see the scale going up when I’m putting in the extra effort.

I’m trying not to let it get me down. I’m determined this week to make progress and push past this plateau/backslide. Not only am I increasing my aerobic activity, but I’m adamant about no splurges this week. I know I ate a bit more than usual last week, but I contributed it to my increased activity level and figured I was hungrier because I was expending more energy. That may be the case, but I’m going to make sure I supply myself with only things that are good for me. There’s a time and place for occasional indulgences, but the midst of an aggressive lifestyle change is not one of those times.

I just have to remember that I’m not entitled to indulgence. Like so many things in my life, I am blessed to have extravagant choices (as most of us in America are). The responsible thing to do is make wise choices about what I put into my body and not behave like a glutton just because I can. How can I teach my sons, especially Cainan, responsibility and self-control when they don’t even see it exemplified in the basic part of my life. I owe it to them and myself to maintain healthy eating habits, an active lifestyle and exhibit basic self-discipline.

So, I’ll get off my soap box for now, though I could go on and on and on about the extravagance of the American lifestyle, and instead, be thankful for all the choices I have. I’ll get back on track and hopefully, I’ll have a much better report for next Monday.

Thanks, again, for those of you following the blog and keeping me accountable with your comments. It really helps knowing someone is following what I’m doing and I have to report my results each week. It just makes me think twice before I eat something I shouldn’t, knowing I’m not the only one who’s going to see the results on the scale.

Week 7 = 176 pounds (-14 total)

Week Six

So, if anyone's reading the blog, you would have noticed that I did not post an entry last week. After my indulgent weekend at Disneyland, I didn't want to step on a scale and report any possible gain. So, I decided to give myself a week off as far as the scale went, and get back to a better routine this last week. I was doing well, too, until Joe convinced me to go back to Disneyland for Asher's birthday.

Since I had my splurge the weekend before for my birthday, I was better this weekend. But still, it's not real easy to eat healthy at Disneyland, and I know had more calories than I should have. At least, with Asher, I was also busy the whole time too. I probably walked five miles that day, between the two parks, going non-stop, pushing him in a stroller most of the way. That had to count for something.

Even with that taken into account, I was still very nervous to stand on the scale this week. I am relieved to weigh in at 174. I have indeed lost some weight these last two weeks!

I'm trying to be consistent, and barring the Disneyland trips, I've been doing a good job. I've also learned the valuable role water plays in my efforts. I've noticed on the days I'm more distracted that I tend to not drink as much water as I should. I've also noticed, after a couple days of that, I have head aches and I feel rotten. Once the realization hits me that I haven't been drinking as much as I should, I start pounding down the water by the bottle full. Low and behold, I feel better, I have more energy, and I really notice the weight loss. Being hydrated helps so much!

So, that's my important lesson for the last two weeks. I'm also realizing I need to pay strict attention to what I put in my body. It's so easy to eat out of habit or not put any thought into what I put in my body. When I'm in those modes, I eat way too much and always the wrong things. Just being conscious of my food and taking stock of each meal/snack before I consume it makes a huge difference. If I stop and ask myself, "Is this really what's good for me? Should I really eat this?", it gives me the time to make a good decision and not act on impulse. The key is to make sure I'm eating every few hours. If I'm too hungry, then the answer to the first question is still no, but invariably, I will answer yes to the second.

So, to re-cap: water, frequent eating and thinking before I take part in a meal. Maybe these are obvious to everyone, but until I actually decided to make this life change, I really didn't get it on a personal level. I could probably recite this stuff to someone if they asked for advice, but I didn't practice it. Now I see what a difference it makes.

Please, send me encouragements and kudos. Just drop me a line to let me know you're reading this blog and holding me accountable for my weight loss. It means a lot! Thanks!


Week 6 = 174 lbs (-16 Total)

Week Four--A Plateau

I've made through yet another week and hit a stand still. It's to be expected. I'm not exercising as vigorously as I should be and I've been too lax with my "splurges". I spurge once a week is one thing--every couple days is completely different.

So there's not much to report on this post. I know I didn't work out enough and I took in too many calories. I know I need to change that this week and from here on out. At the end of this week I'm off to Disneyland where I know I will be walking non-stop for two days straight. I also know I'm going to have a Monte Christo and some garlic fries at the very least. It's something you gotta have when you're in Disneyland.

Knowing that is my splurge this week, I will make sure I'm prepared the rest of the week to set the bar high. I plan to work out more and not let my temptations overcome me. With that being said, I'll leave you at my totals for week four.

Week 4 = 176 lbs (-14 Total)