Week 10 - Still going strong

Oh how I want this journey to be over.

This morning at my weigh-in, I had lost another 4 pounds. It seems so insignificant when you think about the overall goal of 100 (or 150 if we're talking eventual total goals). But when you take into consideration that my loss has been pretty steady, that's a very happy thing. It means I have lost about 31 pounds on the scale and almost 40 pounds of fat. Woo hoo!

To keep the loss going, we're dropping calories again this week. Dan says I might feel a little bit hungry, but I'm not too worried. We're still in veggie season so I can fill up on those. I think I eat at least one tomato a day (if not two or three), as well as a bunch of asparagus or broccoli or something. I do feel much healthier, despite some ongoing terrible back and neck pain. When I told Dan about the pain, he said not to do as much physically, but this is because of sleep, not exercise. I need someone who can trade massages for babysitting or something like that. Like on a regular basis. Maybe I'll ask at church...

Felix and I biked to the appointment this morning. If I go on State Street, it's exactly 3 miles from my house to his office. If I go on 8th East on the way back, that's 3.5 miles. I love having a cyclometer.

So this week, dropping calories, I'm cutting the yogurt and cottage cheese afternoon snack in favor of crackers and tuna. Dan says that will trick my body into thinking it's getting lots of calories when really it's super clean. Whatever that means. Maybe it's the lack of fat.

I've found that although at the beginning of this program I hated the idea of cutting out fat (I love butter!), it's getting easier as I go along. What once was really difficult to even contemplate has become super easy. I don't even have to think about it really. I think my tastes are changing because 1) it's gradual, and 2) results! I find myself a lot more willing to make concessions and be strict knowing that I'm making real and visible progress. I found my lost camera and on it is a picture of right before I started. I think it's a pretty good picture of me, but although my pictures this morning have me flushed (just in from my up-hill 3.5 mile bike ride with a 30-pound toddler on that back of my bike) and wearing grungies, I like the new ones better. What do you think?

Week 9 - Understanding my body

I lost 2 more pounds today. That brings the total to 29 pounds on the scale and about 35 pounds of fat. Dan figures out how much fat I've lost by pinching certain areas every week. It's slightly awkward, but I'm happy to know that progress is being made.

This week we're increasing calories again. Dan says my weight may stay the same, but this raising and lowering of the calories makes it so that my body won't get stuck on a plateau. So I guess I'm okay with it.

He also said that pinching my hip fat, it feels like the fat is letting go there. I'm not positive I know what that means, but he said it meant that my skin will bounce back in a healthy way. Or something like that. Apparently if you lose weight too fast then your skin can't keep up. That's something I really don't want. I'd love to not have pounds of hanging skin once I'm done with this weight loss thing. That's just gross.

I took a friend with me today to the appointment and Dan talked to her about her specific needs. It was informative and it made me realize how much I've learned because I got to pitch in a bunch. Now I've got to share my knowledge and experience with my friend because she can't afford to go to Dan at the moment.

Speaking of affording... More crap medical bills. I HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE medical crap and insurance. This is the right place to complain. You know why? Because being a fat person, I don't qualify for private insurance. That's right, I weigh too much to have insurance. I have been rejected by all major private insurance carriers. Talk about a load of crap. I'm sick of trying to rely on government assistance (talk about incompetence and inadequacy), and I don't have much of a choice, what with being self-employed. Gah!

I'm so sick of being fat.

Week 8 - Making headway

This last week I was good. I mean really good. I still wasn't 100%, but I was close. I even exercised a lot.

And it paid off. I lost another 6+ pounds of fat, putting me at close to 30 pounds down. We took measurements today since I broke the 20 pound mark by a bunch, and I've lost everywhere. I'm even down to 49% body fat - down from the original 54. Yay!!!

I now weigh 311 pounds. That's still about 10 pounds over my pre-pregnancy weight, but it feels great. Maybe by the time the weather cools for real I'll be able to wear my fat jeans again. haha

Seriously though. I know these aren't true before and after pics, but people have asked and I really like what other people have done (Brandi) to show progress. I'll be taking the pics once a month till I'm all the way done.

Oh, I figured out how to get in my cardio exercise every day. All errands are done on the bike or on foot. Well, most anyway. Great "secret", eh? Really though, I take the kids with me (most often just the toddler) if it's within a couple of miles and I don't have to carry anything super heavy. It's worked wonderfully.

This next week I'm doing the weights 4 times instead of 2, and still getting cardio in at least 4 days. I think I did at least 5 last week, so that shouldn't be too hard.