Goodbye Size 10

Hello size 8! I have lost another pound, which makes the grand total of my weight loss 9 pounds. 5 weeks ago when I put my foot down and decided that I was going to finally lose 20 pounds I did a little research. How many pounds do you really need to lose before you drop a dress size?
I don't know why a woman's size is still measured by dresses, but I do know that the information seems to be pretty accurate. If you are currently wearing a size 12 or under, you need to lose 8 to 10 pounds to go down a notch. If you are a size 14 or up you would typically need to lose about 25 pounds. That seems pretty unfair to me, but part of the reason is because starting at 14 there is a 2 inch difference between sizes, as opposed to a 1 inch differential in sizes 12 and under.
So, now that I've lost enough weight I can actually comfortably wear most of my wardrobe! I just have to laugh at myself for buying those jeans that really didn't fit me in the hopes that it would encourage me to lose weight. Has anyone else ever done that? Bad idea!
The last time I weighed the same as I do now was in August of 2004. It was almost a year after I had Colin and Liam and I was very determined to lose weight. I was also in the wedding of a dear friend which was fantastic motivation! Notice the picture, I'm the third one from the front.
I'd encourage you all to come up with a timeline, or an "event motivator" to spark your weight loss or keep it going. My next motivator is starting back at work full time. In 3 weeks I rejoin the work force and I would love to lose 2 more pounds for my first day. What big events or milestones do you have coming up that will encourage you to get serious about shedding your unwanted pounds? A pound here, a pound there, and before you know it you're down a dress size!

Lose 8 Pounds in One Month

You can google this topic and immediately dozens of links will appear. Some of the results are dieting gimmicks or advertisements for the latest "supplement" you can buy to increase your metabolism and burn fat. Often, the solutions to losing your excess weight include a very restricted calorie intake and NO room for fat, or real life in my opinion.
For those of you who live in the real world with me, I would like to happily report that in one month I have lost exactly 8 pounds! If you've been following this blog for any amount of time you probably know that my strategy includes cutting my calories, exercising, eating healthy food, and leaving room for carbs and even an occasional treat. Well, so far so good. The best part is that when I have reached my goal and am done losing weight I can just maintain by doing the exact same thing...but with more calories. That sounds so good!
My total weight loss goal is 24 pounds, which means I am 1/3 of the way there. I still have 2 or 3 months of hard work ahead of me. But the nice thing about losing weight is that it is a process that can be measured in more than just pounds. Last night when I was getting my PJ's on my husband walked in and screamed you look so thin! Very good! In about another pound I will be down a size. Even better! I am also very close to hitting a new tens place on the scale - it's too bad my first ones place number was a 9. These are all little accomplishments that make me want to keep working hard.
And you all make me want to keep working hard too. There is not much better in my life than to encourage someone to reach the potential that they were created for. That is why I love to record my progress and share it with you. In the hopes that you will get inspired, encouraged, and reach your goals. When you are feeling good about yourself and walk in confidence, the sky's the limit. If you want to you can lose 8 pounds in one month too!

Taking Off the Baby Weight

I decided I would encourage some of my friends who are about to have or who have just had babies, in honor of Jude's 3rd birthday. I have been amazed how quickly the transition back to my pre-pregnancy size can take place, and I have been discouraged with how tedious and unreachable this challenge may seem.
Here's the story:
Surprise! It's twins: with Colin and Liam I only gained 23 pounds. I started at a higher weight and had them 8 weeks early. After they were born I lost 33 pounds from my highest weight. It took me about 10 months and I attribute it all to smarter eating and lots of walking thanks to the double stroller.
When I was pregnant with Ethan I gained 40 pounds...yikes! I ate terribly during this pregnancy and I ate everything. I remember near the end of it I was so excited to start losing weight! I lost all 40 pounds in about a year. That was also thanks to walking. I had the coolest triple stroller ever invented and I thank Mountain Buggy for my sanity!
The last time around with Jude I gained 37 pounds. I started out a few pounds heavier, and the big guy decided to stay inside 3 extra, L-O-N-G days. Three must be his favorite number because that it also how many years, yes I said years, it has taken me to lose all the weight I put on with him. Again, I attribute the loss to exercise and eating well.
I must say that life after Jude was born has definitely been the most stressful and included lots of big changes, like selling a house and moving 1/2 way across the country, having surgery on my legs, completely leaving our family and many friends behind, adjusting to a new culture and climate, and starting a new church from scratch. Did I mention I have 4 young kids? Although it has been the hardest time of my life it's been one of the most learning and growing seasons I've been in. I'm pretty sure the next year is going to be one of the best and most exciting times in a while...I can feel it!
We all have things going on, stresses in our lives that rob us of reaching our goals. Don't let discouragement win, because if you are determined enough to lose weight YOU WILL DO IT!
It might take longer than you thought. That's okay. No two people are alike. Just because your friend loses all their baby weight in 3 months doesn't mean you will. That's okay. You might even gain a few pounds back. That's okay...just start over again!
My motto is, happy mom = happy kids. You need to take the time to enjoy your life, even if it comes in 1 hour chunks. You need to allot resources to enable you to exercise and eat right. I am happiest when I feel like I've accomplished something and when I feel confident, and my family reaps the rewards of that.
It's been a great 3 years little Jude, and I love you more than ever.

Calorie Cycling

You may not be into hopping on a stationary bike, but you might be all about this kind of cycle!
If you are trying to lose weight you have probably noticed that at some point your body seems to stop responding to the fact that you are eating less calories. You stop seeing results quickly and it seems that you just can't lose a pound. At this point you've hit the proverbial plateau.
I'm trying to avoid hitting this plateau, and so far so good. I've armed myself with some tricks to keep my metabolism going strong. The first rule: don't eat too little calories in a day; the second rule: eat negative calorie foods every day; the third rule: zig zag my calories by calorie cycling.
it's not a new concept, just a catchy name. Calorie cycling simply provides same amount of calories per week, but "tricks" your body by constantly changing daily calories. This helps to prevent or break plateaus. Now, let me tell you that I haven't been sticking to these cycles as a guide for my daily calorie consumption. I've just been using this idea as a base for my eating. I try to vary my calorie intake every few days and include 1 big calorie consumption day every week. My cheat day.
Everyone is different though, so I thought this information might be just the trick someone else needs to get their weight loss moving in the right direction again. Below is the information that is specific for my weight, height, age, and gender. After you're done reading this, click on "7 day calorie cycle (zig-zag)" and the link will take you right to the page where you can find out your own suggested results!

Maintenance:	2005 Calories/day
Fat Loss:	1604 Calories/day
Extreme Fat Loss:	1296 Calories/day
7 day calorie cycle (zig-zag)

	Ex Fat Loss	Fat Loss	Maintain
Monday	1296	1604	2005
Tuesday	1296	1296	1604
Wednesday	1556	1925	2406
Thursday	1296	1604	2005
Friday	1296	1444	1805
Saturday	1426	1765	2206
Sunday	1296	1604	2005

My Favorite Jeans

I mentioned earlier that I thought this was going to be my hump week. I was right. It's been a challenge to stay on track with my goal to lose that extra 20 pounds I've been carrying around. Actually I changed my goal to 24 pounds.
I've been working hard at cutting my calories by 300-500 a day, and I've been walking and running about 20 miles a week. I'd be a fool to not be pleased with my progress. After all, I've lost 7 pounds in 25 days! I'm just a little bored with the monotony of it all.
I do have a new milestone to report: I fit into my favorite jeans (see Sacrifice Vs. Maintainence, June 30th). I bought these jeans almost 5 years ago. I got pregnant a year after that and it's hard to believe that since then I have been unable to wear these. It's amazing to me how comfortable I was, weighing too much for so many years. I wasn't comfortable as in I loved how I felt and looked. I was comfortable in the fact that I didn't want to put the effort into changing things.
We live in a society where immediate gratification and high speed everything is so common. We praise the situations that we can contribute as little effort as possible. I think that's why this week has needed some extra internal motivation. Although I prefer the speedy results of the hare, I know the tortoise is the victor. Slow and steady wins the race!
I have been bolstered by the reports of others being inspired to lose weight because of me sharing what I'm going through. I have genuinely smiled each time I see a that someone has lost pounds, or those who simply decided that it's time for them to make a change too. That has been a major influence in my determination this week. So, here's a huge THANK YOU!
Let us keep up the good, and sometimes tedious work, and continue toward our goals. Just over 3 weeks ago I couldn't fit into these jeans. I'm hoping that in another month or so I'll have to give up my favorite jeans for good.

Crazy Food Dreams

Let me tell you about last night. First of all, this wouldn't have even been an issue if yesterday was my cheat day. However, my weekly splurge has been reserved for Saturday since we are celebrating Jude's 3rd birthday then.
I will set the stage. We were taking a lovely friend to dinner before she moves away. I said, "you pick the place." She picked Buffalo Wild Wings. I was thrilled with this choice as my kids have been to this restaurant and they love it because of the Pac-Man, claw, and elk hunting arcade games. This makes my night easier already! Then I started researching the nutrition information and reality hit me hard. This is going to be a challenge.
I opted for the Honey BBQ Chicken Salad. Left out the cheese and dressing. Basically I was eating lettuce, pico, and grilled chicken with BBQ sauce on it. My guess is my modified salad came in somewhere around 450-500 calories. It was good, but it didn't fill me up physically or mentally. We chased down Wild Wings with a trip to Braum's - a glorious regional ice cream and burger joint. Ice cream never looked so good to me, and as everyone was enjoying it all I could think about was my morning cup of coffee. Fast forward time, please!
Obviously, I felt left out and unsatisfied. I even had a dream that I ate a humongous ice cream cone and 2, yes 2 full size apple pies. Waking up this morning I'm not very hungry, hmmmmm?
It is amazing to me how much we think about food. How important it is to us, not just physically, but especially socially. Thoughts about food even control our subconscious! And, I think food is supposed to be that important. Food is a gateway to friendship, to recreation, to special family memories. The problem is that a lot of times we let food become more important than people. The main "people" often times is ourselves.
Next time you are in a situation where food is the catalyst for friendship or family time, whether it's a birthday party, family picnic, or work lunch, remember that the food comes secondary to the people. The relationships, memories, and fun you are creating matter way more than what you are eating.
That's what got me through last night. I stuck to my commitment because I was determined to make the night about my friend and not the food I was eating, or not eating. Remember too, that losing weight is just temporary if you do it right. At some point in the near future I will be able to enjoy that ice cream cone because I'll just be maintaining my weight. Until then I'll stick to my midnight fling with all sorts of luscious treats ...even if only in my dreams.

The Dreaded Bloat

Here's the scenario: You're doing fantastic watching what you eat, and exercising. You've even dropped a few pounds over the last 3 weeks. All of the sudden, out of nowhere...you gain a couple back. How can this make sense? Is it really worth all of this hard work for your scale to jump up for absolutely no reason? Looks like a setback.
Then you realize there is a reason...oh, yeah...it's that time again. Ladies, you know what I'm talking about! And guys, don't stop reading. Take notes, because you can be very helpful and encouraging for a friend or significant other during a time like this.
I kind of forgot about this issue, to be honest. You see, I don't feel bloated. I've just noticed that in the last 2 days I've put on 2 of the pounds I got rid of. After taking a look at my calendar I now realize why. So, I did some research, and here's what I discovered: I'm not alone, and neither are you!
The average weight gain a woman experiences before and during her period is from 5-7 pounds! Wow! There are even extreme cases where gaining 10-15 pounds is not uncommon. There are several physiological theories for water retention that I won't bore you with. The bottom line: for almost a week out of the month you will be heavier than you expect.
There is good news though! A light at the end of the tunnel! A reason for not giving up and stuffing your face to relieve your anguish! You will lose that water retention weight by the end of your period. And, if you do really well with your eating and exercising during this week, you should even lose a little extra!
I just told Jason last night that I think this is my hump week. If I can make it through this week staying positive and continuing in the habits of drinking lots of water, watching my calories, and exercising, I'll make it the whole way. Now that I'm armed with the knowledge that I'm completely normal and there is a reason for the increase in the scale, I'm okay. It's not a setback after all.