Week Nine Results:
(Total)
Brandon: 25.4
Me: 17.8
Brandon reached 10%! He's so close to the end. If anyone noticed (and I didn't expect anyone to notice), I lost 4 pounds this week. It wasn't intentional, and I doubt I'll lose that much next week, but it sure felt great! I know the running is helping.
Here's some unsolicited advice for anyone thinking about weight loss:
1. Exercise. Grab a friend, and go walking everyday at the same time. If hubby is home in the morning, go in the morning. If hubby is home at night, go at night. If he's never home, break out the stroller while older kids are in school and go during the day. But whatever you do, just do it.
2. Eat less. Reduce your portions. Be reasonable. Rule of thumb: Half the plate is vegetable and fruit (mostly veggie). A quarter of the plate is protein (meat or beans). The last quarter is starch (pasta or potatoes). Keep stuff lean and low-fat and drink more water.
3. Consider getting help. I know some people are turned off by Weight Watchers, so if that's the case, just find someone to lose weight with you. No need to join if you don't want to. But find a walking buddy, a relative, your spouse, etc. to help! Having someone check in on you makes ALL the difference in the world. I LOVE having to get weighed in at a public place. I LOVE having meetings to attend where everyone claps for me because I lost 5 pounds. I LOVE having my husband do this with me. I LOVE having a friend to exercise with every morning. Without that support and motivation, I wouldn't do it.
I cannot tell you how many times, over the last 6 years I have tried to lose weight with no success. And I cannot tell you, in any simple way, how incredible I feel now to be healthy. To see my reflection and be able to get past the insecurity of how I look. And I still have 20 pounds to go! How incredible will it feel then?!
Warning! Ranting ahead....
I'm tired of the media telling us two extremes. For years it was always "Skinny is king! If you're not skinny, you're a loser and you're not beautiful!" Of course, the pendulum has swung a completely opposite way. Now you have Monique telling everyone that "Fat is gorgeous! Nothing bad about fat!" I appreciate Dove's commercials, because finally, someone is realistic. But I just have to vent about this:
Being fat can KILL YOU.
I'm not going to delve into all the medical studies done showing how being a healthy weight can save your life. We've all read them. Obesity is a silent killer. Sometimes it takes years. So it's hard to see the effects. But would any of us mothers pick up a cigarette and claim it's okay because we feel "fine"? Smoking is a silent killer, too.
I have asthma. I have/had heart arrhythmias. I had pain in my knees. I had blood anemia. Now, after the struggles of diet and exercise, my heart PVC's are GONE. My knee pain is GONE. My anemia is GONE. My asthma will always be there, but I haven't had an attack in 2 years. People, even my poop is healthier!
So, do it! Get out there and get yourself fit. You owe not only to yourself and your self-confidence, but to your children and husband who want and NEED a healthy mom/wife. Don't be afraid to try. You have nothing to lose but weight. And that would be the point! :)
If you need help, let me know. I'm all about the pep talks, people.
10 comments:
17 pounds is amazing. You are doing fantastic. After baby I'll need to look you up.
That is fantastic!! I am getting my new treadmill today and back on the ol' workout regime! I agree whole heartedly on that workout information!! I firmly believe that with a lifestyle change anyone can do it...just cut portions and be strict with yourself. That cookie will look good, but it is NOT worth the extra 30 minutes of workout to burn it off :) Keep working hard - it is soooooooo worth it!!
Dang, girl!! Almost 18 pounds! That's stinking fantastic!! Great job! Be healthy, live longer!
Just another suggestion -- weight lifting. The studies are in, and to really get your body into "fat burning mode," you've got to build lean muscle mass. The only way to do that is to lift weights. Just 5 pound dumbbells on a 20 minute circuit 3 days a week! Stanton & I are doing that and changing to whole grains (for everything!), fruit, veggies, nuts, and lean meats and it's made a HUGE difference in the way we feel!
Cheryl -- GREAT JOB!!!
And enjoy a cookie once a week!
You are doing so great! Proud of you! You have inspired me and this week, I have been being more careful about what I am eating and I am working out. My goal is to lose 40 pounds, but I am going to do it! I can't wait to buy pants at a smaller size! I found a great beginning dumb bell routine and have been biking and I plan on mixing it up with some step aerobics. Thanks for being such an inspiration!
Cheryl!
You inspired me to start weight watchers. I lost 7.2 lbs the first week and am going in for my second weigh-in tonight. Great job on the weight loss!! You made me see that I can do it too!
Kim Parkinson-Keele
I do have to say that WW is beautiful because you don't HAVE to skip the cookie. You don't HAVE to skip the chocolate. You can literally eat whatever you want. You just have to make sure you eat the good things first. I love it because I don't have to buy any of their food. I just use what I have and it's awesome.
Julie-
Good, good! I need to start the weight lifting. I forget how important that is --and not just for weight loss, but for bone mass. Especially since 30 isn't too far away!
Christy-
Yay for treadmills!!
janelle-
Like you need my help. ;)
jamie-
Thank you! :)
amanda-
I have approx. 37 pounds to lose (total). So, it's not impossible! If you start now, it will be so much easier then starting when you're even 5 pounds more. I'm glad I could be an encouragement! :)
Kim!!
Good for you! Just know that anything more that 2 pounds a week can be bad for you --We always lose a lot of weight the first week (Brandon lost 9 pounds!), but then it starts to even out around 1/2 to 2 pounds a week. That's healthy. But you'll learn about that in your meetings. I'm so proud of you for joining! Good luck with it all! You'll have to keep me updated on your progress.
(Post from a lurker...Found you from someone's blog that was linked to my friend Phoebe's.)
#1 Your wry wit & honesty both entertain & encourage.
#2 I can only concur with your sentiments on weight loss, especially the "find a friend" suggestion. It is what helped me lose 80lbs when I did WW several years ago. A lack of accountability and life circumstances (& poorly managed emotions) have led me to gain it all back. This post, however, motivates me to find that again.
Thanks!
kellyry-
I love it when a lurker becomes a commenter. Commentor. Comment-writing person. :)
Get out there and get it off! If you did it before, just think how much easier it will be this time. You already know your weaknesses and strengths and you know the program. Best of all, you know how it feels! Good luck!
so, what do you do when your husband has a lame work schedule and you have three under four? the double jogger was great till the last baby, grrr. we thought about something in-house, but we are in 650sf, so not much room. blahblahblah. i can't wait till he has a normal schedule!!! i found a tiny park with a circular sidewalk around it and i could run laps while the kids played, but it's in a busy area and the park IS the roundabout, so i'm kind of embarrassed. guess i should just do it...
next time you're near la, we should meet for lunch! i missed the big game, courtesy of our reunion (which would have been far better had you planned it!).
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