Been watching the scale too much this week.  Felt discouraged earlier this week and felt like binging on Wednesday.  I drank a chocolate protein shake, but that didn't curb my sweet tooth.  Soooo, I ate a small piece of chocolate cheesecake and didn't feel guilty about it at all.  It is PMS time, starting my cycle in a couple days.

I had a hard workout on Thursday, burned 53 calories in 5 minutes on the exercise machine that is the hybrid of a stairmaster and elliptical.  It kicks my arse!  My knees pop each stride, but it's not a painful "pop".  I decided to go to the regular elliptical and burned 515 calories in 40 minutes!  That was way better than I have ever done since I started.

I had wanted to be under the 260 lb. plateau I had reached all week, and today...YAY, I am 259 1/2.  I have also shed 2.5% bodyfat in these first 7 weeks.

Tomorrow is "cheat day"...hmmmm, I wonder if I will feel like cheating.  Probably as I'm suppose to start my period and there are usually cravings that come right along with that!

It's the end of the 6th week, here are my pics.  The first one is when I started this, and the second one is of today.  I shed 2 lbs in the last week, making a total weight shedding of 15 lbs. in 6 weeks, so far.  That makes me 260 lbs., still not under 260, which was my goal this week.  I just get to be a bit more patient.

 

It was my goal last week to get myself under 260 by today.  It didn't happen.  I am still at 262, only 2 lousy lbs.  My favorite pair of snug jeans I just washed and they are NOT snug anymore, they are loose.  I may out shrink them in the next couple weeks.  I have other jeans I can wear when that happens.

I worked out on Monday and had a great workout.  I ended up hurting my foot and have rested it for 2 days now.  I am back to the gym tomorrow.

I am working on getting under 260 by Sunday's weigh in and measurement taking.

Okay, I made it to the gym today!  Woohoo!

I burned almost 600 calories in 50 minutes, I am getting better.  I can go longer and at a higher intensity on the elliptical.  I am stepping up my workouts, now, so I get the most out of them.

Tomorrow, I do my legs and abs weight workout.

I am still cooling down from my workout.  My face is bright red and I am soaked with sweat.  Hungry, time to make an eggbeaters omelet with spinach.

So, my progress for this week has been pretty good.  I think I am finally getting past the cold I have had for 2 weeks, now.  Here are my pictures, the first one is the day I started on this new eating plan and exercising, and the one next to it is today, 5 weeks later:

 

I sneaked a peak at the scale this morning and it read 261.5, what?  That means that I have dropped 4 lbs. since Sunday?

My goal was to get under 260 by next Wednesday, with this kind of progress, I think I just may do that.

I was feeling down again yesterday, ready to give up on everything and eat some lasagna with tons of cheese on it.  I had a relapse of my cold and my sinuses are congested and I haven't made it back into the gym but once this week.

I didn't eat the lasagna, instead I ate a chocolate/peanut butter protein bar.

So, when I got on the scale this morning, I was dreading no progress.

Yay!  Because I keep feeding my body protein every couple hours, I am maintaining the muscle fibers I have built in the last 4 weeks, which is burning some of this fat even though I have had a layoff of 3 days from the gym.

Okay, it's been a week and I was really sick still and didn't go to the gym for over a week, now.  I am pretty much over the cold, now.  Last week I was fooling myself into thinking I was getting over the cold.  It is gone now, no more coughing and sneezing and runny nose.

So, here is my pic from when I started a month ago on the left and then today on the right:

 

Beginning my 4th week, here is a comparison of my first pic when I started vs. my pic today.  I am now at 267 1/2 lbs., which is a gain of 2 1/2 lbs. since last week.  But wait...it's not FAT!!!  woohoo!

 

Tomorrow is the end of the 3rd week.  I have been quite sick with a cold and congestion and haven't been to the gym in 3 days!  I have been feeling a bit better today, so I will get back to the gym on Monday.  I am still eating very well with today being my cheat day. 

My husband and I are planning to go to the Olive Garden tonight for our Valentine's celebration.  Boy, am I glad it's cheat day!  I hope I am feeling up to it by 8:00 p.m.  The last couple nights I have taken NyQuil and been ready to go to bed by 8:00.  We will just see how I feel.  I know my husband would be up for anything or nothing, he is SO awesome like that.

I weight in, take measurements and take a pic to post tomorrow.  We will see how I progressed, if any, this week with it being such an off week for me.

My first measurements to use as a starting point are:

neck:  15"
upper arm:  15"
chest:  45 1/2"
waist:  37"
hips:  53 1/2"
thigh:  34"
calf:  19"

We will see on Sunday how I progress throughout the week.  I will post my measurements along with a new pic every Sunday.

I also went to the grocery store today and checked my blood pressure.  A couple weeks ago at my doctor's appointment where I was determined to have high cholesterol at a count of 250 (under 200 is considered healthy), I also had high blood pressure of 160/90.  It had never been that high, EVER.  It is now 125/75, so it's improving drastically and quickly.  the 125 is considered borderline, but the 75 is at a healthy range, now.

I also found a list of foods from a Prevention Magazine article that are purported to lower LDL cholesterol substantially, and raise HDL (the good fats that flush out the bad LDL).  That list is:

Oats (eaten daily) / 5.3% reduction in LDL in 6 weeks
Red Wine / 12% reduction in 3 months, I think it said
Salmon and Fatty Fish / raise HDL by 4%
Raw Nuts at 1.5 oz. a day / 9.3% reduction in LDL
Beans like Black, Kidney and Pinto / 8% reduction in LDL
Black Tea / 10% reduction in LDL in only 3 weeks
Dark Chocolate / raise HDL a good 24% in 12 weeks
Heart Healthy Margarine like Promise Activ or Benecol / 35% reduction in LDL
Raw Spinach
Avocado
Garlic
Olive Oil

The last four they didn't list the study/test group percentage, but it looks like how I eat!  We will see what my blood cholesterol shows after 3 months of eating right and good like this.

I am still not making progress on the scale.  My foot stretches are helping the Plantar Fasciitis, but today it really hurts and I am suppose to work my lower body, so I will probably skip the gym today and give my foot a rest and resume tomorrow with the lower body work out.

Okay, so I was reading up on foot pain so I could manage my workouts better.

What I found out is that I have Plantar Fasciitis.  This is where the ligaments and tendons in the arch of the foot have small tears from pressure and they cause swelling and inflammation, which, in turn, causes the pain in my foot pad and heel on my right foot.

I looked up ways I can make it heal and I found some stretches that I can do.  They seem to be working as I am getting some immediate relief and my cardio workout today wasn't as bad on my foot.  I do have to lay off the treadmill as it has some hard impact on my foot, which has been the main cause of my pain.

So, no treadmill, only low or non-impact machines like the elliptical or incline cycles.  I can still get a good workout and rest the arch of my foot at the same time so that it can heal better/faster.

I am really looking forward to my cheat day on Saturday.  It's the Saturday before Valentine's Day and my husband and I are going to Olive Garden, yummy!

OH, and I finally bought a cloth measuring tape.  I will be measuring by tomorrow and posting my first measurements here.

I have worked out 4 times this week instead of 6.  My right foot has pain on the foot pad again, limping around.

I gained 2 lbs. this week, but have been very strict with the eating plan.  I had good weight workouts, so I am thinking the muscle fibers being developed are adding weight faster than the fat is shedding.  I shed 1/2 lb. by the end of the week, so I am at a 10 lb. total shedding, so far since I started.

Still not bad, but not what I was hoping or planning for.

I feel a little discouraged.  I had my "cheat day" yesterday and really didn't eat much sweet stuff, except the creamer in my coffee.  I find if I do, I don't feel very good.

Here is my weekly picture for comparison:

I worked my arms, shoulders and back yesterday, very sore today!  I did a cardio today and am staying steadfast with my whole grain and lean meats eating.

I was very tired for my cardio today, but I got on the elliptical, anyway.  I feel good now, but the workout wore me down some, but not like my very first cardio workout.

I haven't lost any more weight, so I'm thinking of taking weekly measurements of my neck, arm, chest, waist, hips and thigh. Then, I am thinking of recording them so I can see how much progress I make in inches, as well as weight and body fat percentage.

I just need to find my cloth tape measure!

Okay, checking in on my official blog post here like I promised.  It's been a week, and I am beginning my 2nd week.  I had my cheat day yesterday and I really didn't cheat much, just had some margarine on my whole wheat english muffin and some catsup on my eggbeaters.

Oh, and 3 cups of coffee with hazelnut creamer...yum!

I just got back from the gym.  I had them weight me and measure my bodyfat percentage.

I started out at 46.7% body fat.  Wow...  *eyes rolling*

I am now at 44.8%.  That's 2% body fat drop in my first week, with a 10 lb. total weight shedding.

The personal trainer told me that I can look forward to perhaps shedding 20-30 lbs. in my first month and 5-10% body fat drop.

I rested well last night, no workout.  So, when I got to the gym today, I was sooo ready to get my first leg and abs workout going.  It felt really good to get on the machines today.  I think my legs and abs are my favorite body parts to work out.

I am going to have myself a whole wheat Hawaiian Pita Pizza, personal size.  It's the Body For Life recipe and it's SO GOOD.  I'm hungry...lunch time!

I had a doctor's appointment on Wednesday for an annual checkup, papsmear, and a clean bill of health to continue my exercise and eating plan.

Most everything was pretty healthy, they took blood to check thyroid, cholesterol levels, blood sugar levels, etc.  They had a hard time finding a vein, I would assume because of the layer of FAT on my arms.  They had to use a neo-natal needle to draw my blood after 3 times poking me.  I wasn't happy.

I told the Dr. about my foot pain and my bursitis flare ups, as well as my new eating plan and exercise plan.  He said I'm doing everything right to shed the weight.  He also said that the weight is the main cause of all my minor ailments.  As I shed the weight, my ailments should go away.

I also have high blood pressure, which I have NEVER had before.  It is 160/92.  My normal healthy blood pressure is 115/70 and it's never been higher, until now.

I just got a call a little while ago from my Dr.'s office and they told me that my cholesterol levels are higher than they like to see.  My levels are 255 and they like to see under 200.  They wanted to prescribe medication immediately and I asked if there is an alternative to meds as I do not like taking ANY pills or medications.  They said yes, I can continue what I'm doing and in 3 months go in and get my blood levels checked again.

I plan to be 30-40 lbs. lighter by the 3 month mark.

Needless to say, I was a bit freaked out at my cholesterol.  I have NEVER had high cholesterol, until now.

Well, now I see that my careless and impulsive eating over the past few years has cost me dearly.  I am at risk of heart disease and heart attack, now.  I'm a little scared.  This new news adds a layer of urgency to the matter of shedding the weight.  It's not just a matter of the pain in my feet and my knees, it's a matter of LIFE OR DEATH.

I never thought I would be saying that.

My feet still hurt, my hip is in a lot of pain.  I am skipping the gym and doing a yoga workout tonight.  The rest days are just as important as the heavy workout days.  I think I may hurt myself if I go in tonight.

*Sigh*

I woke up this morning, free of headache since yesterday!  I think my body is adjusting to the new eating plan.

I felt like I injured my right foot doing cardio yesterday.  I was on the treadmill for 50 minutes and burned 520 calories.  The gym has a cardio theater where it's dark and there is a theater size screen and they were playing the movie 2012, it made the workout go by very quickly it seemed.

This morning I could barely walk.  My left hip and right foot pad are SO SORE!

I have a 1 year old baby boy and he weighs almost 25 lbs.  Since I have 125 lbs. to lose, that means I am carrying around the equivalent of 5 of my sons at once.  That's quite a burden on my joints and my feet!  NO wonder my feet are sore!

I hit the gym tonight and do my first weight training for legs and abs.  I hope the pain has subsided by then.

Woke up this morning with NO headache, woohoo!

I weighed myself again and I am down another 2 lbs.  My husband said that my chin has shrunk...no more double chin?  I haven't looked yet, but he said, in an admiring tone of voice that I am looking younger.

So, a total 9 lbs. since Saturday?  It's only Tuesday!  The personal trainer said the first week or two would probably be a substantial shedding of weight, then my body will level out and shed 1-3 lbs. a week.  But, I didn't think I would be down almost 10 lbs. in only a few days.  I know it's not all fat shedding, but it sure is going to be easier on my knees and sore feet.

I do my first weight workout tonight.  I will probably focus on chest and arms with a mixture of the machines and free weights.

I am getting on the phones to read cards for a bit.  Catch you all later!

I had my first workout, hit the treadmill for 45 minutes and the elliptical for 10, burned 500 calories and was drenched with sweat when I was done.

It wiped me out.  I got home and had to eat right away.  The headache subsided while I was working out, but came back with a vengeance.

I realized that I usually eat to get rid of any headaches.  I am hypoglycemic and headaches are a sign of low blood sugar for me.  So, I used to eat and eat until I was full and the headache would usually go away.

Once I ate lunch, I took a quick shower and I went to change into my regular clothes that were splayed across my bed and I ended up crawling into bed instead.  I was cold, and the bed was warm.  I wanted my headache to go away, so I took a nap for an hour.  Then, a couple hours later, I took another one-hour nap.  The workout really wiped me out!

The headache didn't go away.  I took some Tylenol and it has subsided.

I think it is caffeine withdrawals.  Yep, it will go away by tomorrow.

I am really tired, it's an early morning tomorrow, so I know, even with two naps today, I am going to sleep SO GOOD tonight!

I woke up with a headache this morning, dehydrated I think, and I slept real hard in one position too long.  I got up and went to the restroom...more colon cleansing!  I weighed myself just out of sheer curiosity and I am 268 lbs.  Down from 275, how can that be in 4 days?  I think it's my colon cleansing itself, getting all the sludge out.  That's 7 lbs. in 4 days!  Woohoo!

I drank 36 oz. of water just with my breakfast of egg beaters and dry toast.  The egg beaters are Southwestern style, so not bad.  I was still a little hungry afterwards, so I waited 1 1/2 hours and just got myself a protein shake.  I feel a little better.

I work from home for a psychic/tarot card line, taking calls and reading cards for people.  I can't get on the phones this morning because of the headache.  I will have to see how this afternoon goes.

I am so used to getting coffee with rich hazelnut creamer, at least 2 cups in the morning.  I have had none since Saturday.  I can't drink just plain coffee...ew.  That's probably another reason for the headache.  I'm sure it will subside in the next couple days as I wean myself off coffee.  I will still be able to have a cup on my 1 cheat day a week.  I'm good with that.

I'm gearing up to go work out in about an hour.  My first workout.

I will let you know how it goes.