Gaelicgirl's Diary

gaelicgirl1983

gaelicgirl1983

New member
Hi everyone. I just weighed myself to see my first week's progress and I lost 2 lbs! So I figured I'd start a diary here to track future progress as well.

I'm 25, 5'1" and a college student at a state school here in Oregon. I'm an English major, with aspirations to become a high school teacher and then a professor at a later date. I also live with my boyfriend and our PITA kitten Miranda. She's a huge daddy's girl. :)

My starting weight last week was 170, and I want to lose a total of 60 lbs for a target weight of 160. I hope to do this in six months. I'm doing my best to keep my calories counted and kept track of, keeping them between 1500 and 1700 calories a day, and shooting for 30% protein (which is really hard for me for some reason, even though I love meat and milk products). As far as exercise goes I'm following an exercise regimen a personal trainer at my university's Rec center designed for me: 30-40 minutes of cardio with 2-3 sets of weight training, alternating between upper body and lower body with core exercises.

Exercise is my weak point right now. I'm aiming for working out 5 days a week, but so far I've only been doing 1 or 2 days a week. I'm very dependent on my sleep, and if I don't get enough I have a tendency to take a nap in the student union instead of exercising during my break between classes and work. I need to really try to get more sleep so I don't have this issue, but that's going to be really hard with dead week and finals week coming up (dead week starts tomorrow). I'm going to do my best to exercise more this week, but I won't beat myself up over it if I don't manage to do it. One way I've decided to help myself exercise more is I signed up for a PE class next term so I can learn how to lap swim. It's an hour twice a week. I have weak ankles and somewhat weak knees, so I try and stay away from exercises that could injure me. Right now I'm using stationary bikes for my cardio, but I'd like to incorporate swimming as well.

My boyfriend is very supportive, as is my family in helping me reach my weight loss goals. My mom tends to be supportive in a bit of a negative way (expressing concern over my weight and making me feel bad about myself), but I know her heart is in the right place. It would be nice if my boyfriend would join me on this journey, but he's not a student and can't use the rec center for free like I can, and we can't afford a gym membership for him.

I feel like my goal is pretty realistic. The time frame might be a little strict. If it takes me more time to reach my goal that's okay. I won't be upset with myself.

Right now I"m keeping track of my progress by weighing myself once a week. My scale measure in 1/5 lb. increments and also claims to measure body fat percentage. I'm not so sure I believe that it does so accurately, but I'm going to keep track of that too. I plan on getting a tape measure fairly soon, that way I can measure inches as well, that way I don't get discourages on weeks I don't lose my target 2.5 lbs.
 
I figured I'd add this today too:

1. What is your current height and weight?
5'1" and 168 lbs.

2. If you were at an ideal weight now, what would that weight be?
110 lbs.

3. At what weight would you like to be at four months from now?
130 lbs.

4. Why do you want to lose weight?
I want to be healthier and have a more attractive body so I can feel better about myself.

5. Do you want to lose weight for a specific life event such as wedding or reunion? If so, when is that event?
No.

6. What obstacles could get between you and your weight loss goals?
Not sticking to my plan and falling off the wagon.

7. Why do you think that you now have a weight problem?
Poor food choices and lack of exercise. Plus I've been at least a little overweight for all of my post-puberty life, so I don't really know what it's like to be thin. Change is sometimes scary.

8. What lifestyle changes do you think would help you lose weight?
Keeping track of my calories, choosing healthier food options, and exercising regularly, all of which I'm currently doing.

9. Have you lost weight in the past? If so, what has worked in the past to help you lose weight?
Yes, two years ago I went from 160 to 125 in four months with the help of the prescription drug Phentermine. The drug seemed to help motivate me, but I also was exercising almost every day and watching what I ate. I didn't calorie count though.

10. Why do you believe that you did not lose weight or you gained the weight back?
I fell off the wagon and stopped exercising and eating healthy when I went off the Phentermine.

11. What, if anything, has not worked for you in the past in helping you to lose weight? Why do you think it did not work?
Just exercise doesn't seem to do much, or just eating healthy. I need to do both to lose weight.

12. Would you try writing down all food and drink consumed for a given period of time?
Yes, I'm doing so now.

13. Do you cook at home often? If so, what do you cook?
Fairly often, but I don't really know how to cook much. I usually make myself a healthified version of chicken alfredo, with whole wheat pasta and reduced fat alfredo sauce, plus chicken.

14. How often do you go out to eat? Where do you go?
Not too often right now, as my bf and I are struggling financially. We sometimes order a pizza from pizza hut though. The last couple of times we got a Rustica Natural pizza, which has whole wheat crust and all natural ingredients. It was really tasty and only has 240 calories a slice.

15. What are your three favorite foods?
Pasta, pizza, and quesadillas. Pretty much anything with cheese I love.

16. What are your three favorite restaurants?
Pizza Hut, Olive Garden, and Taco Bell.

17. What are three things you can do differently when it comes to food?
I'm not sure, I think I'm doing pretty good right now. I just need to stick with it.

18. If you woke up tomorrow and your body was exactly the way you want it, what would be different?
Well, I'd be able to fit into all of my old clothes, so I'd have a lot more options of what I could wear. Plus I imagine I'd feel sexier and a lot better about myself in general. I also think my sex life with my bf would probably improve.

19. Do you eat when you are not hungry?
Sometimes, but not very often.

20. Do you binge eat (large amounts at a time)?
I have a couple of times.

21. Do you hide your food or eat in secret?
Sometimes.

22. Do you eat when you are sad, nervous, or depressed?
Sometimes, but not usually.

23. Do you eat as a reward?
Rarely.

24. Do you eat while watching TV or using the computer?
Yes, usually.

25. What do you normally eat for a meal?
Breakfast and lunches are usually the same: Fiber One granola bar and a piece of fruit for breakfast, and a sandwich with yogurt and either fruit or carrot sticks for lunch. Dinner varies.

26. What type of snacks do you eat?
Fruits and veggies or a Sugar Free Jello dessert cup

27. In terms of exercise, what, if anything, are you currently doing?
30 to 40 minutes of cardio and 2 to 3 sets of weight lifting.

28. Where do you go for exercise? A local public gym? School/work gym? Home?
School gym.

29. What, if anything, are your three favorite types of exercise?
I use the Expresso bike at the rec center and I really enjoy it. It's nice to have something to look at while you're working out, and the other fake images of bikers help me push myself. I also enjoy playing DDR, and I think I would like swimming once I know how to lap swim.

30. What is your daily/weekly/monthly/yearly motivation to move towards your goals?
Picturing myself at my target weight.

31. Do you have rewards for certain goals?
Not yet, but I hope to be able to buy myself some new clothes when I lose sizes.
 
Okay, so I fell off the wagon a bit this week when it came to tracking my calorie intake. I'm pretty sure I didn't take in too many though. I definitely need to be better about tracking my calories, and I know that. I'm not sure if I lost any weight this week yet, I haven't weighed myself because I forgot to when I got up this morning. I did finally get a measuring tape though! Weighing myself and measuring myself will probably have to wait until Tuesday. Tomorrow is the start of finals week, which kicks off with a final at 8am for a class that did not start until 10 am. -_- Whoever thought that up should be shot...

I know I'm going to struggle with eating well and keeping my calories down and exercising this week. It's hard to keep track of everything when you need to devote most of your energy to studying and writing papers, but I'll do my best.

One interesting tidbit though... I tried tofu for the first time this last week and discovered I really like it. The place that I tried it at prepares it very spicy though, and I have to chug a whole bunch of milk to be able to eat it, which can lead to extra calories. I've also noticed that it keeps me full a lot longer than regular meat too, which is kind of strange. I also tried veggie burgers, and I like them too! I tried Amy's 1/4 pounder veggie patties, and even though they don't taste that much like hamburger, they still taste good and they make a good substitute for the real thing. I asked my bf to try them and he said he's tried veggie burgers before and doesn't like them, which is unfortunate, but I guess that just means more for me lol.
 
Hi gg - great job on losing your two pounds!

School is really hard on eating habits - but maybe you can try preparing some small meals/snacks to take with you so you won't have to eat on the run? It might make tracking calories a little easier.

Also, good deal with the veggie patties/tofu! I really love tofu when it's prepared right, and it's SUPER cheap. Have you tried any Morning Star products? They're all no-meat products. Some of my favorites include mushroom burgers, garden burgers, and veggie cakes. Veggie cakes "fried" (with no-cal cooking spray) with sauteed spinach is one of my favorite meals.

Anyway, thanks for your support and good luck with your finals next week!
 
Money is an issue right now, so I have to be somewhat conservative in the trying of new things, especially since I'm a picky eater lol. I especially hate mushrooms. >.> Technically the veggie burgers I bought have mushrooms in them, but you can't taste them so it didn't bother me any.

I am planning on packing a lunch so I can study without worry of eating out, but sometimes I slack off and don't do it, then I have to resort to eating Subway, which honestly I tire of rather quickly. Thanks for the well wishes!
 
Pre packing your food is an excellent weapon in your weight loss arsenal. Get into the routine of doing it maybe the night before. Once it becomes a habit and is automatic its so much easier
 
Thanks Trusylver. I finished my first final this morning for my Intro to the English major, and I'm pretty sure I aced it, which makes me pretty happy. ^^ Now I'm physically exhausted, which I'm curious if that's because I used my brain so much this morning? I still got about 6 or 7 hours of sleep right now, so I shouldn't be so tired.

RJAZ- Yeah, I try and pack my lunch the night before but I have issues with procrastination which sometimes makes it difficult. :) You should see my house, oh boy! It's really messy because both me and my bf hate house work.

So far today I did pretty good. I have my typical Fiber One granola bar for breakfast, and then after my final I got a Pomegranate Naked juice. I loooove me some Naked juice. :) Except when it gives me heartburn.

For lunch I had a meal at work, another fire roasted tofu burrito with black beans, lettuce, mixed cheese, pico de gallo and a little bit of sour cream and a 21 oz soda cup full of skim milk to counteract the spiciness of the tofu. :) I haven't had dinner yet, but the plan is to have a couple pieces of left over Natural Rustica pizza from Pizza Hut and some water. Pizza has a bad rep, but this stuff is pretty good for you I think. The crust is whole wheat, and it has marinated tomatoes, red peppers and natural style sausage. Each slice has only 240 calories, which is significantly less than a typical slice of their pizza.
 
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So I did weigh myself today when I got up, and I didn't lose any weight which is kind of depressing, but according to the scale I lost 1% body fat. I suppose that's something, but I'm not 100% convinced that it measures body fat accurately.
 
Is it Naked that makes the green machine juice? I really like drinking something that looks like lawn-mower clippings but actually tastes great ;).

Don't get hung up on the scale thing. You've already lost a few pounds, and the changes you're making might take a little while to show in the numbers. I'm not sure how those things calculate body fat, but it might be helpful to take some measurements (waist, hips, thighs, etc) to monitor your progress. Sometimes inches come off, but pounds don't, and that's not a bad thing.

Anyway, keep at it!
 
Happy Wednsday!

You are on the right track. Stay psoitive and keep going. I agree with PhatCat, Dont worry bout the scale. Easier said then done but as long as you are feeling good that's what counts. You have a good day and dont forget to drink your WATER :)
 
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