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dwwise83

dwwise83

New member
This is my second go 'round with the journal/diary thing. I started the first one back in Oct. 2008 when I was trying to finish the C25K program. I made it through week 5 day 2, then fell off the wagon, never registered for the race, and gained all of the weight back that I had lost (around 23 pounds).

2009 was a new start for me. I started eating healthy and exercising on Dec 28, 2008 (I just couldn't wait to start on Jan 1). So far I have lost 43ish pounds and hope to achieve my final goal by the end of Jun - beginning of July.

I'm running again this time around, but I actually registered for a race! It is April 25th and I can't wait. Currently I am running around 2.25 miles in 25 minutes, while my final goal is 3.1 miles (5K) in ~32 minutes. Only a few more weeks to get there!

On March 1st I reached my first major goal in this journay - under 200 pounds :)

Diet: I am currently eating around 1580 calories per day. I try to have 'healthy' foods such as almonds, fruit, lean proteins, etc... I always stay within my calories, but not always with the right foods - but I try. I do have certain foods that I DO NOT EAT. 1.) No fast food, 2.) No soda, 3.) No fried foods. So far, since Dec. 28, 2008 I haven't had any of the above. Whoo hoo.

Exercise: I am focusing more cardio at this point, but trying to do free weights 2 days per week (1 day upper, 1 day abs and lower). I run 3x per week ranging from 2.25 - 3 miles. My long term goal is to shed some body fat, increase weights and maintain cardio.

Weighing-in: If you remeber my last journal you probably know that I have a love/hate relationship with the scale. I weigh myself way too much and when it goes up I get discouraged. This time around I am doing MUCH better. I weigh-in on Monday mornings (keeps me honest during the weekend) and after my weigh-in I put the scale in the car. Sounds weird but it is the one place I won't go to get it. Just call me lazy:coolgleamA:

Up until last week I've been losing around 2-4 pounds every week... then I weighed in last monday (the 9th) and only lost 0.2. I was a little disappointed, but reviewed my diet and exercise and made some adjustments. I'm hoping that I see my regular numbers this week :)

the end
 
I keep track of my calories / exercise / mood for a local weight loss group that I am part of (and for myself), so I thought I would post that information here. I keep a detailed list of the foods I eat, but I will only post the calories because no one has that much time :) (I previously used fitday but find it easier, for me, to just write things down in a notebook. It goes everywhere with me, unlike my laptop).

March 10, 2009
Calorie Goal: 1580
Actual Calories: 1582
Exercise: 40 minutes of free weights
Mood: I started off a little discourage yesterday because of the scale, but a made an action plan, drank 2 tons of water, ate really well, hid the scale, and ended up feeling wonderful. This is going to be a good week, I can feel it.


March 11, 2009
Calorie Goal: 1580
Actual Calories: b/w 1500-1550
Exercise: 25 minute run (2.25 miles), 10 minute walk (warmup/cooldown)
Mood: It feels really GREAT to not weigh-in everyday. I'm able to focus on being healthy as opposed to a number on the scale. Hopefully, in the end being healthy will cause the number on the scale to go down :) We will find out on Monday!


March 12, 2009
Calorie Goal: 1580
Actual Calories: 1592
Exercise: REST - I got home really late last night so decided to have a rest day (I get 2/week and this is my first one)
Mood: I stressed all day about going out to dinner with my co-workers. I didn't want to eat badly and I am so paranoid that even 'healthy' food will be really caloric when cooked in a restaurant. Also, I knew that everyone around me would be having wings, cheese fries with bacon and ranch (one of my FAVS), etc... Well, I went to the bar and ordered grilled salmon with veggies and rice. It was very good and I didn't eat a single bit of bad food. YAY. I have to admit that I was starving for the rest of the night. Stomach was growling and everything. I managed not to give in, but it was hard!
 
I have a new acronym: OMGISS - OH MY GOD I'M SO SORE!

I did an in-home free weights lower body workout yesterday and I can no longer function. omg I rock. I always love it when I feel really sore or when I nearly (key word there) get sick after a workout. It let's me know I busted it. When I am sore, like I am today, I know that I didn't do a half-ass workout.

Bad news is I didn't workout today. The weather here in NC SUCKS and it is cold and raining. On top of that the treadmill on my apartment gym is broken and I was suppose to do my long run today. I ended up running around with the family allll day... in the rain... and cold, but didn't make it to workout. I feel bad about missing my workout, but not that bad. I think my body needs the break.

In addition to my lower body workout yesterday I tried the HIIT workout that I discovered in this forum. I had to do it on the elliptical machine (see above about weather and treadmill). I really DON'T like the elliptical, but the HIIT workout managed to officially OWN me in 20 minutes flat.

I am supper excited b/c my wife and I bought tons of veggies today at the grocery store. I always manage to stay within my caloric goals, but not always with the healthiest foods (not necessarily bad ones, but lots of carbs). Now we have all of these lovely veggies and I am just so darn tootin' happy. Did I mention I hate veggies... usually... but I am so ready to BE healthy that I am willing to try them ALLL again to make sure ;) I want to like them, so let's see how this week goes.

I will update tomorrow with weekend calories / exercises and tomorrow is the big Monday weigh in... BUM BUM BUMMMMMMMMMM.
 
Plateau = Frustration

I had a great week last week. Fantastic actually. I ate around 1550 - 1600 healthy calories everyday, avoided absolutely every opportunity I had to cheat, and worked out 5 times.

When I got on the scale this morning I was truly excited to see what my new weight would be. After losing a disappointing 0.2 pounds last week I really hoped to have 'my spirits lifted' with a 2lb lose (1% of my body weight).

198.4. Now look at the number in my signature. Notice any... similarities?

It's been two weeks now and I've not lost a single pound - I am so frustrated! I busted it last week and I have nothing tangible to show for it.

I came into work early this morning to search this forum for ways to break the plateau, but I still feel lost.

My gut instinct tells me that I am eating too few calories. I read that we should be eating around 10-11 calories per pound meaning I should be eating around 1980-2178 per day. The only problem is I don't really know how to increase my caloric intake with healthy foods! What can I add to my diet to take my calories up... I already feel stuffed ALL DAY LONG.

Then I start to worry... what if increasing my calories makes me gain weight, then I will be back over 200 again... and then... and then.

Maybe what I need is a physical and mental break from the diet and the gym.

*sigh*
 
okay - I'm better now.

I read through some more posts and it seems as though the main idea is the same: increase calories... and compared to some people I really am eating too few. your opinion? (I'm 5'8", 198 pounds, exercise 5x/week)

Now, in all honesty, what do I add to my diet to increase the calories without going carb crazy (all of the foods I would like to add are carbs, of course :) )?

A normal day for me consists of:

Breakfast
-1 C. Skim milk w/ instant breakfast mix
Snacks
-1 serving almonds
-1 serving grapes
-100 calorie pack
Lunch (varies) ~400 cals
-1 serving chili *or* lean cuisine *or* PB & J sandwich, etc...
-1 serving baked chips
Dinner ~600 cals
-1 serving Lean meat
-2 side items

I honestly feel like I eat ALL DAY. Any tips would be appreciated!
 
Hey! Thanks for the warm welcome the other day! It's good to see I'm not such a loner out there in the terms of being fit one day and not the next! Love the diary and keep up the hard work because it will pay off in the end!
 
THANK YOU - and thanks for reading!!!

So, after reading many many posts on this forum by Steve and Mal and many others I have developed a game plan. I also learned that a two week plateau isn't reallly a plateau (2 weeks does not a plateau make...). I do, however, want to be proactive.

I decided to increase my calories to 100 above my maintenance level for 1 week. Therefore I will be eating 2300 calories / day until this weekend. I spent an hour in Target yesterday looking over foods trying to make several good choices to add to my diet - the results:

Added foods:
breakfast - Whole wheat english muffin with 2 eggs and cheese

Added snacks:
natural PB with crackers -or-
dried fruit with almonds
Fiber 1 cereal with milk

Added Dinner Calories:
increasing lean meat by 100 calories and adding V8 fusion (1 veggie & 1 fruit)

All of this in conjunction with my regular foods brings me to 2200 - 2300 calories per day. Whew.

So far so good... and the scale wasn't up this morning. It was down, but it wasn't up :)

I'm getting a run in today if it kills me... 2 1/2 miles, then upper body tomorrow.
 
Day 1 - Freakin' Awesome!

So, yesterday was my first day with increased calories. I was aiming for 2200-2300 and actually achieved 2150... so I was close!

Food:
It definitely felt weird to be eating more. At first I didn't like it because it made me feel like I was cheating and not adhering to a 'diet.' As the day progressed I started to feel really well. My energy was up and I felt very... comfortable. I had healthy foods all day so I knew that even with a calorie increase I was still being healthy.

Exercise:
After work I went for a run on a local trail. I have to say that it was the best run I've ever had. I had so much energy that I could have just kept going for days... or so it felt :) I really enjoyed it and that was a true first for me. WHOOHOOO. I completed over 2.5 miles in around 30 minutes.

The Scale:
Well, I got on the scale this morning because I was really curious to see what was happening. I told myself that as long as it was under 202 I would be happy (that's 4 pounds higher than my last weigh in to account for the extra calories.) I got on, looked down and saw a brand new number: 197.2. That's nearly a pound and a half lower than I've been in 3 weeks. I'm thrilled. I feel healthy, energetic; AND the scale is going down again.

*sigh of relief*

:party:
 
March 18, 2009
Calories: 2172
Exercise: 45 Minutes upper body with free weights

Okay - I had another decent day yesterday, but I have to admit I felt 'heavy' all day... I'm not sure why. More than likely, it was completely mental :smash: I got on the scale this morning and it still read 197.2, so I was definitely happy about that!

Today is a cardio day so I am going for a run after work, come rain or shine. I am really going to push today and try to hit 3 miles without stopping. I've never made it before, but maybe today is the day.

I feel wonderful today, not 'heavy' at all and after my run I should feel light as a feather :)
 
March 19, 2009
Calories: 2232
Exercise: Ran 3 miles!!!!! Time 34:44

I did it! Yesterday I ran a mock 5K without stopping or walking. I didn't think I was going to make it for a while, but I hit that last 1/2 mile and booked it to the end. AWESOME! Now, I just need to work on my time and I will be good to go for the 5K at the end of April! WHOO HOOO

I got on the scale this morning (I know, I really need to stop) and it said 196.8. YAY :party: This is the first time I've seen 196 and I really feel like the plateau is GONE

I'm starting to think of a plan for the weekend and next week. I think I am going to lower my calories slightly to 2000 / day starting on Monday. I'm also going to try and up my cardio a little bit so that next week I can pull an awesome number.

My official weigh in is on monday and I plan to do an hour workout tonight, Sat, and Sun. I'm hoping to see 195 on monday morning. I CAN DO IT!
 
I've been doing well this weekend with food/exercise and such. They finally got the treadmill installed in my apartment gym so I went there last night and did 45 minutes. I think I discovered one of the causes of my 'plateau,' (which, by the way, WON'T END). I was on the treadmill last night busting it and saw that my heart rate was still pretty low. Now that I am becoming more fit it is taking a lot more effort to increase my heart rate. Before I started training for the 5K I was going to the gym on the treadmill every night for 30 - 60 minutes, plus walking at work during my lunch breaks. Well, I haven't been able to walk at work lately b/c it has been crazy busy, AND I've only been doing around 30 minutes of running 3x/week. I didn't realize it, but I've had a huge decrease in cardio.

Therefore, along with taking my calories to 2000 / day next week I am going to do a challenging cardio routine EVERYDAY, in addition to my run days and weight days. Hopefully, this will put the 'nail in the coffin' of my plateau and allow me to move forward on this journey.

I hate running in place...
 
The scale may be stuck, but I feel so TOTALLY pumped right now! I just got back from my run on a path I haven't tried since I weighed 220 pounds. Before, I could run approx. 5 minutes at a time. The last time I tried this path (in August of 2008) I honestly started crying out of frustration during my 'run' and quite my diet the next day.

Today, I won :) I ran THE ENTIRE COURSE in 26:20 (around 2.5 miles). And the funny part was that I could have kept going... it wasn't hard!!!

Like I said, I feel totally pumped! I'm a fit person. I'm healthy. With a little time my body will match the person inside, I just have to keep running :)
 
Weigh-in

I have just a minute to post a quick update. I weighed in this morning and the scale said::::::::::: 193.6!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT?!?!!??! That's 5 pounds!

My average calorie intake for last week was 2,050, and I did workout twice yesterday (25 minute run, 1 hour on treadmill HR=65%).

I was so happy to see that number this morning as it officially puts me back on track, and actually .2 under my original goal weight for this week :)
 
DW your an insperation. Way to go on your accomplishments.

I do have a quick question for you. I've been thinking about the c25k, and I did (in my few minutes that I have free) graze over the web site, and it really looked interesting to me.

My question is: Just how was the program? Was it pretty easy? and did the downloads for your mp3 work pretty good? (Like that would work for me since I don't own an mp3 or and ipod)
 
Thank you GreyGhostHunter!

I really enjoyed C25K, and at that time / weight it is what I needed to do. I definitely wouldn't say it was an 'easy' process for a beginner... running can be a real challenge if you don't have the endurance / strength to keep moving forward. That is why C25K was really great for me, bc you start off really slow... 1 minute intervals. You build up gradually and by week 6 you are doing 20 minutes of running.

The podcast is really great. It plays good music and the guy will tell you when to run and when to walk - which I highly recommend in the beginning as keeping track of time is hard when things keep changing up.

If there comes a time when you feel like a certain week was just too hard, you can always repeat the week... I wish I would have done that in the past instead of giving up when I couldn't keep up any longer.

In the end the reward will be well worth the effort!
 
OH MY Gosh! Congrats! Just read your last couple of posts! That is so amazing! 5 pounds in like week! Keep it up and I hope I can do that when I start pounding the exercise equipment soon! Keep mixing it up and you will still lose!
 
Okay - I really need to STOP weighing in two times / day. I know in my mind that it is utterly ridiculous... yet everytime I see I scale I jump on it. I was so excited yesterday morning when the scale said 193.6... and then I had the bright idea to get on it again last night. 199.0 What? It completely ruined my mood.

Okay, I need to develop a plan to withdraw from the scale. I'm thinking a gradual process will work better than quiting cold turkey, therefore:
Week 1 (this week) - No more weighing in at night - only in the AM
Week 2 - Only weigh in every other morning
Week 3 - Only weigh Monday and Friday
Week 4 - Only weigh on Monday

I can do this right!? I need you guys to hold me to it :) No more weighing in at night.

-------------------------------

Okay, now that that is over...

Yesterday was a pretty good day. I took a rest day and didn't workout at all. It felt nice in a way to relax, but it also made me feel lazy. Isn't that weird? Three months ago I NEVER exercised, and now I feel like a slacker if I miss 1 day. I had my cheat meal yesterday night. I went to a buffet and did very well actually. I started with a salad and grilled fish, then I had a plate of foods I had been craving for the past week - but VERY small portions (like 1 or 2 bites of each item), then I had a few bites of dessert... then we left :)

Total estimated calories for yesterday: 2276

My goal for this week is to have an average of 2000 cals per day (I usually try to zig-zag, and always end up coming under on the weekend).

I am going for a 30 minute powerwalk at work today, then 1 hour of cardio in the gym tonight (BIGGEST LOSER is on).
 
You know what you do is tell your wife to hide the scale from you with strict rule of only to getting it out on weigh in day. This way you can't go weigh yourself at any time.

Just a thought.
 
I use to do that, along with putting it in my car... BUT I'm at a point now where I should have the will power to say no. If my wife hides the scale I will achieve my goal of not weighing in, but the problem will still be there, unchanged. I want/need the will power to look at the scale and say "change doesn't happen overnight" and then promptly walk away.

You know what I mean!? :)
 
Yesterday was a pretty good day! I went for a 30 minute power walk during my lunch break at work and then did an hour on the treadmill between 9-10pm. I ended up going a little over my 2000 mark for calories, but I'm not worried as I usually come way under on the weekends. By Monday my average should be around the 2000 mark.

I did NOT get on the scale last night, so YAY. I got on this morning and it was 195 - which was perfectly okay with me. The scale has always fluctuated up during the week for me, so I see it as normal. Hopefully by Friday, and Saturday I will start to see it go below the 193.6 level.

My mood as of late has been pretty good as well. I found 4 pairs of size 34 pants in my closet that I can now wear again. It was a really great feeling (I started in a very tight size 38). I remember being so sad when I couldn't wear them anymore, and now they are back. Also, I went through my closet last night (for the second time since I started this) and took out all of the clothes that are too big now. I think I took out 6 pair of jeans and 3 dress shirts. "GOODBYE FOREVER," I say. You will not be missed :)
 
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