PC's Super Ultimate Weight Loss Journal

Since my school's gym is funded by student fees, and we have well over 20k students total, we tend to have some pretty cool machines. :) Yay for going to a state school, eh? I like sticking to the bikes because I figure it's probably easier on my knees than using a treadmill or some other high impact machine. I don't have knee issues yet, but I'd like to keep it that way. Next term I'm taking a class to learn how to lap swim so I can include swimming in my exercise regimen as well. Now I just have to find a bathing suit that looks decent on me. >.>

You're lucky your weather is warming up lol. Spring is here, and with it comes lots and lots of rain. Which we really need because it didn't rain much this winter, which is kind of odd... Plus it's still pretty cold. It's March and we're still using our pellet stove, as our house is a bit older and doesn't have great insulation. Granted I'm a bit of a wuss when it comes to cold weather lol.

Good luck with your journey, and thanks for the support on my diary!
 
gaelic - that's pretty awesome that your gym is so well equipped! I plan to go back to school next semester, but the school I'm applying to is smaller and I don't know if it has any gym facilities.

I'm definitely excited about the improving weather. It's been flooding here for the past week, but now it's starting to look spring-like. It's supposed to be almost 70 tomorrow - I'm definitely riding my bike to the gym, at least!

Trusylver - thanks! I'm trying. I'm surprised at how good I feel after I'm done. The day I was moping around felt like it never happened after I worked out.

...

Today was very productive! I got up a little late, but restocked the apartment with all healthy foods (I got lentils - anyone eat lentils? I read they're a great source of healthy protein) to get myself back on track. No graham crackers ;).

There's this squeaky treadmill at my gym. It seems like someone is always running on it, maybe because it's in the back. Everytime she takes a step, it makes a noise like a doggy chew toy. It's hilarious.

Anyway, I did a 10min warm-up on the elliptical, 2x12 sets on 5 leg machines, 2x10 on this ab thingy just for fun, and 30min on the arc trainer. It felt great!

Today's food:

Breakfast - Luna bar - 180
Lunch - 2 PB&J sandwiches on low-cal bread - 430
Snack - Luna bar - 180
Post-gym snack - Yet another Luna bar - 180
Dinner - Pasta w/ chicken and mushroom, side of broccoli with parmesan - 500

Total: 1470

I really didn't want to eat three Luna bars, but there wasn't really anything else "easy" to snack on. My bananas are under ripe. I might make another trip to the store for more fruit and veggies. I walk, so I can only carry so much at a time.
 
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My food scale is here! It's very pretty.

Of course, the first thing I did was to start measuring all the food I eat to see how far off I was on my guesstimating. I was pleasantly surprised that I was about right on most foods. So, at least I haven't been unknowingly overeating too much.

Today I rode my bike to the gym. It was windy! The way there was intense - the wind blew against me the whole way. I was pretty sweaty before I made it halfway. The way back was better, and a nice cool-down to my work out. Too bad it rains tomorrow :(.

In addition to 4 miles biked, I did 30 half-hearted minutes on the elliptical, and a round of upper body strength training.

Today's food:

Breakfast - Special K w/ light soy milk - 385
Lunch - 2 PB&J sandwiches - 430
Post-gym snack - Luna bar - 180
Snack - Broccoli w/ 1/2 oz parmesan - 140
Dinner - Salad (romaine, mushrooms, smoked salmon, egg, bleu cheese) - 450

Total:1585

I woke up HUNGRY. Today is a day I could really stuff my face and enjoy it. I'm trying to keep myself in check. There are still a few hours until dinner. I might eat an apple before then, and I think I'll pad my meal with LOTS of veggies (mushrooms and broccoli) so I'll feel full.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!
 
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Today was not a great day for staying on program.

I ate over 1800 calories and I didn't go the gym. For shame!

Tomorrow I also have dinner plans - not sure what they consist of yet, but likely won't be carrots and rice cakes. So, I'll definitely be hitting the gym hardcore tomorrow.

This morning I couldn't help noticing the back of my box of Special K. There's a 30-something fit blonde woman holding a massive, overflowing bowl of cornflakes wearing a sh*t-eating grin. It's next to an even larger picture of another giant bowl of cornflakes, some fruit and coffee, with text describing how a bowl of Special K, skim milk, coffee and fruit in the morning is just 250 calories. That's true for a serving size - but the pictures were most definitely NOT serving size portions. I eat mine out of a small dessert bowl and it doesn't even fill halfway with milk.

Just something I thought was interesting - I bet most people don't measure their cornflakes, I know for a long time I didn't.
 
Yesterday was officially my cheat day. And possibly cheatier than last week. I had friends come over and wanted to make a specific dish, which included things like ground meat and was topped with a generous pile of cheese. It's actually something my mom made me as a kid, and only something I'm only willing to make at home when there are plenty of people to help me eat it.

I still feel full. Ugh.

I managed to make it to the gym. I did my usual routine: 10min warm-up, upper and lower body strength training, 30min on the arc trainer. Hopefully today I'll have the energy to kick it up a notch; I need to burn that cheese off!

I can't imagine I'll be eating too heavy today. I know it's still early, but my stomach feels urpy. :puke:
 
PhatCat, as Simon Cowell would say "you are a winner!" :D Your story is awesome and so is your writing. I have seen your ticker before and always wondered how long it took you to lose that much weight. I was hoping it took you at least a year or two because to me that always means failures and triumphs along the way but more importantly, you are truly changed. Even if you only lose 1.5 lbs per MONTH, just think about what that will mean by this Christmas! You just keep on thinking the way you are and you will succeed for sure.

The only thing I am curious about is whether or not you have ever used weight training?
 
Hey Derrick, thanks for the positive feedback! Simon Cowell might say something else if he heard me sing, but thankfully I won't make anyone suffer through that ;). Congratulations on your own loss, 56lbs is something to be proud of!

There were definitely a lot of stumbles along the way. Looking back, during my “hardcore” dieting phase I took it too far to the extreme, and that ultimately slowed me down in terms of reaching my goal. But this whole thing is a learning process, and I can definitely say I've learned a lot.

I'll still be stoked for a 1.5lb per month loss! Like everyone else, I want to see things go faster, but I can be patient if it means a bigger long term payoff.

Well, exercise is a relatively new thing for me. I do some training on weight machines at my gym (they're mostly nautilus machines). I refer to it as strength training, but I guess it's sort of weight training. I've never seen anyone using free weights there, but I a) don't pay attention to other people, and b) am ignorant enough that I don't know what they are doing when I do notice. It's something I'd like to learn more about, though. My gym does monthly consults, so I'm hoping each time I'll learn something new.

P.S. I thought I should add that I started with my lifestyle change in 2005, and while I lost about 60lbs in the first year, it's taken another four to get this far. So it's been a long term commitment.
 
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Just a quick update for food/activity.

So I ate probably 2000 calories today. Not the best follow-up to my cheat day. I also didn't make it to the gym. I left, got to the bus, and realized I had no fare. Went back, left again, got to the gym, half-changed, realized I had no shirt. No shirt! After that I gave up.

Late night snacking once again proves to be my kryptonite.

I really hate going to bed feeling full.

I can't wait to hit the gym tomorrow.
 
Hey PC, I just wanted to say late night snacking has always been my kryptonite also. I would say 4 nights a week I just can't help myself and have to put something in my belly. One of the things my dietician told me was I needed more fiber in my diet. So my wife bought me some whole grain cereal called Fiber One Honey Clusters. I have always been a cereal lover so I gave it a try and it is delicious! I used to eat cereal before bed and I was really getting sick of trying to go to sleep on an empty belly. I tried eating only 1 cup of this cereal with skim milk only 30 minutes before bed. Well, it helped a ton with the night hunger and I can easily fall asleep now feeling satisfied. I know this is not ideal but for me it is the next best thing. My weight loss has not stopped and I am only 6 lbs from my goal.

Here are the nutrition facts listed on the box:
Serving Size = 1 cup
Calories with 1/2 cup skim milk = 200
Calories from fat = 15
Total Fat = 1.5 grams
Carbs = 42 grams
Protein = 5 grams
Dietary Fiber = 13 grams (51% of daily value)

The only thing negative I see about this cereal is the carbs. It also lists "Other Carbs = 23 grams." I am not sure what that means. All I know is 200 calories is not bad at all, the cereal tastes great, helps me go to sleep without feeling starved and supposedly has lots of fiber.

Just a suggestion from a fellow late night snacker! :D
 
Thanks for the tip, Derrick!

I'm going to do my best to stop the late night snacking altogether. But keeping low-cal, healthy options around certainly helps. I try to keep fruit available, but it's not always easy.

...

I got quite the cardio workout today. Before I even got to the gym I had to chase the bus for three blocks. I know it wasn't much of a calorie burn, but sprinting that far had me wheezing and about to keel over. Fortunately, I still had enough energy to do 30min on the elliptical and 20min on the arc trainer. I skipped strength training, but I'll pick that up tomorrow.

I stopped at the produce store on my way home and loaded up on fruits/veggies. So for dinner I roasted red peppers, onion, mushrooms, cauliflower and broccoli and served it with a small side of rice and veggie patties. It was super filling, and I've got some calories left over for later.

Hope everyone's having a great weekend!
 
I haven't been too good this week documenting my food. I'll try to do better next week.

Yesterday's calories added up to 1560.

Today was a little higher, but I ended up getting a lot of physical activity so I'm not too concerned.

Breakfast - big bowl of Special K, fruit, light soy milk - 410
Post-gym eating - PB&J, apple - 280
Lunch - > 2 maki rolls, 1/2 plate of salad (yum!) - 700(guessing)
Dinner - Smoked salmon on white bread w/ carrots - 200
Snack - PB&J - 200

Total: 1790

Definitely high, but I did 45min on the elliptical (70+ RPM, higher level), 2x12 reps on 6 machines (upper and lower body), ab workout, and ended up walking 3+ miles.

Tomorrow's my weigh-in. I haven't seen a loss in two weeks, so I'm hoping I'll see the numbers move. I feel like I have some visible results, which is great, and I won't take it badly if I don't see any weight move, but it'd be nice.
 
Had to get up crazy early this morning to run errands before an appointment. Bought a new blouse (size S - albiet a big small, if you ask me), and got a nice cable sweater for 90% off (just $4.50)! Not diet related, but it made me happy.

Didn't have time to weigh in before leaving, but after coffee, a SoyJoy and some fruit, I was 161. I'm a little bummed - I think I'll weigh-in again tomorrow - without the added weight - for the March Challenge (it's not really cheating, right?).

As aware as I am that the scale is not my master, I do feel frustrated by it. I'm hoping (because, without some high-tech equipment and a professional, there's no way to tell for certain) that I'm building muscle mass in addition to losing fat, and that's why I'm not seeing numbers move. I've been pretty careful in logging my food through Fitday, and while I've been bouncing around my caloric intake, even on the days I don't exercise I should be in deficit. Exercising is a new variable thrown into the mix here, so I don't know what I should expect at this point. I will continue doing what I've been doing, and see how things go. I don't feel like cutting calories is necessary or good, and I think the exercise routine I have in place is challenging enough for me at this level.

I'll update more on food later. Happy Monday!
 
Thanks for the support!

By the way, I love finding clothes on sale!!! Excellent finds!

I love that you post what you eat -- I should do that to get some feedback.

Keep on keepin' on!
 
Thanks Amy! There are a lot of great sales right now (bad economy), but I'm trying not to buy things until I go down a size. The blouse I needed, and the sweater was just too good to pass up.

I think posting what I eat keeps me more cognizant of what I'm eating when I eat it – knowing I'll have to admit to it later. Of course, it's not a coincidence the worse my food intake, the less detailed I am about posting it.

…

So I got a regular job today. This is good, because I will get paid. But it also means I'll have to work harder to schedule in my gym time and stay on track.

Today's food:

Breakfast – Soyjoy, banana, and 3oz blackberries – 240
Beverage – Cappuccino w/ sugar - 210
Snack – Baby carrots! - 70
Lunch – 2 eggs, 1pc toast, orange – 235
Snack – Cliff bar – 250
Dinner – Special K, banana, light soy milk – 375
Snack – I think I'll roast some veggies later to munch on

Total: 1380

For activity I did 30min on the elliptical, a round of upper/lower body strength training, and quite a bit of walking.

I left the apartment pretty quick this afternoon to get to the gym before rush hour and apparently I forgot to zip my pants. So, yeah, I went all the way from my apt to the gym – on public transportation – with my fly down. Classy.
 
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I'm not really a morning person.

Today I decided not to go to the gym. This was partly because I was tired from work, but also partly because I've been having some twinges in my right leg. I feel like a day of rest will do me good. I'll make it tomorrow.

Food today:

Breakfast - Special K, soy milk, fruit - 360
Snack - Naked Juice Green Machine, apple - 340
Lunch (kind of) - 2 nutrition bars, vitamin water - 370
Dinner - Jimmy John's Vito, pickle - 595
Snack - Luna bar - 180

Total: 1845

P.S. I'm not really bummed about the calories, but I hate wasting calories on liquids. While there are worse ways to drink my calories than Naked Juice, I think I'd rather not do that in the future.
 
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Wow - what a story. You should be so proud of yourself for writing such an inspirational and honest piece - Congratulations on your success so far.
 
Thanks aussiemum, I think sharing our experiences is a wonderful way to help each other and ourselves. I really appreciate your supportive comment and hope to see you around the forum!

...

I am still not a morning person.

My gym has a downtown location that I can use which is closer to my job, but I had trouble finding it today. I really want to try it out, so maybe tomorrow. I did make it to my usual location, though, and worked out despite feeling a little sick. I still can't get over how much better I feel AFTER working out.

Today's food:

Breakfast - Special K, light soy milk, strawberries - 250
Beverage - Cappuccino (I needed it. I needed it so bad) - 150
Snack - nutrition bar - 180
Lunch - Subway oven roasted chix breast - 350
Snack - nutrition bar - 180
Dinner - Subway oven roasted chix breast (leftovers) - 350
Snack - Apple w/ 2T peanut butter (extra crunchy) - 230

Total: 1690

I don't much like going to the gym at rush hour. I ended up on this rickety elliptical that felt like it might fall apart under me. Still, I stayed on it for 30 min, then did a short round of strength training and finished up with another 15 min on the arc trainer. However, both my left knee and right leg are sore. My knee's generally been doing better, but since I've been favoring my right leg a little I've likely been putting extra strain on it. I might avoid leg strength training for a few days, or try a bike tomorrow since they're seated.

I'm still pretty hungry. I've really had a sweet tooth the past few days (hence all the nutrition bars), and unfortunately I haven't had time to go to the real grocery store. Maybe tomorrow after the gym. Oranges have been soooooo good lately.
 
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I'm glad it's almost Friday.

I went to the gym after work today - 30 min on the elliptical, then some strength training and another 20 min on a bike. I think my lack of sleep this week has kept my body from fully recovering between workouts, and today I may have overdone it. My knee is as sore as it's been in a while. Tomorrow I will probably take another day off.

Today's food:

Breakfast - Nutrition bar - 180
Snack - Coffee and scone - 560 (I bought the scone thinking it couldn't POSSIBLY be more than 350 cal - I mean, it was a fruit scone! But now, it was 490 cal!!!! The coffee I estimated at 70 for sugar and 2%)
Lunch - Beef and veggie soup - 240
Snack - Kashi bar - 140
Post-gym snack - Luna bar (I was hungry and couldn't wait to get home to eat) - 180
Dinner -

Total:

Anyone ever try a Power Bar? I bought one on a whim without reading the label. The first (and therefore proportionately largest) ingredient is... sugar. Also, I bought the "fruit smoothie" flavor, and it's kind of like strawberry laffy taffy. I don't recommend it.
 
My salad Thursday ended up being a little crazy. Total calorie count was around 1700, largely due to the consumption of FOUR eggs and a spoonful of peanut better. I think I really needed some protein.

Yesterday was my cheat day - and I skipped the gym. I've been feeling almost-sick for a few days, so I made sure to get home early and get plenty of sleep. I'm still a little off, but I might hit the gym later.

Will post today's food later.
 
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