Christmas Dress Countdown Challenge: Week 9

Initial: 189

Week 1: 187.3 (-1.7)

Week 2: 186.9 (-.4)

Week 3: 185.0 (-1.9)

Week 4: 187.3 (+2.3)

Week 5: 186.5 (-.08)

Week 6: 185.5 (-1)

Week 7: 186.5 (+1)

Week 8: 186.5 (0)

Week9: 185.5 (-1)

This week was yet again another roller coaster week.  My sweet son had his first birthday, and both of my kids have been struggling with illness (some stomach flu and colds).  I only made it to the gym once.  It is frustrating to want and have the desire to work out and have things get in the way of it.  I have accepted that this is life and things will stand in the way.  Working out at home just hasn’t been going well with my kids on edge.  I am aiming for this next week to be a better week, with high hopes that the kids will be well again.

I had way too many sweets again this week.  Why must I be so weak!  I did better the later part of the week, but I am hoping next week will be even better.

What is your best defense to your weaknesses?

Christmas Dress Countdown Challenge: Week 7

Christmas Dress Countdown Challenge: Week 7

Initial: 189

Week 1: 187.3 (-1.7)

Week 2: 186.9 (-.4)

Week 3: 185.0 (-1.9)

Week 4: 187.3 (+2.3)

Week 5: 186.5 (-.08)

Week 6: 185.5 (-1)

Week 7: 186.5 (+1)

Dang temptations and Halloween parties and goodies.  Enough said.

Christmas Dress Countdown Challenge: Week 6

Initial: 189

Week 1: 187.3 (-1.7)

Week 2: 186.9 (-.4)

Week 3: 185.0 (-1.9)

Week 4: 187.3 (+2.3)

Week 5: 186.5 (-.08)

Week 6: 185.5 (-1)

This week was another really busy week.  I was challenged by reader Michele to not have any desserts this week.  I did great the first five days, and only okay the last two days.  I had to make some spiced almonds for a church outing and I had several here and there, but for the majority of the week I refrained from candy, desserts and all things wonderfully sweet. 

I am going to do my best to do it again this week.  I have been super busy with some church assignments so all of my spare time has been consumed. 

This is the first week since starting my weight loss where I only got in two days of exercise. I usually get 4-6 work outs in.  This week will be equally busy, but I will do my best to get a few more in.

Sorry for the lack of posting and commenting for this challenge.  My priorities have been else where.  I am still trekking along and not giving up.  Just super busy with lots of things going on, so blogging falls low on the list.

Have a fabulous week!

Christmas Dress Countdown Challenge: Week 5

Initial: 189

Week 1: 187.3 (-1.7)

Week 2: 186.9 (-.4)

Week 3: 185.0 (-1.9)

Week 4: 187.3 (+2.3)

Week 5: 186.5 (-.08)

It has been a crazy busy week.  I began tracking my food again this week and for what ever reason I have been retaining water like crazy.  Finally yesterday the bloat started going down. 

I weigh in on Saturdays and I weighed 186.5.  Happy it is headed back down again.

My eating was good for most of the week and water was good too.  I also got in five workouts (two of them at 6:30am, and I am not a morning person!!).

Tonight we celebrated my sisters 40^th birthday with a dessert bar and I over indulged.  I am going to have to work out extra hard this week!

Christmas Dress Countdown Challenge: Week 4

Initial: 189

Week 1: 187.3 (-1.7)

Week 2: 186.9 (-.4)

Week 3: 185.0 (-1.9)

Week 4: 187.3 (+2.3)

So here we are another week passed.  Last week I squeaked by with a loss, this week, not so lucky.  I weighed in this morning at 187.3.

I am back to where I started four weeks ago at the beginning of this challenge.  It is like I have forgotten that I am trying to get somewhere with weight loss. 

This week wasn’t so good.  After last weeks chocolate fest at my in-laws, and not the best eating choices this week, it makes perfect sense that I had a gain.  I know it will go down.  I know what it will take, re-committing.

I haven’t tracked for two weeks.  The first week went fine (until chocolate fest), and this week it all caught up with me.  I only was able to work out three times this week and that also has also taken a toll on me.  For me to lose I need to work out between 5-6 times a week.

So today as a new day I am looking forward again.  I am back to tracking and going to try to fit in 5+ work outs this week.

I hope you are all doing well.  Have a great week.

Christmas Dress Countdown Challenge: Week 3

Initial: 189

Week 1: 187.3 (-1.7)

Week 2: 186.9 (-.4)

Week 3: 185.0 (-1.9)

Things are moving along this week.  I did not track, it was my little experiment.  I tried to eat as I would if I were tracking, being moderate.  I exercised four times at the gym and got in an additional walk.

I choose not to track my food, to get my mind off of food.  I have found when I am tracking I am constantly thinking about food.  I think it makes me more hungry.  I didn’t skimp on calories, so it is surprising I did lose weight at all.

One of the other reasons I didn’t want to track is I wanted to really focus on listening to what my body needs.  A few weeks ago I had all sorts of labs done at the doctor, cause for the last little while I have been feeling off.  The only thing that we have found deficient is my iron.  It has been running a little bit low.  It makes sense, I feel like it has been more than my blood sugar.

This week when I felt like things were getting low I made myself a green smoothie (water, milk, spinach, strawberries and protein powder). I guess that is another reason I didn’t want to count calories.  They aren’t the lowest calorie snack (266 calories), but they help me level out.  And hey, I still lost weight!  I am not going to worry about how many calories are in my green smoothies.  They help me keep my energy up and keep me from snacking too much between meals.

So here we are venturing off into the next week.  I will post some updates about my book a little later this week. I am at my in-laws for the weekend so things have been on hold.

Have a great week. Let's rock week 4!

Christmas Dress Countdown Challenge: Week 2

Initial: 189

Week 1: 187.3 (-1.7)

Week 2: 186.9 (-.4)

This is going to be brief, but I am ecstatic for my minuscule loss.  I finally broke 187, barely.  But I am going to take it and run with it! I am slowly breaking free from my slump.  I am feeling better and feeling emotionally stronger (which is one of the areas I have been suffering the most over the past couple of weeks).

I expect the numbers to keep declining this week.  I am getting back into the gym and pushing myself again and I will conquer my difficulties.  Today I am very sore from yesterday’s awesome work out.

This week I am going to push harder on my workouts but I am going to take a different approach on my eating.  I am going to step away from counting calories and really pay attention to my body's cravings.  Since I have started counting calories (in June) I have found that I am not eating as much red meat and in turn my iron is low and I think that is one of the reasons I have had difficulty keeping myself in balance.  Low iron and low blood sugar creates a cranky tired person.  I really won’t do much different in my eating, but I need to take away the tracking for a week to see what things are like.  I know some of you will consider this a dieting sin, but it is what I need to do.

Have a great week.  I am looking forward to finally getting my head into to the Christmas Dress Challenge!!

Christmas Dress Countdown Challenge: Week 1

Initial weigh in: 189

Week 1: 187.3 (-1.7)

Here we are one week down, I experienced a loss, but really isn’t much a of loss since for the past several weeks I have been teetering between 187-189. 

I am still having a difficult time getting full swing into the challenge.  I am hoping that I can get my head back into things this next week!

I did get in my work outs this week, and tracked most days, but a crazy week got in my way of tracking every day.  Again, thank goodness for a new week!

Hope you guys are all doing fantastic!

Christmas Dress Countdown Challenge: Initial Post

Christmas Dress Countdown Challenge (CDCC)

It is a great time to start a challenge.  Let me tell you, I need it.  The past month has been challenging and I have not lost any weight.  My energy has been shot, have had an injured foot and I have felt nauseous a lot.  Not only have I been having troubles, my kids have been sick too.  When the kids get sick I am not able to go to the gym.  Needless to say my work outs have been minimal.  I really would like to get back into the routine I had over summer of going to the gym 5-6 times a week.  My mood reflects the need as well.

I have been teetering +/-2 lbs.  I ended the Slimmer this Summer at 187.9.  Today I am at 189.  I have been suck in this little slump for a month.  I am ready to break away from the 180’s, almost 190’s.  I want to start feeling better.  I am not sure what is going to take.

I have a doctor’s appointment next week to get my thyroid checked.  I have had it checked before and supposedly it is in the normal range.  I just want to see if there is something I can do to help me feel a little better.

So on to the dress….

Right now since I am a stay at home mom and we are a “one income family” money is tight.  It wouldn’t be so bad, but my husband works for the state and with budget cuts and our house falling apart all around us, money is hard to come by (especially because we do not believe in debt).

In reality I don’t need a new dress, and probably don’t have any fancy shmancy Christmas parties to go to.  So I perused the local thrift store to find my dress of choice.  I wanted to find something a little bit retro, a little bit 50’s inspired, a belted dress of some sort.

I got lucky and found something up my ally.  It is a size 12. Right now I am pushing a 14 (with things being tight in the belly area).  I was happy that when I went into the dressing room that I was able to squeeze into it.  Granted, I wouldn’t wear the dress today in public, but for the purpose of this challenge I will post pictures.  Bear with me here honeys! I am looking a bit pregnant, argh!

I spent $23.00 on the dress and shoes.  Not a bad bargain, but for me it was like pulling teeth.  I don’t spend money on myself very often, and right now we don’t really have a whole lot to spare.  I had to have a long drawn out conversation with myself after leaving the store that I better get back on the wagon and get moving.  In the mean time I got sick, which has been really annoying.  I am feeling manageable, just now if I could get my son’s nose to stop running.  We will be gym bound soon!

Part of the challenge is choosing a book to assist us through the next few months. The book I choose is The Low Blood Sugar Handbook by Edward and Patricia Krimmel.  I have read it in the past and I would like to revisit it.  It will be a great reminder of what I need to change with my eating habits to get me on track.  I hope to share my insights from this book. I have found in the past this is a helpful tool in keeping my blood sugar in balance.  I am sure there are others out there too that can benefit from this book too.

Challenge Details:

-September 11 through December 18... That's 14 Weeks to a Smaller Dress Size

-Get the dress: One size smaller with pictures

-Caloric intake goal

-Exercise minimum 3x week

-Be consistent: Don’t be a yo-yo!

-Hydrate sufficiently

-Choose one or more books and work on your main obstacle to losing issue

-Initial post September 11 post your weight and goals

-One update a post a week by Sunday evening link up.  Also one additional blog post a week.

-Be supportive visit and comment on at least 3 blogs Challengers blogs

My Stats:

-Start Weight: 189

-Dress Size: Aiming to fit into a size 12 (currently 14+ish)

-My Book: The Low Blood Sugar Handbook: Edward and Patricia Kimmel

-Calories: 1300/day 165 carbs a day with fiber adjustment (see here for explanation)

-Water: 10 glasses of water a day (80 oz)

-Photo: Here are my lovely before photos!