12 Week Challenge Weigh In Two

Here we are on another Monday morning.   The weekend is gone.  (Boo). The workweek is starting.(Say it ain’t so). My weekly weigh in has come and now it is time to share my week two results.

After last weeks successful results, I headed into this week strong and determined to rock out this week also and to have another nice weigh in.  I knew I could do it. I had a single minded focused.  I was determined!

I had it in the bag, right?    However, early on in the week (like for the first 4 or 5 days) I started to struggle. I surprisingly did not struggle with my motivation, I stayed firm and strong in my convictions and actions. But those numbers on the scale just fluctuated wildly like a pendulum swinging out of control.  It was frustrating and was infuriating.  I didn’t let it get to me!  I stayed strong and I did not deviate from my plan.  I continued on with my plan with little or no deviation.

The weekend came.  I continued onward.  I was so tempted to give up my weekly sweet treat.  But I wanted it and I know (from past experience) that giving it up totally is not a good idea for me because I will eventually cave and it will be in the most spectacular way…..and not in a good way for my weight loss efforts.  I carried on exactly as normal.  I tried to keep my calories low but actually had two days where my calories were up by about 200-300 calories. My weekend weights were looking slightly better, but I was waiting for the shoe to drop. I honestly went to bed on Sunday night and told my self that a gain was expected and that it was ok.  As I was getting ready for bed that night I actually looked on the mirror and said, ‘It’s ok if you gain.  You are eating healthy foods, you are eating in a calorie zone that will have to bring weight loss eventually and you are being physically active so your body is toning up and getting stronger.  Even if the scales don’t show the results, you are on the right path!”

I didn’t want to step on the scales this morning. But I did.  I lost exactly 3 pounds!  I was shocked.  The first time I stepped on the scales it showed me 4 pounds actually.  But, I had been standing on the scales weirdly (more forward than normal) so I weighed myself a second time.  And that showed the pound higher.   I weighed a third time and vowed that I would take whichever weight I received twice (or take the average if I got three different weights)   But I got the exact three pound loss two times in a row (when I was standing on the scales correctly).  Sold!   Sure I would have liked the 4 pounds more, but the three pounds is the honest weight.  (And if the lower weight was actually true, then I just gave myself a head start for next week).  And three pounds is spectacular!!!

This next week is starting and I’m motivated and determined yet again!  Two weeks of really nice success are behind me and I’m ready to make it three.  I’m not changing anything in my plan.  I’m simply planning on continuing the 12 week workout.  Is it simply the calorie count that I am consistently eating?  Or the exercise?  I don’t care what it is…it is just working!  So I’m continuing!!!!

Planning and Plotting

I have been spending a lot of time thinking about where I am in this journey.  I have spent quite a bit of time pondering how I have been stuck.  I have been thinking a LOT about how I have been not losing weight and how I even gained 13-15 pounds since the Coronavirus reared it's ugly head in my life (late March).

A few things that I do know.  

1. I track my food...but I have allowed more snacks to creep into my food budget.  Those snacks account for the extra calories that throw me over my self set budget.   

2,  My sleep has been messed up for months and has gotten really bad in the last few months.  I sleep for maybe 4 hours and then I am awake...wide awake!   I am constantly in a state of tiredness.

3.  Exercise has been spotty at best.

So how am I going to fix this?  What is my plan?  How am I going to proceed?

Lets tackle the food issue.  I have a caloric budget.  I have been at this journey for many years.  I know that I SHOULD lose weight at 1500 -1700 calories.  But I also know that my body doesn't seem to agree with the theories and numbers.  I lose weight at 1200-1300 calories.  Yet, I continue to add snacks to my daily food intake....because it 'only puts me at 1500 calories...that's still in losing range!".   That has to stop.  My budget is 1300....that has to be a set in stone budget!   I will allow a cheat day/meal.  I think that is a healthy (mentally and physically) aspect of this journey.   But I am going to be serious....no extras.  When the budget is empty...so is my mouth!

Sleep.  I have been so messed up with my sleep lately.  It has been totally tiresome.  We think we may have solved that problem.  Jason has been plying me with Hemp/CBD pills...and unless it's a coincidence, I have been sleeping much better!  SO I am crossing my fingers and hoping and praying that the pills do the trick long term!

Exercise.  I have not been exercising.  I have that exercise bike and I have used it on my lunch breaks.  I was determined that September I was going to use it 3 days a week....if not more.  Yet the training that I was asked to lead really took my time and I ended up working through breaks and lunches.  I think I got 3 rides in.  That is coming to an end.  My health is very important and I need to act as such.  So the bike is a great option for me!   Furthermore, I have been itching to get out and run again.  My plantars fasciitis is still kicking but I am so tired of waiting for that to magically get better. I"m going to attempt to run.  I will ice my foot and stretch and roll it and do all the good things for it.  But I"m going to try it!!!!!

That is my plan.  Just focus.   I am not promising myself perfection.  If I promise myself perfection, then when life gets in the way and I have a less than perfect day, I will feel like a failure.  SO I am promising myself that I will try my hardest!  That's all I can do!   

I am not giving up.  Part of my plan is that I will be going to the doctor later in the year.  I want to go with the stats of a few weeks of really good behavior.....1200 calorie days and the results and the 1400 calorie days and the results and talk to her about the stats.  So if this little 'good behavior' works awesome...and if it doesn't, it will arm with me the necessary information to share with my doctor to get the help that I desperately need!!!

I've got this!

Monthly Recap for September

 How is September over?   It blows my mind!  Time is just flying by at warp speed!  On a personal level, we had a great month! We went to the ocean for a quick trip, we got some great hiking in and we enjoyed every moment together.

On a weight loss level.....wow...what a month!

I started the month strong.  I was going to really nail this month.  I was going to explore the realm of being spot on and perfect.  But the month turned out to be anything but perfect.  I kept my eating under control....but I gained!  Yes....seriously!  My average calorie count for the month was.......  That is TOTALLY in line for weight loss!  BUT no...I didn't lose and most of the month I showed up!   It caused me to want to give up!  I didn't give up.  I settled back and tried to figure out what was happening.  I don't have the answers yet...but I am formulating my plans for the upcoming weeks.   I will let you know in a week or so what my plan is!!!!

In the meantime...lets look at my monthly goals and see how well I did!

1. Track every bite of my food  I managed this one.  EASY!  I tracked everything I ate.  I tracked every bite, lick and taste.  I did an awesome job with this!!   I even tracked at the beach!  No problem with this!

2.  Save money  I actually did really good with this.  The savings account did not take any hits and I have put a chunk of change aside! 

3.  Weigh less at the end of the month  This is where things went off track.  I did not lose!  Most of the month I was up quite high...no matter what I did!  It was disappointing, but I am pushing forward and trying to formulate a new plan of attack!

4.  Be active at least 4 times a week  We walked after work every evening.....that saved me from a colossal failure on this one and gave me a win.  My grand plans to ride the exercise bike during my lunch breaks.......work and life got in the way.  Yes, that's an excuse and I aim to fix it!

5.  Stay within caloric/food budget at least 6 days a week  FAILURE!   My calorie count was up near the 1600 mark quite a bit of the time. I have done my experiments.  I don't lose at that point.  I need less calories if I want to lose.  So NO....my calories were not in line with where I need to be!

6.  Have an average of over 5K steps per day for the month.   I managed this one!   The long days of walking at the beach really helped, as did the after work walks!   But I can mark up a win on this one!

So what are my goals for next month?   Yes, I'm aiming for the same.  WIth the exception of vacation week.  For my caloric food budget, on that week only I will be adding in my exercise calories and using my NET calories for my food budget.  We should be doing quite a bit of hiking.....and long hikes makes me ravenous.  I will need to be fueling my body.  I plan on eating as healthy as possible....to the extent that we are taking carrots, broccoli, grapes, dips and nuts to snack on to give us healthy options!  OTher than that week, it will be business as usual.

The only other change?  I have decided that I have a nice cushion in my savings account.  I would like it to be higher, but I also have a car payment.  When I am talking interest, which is the best one to work on?  Building the savings or paying off the car?   I am paying more money in interest for the car loan than I gain in my savings account.  So it makes more sense to throw those extra 'savings' dollars toward the car loan.    I will still call it savings....because basically if I pay down the car well above the normal payment it is saving me money!   I have a set amount in my mind for my savings account.  I will make sure that the savings account does not dip below that account and if it does, I will immediately focus on getting back to that point.  Otherwise, I am moving into operation 'pay off the car NOW"!  Which is a wise financial decision!

1. Track every bite of my food

2.  Save money (pay off the car)

3.  Weigh less at the end of the month

4.  Be active at least 4 times a week

5.  Stay within caloric/food budget at least 6 days a week

6.  Have an average of over 5K steps per day for the month.

A wee little break

 Last week when I wrote my weekly weigh in I was so super disappointed and disillusioned.  I am tired of getting no results on the scales.  I'm tired of keeping my calories down around 1400-1600 calories and NOT losing!  That range SHOULD have me losing at least a pound a day!  But no...not my body!   

I talked in my last weekly check in blog about how I was frustrated I was and how I was just trying to hang tight until after my vacation!   I think I did a pretty good job of that this weekend.  I didn't go crazy.  I just kept myself at an even level!  And to that end, I didn't gain nor did I lose!

I think this might be a good thing....a sort of 'vacation' from the stress and constant counting and worrying about my calories and my weight loss efforts.  I have been on this weight loss journey for years.  YEARS!  It gets old.  I'm not giving up...I'm just stepping back and regrouping.  I am thinking about how to change and adapt to a lifestyle that will be conducive to me actually losing weight!!!!   

I am a work in progress and I am working to adjust and adapt.  I may be stepping back and reevaluating but I am not out for the count!!!!!!

Hiking Pants

 We are starting to get excited about our upcoming vacation!   We had pondered for so long about where to go...beach or mountains!   We finally cemented the decision to go to the mountains after a quick weekend trip to the beach.   While we had fun, wearing masks on the boardwalk...OUTSIDE was just to something I want to do for a week long vacation!  So we decided that the mountains sounded like a great plan!!!!  

We decided to head back to New River Gorge.  We had been there in late June for a short trip and we had LOVED it!  YOu can see highlights of that trip here  and here.   At that time, we already had the beach trip booked but we made the comment, 'we could come back here for a week and have plenty to see and do'.  Little did we know that about 3-4 months later we would be going back!  It will be a trip of hiking and lots of outdoor activities....and the temperatures will be in the 60's and maybe low 70's!  

I started to plan for a trip to the beach and I immediately panicked!!!  Holy smokes!  I don't have enough pants and clothes for a trip like that!  I only have 1-2 pairs of jeans.  My exercise pants are old and well worn.  What in the world was I going to wear on vacation?    I went onto amazon and picked out 3 pairs of hiking pants.  I wasn't sure of size.  I wasn't sure of anything.  But I decided to give it a try!  (Some of our local stores aren't letting us try on clothes either so that wouldn't have helped!)

Amazon has a sizing thing that you can enter your height and weight and it will recommend the size.  I was contemplating trusting their sizing guides and buying the recommended size.  But then I remembered that I have purchased hiking pants before and they seem to run small.  I was a solid 16 at that point and I couldn't fit into the 16's.  So I was leary about doing the 'recommended' size.  I bought my pants in a bigger size.  And then I sat back to wait for my packages to arrive.  

The first pants were the Toomet hiking Convertible Zip off pants.  (Amazon Affiliate Link).  They actually fit!!!  I was so excited.  The legs seemed a bit loose around the ankles, but that won't be a problem! 

I was so super excited to actually have a pair of pants that fit and fit well!  They are dry fit, so if we do get rained on or go through a stream crossing they will dry fast.  The legs zip off in case we have a bit warmer weather than expected!   YAY!!!  But was I going to get lucky with the next two pairs?  I waited for those packages to arrive!  I am a size 18 and purchased the size 38!  They cost me about $25.  WIN!

The second package arrived!  Would I get lucky a second time with a pair of pants that actually fit???   This package contained a pair of pants from Columbia.   They are the Columbia Women's Saturday Trail Water & Stain Repellant Stretch Pant.  (Amazon Affiliate Link)

These fit even better than the first pair!!!  They were comfortable and allowed me to move.  I bought these in a size 20 and they cost me about $30.  They are also dry fit fabric so they will dry in a jiffy.   These do not zip off.  Instead they have the buttons and straps to roll up the pants and turn them into a capri. (Which you can see just a little at the bottom of the picture!)   I was so happy!  Two pairs of pants!  I was on a roll......but, there was one more pair to check out!

The third pair arrived.   I opened the package and I was in love with these right out of the box.  They were the same brand name as the first pair...Toomet and the same size.  BUT these were a different model. These were the Toomett Hiking Pants Women Convertible Outdoor Lightweight Quick Drying Travel Trail Durable Stretch Pants (Amazon Affiliate Link). I was worried about these because that first pair was the same company and while they fit, it wasn't the 'perfect' fit! But I tried them on!

These fit perfectly!  These fit amazingly well!  They allowed me to move, but they weren't baggy.  The bottoms of the legs were not baggy an saggy.  These were awesome!  I paid a bit more for these.  I paid almost $40 for this pair.  The legs also zip off allowing a little more 'cool' on a hot day.  They are also dry fit and they have all these pockets that zip up!  I am in love with these pants!!!  

All three pants fit!!  How awesome is that!   I am so stoked and excited to use my pants during hiking expeditions while we are on our vacation and even when we got home and hike during the fall and winter!  I am ready!!!!    

For a video of the pants and better view of the pants at all angles....please watch my YouTube video. 

Hanging in there

 I haven't given up on my weight loss journey.  Even though my last post was tinged with a feeling of helplessness.  Giving up is honestly not an option for me. It sounds tempting but then I start to think about how I want my life to be. I think about what life I want to live.  And when I thought of those things, it made me realize how badly I want this.  It made me tighten the reigns and not go crazy with my eating.

We had a busy weekend.  We had a handful of errands and some visits that we had/wanted to make. We didn't even have enough time for a full hike.  We did make it down to the canal and we walked for about an hour.  But that was all.   Don't worry...we got a lot of steps in while doing our errands!!!  

My eating....on Friday and Saturday was a bit higher.  My calories were between 1400-1600 each of those days.  But by Sunday I had pulled it around and my calories were quite a bit lower and down in the range that I typically like to be in (1200-1300 calories).    

My weight managed to hold steady over the weekend without going up.  So that made me happy!   

I'm NOT giving up.  Giving up is the ONLY way to fail!   Failure is NOT an option!  

And since this post is short, I will leave you with a picture of the infamous Mertz!

Crustless Strawberry Pie

 I absolutely adore strawberries!  I love them!  I don't know if I have ever gotten to the point of saying I've had enough!  They are delicious! It doesn't matter what format they come in either.  Strawberry shortcake?  Sign me up!   Strawberries with a little sugar?   I'm in!   Warm strawberries straight from the strawberry patch? OH my mouth is watering now!     But a few years ago I stumbled upon a recipe for a Crustless Strawberry Pie.  And I was intrigued!

The crust on a strawberry pie is what holds a lot of the calories!   So crustless sounds fabulous!  Do you know how many calories I can save.  And seriously, what strawberry lover hasn't scooped the delightful strawberries out of the pie and left the crust???? I made this recipe a few times and loved it.  But then promptly forgot about it.  I forgot about it for YEARS!  Until this summer when I stumbled upon this easy recipe!  I started making it a few weeks ago.  EVERY WEEK I make a  new one!   It is soooo delicious!  It's a perfect little touch of sweetness in the evenings after dinner.  It is full of fresh strawberries...and that is a win in my book for taste AND health!

Ohhh...and did I mention that this recipe is easy???   SUPER SIMPLE!!!!  Ok, your hooked now...so let me share the recipe!!!

Main Ingredients

1 large box of cook and serve vanilla pudding

1 large box of strawberry jello

1 pound strawberries

3 cups water

1 tbs Whipped topping

Recipe Steps

1. 1. Slice strawberries and layer them on the bottom of a 9x13 pan 
2. 2. Cook pudding as directed on package using water in place of the milk. 
3. 3. When pudding is boiling, add contents of the jello packet and mix thoroughly. 
4. 4. Pour the jello/pudding mixture over the strawberries. 
5. 5. Refrigerate until the jello/pudding mixture has set . 
6. 6. Serve with a dollop of whipped topping (optional)

Serves 8 Calories 117 Total Fat 0.2 g Total Carbs 28.1 g Dietary Fiber 2.4 Sugar 16.1 Cholesterol 0 Sodium 98.3 mg Protein 0.6 g

I'm telling you.  Crustless Strawberry Pie is the bomb!  It's easy to make. This is delicious.  Even better, the serving size  is a decent portion.  I  don't know about you...but I don't call a dessert 'healthy' just because it's only a half bite.  I want to actually have a nice serving of something that this dessert checks that box but still not break the bank in calories!!!!  This dessert does it all!!!!!!    If you try it, let me know what you think!

For a printable recipe, you can click this here.

Rough weekend

The weekend came and I was riding high on my maintain over vacation!   Nothing was going to get me down or derail me!

Weekend activities

We woke up on Saturday and relaxed before heading out to pick up a dollhouse that I had purchased through the Amazon Marketplace.  We planned on taking the old car because it would give us more space to carry a bulky dollhouse home.  We got into the car and the battery was dead!   We had an appointment to get the dollhouse so we hopped into the new car and drove the 30 minutes.  The dollhouse was HUGE!  So huge that it wasn’t fitting into the new car.    We drove home and got Jason’s work truck and drove back to pick up the house.   Have I said how huge it is?   It is so big that I feel absolutely guilty about buying it!  It totally fills up our dining room!!   Jason laughed last night and said ‘that dollhouse is just about as big as our apartment’.  In between bouts of guilt and worry about what to do with such a huge dollhouse,  I am having fun dreaming about what I am going to do with it.)

Once the dollhouse was safely filling up our dining room we headed out for a hike.   We knew it was going to be a short one because the dollhouse took up a few hours of our day.   We decided to go to Catoctin National Park.   We wanted to hike the historic Whiskey Trail.   

We thought that trail was longer....a half mile hike is not what we had in mind!   So we did go back to explore the still.

But after we explored. We headed off toward Cunningham Falls.   I was hiking slow.  My head was pounding.  I was just whipped!  It was a struggle for me!  We didn’t hike for long before we caved and called it quits.  My body was just telling me that I was done!

All evening long I remained overly tired.   The tiredness continued into Sunday.  I woke up and was showered by 7AM and I was asleep on the couch by 7:30.  I slept until about 10 or 10:30.   We took an easy day.  We ran a few errands and headed down to REI for Jason to check out some new hiking boots.  I was tired and sluggish all day!

Food

I did amazing on Friday With my eating.   On Saturday I ate a heavier lunch because I was thinking that we would have a longer hike.   The shorter hike didn’t burn as many calories.  My calorie count for Saturday was 1622...not bad but higher than I aim for.   Sunday was worse.  After sleeping all morning I was hungry and feeling so sluggish that I thought a decent lunch may help but I was so tired that the thought of making something  was abhorrent!   I pulled out two leftover pieces of pizza.  For dinner we grabbed subway subs.   I ended my day at 1680 calories.   So higher than I like but still not crazy high.

Weight

I weigh daily....it works for me. (Do whatever works for you.). I was disgusted to see my weight up by 3 pounds today.  Really?  1600 calories each day and I am up 3 pounds?   What is wrong with my body?

I will say that the monthly ick arrived...and my water intake probably was not as solid.  But still...three pounds???

I’m not giving up.   I’m still trucking on...I’m working on drinking my water today and keeping my calories down near 1200-1300 for the day!   I’ve got this!!!   This three pound back and forth is done!!!