Thursday, July 31, 2008

Will yoga help me lose weight?

Thanks Fit Sugar, great article about it here.

My new workout plan

I went to bed at 9 p.m. last night and got up this morning and exercised. I can't believe I actually slept through the night...I guess I need more sleep than most people. Anyway, if that is what it takes to get up and work out in the morning, than that is what I must do. I just read another article on Fit Sugar about exercising an hour a day, 5 times a week. I know that is what I must do, so I have devised a plan for myself for the next 2 weeks.

My plan is to get up in the morning M,T,Th,F and do a nice level 1 treadmill walking 30 minute workout. I will then continue to do my gentle yoga workouts on M & W. Tuesday night is doggy park night. I will then do a 30 min level 2 treadmill jog on Saturday morning, Sunday I will lift weights and do another level 2 treadmill jog or go to the doggy park if I need a break.

So those are my workout plans for the next 2 weeks or so. I will see how it goes and see if it has an effect on my hunger or the scale. I love these experiments and I actually prefer walking in the morning to jogging..or well, at least I did today.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Loss Of Motivation this week

I am up a little in weight this week. I really dropped the ball with exercising and am going to try to do better this week with it. I only did the treadmill once and I really need to do at least 4 days. I want to start getting up in the mornings again, because there are other activities that I want to continue to do in the evenings. Getting back to losing is a hard thing, and I need to get motivated again to get to my first goal of 175. I know I can do it!

I also went out for ice cream last night after the dog park, resulting in an overage of points. I know what I need to do and I can't fool myself into thinking I don't need to do cardio. I do and I need to stick to my points. I will just keep trying, it will happen.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Feeling Lazy

Okay, so the thing I like about this blog is that it forces me to be honest with myself. The thing that is so blatantly clear is that I need to exercise more. Really....how do I expect to loose weight when my exercise has dropped down so much? I have gotten to the point of laziness with exercising. I haven't stopped exercising altogether, but my use of the treadmill has been significantly lower. I remember posting that I was going to do an hour of exercising when I wanted to loose weight again...and I am not even doing the same amount I was doing at that point in time. I love doing yoga, I love taking doggy to dog park...but I want those to be in addition to my workouts. I really need to somehow shake some of this laziness I have been feeling lately.

My mind wonders over to my calf strain injury. This is when I stopped working hard on the treadmill. That is fine and what's done is done, but I am fine now and I need to start jogging again. I have completely stopped working out in the mornings due to laziness and now that I do yoga and dog park in the evenings, I really need to get back to getting up early and jogging or at least walking. In order to do that, I also need to go to bed earlier. I have started slipping again in going to bed early in favor of tv. I have tivo and I can watch them later. Someone needs to shake me outta my stupor.

Monday, July 28, 2008

I should not get on the scale everyday

I have been guilty of getting on the scale everyday this week. I saw my weight fluctuate 3 to 4 pounds this week. It is really weird and a little scary. I saw my weight go up the day after I did a cardio workout. Is that right? Anyway, I did the treadmill this weekend and I am proud of myself. I have to say that sometimes I think it would be easier to loose the weight without working out so much. I say this because the workouts make me hungrier. I want to eat more and the calorie benefit of the workout vs. the food payoff isn't so great. You can work out a half an hour, burn 200-300 calories..eat some chips or cereal and you pretty much lost the calorie benefit of working out, especially if you overeat by that amount (which I frequently do lately).

The only good thing that comes from working out is muscle tissue. You don't get as flabby as you loose the weight. I do think it is healthier to loose weight while exercising and I think you look better overall....it is just so hard to keep up the intensity! I guess I have just been a little lazier and perhaps I need to eat better to offset the loss of interest in exercising. This is bound to happen to me from time to time.

Another problem I am encountering: I find myself obsessing about food sometimes. I will eat my dinner and then want something else because I still feel hungry. The thoughts will not leave my mind until I have something more. When I get something more I am done and don't think about food anymore. The rest of my evening is peaceful. I love that I stop thinking about food...but is this ruining my weight loss attempts? I am having a conflict with myself, because I would rather not obsess about food. Uggh. I have issues.

Friday, July 25, 2008

Motivated again for weight loss..will it happen?

No I haven't been exercising on the treadmill yet, but plan to this weekend. I have to say that I am really motivated again to loose. I just hope it starts happening...otherwise my impatience might kick in again. Jogging will help that, but my other activities are so much more fun...I have to say.

I love just running errands, going to the doggy park, lifting weights and doing yoga..and if I enjoy those I need to find time to do the jogging around them. I think the jogging took up a lot of my extra time and now I want to do other things outdoors. This will go away in the winter though. The problem is that my intensity during outdoor activities is just not the same. The trainer program/workout cards I have really motivate me to push myself on the treadmill. I am one of those people that needs a push otherwise. One day I would love to get a trainer.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Feeling better

I had a headache with congestion yesterday, so I stayed home. I did post my weight for the week and am happy about being back to my lowest so far weight of 182. I hope to keep losing, but I must get on the treadmill again. Anyway, my day is much better today and I am feeling close to normal.

Yesterday I was trying to think of ways to go down to 22 points once I go below 175. That will not be as easy of a transition because I have already done the easier one I had to do (going from Caramel Mocchiato to NFSF Latte). I have to say I like the NFSF latte better now, the CM is too sweet for me (so weird). That is what happened when I went from the White Chocolate Mocha to the Caramel Mocchiato before. The things your taste buds get used to, and once you make the transition it becomes habit, at least for me it does. I know I am not near that weight yet, but I am hoping to get into the 170's soon. The lowest number I have seen on my scale at home (and not on a weigh in day) was 181.6. I think I will freak when I see 179. I hope I hope! I am just so close to being in the normal range of my BMI and I really want that to happen. I would officially be in the normal range and not overweight anymore at 169. That feels so close..and I have done the majority of it so far..I will just keep crossing my fingers and hope my body will drop the weight without having to starve or workout like mad. I will just have to cross my fingers.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Lost .2 pounds this week

I lost a little this week but unfortunately I am not feeling well today. I will write more of a post tomorrow.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Self esteem issues

So I somehow ended up taking another week off from the treadmill this week. I guess I just didn't feel like getting on it. I think it is the best calorie burning workout I do, but I am just not into it since my calf strain injury. It seems so easy for me to get out of my workout groove. I haven't stopped lifting weights, which seems ironic because for a long time I preferred the treadmill to lifting. I have now somehow switched this thinking. I want to start jogging again ASAP.

Why? I have been having issues with my self esteem lately, which may be connected to the no treadmill workouts. Most of the time I feel pretty good about my weight. But lately I have been feeling just as large as I did 20 pounds ago...I just can't seem to get over it. I think it may also be that I have been around a lot of super slim women recently. The bf works with a lot of tiny women and the wives of his male coworkers are super small too. I give myself a little leeway because I am a lot older then most of them, but still it plays a number on you in your head. It is hard to be around women that look cute in anything. This is especially true in my yoga class. I saw a women yesterday that couldn't be more perfectly proportioned. Uggh...I do kind of get sick of feeling body envy over other women. I know I don't look that bad...but it would be nice to not have the excess tummy flab and cellulite on my legs. I am having a hard time finding myself attractive lately and I think that may be rubbing off on the bf. I just want to feel sexy and good about myself....but it is hard. It is just another thing I keep working on. I can be a bit of a tomboy most of the time and just can't get into the whole frilly feminine things. That stuff seems so not me. Uggh, I hope I get over this and learn to accept myself better. Ugggh.

Monday, July 21, 2008

Forks in the road

I had a pretty good weekend. I went out to dinner and had a picnic on Saturday to go to. I luckily didn't go overboard too much at either. I have discovered that I feel better when I don't stuff myself. Sundays are usually the hardest for me to eat well because most of the time I am not doing much of anything. I did go to the doggy park yesterday and tried to give my dog a bath there...that was an adventure. I planned to get up this morning and get on the treadmill. I did not do it. I guess I may be sick of the treadmill because I would rather do other forms of exercise. I will get back to it though. Ever since the calf strain I held it responsible for the pain I felt for almost a week. I plan to do it tomorrow night because I am back doing yoga tonight and Wednesday. I love yoga once again and feel that the stress benefits are great, but I have to say I need to start doing the treadmill again to get my heart rate up.

I am not sure how my weight loss attempts have been going. I still seem to be in the same range as maintenance. I have successfully transitioned to the NFSF latte at Starbucks from the Caramel Mocchiato, and am proud of myself for that. It seems that since going back to losing that there is always some obstacle that I face for the week. Either it is a birthday party, a picnic, fourth of July, or family outing that stunts my weight loss efforts. I just keep trying. I sometimes wonder if I am ready to loose more. I will see for a couple of more weeks how things go to determine what I need to do.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Relax and try not to get stressed

I think it is hard to not be affected by people around you. I had quite a dramatic day at work yesterday and it took a toll on me. Once again, I did the gentle yoga class. This class was taught by a different instructor that had a cute pregnancy belly. This fooled me into thinking it would be easier than Mondays class, but it was almost on par with their "back to basics" class I used to take...she even made us do down dog. Luckily she was just filling in for another instructor. It was fun after all...and not to hard. It got my mind off of the drama from my work day and I felt great afterward. Note to self: Do yoga because it is meditative for you and gets you to relax.

I have to say lately I have been noticing that I can be quite a high strung person. I really don't want to be stressed and evil and mean to the bf when I come home..and I had a temper tantrum last Sunday about World of Warcraft. It is a game..I had a temper tantrum over a game! I decided I need a way to get stress relief and going back to yoga, to a easier class was just the thing I needed to get sane again. I have also started to listen to relaxation music at work. I download them from iTunes and it has a very calming affect.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Listen to Myself

I am down for the week..I knew that the pizza put on some extra water weight for me last week. Anyway, this is my normal cycle for the past 3 months, go up a few pounds, go down a few pounds. This is maintenance for me. I am hoping to resume my exercise schedule this week...or ease back into it. My plans are to continue doing gentle yoga twice a week and then add back in some cardio and weights. I don't want to push myself too much this week, but also I want to get back in the swing of things. The thing that really perplexed me about not exercising this week is that I felt fine and had more energy than I thought I would. I actually feel a lot better this week..which makes me think taking a week off here and there is actually good for me and my body. I have to say I had a couple fearful thoughts about it, but I am glad I did it and showed myself that I don't gain weight crazily if I stop exercising for 1 week.

I am still trying to eat 24 points a day for this week, I went back to maintenance last week..because without exercise points, it is just not enough to eat. However, I am not strict about what I eat to the exact point level. I will go over if I really want something, but just not too much over. I am happy that my funky moods have gone away this week and I feel more normal..perhaps a sign that I need to slow down if I am feeling crazy. It is so hard to know what I may need sometimes...especially when everyone tells you to keep exercising because it will make you feel better. It is hard to listen to yourself.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Gentle Yoga

So last night I did a gentle yoga class. It was quite nice and meditative. I felt a bit out of place with much older people around, but I like the idea that yoga doesn't have to be a work out. I can use it for relaxation. My favorite thing about yoga has always been shavasana and my least favorite is down dog. Last night, there was no down dog in the gentle yoga class! Down dog bothers my cysts in my feet, and that is the reason I stopped doing it in the first place. I never thought to try the gentle yoga until now and the new class times are working for me. I think I will actually use all the yoga sessions my bf gave me after all. I really thought I wasn't going to be able to use them. I have to say I gave up on yoga because I thought it was too painful. I sometimes have the habit of doing that..giving up on something because it is too hard. I really want to work on that.

As far as my injury, my right calf muscle is still bothering me. The yoga class did nothing to help or harm it. I am still hoping to get a workout in on Wednesday. My plan is to do the gentle yoga class after work, then do some weights and resume cardio on Thursday. This is what I like about blogging, I can organize my thoughts and goals and write them down...plan. I would like to fit the gentle yoga into my schedule on Monday and Wednesday nights and do cardio and weights other times....perhaps in the morning again? We shall see.

Monday, July 14, 2008

Recovering

Somehow I injured myself. I strained both of my calf muscles to the point that I could hardly walk or sleep. I called my doctor and was advised to stop exercising, ice, elevate...and let it heal. I don't think I was pushing myself to hard or anything, perhaps I just didn't stretch enough after my last workout. I have to say my calves have been sore pretty much for the last couple of months...I didn't really think anything of it, I just thought I was working the muscles. I think I could of had a slight strain before and not stretching enough made it worse.

I am taking the entire week off from exercising. I am not sure that trying to lose additional weight this week is a good thing, so I switched to maintenance points for this week also. I have to do what is best for me and not being able to exercise does throw a wrench in my plans. Oh well, not a big deal. We will see how I feel on Wednesday and go from there. I do feel much better today, but I still have some soreness left over. I think it is very important for me to let myself heal up..I am not a fan of injuries, exercise should make you feel great...not in pain!

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Just taking it day by day

I really did not sleep well last night. I had some muscle spasms in my calves..they still hurt. I looked all around the internet for tips on how to make it feel better and tried them all. My last attempt today is aspercreme and a sports drink. I may also take the day off from cardio and just do weights. I really have never experienced something like this before. It sucks, but I am sure it will heal up eventually. Thanks god the weekend is here and tomorrow I have the day off from work because my new washer and dryer is getting delivered. Yeh!

Anyway, I have to go to a department lunch at a mediterranean restaurant today. I ordered a doner or gyro with spinach soup, instead of fries. I hope it is good, but not super greasy. I think this is the last of going out to eat for a while, I have to get back to my healthy eating. I won't be posting tomorrow unless I really feel like getting on the computer. Right now I am just taking things day by day, but I have to admit it is a struggle to go back to 24 points...I am almost always feeling a bit hungry. Not the most enjoyable thing, but I should get used to it soon.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Back on the Horse

If you have been reading my last two posts you will know that I went way over on points this week. That resulted with a .4 gain. I consumed a lot of sodium, so most of it is water and doesn't worry me too much. I am just going to get back on the horse and resume my normal routine this week.

The good news with all this going on is that I lost another inch off my waist, making my waist 30 inches. I also can wear two of the ten pairs (so far that I know of) of my old pants. I am wearing the dark brown pair right now! I wore the khaki ones on Monday. Hooray! That just goes to show you that even if you don't see weight loss on the scale you can still loose inches by exercising and lifting weights. I never plan to stop doing that and I feel strong (and sore sometimes).

On a fun note: I am getting my hair cut and colored today and I am excited. I hope it turns out good. I didn't put any product in my hair today so I kind of feel strange...but hopefully the color turns out better without anything in it. I am hoping for a good day today.

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Day after the Birthday Party

So the birthday party went well for the most part, but we got Hungry Howie's pizza..so no whole wheat crust. I ended up eating 3 slices. The whole wheat from Papa Johns is so much more filling. The grandpa got a bakery cake from a local grocery store...the frosting was soo sugary, but I guess that was what the birthday boy wanted. I remember when I was a kid, I loved that white, fluffy, sugary frosting too..then. Now, not so much.

I am still not feeling right this morning, but forced down my breakfast in an effort to balance out my blood sugar. I think I am over pizza for a good long time now. I am looking forward to making dinner tonight. I think I am making pork chops with red potatoes and green beans...which will be really good. On Thursday I am going to a mediterranean restaurant for our department lunch, which we have once a month, but it seems like more than that..because the months go by so fast. At least I will have a new set of flexpoints to use for that.

Oh, the sugar free latte thing is going somewhat well. I now only get my caramel mocchiato for a treat. I sometimes miss it..but my new concoction is not so bad. I do 1 pump sf vanilla and 1 pump sf caramel. They usually do 4 pumps...and IMHO it is way to sweet or artificial tasting for me. Less is more with sugar free stuff. I do know that I will be either up in weight or maintained this week, and I am okay with it. Sometimes things come up that you can't plan for....so the need to be flexible is important. Maybe next week I can loose.

Monday, July 7, 2008

Birthday Party

So it is my bf's nephews birthday today, he is 10. We are hosting his family B-day party at our house tonight. What does he want for dinner? Of course, pizza. And birthdays are not complete without a cake and which one did he choose? Coldstone's ice cream cake. I have to say, I certainly do not have the points for all of this.

Usually I would be excited about pizza. I always want it but never eat it or make my own. But on Thursday night we had a bad storm and our power went out so we went to the bf's mothers house and we ordered pizza (so I already ate it this week). I am just writing about all of this because I am thinking that I probably won't loose much weight this week. This is my first week of trying to loose the remaining weight to my goal. I am motivated, but sometimes things are not under your control and you need to prepare yourself for some surprises when it comes to eating.

That Thursday when we ordered pizza, we did get the whole wheat crust again. I actually really liked it this time. I hope to get whole wheat again tonight. It fills me up more than regular pizza. I can eat 2 pieces of it and feel pretty satisfied, which reminds me I should look up the calories in it. But I am not sure I want to know.

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Happy Anniversary!

I am back trying to loose, I have been posting about this the last couple of days. I really would like to prove to myself that I can get to my goal of 175 pounds. I have lost more than 10% of my body weight, which I think is great! I also tried to maintain that weight for 3 months. The 3 months prior to that I will still trying to loose but was unable to. I was in a plateau or my body was just not willing to go any lower at that time, so I decided to take the 3 month maintenance route. I started all of this in July of 2007, I have been at my "lifestyle change" for a year now! I hope next year is just as great.

I wouldn't mind going for another 10% of my body weight during this weight loss attempt, but I am first just going to see how losing the next 8 pounds goes. If I feel like it is still something I want to continue I will keep trying down to the next 10% or 165 pounds, my next goal. I have been at 165 before during my herbalife dieting days..and feel very comfortable with my body at this weight. I also will not be considered overweight in the BMI charts. I feel very good at the weight I am now to, but I really want to be normal in the BMI charts.

If any of you watch Discovery Health or Oprah you are familiar with Dr. Oz and Dr. Rozen. They have a television series on Discovery and have written many books entitled "You on a Diet", etc. They tell women when trying to lose weight to try to get you waist measurement under 35 inches. Mine is currently 31 inches, from 42...so I think I am doing well there. I also am a pear shape, which helps with the waist management. This "under 35" measurement puts less strain on your heart and makes you at lower risk for disease. All the information I have gotten really makes me sure that I am doing the right things and losing it slowly seems like a better solution for me. I was a yo yo dieter..and I don't want to have to lose this weight again.

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Tomorow I start again

Yes, tomorrow I will start trying to loose this last 7,8,9 pounds....who knows week by week? I am up again today, but who knows what I will be tomorrow. I blame this on the TCBY flurry I had last week. I had enough punches to get a free item, so I choose the pb cup flurry. It was good but not filling and it hurt my stomach soo bad. Note to self: I really cannot eat TCBY. At least I got rid of that punch card.

I also might be on to something with the comment I made yesterday about the latte. I tried the sf caramel latte this morning...it was a bit sweet, but not bad. I think I would get half the syrup next time. This is 2 points less than my caramel macchiato...which would be an easy way to take 2 points out and go to 24 from 26. I think this is my plan. I really am not sacrificing too much with this. I am still getting the fullness with the milk, just less sugar. I would ideally like to just drink a plain latte, but I think I will try the sf syrups until I am ready to cut out the syrup completely. I am so awesome..such a little change, I hope this works well! I am almost excited to start with this revelation.