Week 8 Weigh-in

Weekly overview

What the numbers mean: In measuring my chest, I measure the upper chest, across the bosom, and then the upper ribcage. I have found this to be a much more accurate assessment of the area, since the bosom number can change drastically depending on which bra is worn. The arm measurement is right across the apex of of the bicep, both relaxed and flexed. I thought it would be fun to see the how the numbers would change in relation to each other as I lose fat and build muscle. Also, I believe my bodyfat scale is being overly optimistic about my percentage of fat. I'm certain it's off by 5-10%. So even though it's inaccurate, it IS measurable. And it's the only scale I've got, so it'll have to do.


Chest     38"     44"     35.125"
Arm       R12.375"     F13"
Waist     35" 
Hip        44.5"
Thigh    26.125"
Calf       15.125"

#     177.2#  
%    33.5%
Lean #     117.8#
Fat #         59.4#

Average steps/day: 6100


Resolution for next week
I will continue to build on my three habits!

1 - Go to bed on time - get plenty of sleep!

2 - 30 min of non-strenuous, therapeutic exercise daily - physical therapy, gentle yoga, walking

3 - Follow the 4 Golden Rules of Eating

Updates coming soon!

I'm sorry I am behind on my posting y'all! I have been keeping track, it's just a matter of transferring posts from my ipad to the computer safely so they don't go missing:)

Week 7 Weigh-in

Weekly overview

What the numbers mean: In measuring my chest, I measure the upper chest, across the bosom, and then the upper ribcage. I have found this to be a much more accurate assessment of the area, since the bosom number can change drastically depending on which bra is worn. The arm measurement is right across the apex of of the bicep, both relaxed and flexed. I thought it would be fun to see the how the numbers would change in relation to each other as I lose fat and build muscle. Also, I believe my bodyfat scale is being overly optimistic about my percentage of fat. I'm certain it's off by 5-10%. So even though it's inaccurate, it IS measurable. And it's the only scale I've got, so it'll have to do.


Chest     38"     43.25"     35.5"
Arm       R12"     F12.75"
Waist     35.5" 
Hip        44.5"
Thigh     26"
Calf       15.125"

#     177.2#  
%    34.3%
Lean #     116.4#
Fat #         60.8#

Average steps/day: 7600


Resolution for next week
I will continue to build on my three habits!

1 - Go to bed on time - get plenty of sleep!

2 - 30 min of non-strenuous, therapeutic exercise daily - physical therapy, gentle yoga, walking

3 - Follow the 4 Golden Rules of Eating 

Phase 1 - Day 43

Sleep
? to 10
Total: lots!

Food
Hungry again today. And I had my first real junk food temptation. I wanted potato chips! With ranch dip!!!

I bet many of you are rooting for me to be strong, and RESIST the evil temptation.  Now give me a bag of chips or a bowl of popcorn while watching a show or movie and I will plow through it with an almost pathological need to finish it all.

Well, I made small batch of ranch flavored Greek yogurt with baked potato chips, and really enjoyed them. Once I was done, I was done. Whew! Disaster averted. Now the cinnamon almonds are another story altogether.

Large salad
Cinnamon almonds
Pizza, 2 slices
Chips with yogurt dip
Pasta with chard, cheesy sundried tomato sauce

Exercise
Not nearly enough because I still felt pretty sore when I finished my first session. I intended to go back and do more before bed, but that's not gonna happen tonight.
30 min improvised

Week 6 Weigh-in

Weekly overview
I had an unusually active week. I went jogging twice, and did Zumba once. Zumba was the most challenging because we didn't take 5 minute breaks between songs. I had planned to do a 5K on Saturday, but I was still so sore that I'm glad the weather was horrid. Even walking it would've been a challenge.

What the numbers mean: In measuring my chest, I measure the upper chest, across the bosom, and then the upper ribcage. I have found this to be a much more accurate assessment of the area, since the bosom number can change drastically depending on which bra is worn. The arm measurement is right across the apex of of the bicep, both relaxed and flexed. I thought it would be fun to see the how the numbers would change in relation to each other as I lose fat and build muscle. Also, I believe my bodyfat scale is being overly optimistic about my percentage of fat. I'm certain it's off by 5-10%. So even though it's inaccurate, it IS measurable. And it's the only scale I've got, so it'll have to do.


Chest     36.5"     44.5"     35.5"
Arm       R12.25"     F13"
Waist     35.5" 
Hip        44.625"
Thigh    26"
Calf       15.25"

#     176#  
%    34%
Lean #     116.2#
Fat #         59.8#

Average steps/day: 7115


Resolution for next week
I was excited to see that I actually lost weight again this week - I wasn't sure if I would. Sure I added in the extreme exercise, but I doubled how much I was eating the last half of the week too. Oh, and the cinnamon almond carnage - whoo!

Now that I've run the calculations, I'm mostly disappointed. I lost .2 of fat, but I lost .4 of lean weight too:((( Now, I have to keep in mind that my scale isn't really telling me the whole story of what's happening inside my body each week, it's most useful for tracking a general trending. But... vigorous exercise does tear down muscle, and it takes a few days before that new improved muscle is built back. I'm no longer convinced that this is the only, or even the best way to build muscle. It will be interesting to see was the numbers say next week, and the week after that:)

I will continue to build on my three habits!

1 - Go to bed on time - get plenty of sleep!

2 - 30 min of non-strenuous, therapeutic exercise daily - physical therapy, gentle yoga, walking

3 - Follow the 4 Golden Rules of Eating
I have been slacking in this area... I've definitely noticed that I've been allowing myself to eat while working or playing on the computer, but it doesn't seem to have led to any overeating.

Phase 1 - Day 42

I am still so freaking sore from Zumba! And it's ridiculously cold today; too cold to do the 5k this morning. I feel bad about backing out, but I don't have thermal underwear warm enough to handle 20mph freezing winds. It all turned out for the best though, because I had nightmares all night followed by insomnia. Finally got to sleep around dawn, and my Sweet Husband turned off the alarm and let me sleep in:)

Sleep
Late: til 9, lots!

Food
Seriously, I think the aerobic exercise is making me hungry. These last few days I have been experiencing the rebirth of the Eat Monster!

Scrambled eggs, peppers onions, hot sauce, veggies, vegetarian bacon, tortilla
Another egg burrito with all the fixins
Pizza, 1 slice (realized it wasn't what I really wanted)
Olive garden salad, large
Olive garden mushroom ravioli with sundried tomato sauce, 

Exercise
Yoga Zone #1, first 30 min following program, last 30 min improvising

Phase 1 - Day 41

Sleep
10-8, interrupted
Total 9 hours

Food
I was so hungry all day!
Cheerios and bran flakes with almond milk
Chips and dip
1/2 Enchilida pie
1/2 Enchilida pie
Cheese chili relleno
1/2 cinnamon raisin bagel, with marscapone, tiny sprinkle brown sugar, and thick layer of cinnamon powder

Exercise
Yowch! I can not believe how sore I am. This isn't the mild ache from jogging; I feel like I was in a car accident or something. Zumba is NOT low impact!!! Did some mild stretching but to be completely honest, it did not qualify as therapeutic exercise. So I count this as a non-exercise day.

Phase 1 - Day 40

Sleep
Midnight - 7; tried but was unable to get back to sleep
Total 7 hours

Food
I did not get enough to eat earlier in the day. I was running around, and didn't pack any snacks. I actually felt fine until I came home from Zumba around 8. Almost immediately I started to shake and felt very weak. I was -5 on the hunger scale:( So I ate a banana, then had a small dinner. 30 min later I was still very hungry, so I ate again, but this time I was overly full when I finished. Yuck, from one extreme to the other - I am so grateful this isn't "normal" anymore!

Cheerios with almond milk
Enchilada pie
1/4 of cookie, 4 crackers with Jezebel sauce
Pizza - 2 slices
3/4 banana
Turkey and cheese sandwich
Bean burrito

Exercise
I got together with the girls again tonight, but this time to dance!!! I tried to take it easy, I really did. But when there's music I can't seem to help myself. I danced until I dropped:D My heart felt all stretchy-tired again afterward.

1 hour Zumba
15 min yoga/pt

Phase 1 - Day 39

Alright now today, I'm really sore! I look so funny whenever I get up from the computer to walk around:)

Sleep
? Forgot to write it down... Got plenty of rest though.

Food
Cheerios with almond milk
Almonds all day! I kept going back for tiny handfuls, and finally just plunked the bag next to the computer so I could graze. So dumb. So, so dumb. The roof of my mouth is torn up from eating these things! I wonder if there's such a thing as cinnamon toxicity?
Leftover pizza, 2 slices

Exercise
None:( But I think I slightly overdid it the last two days. Should've done yoga, but hopefully rest will be good for me too.

Phase 1 - Day 38

Hoo-digitty I am sore in my hips, but I can definitely walk. This is amazing:)

Sleep
11-7, Total 8 hours

Food
Ever since watching the latest episode of Fringe, I've had a massive craving for Twizzlers! They are so strange. They're rubbery and taste completely unlike anything natural, and yet I like to eat them. Now, fortunately I have found a healthy alternative to them: Pomegranate flavored craisins!!! They are everything a Twizzler could never hope to be. Plus, I can scarf a whole package without wondering if I'll get cancer someday:) So when we went grocery shopping this evening I made sure to stock up on Craisins.

Nut butter and raisin apple pear butter sandwich
Master gardener snack buffet: veggies and dip, 2 deli spirals, 5 chips, 2 bites of lemon cake
Pad kee mao
Grilled cheese sandwich
Cinnamon almonds, handful
Pizza (2 slices)

Exercise
Unbelievably, I decided to go jogging with the Girls again. It's amazing to have accountability partners, and what better opportunity to get to know them better? Usually socializing revolves around food! Hope the milder temperatures last.

30 minutes of walking/jogging
30 minutes YZ #1

Phase 1 - Day 37

I feel awesome! Well a bit crickity, but well rested:)

Sleep
10-8, Total 10 hours!!!! Then later a 30 min nap wow.

Food
All leftovers: spaghetti, oatmeal, salad
Cheese chili relleno
A breadstick, Yeah, I know. Yesterday I said they were gross, but I was hungry and needed quick food. I augmented it with some spices, but it was still just cheap white bread.
Cheese chili relleno

Exercise
I had the wonderful opportunity to meet with a group of local ladies to do some laps. We did intervals; approximately 5 minutes walking / 90 seconds jogging. Oh yeah, I'm feeling like a rock star!!!! I haven't jogged in 9 months! But will I be able to even walk tomorrow?

45 min walk/jog
1 hour YZ #4

Phase 1 - Day 36

Watched Biggest Loser 12x5 - I would love to have Bob Harper stay with us for a week! We'd have a hoot and a half!

Sleep
Midnight to 8:30 Curse you Facebook!
Total 8.5 hours

Food
Oatmeal with flax, walnuts and brown sugar
Spaghetti with vegetarian meat sauce, and greens
Olive Garden's salad and wild mushroom ravioli with sundried tomato sauce. YUM! Oh, and one bite of a breadstick. I used to love these things, but tonight it was just boring white bread.

Exercise
I knew I forgot something today! Rats.

Habits!

Week 5 Weigh-in

Weekly overview
I had a nice calm week. I got to do exercise with some intensity twice, and branched out on my own with improvised yoga. I'm also really tickled that I did 6 out of 7 days of working out at least 30 minutes; the only off day was still 20 minutes. I also did well on eating consciously, and only overate that one horrible time:)

What the numbers mean: In measuring my chest, I measure the upper chest, across the bosom, and then the upper ribcage. I have found this to be a much more accurate assessment of the area, since the bosom number can change drastically depending on which bra is worn. The arm measurement is right across the apex of of the bicep, both relaxed and flexed. I thought it would be fun to see the how the numbers would change in relation to each other as I lose fat and build muscle. Also, I believe my bodyfat scale is being overly optimistic about my percentage of fat. I'm certain it's off by 5-10%. So even though it's inaccurate, it IS measurable. And it's the only scale I've got, so it'll have to do.


Chest     36.25"     43.25"     35.5"
Arm       R12.25"     F13"
Waist     35.5" 
Hip        44.75"
Thigh    26"
Calf       15"

#     176.8#  
%    33.9%
Lean #     116.9#
Fat #          59.9#

Average steps/day: 7000


Resolution for next week
I keep waiting for some sort of reckoning with my numbers.... Remember, I'm NOT trying to lose any weight! So every week they keep improving, and I'm always thinking "Is this gonna be the week my scale and tape measure go Haha, just kidding!"... Well my body measurements were all over the place, some up some down, but the scale #s still went down. The coolest thing is that even though I lost .2# of weight, it tells me I exchanged a whole half a pound's worth of fat weight for lean body weight! And we all know muscle burns fat! I've never lost this kind of weight before, and although I have a few theories, I'm not really sure why I'm losing so much while doing so little. Its pretty awesome though!

Since apparently I'm doing something right, I will continue to build on my three habits!

1 - Go to bed on time - get plenty of sleep!
I'm embarrassed that this one is still such a big issue for me. Just go to bed on time! I guess it would be beneficial for me to meditate on why this one is so important, so I can become motivated to want to go to bed on time.

2 - 30 min of non-strenuous, therapeutic exercise daily - physical therapy, gentle yoga, walking

I am flirting with the idea of adding in just a wee bit of semi-strenuous exercise, but I know I'm not yet ready to go to Phase 2 because I still have a lot of body aches and stiffness. I've made huge progress, but I still have along way to go before I will feel confident that I won't strain something.


3 - Follow the 4 Golden Rules of Eating
I can't imagine now ever going on some restrictive diet, or counting calories. I am so content with what I eat. I look forward to every meal, and I have zero anxiety about food. Of course it helps that I love healthy food, but I do have treats in the house that I'm not abusing, and I can go out to eat without a second thought! I never imagined I could be this happy and calm about food.

Phase 1 - Day 35

Still sore from dancing, and gardening. I really look forward to getting in better shape, so I can just live my life to the fullest!

Sleep
10:30-5:30, total 7 hours

Food
Nut butter and cranberry pear chutney sandwich
Pizza!
And more pizza
Rest of my pizza:D
Enchilada pie
Pasta with sundried tomato and cheese, and greens

Exercise
1 hour improvised yoga, massage

Phase 1 - Day 34

A day off! I went outside to garden, and wore myself out. And I'm sore in my hips from shakin my booty to some music last night:)

Sleep
Bed at 11:30-8, total 8.5 hours

Food
Nut butter and raisin apple pear butter sandwich
Eggs, onions, mushrooms, cheddar and salsa in soft corn tortillas
Pasta arrabiata
more pasta

Exercise
Gardening! I know, it doesn't actually count. Only 20 min yoga, 20 min massage.

Tiffany Fox's Garden Salad with Orange-ginger Dressing

My dear friend recently brought this marvelous salad to a garden get together, and has graciously shared her recipe:


My salad was four mini heads of artisian lettuces and half a head of iceberg - chopped and soaked in a salted ice bath - then drained and dried, 16 oz of crimini mushrooms - sliced, 8 oz of grape tomatoes - halved, one large orange bell pepper - diced. Layer it up in a jumbo bowl - I used a small punch bowl. :D

Dressing - well - I really don't have a recipe so bear with me.
1/4 cup rice vinegar (not the seasoned or wine vinegar stuff)
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
1-2 TBS soy sauce, low sodium
2 cans of mandarin oranges - drained (or 1 1/2 cups of fresh mandarins if you can find them)
1  1/2 oz honey
2 tbsp fresh grated ginger
1/4-1/2 cup of sour cream (adjust to your taste)
salt and pepper to taste (I use white so you can't see it in the finished dressing)

Now - shush is all up in a blender for 2-3 minutes - if you don't like lumps - you will need to pour it through a sieve. This is a loose dressing - not a thick creamy style - but it's a family favorite. Enjoy!! :D

I should mention here - my dressing is never the same way twice - I just make it in my head as I go. The ingredients are always the same - but some days we might want it a little sweeter - so I add more honey - some days more heat - so more ginger (can you ever have too much??) - so - play with it until it's right.

Theoretically, this dressing could last up to two weeks or more in the fridge, not that it'll ever last that long in my house!

Thanks Tiffany! It was "so good it'll make you weep" YUMMY!!!

Phase 1 - Day 33

Still pretty sore! But at least my heart/chest area feels normal again. I'm so glad I was able to get such an intense heart workout without having to jog.

Watched Biggest Loser 11x4; it's a shame I blew off watching the last couple Sundays because it was actually pretty decent. My fav part was seeing the previous contestants, and Bob's speech about changing your relationship to food. I wish they'd devote a whole show to this! Basically he said they don't have to eat in secret anymore, no shame or hiding. It's not a lifestyle of forever deprivation, it's appropriate amounts at the right time. Amen! Food is NOT taboo, FOOD IS LIFE! Eat what tastes good, is good for you, and respect your appetite. BTW,  have I mentioned lately how even my energy levels are, ALL DAY? It's pretty awesome!

Sleep
I took an afternoon nap so I could stay up late with my Honey last night. Then went to bed at midnight, got up at 7:30. Total = 8.5 hours.

Food
Pizza
Green salad with orange ginger dressing
Fish sandwich
Sweet potato fries
Pasta with cheesy sundried tomato sauce

Exercise
46 min yoga, 21 min dance, 1 hr massage

Phase 1 - Day 32

Feb 1st!!!
So even though I'm technically in the middle of my week, I feel this extra incentive to regroup and improve things. Today I'm going to start tracking my sleep, and I think I'm ready to move beyond my favorite yoga program:) 

I'm sore all over today! All I did was hike yesterday... the hike of DOOM. Seriously, I've never been intimidated by a paved trail before but that one had to be at least a 45* angle! The strangest sore muscle is my outer ankles. When I curl my foot inward I can feel it behind my ankle, up the Achilles tendon, alongside my shin. It must be from the extreme angle of going up that track. 

Sleep
Didn't get to sleep til after 11! I swear, as much as I love my husband, the snoring drives me to the brink. I mean he's literally choking himself, and sometimes I just feel inclined to finish the job.

Slept from 11-8:30, 9 hours.

Food
Ok, so I scarfed down the  mountain of greens like a starving person, and all afternoon I had a tummy ache. I should've taken a probiotic first:)

Mix Cheerios and bran flakes
Pasta with greens, mushrooms and cheese
Pasta with greens again
Blood orange 
Mix Cheerios and bran flakes

Exercise
40 minutes improvised yoga.