first week down!

I am very proud to report that the first week of my weight loss journey has come to an end, and I am reporting a seven pound weight loss! I worked so hard every day and didn't sway from my diet once. It took extreme mental effort and some days I just didn't want to work out, but I did anyway. There was one night when I came very close to eating take out, and there was another day when I was moments away from buying a piece of lemon poppy seed bread but put it back.

I went out for coffee with some friends last night. They were all from countries that use the metric system so we were talking about weight in kilos. I weigh about 80 kilos and the other girls weigh 70, 56, and 50. When I told them I weighed 176 pounds they couldn't really comprehend the amount so we converted things back and forth. One of them couldn't believe I weighed 80 kilos and thought the converter was broken...so I'm not sure if I should take that positively or negatively.

Regardless, I can feel my confidence growing slowly, a few things fit better than they used to, and the scale has been good to me this past week. I lost a pound a day. I expect this week to still be a big number, probably not a pound a day again, but significant nonetheless. I know after the first two weeks the weight loss will really slow down, but I'm just excited to get to 169. I've been stuck in the 170s (+) since August 2010, and it'll be nice to be "stuck" in the 160s for a while. I don't plan on sticking around in the 160s quite as long however.

My mini goals are definitely 169, 154, and 145. Each one has their own significance. 169 is significant as previously mentioned, but I was also in the 160s while in high school, so reaching that area is like returning to that high school weight. 154 is the lowest number I'd ever seen on the scale while dieting in high school, and 145 is the weight I need to be at to be considered a healthy BMI with low-risk for all types of diseases. But I want to go a step further than that and reach 135 because I want to be slim once healthy is reached.

So I will be getting a haircut tomorrow since that's my reward for reaching 175 pounds!!! I'll post pictures later :) For anyone reading this that needs inspiration, it really is more mental than physical at the end of the day! You have to be strong and you have to control yourself. It's not easy, but if I can do it, you can!

day four

Well, the weekend was pretty successful. We worked out two times hard Friday through Sunday and even did some sort of small workout (usually abs) each night. I stayed on my diet and I happily reached my first goal of 180 pounds on Saturday. My "chore" reward was short-lived, though, because we were busy talking about future plans and that ended up taking up most of the night. But we got the house all cleaned up for the most part, and I'm working on 175 pounds now. I was 179 this morning (Monday), so I'm going to push hard and stick to the diet and hopefully reach 175 by this weekend. I'm hoping to lose as much weight as possible these first two weeks before it slows down.

I keep telling myself to push through this six week "boot camp" to keep myself motivated. Thinking about six weeks is easier to stick to than an infinite time span. My goal is to be 160 by the end of the six weeks... it may not happen, but I figure I'd push to at least get as close as possible. I keep imagining what it will be like once I reach that 160 threshold and finally see the 150s...

The best part is that I have a new final goal that is more motivating than anything else! I don't want to reveal it yet because it's still in the works, but a serious event like this is just what I needed. I really didn't want to do my workout this afternoon, but I eventually put in a Billy Blanks workout and knocked it out. We are going to do the Jillian Michaels video tonight before we go to bed. After tonight, though, it will be four days down and technically 38 to go!

feeling strong

Well, we did end up getting a "last meal" the other night, but it wasn't McDonald's. We decided to get some pasta from Fazoli's and I ate so much my stomach hurt. When I officially weighed on yesterday morning, I was 182.8. I followed my own plan of eating Fiber One cereal for breakfast, Lean Cuisines for lunch and dinner, and pieces of fruit after I worked out. We did Biggest Loser: Last Chance Workout in the morning, then I did Billy Blanks Celebrity Fit Cardio in the afternoon, and we finished the day with Shaun T's Insanity Ab workout. It was a successful day! So this morning I weighed in at 181.2. I'm happy to see the water weight coming off (and maybe some real poundage over time). I feel so great to almost be at my first little goal of 180. It's definitely true what "they" say: set little goals for yourself! It feels great meeting them versus waiting for a big goal further out, causing you to lose your motivation along the way.

I'm on my second day now. I ate my cereal this morning and then did Billy Blanks' Live Cardio Bootcamp workout. I'm going to my sister's baby shower today, and I'm mentally preparing myself to stay away from the snack food. I'm going to eat a Lean Cuisine before I hit the road, take some gum, and maybe a piece of fruit, and hopefully that will keep me satisfied. We are going to do another workout this afternoon (and maybe even a third this evening).

It's nice to have these last few days of spring break to get into the groove of things. We are preparing to go strong next week and for the next six weeks as if we're in "bootcamp." It definitely helps with my mentality. I am feeling strong so far, but I know it's only day 2. However, the first few days are the slowest. Yesterday was painfully slow, and it's hard to picture myself doing this everyday for six weeks... but I'm going to try to stay mentally strong as long as I can while it lasts. School will be officially over at the same time the six weeks are over and then I can hopefully continue on even harder with more free time. 130 is my ultimate goal, but I'm not giving myself a time limit on when I have to meet it. I know the weight will come off as it's ready and my job is to just continue on.

the day before

I'm ready to start a new diet tomorrow. Tyleck and I have been planning this for a while, and we're using the last six weeks of school as a bootcamp as we try to get a head start on the summer. It's 8:00 PM right now, and I'm debating on whether or not to have a last meal. McDonald's would be great right now, but I'll probably regret it later... however, it is the last night... decisions, decisions.


I'm planning on weighing in bright and early tomorrow morning as the official beginning weight. I've gained quite a few pounds back that I had previously lost, but my prediction is that I'll be between 180 and 185...

My method of motivation is following a reward system with my husband.
185 - Predicted starting weight
180 - My husband does the chores for me :)
175 - Go in for a new haircut
170 - Romantic night in a hotel
165 - Professional hair color
160 - New pair of Nike shoes
155 - Little shopping spree
150 - Romantic Surprise Day
145 - New necklace to represent accomplishment
140 - New designer purse
135 - New wardrobe
130 - New swimsuit

I hope this will help me when I'm tempted to eat or not workout. My overall diet plan is pretty simple. I'm going to try following a Lean Cuisine diet plan. It may not be the healthiest food that I could make myself, but it gives me an idea of calories, portion control, and ease of access -- all of which I need to stay on track while I'm in school.