I'm a big loser, but not the biggest

The manager at the gym told me Wednesday that I wasn't going to win the contest. She was very apologetic - I lost by 1/2 a percentage point. See, since everyone is starting out at different weights, they do it by who looses the highest percentage overall - weight, measurements, body fat. So I think this other woman lost more body fat or measurements, even though I lost more actual weight.

I'm not upset, and I'm not upset that the manager kept saying she thought I would win. It certainly kept me motivated the last week! And it turns out I was in my PMS week, which wreaks havoc with my appetite and willpower, not to mention I probably retain water then. So if the weigh-in had fallen at a different time of month, I might have won... but who knows?

Regardless, I lost 22 lbs for the contest and 31.5 overall. Pretty damn good if I say so myself! And while I'm certainly being a little more relaxed this week, I haven't gone hog-wild (even yesterday!) so I'm hoping to continue this downward trend. And I certainly don't want to gain any back!

So, all positive with only the slightest amount of disappointment. It would have been nice to offset some of the yarn I've been buying!

Happy Holidays

I think I can officially say Happy Holidays to everyone now, no matter what you practice. I hope everyone had a good Turkey day and felt good about what they ate. We had the neighbors over for Turkey and a potluck style meal. Had a good time and taught them a new card game (hand and foot). We had a nice walk both today and yesterday, but got rained on last night. Not too bad overall though.
It's interesting, I've never figured out why men have an easier time walking (at least my husband does) then I do. This doesn't matter whether I'm pregnant or not, it's been bothering me for years. I walk 6 days a week with the dog in the morning, and the last year and a half or so we've added in walking in the evening every night. John only joins me on Sat. when we do a longer walk of 4 miles, and in the evenings. Evening walks are slower and more stops because we're with a group. So, supposedly I should be more in shape then he is right? But I always have trouble keeping up when we walk together. When he takes vacation time and walks everyday with me, his feet hurt and previously his back has bothered him, but he can still out pace me without getting winded. What's up with that? Just seems weird to me, and sometimes rather annoying.

Counting Down

The weigh-in for the Biggest Looser contest at the gym is on Monday. I've decided that I'm going to stop dieting at that point, although I hope to be able to incorporate the new eating habits. Basically, keep eating right (mostly) but not be quite so disciplined about it. And then, after Christmas, I'll probably do another round of 6 weeks or so.

I'm just having a hard time following the plan at this point. I'm doing ok (not great, but ok) with snacks and portion sizes, but a little tired of the plan - even with 6 weeks of menus, it's feeling repetitive. It's time for a break.

It has been fun buying some new clothes. I can almost shop in the Misses department now (pretty much a size 18 now), but I would like to get down to a 16 and have more choices! I actually bought a new coat at Costco - an XL, which was not an option before. Now, granted, there was only one style where the XL actually FIT, but still!

So Monday I'll get weighed and measured, and then they'll probably post the contest results on either Friday or the following Monday. I hope. I'm kind of excited!

As if I needed something else...

So add this to the list of people who went to the doctor for one thing and came out with another (I recently had a professor who went in for a routine check-up...everything came out abnormal and then on recheck normal and then they found a benign tumor in her stomach). Anyway, Jim encouraged me to go back in last week because I had finished my antibiotic but was still coughing and runny nose (though MUCH improved from before).
She decided I had bronchitis and did an X-ray to make sure there was not pneumonia. I did not have pneumonia but she did mention scoliosis....I didn't know I had that. So today I got the official reading on the x-ray and now I get a referral to an orthopedic specialist.
Oh, and if I still have cough and nose issues after this round of antibiotics and steroids (and inhaler...which tastes terrible...) then we get to treat it as allergies.
On the more positive side I am actually still losing weight even without going to the rec center. Somehow walking on campus and getting distracted so that I forget to have desert seems to be working for me. A slow but steady decline in weight is not a bad thing as long as I can survive next week with the in-laws for Thanksgiving.

Survivormom

Whew! I survived the camping weekend (complete with buffet) and still lost 4 lbs. this week. Even though I'm a little burned out on dieting, it is easier in the sense that I have a much better handle on portions, and if I eat too much, I feel too full much faster.

So since August (early September, really), I've lost... (drumroll, please) almost 30 lbs. I'm 10lbs away from what I weighed when I first got pregnant with JC, so I'm finally loosing the baby weight, I guess!

It's all about portion control and quality foods. For example, I used to eat pretzels, because they are low fat, but it's all white flour and no protein. Fruits, veggies, whole grains, it really is making a difference for me. Combining protein with quality carbs is working - I always knew WHAT to do, it's doing it that's hard.

Ok, enough preaching. I'm not trying to boast but to inspire. Anyone who wants the book from Curves, just let me know. It's really just a regular diet, but it does have a nice emphasis on keeping your metabolism stoked.

Ugh

I hate being sick. Good news is I'm already starting to feel better then I was yesterday, but boy it makes me feel like a slug. I've done some work today but not a lot. Hopefully I'll be over this soon and up and moving and not feel like I've had such an energy drain.

Slogging along

You would think this dieting thing would get easier, not harder, over time. Perhaps it's the time of year, but this last week has been really challenging. Halloween temptation hasn't helped! I've been limiting myself to small size candies, and no more than one (ok, maybe two) in a day. And PMS on top of that.

I'm still losing, but feeling a both a little burned out and also a little scared of going back to "regular" eating. I will clearly have to continue really watching portion sizes and food choices, because I really don't want to regain the weight I've lost. We're going camping in Lancaster County PA this Thursday, and I'm a little worried. Biggest challenge will be an all-you-care-to-eat buffet that everyone else wants to go to. Ok, I'll eat more than the plan but I think I can control myself. But if we eat some lunches out too, it starts to get a little harder - overdoing it at one meal, I can make up for it at others, or the next day. 3.5 days of extra challenges is mostly just depressing.

But I feel like I'm struggling at home, too. Grey weather doesn't help. But I'm committed to doing it until November 26th - the end of the "Biggest Looser" contest at the gym. I have an actual shot at winning. How motivating would THAT be?!?