A Little Down, A Little More Up

Less than a month.  Til' we get MARRIED!!!!!!!!  I've been wedding insane for a while now, and I am just all over the place.  I lost 1.4 lbs last week, but I gained 2.6 this week.  I was pumped last week and I'm disappointed this week.  But, my dress fits.  That is very important.  We have about a month to go, and I have a bachelorette party to attend, another wedding to attend, and just all around a ton to do.  Sooooooo I have many occasions where I can't eat healthy, so I should be eating healthy every chance I get.  Right?  You'd think, but NO.  We haven't gone grocery shopping in over a week, and I ate popcorn for breakfast yesterday.  What is happening to me?  I can start fresh today though.  It's gonna be salad time at lunch, and sushi for dinner.  Healthy breakfast/lunch tomorrow, and then... a wedding tomorrow night.  But I've gotta stay on track, because no way is September 7th rolling around and my dress isn't zipping up.  That is NOT happening.  So here's to lettuce, I love you.

Last week: -1.4 lbs
This week: +2.6 lbs
Total 2013: -11.2 lbs  (blarg!!)

Double Blarg!

Colonel Buster

Well, I should have posted last week, because then the .6 lbs I lost this week would have been a loss.  But it just so happens I gained a pound last week.  So instead I gained .4 lbs.  Which, is fine, I guess- it's really just staying the same in the grand scheme of things, but it's frustrating because I have have been a MACHINE about eating well.  My refrigerator is stocked with fruits and vegetables.  If I have to pick up lunch, it's a salad, with like, lettuce on it and nothing else.  Isn't this supposed to be the point where my body is like, "let's eat that extra fat you have stored on your tummy!"  Again, not the end of the world, but I just feel like I've been working SO HARD and I'm just plateauing.

On a good note, I'm still loving Jazzercise.  And wedding planning is still going well.  Only 6 more weeks!  Crazy town.  I feel like I'm in the calm before the storm. 

So, I'll leave you with the cutest picture of Buster that's ever been taken.  Have a great weekend!

Last week: +1.0 lbs
This week: -.6 lbs
Total this year: -12.4 lbs

Wham, Bam, Thank You, Ma'am

Boom!  Another .8 lbs!  I am kicking BUTT at this whole weight loss thing!  I'll be honest, the wedding motivation is really helping.  It makes it really easy to turn down fried foods/ drinks/ chips, etc.  That and I spend all my free time making paper flowers for our ceremony arch.  It's hard to eat anything while you're folding/ cutting/ shaping flowers.  It's taking longer than expected.  That's another story for another day though.

I love Jazzercise!  I bought a Groupon (as much as I hate to support that site, they DO have some good deals occasionally...) for 30 classes, and I've been using the heck out of them.  I go about twice a week, and usually burn between 400-550 calories in an hour.  Every class varies a little, so it's not the same, stagnant workout every time.  I've also been much more vigilant about tracking every bite that goes in my mouth.  I'm really determined not to backslide after the wedding- I'm giving myself one week (honeymoon!) to be bad (I'll try to use moderation) and then it's back to tracking, all the time.

Anyways, it's been a good week.  Even after the weekend- where I did have a few beers on the 4th, had steak and crab legs on Saturday, I still managed to lose weight, and I'm very proud of it.

This week: -.8 lbs
Total this year: -12.8 lbs

Woah Nelly, It's Been A While...

I present to you- the palest couple in the world!

Woah.  I have been BUSY.  To say the least.  My brain has devolved into a puddle of wedding related mush.  It's been almost two months... and there's only TWO months to go until the big day!  Between making a huge, tissue paper archway for the ceremony, painting table numbers and cake toppers, not to mention FINDING A NEW CEREMONY SPOT 'CAUSE WE GOT DICKED OVER... yeah, that happened.  That being said, when we spoke last (or you read this, whoever the two of you are), I was down 8.8 for the year.  As of this morning, I'm officially down 12 lbs.  Awesome!

What have I been doing to get there?

• Tracking EVERYTHING
• Eating a ton of veggies/fruits (especially Watermelon! Go summer!)
• Started a new fitness routine- joined Jazzercise (it's not just Grandma's, I swear)
• Being VERY vigilant about my alcohol intake.

It's crunch time.  My dress fits, but you know, there are a few pictures taken on your wedding day.  So while I will still look like myself, I want to look like the POW, ZAP, HOLY-CRAP-SHE-LOOKS-GREAT version of myself.

So, I'm eating a lot of lettuce, trying to get in 10,000 steps everyday, and not sleeping.  (I wish I were, but the wedding zombies are eating my brains.)  Also, according to my credit card statement, shopping a lot.  I should probably cut back.

So, things are on track.  I'm feeling really good, giddy all the time, and just in general having a blast with the whole wedding planning thing.  Except for finding a new ceremony spot, that was a tad bit stressful.  But things really worked out for us, and now we're getting married at the Kirtland Country Club, which is not only more beautiful, but will end up saving us money, has enough parking, and an amazing rain back up spot.  So, it worked out.

This week (two months):  -3.2 lbs
This year: -12 lbs

After All That...

I STILL gained this week! Blarg.  You know what though?  I didn't work out, and honestly, I could have done way better in the eating department.  So, keep on keepin' on.  Yesterday and today?  I've been eating well.  The weather was AMAZING last night, so my girlfriends and I took a walk around Lakewood Park- if you live in the Cleveland area and have never been- you HAVE to go.  It's one of the best views of downtown I've ever seen.  It's right on the lake.  It's beautiful. 

One of the braintrusts in my ladies group had a genius idea last night- Ladies Night Bootcamp!  I've mentioned before that I get together a few times a month with a group of my lady friends for dinner/ wine/ boardgames/ movies- and for some reason, we've never worked out together!  We have some certified workout buffs in the group, so we're going to be taking turns making up a class and teaching it to the others.  We're starting out next week with a bootcamp routine, but we have talked about cross fit, yoga, greek dancing, and much to my chagrin, running.  A few girls in the group have completed marathons and are really into running, so I might be *sick* that week.  Or I guess I could try :)  Not to mention, there are several of us getting married within the upcoming few months, so we're all really trying to whip ourselves into wedding shape. 

So, while it was an up week on the scale, I am ending this week feeling good about what's to come.  Maybe my friends can help get me through this plateau!

This week: +.6 lbs
Total 2013: -8.8 lbs

Recommitting To My Goals, Part 5

Buster "Putting it on the line" Sweigard

Step Five:  Put it all out on the line.

Don't just talk about it, commit to it- put your money where your mouth is.  I've done that in some respects by joing the bootcamp class Im currently in, although my pass runs out at the end of this month.  This weekend I will research a new class that I can go to after this one.  I'm into changing up the routine every few months, so it doesn't get stagnant and boring.  I definitly feel that paying for some sort of class keeps me going, so I can get my money's worth.

Here's to making it through the weekend and tracking everything.

Also- I've moved my weigh in day back to Fridays.  It's been a few weeks, and although I'm down from last week, I didn't post my weigh in last week, so I'll just do a total this week and get back to the week to week differences next week.  I'm still up from my last weigh in, but I also know I've gained some muscle, so that's exciting!  Still, it's a 1.8 lb gain since last weigh in on here.  Blarg!  Here's to keeping positive over the weekend!

Total 2013: -9.4 lbs

Recommitting To My Goals, Part 4

Step 4: Think About It

Take some time to really think about not only how you'll accomplish this goal, but how you'll feel once you do.  I know from prior experiences that when I've reached the weight loss goal, I suddenly feel like I've physiologically changed- like my body doesn't handle food the way that it ACTUALLY does.  Which is why I always gain the weight back.  This time I have to be mindful when I get to my goal that I'll still need to be keeping track of food, and keep active.  I'll have to not go on a free-for-all. 

How will I feel when I get to my goal?  Amazing.  I'll probably even buy myself some new clothes.  But I'm going to try to keep it on the forefront of my mind, and while I'm buying new clothes, I'll make a mindful effort to not tack on an ice cream cone while I'm shopping. 

Mindful and moderation.  That's the name of the game.