There is a slight discrepancy between my records and those of my HMR coach. That's because they round up/down and I...well, I don't. So technically, last week, I didn't lose anything if you looked at their records. But I did lose 0.8 pounds and that kept me motivated. This week, when I stepped on the scale, it showed a 2.2 pound loss. But, on their records, it shows 3.0 pounds because they didn't account for the loss last week due to rounding.
This brings my total weight loss in the first month to 7.5 pounds! I was feeling a little discouraged about this yesterday. I mean, I am paying $135 a month in program fees and another $80-120/week in food costs. I've significantly cut back on my caloric intake. Even on days when I'm eating out of the box, I am not going totally crazy and consuming nearly as many calories as I did on a prior "normal" day. I am exercising - something I NEVER did before starting this plan.
I have other friends that are dieting and are losing more weight than I am. They're also spending a lot less money on their programs too. One friend, who is on Jenny Craig, lost 21 pounds in two months. Another lost like 7 pounds on Slim Fast in a week.
But I have to stop. Be patient. And most important, remember that none of those things have worked for me in the past. I gained weight on Jenny Craig. I also gained weight on Weight Watchers, if you can believe it. I watched my weight, alright...I watched it go right through the roof. I lost weight on Slim Fast and as soon as I stopped having their shakes as my meal replacements, I gained it all back (and then some). So, I have to remember my primary reason for doing this: Long-term success in managing my weight.
This isn't a static thing. It's not like you just lose weight and suddenly you are full of knowledge about how to live a healthy lifestyle and keep it off. That's always been my biggest challenge.
A friend reminded me that it takes time to make these kinds of changes. That 2 pounds a week is a healthy rate of loss. That even though it can be frustrating, the longer it takes, the more likely it is to stay off. I did find that to be true back in 2008 when I lost 40 pounds. I still haven't gained it all back.
My mother reminded me that I don't lose weight like everyone else either. I am not the kind of person who has big losses initially and then continued small losses like everyone else. It's hard to stop the comparisons. So, I went back and dug up my old spreadsheet when I lost that 40 pounds and I looked at my weekly weigh-ins. She's right. I'd have a 2-3 pound loss, followed by either no loss, or only a half pound, followed by a 1 pound loss, then a 2-3 pound loss. Sometimes that pattern varied. Sometimes rather than 2-3 pound losses, it was more like 4, but that was rare.
Another friend reminded me that if I hadn't started when I did, I might be 15 pounds heavier. In my case, that's not unrealistic given the way I love the foods we have around the holidays and how much weight I typically gain between November and January (5-10 pounds).
I decided to stop feeling miserable about it and change my outlook. Maybe I'm not losing it as fast I want, but I am losing. The scale is moving in the right direction. My clothes are fitting better. In fact, I am wearing a size smaller now than I did when I got married in July. I am exercising, which is improving my overall health.
This morning, despite wanting to stay in bed, under the flannel sheets where it was warm, I got up and went to the gym. I only had a half hour before I had to hit the shower to get to work on time, but I worked hard for that thirty minutes, burning 325 calories. I also committed to completing the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred DVD tonight, to blast off another 260 calories, for a total burn of 585 calories today.
I am GOING to meet my 2,000 calorie Physical Activity Goal this week! Come hell or high water, I am going to meet or exceed it!
I may look like this...
© Mike's Gym
But I'm going to do it!
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