Category: Weigh In

Weigh In 8-14-2015

Good morning, all three of you feigning interest!  I had a good week this week, and these weigh in posts are one hell of a lot easier to do if you have a good week, you know?

Current Weight:  315.8 lbs

Weekly Loss:  (-3.6) lbs

Total Loss:  (-7.2) lbs

I read an article this week talking about the optimum speeds at which to lose weight.  In general, we want it to happen as fast as possible, and we get discouraged when that doesn’t happen.  However, recent longitudinal studies have shown that the people who lose between 0.5 and 1.0 pound per week are more likely to keep that weight off in the long run than those that lose weight significantly faster.  The bigger you are, the more that number can go up (a 400 pound guy can lose 3 – 5 pounds a week no sweat without any issues – it takes a lot of metabolism to keep all of this fat tissue alive, you know), but at the end of the day you’re looking for half a pound to one pound per week.

This is the end of my 5th week weighing in, and I’ve lost an average of 1.44 pounds per week.  That hasn’t been a steady decline, but that’s the average, and that’s about right.  I really believe that my number can be more like 2 pounds per week until I get back to the weight I was at 15 months ago (around 275).  At that point, my expectations will have to align with reality.

In the meantime, this is working, as I knew it would.  Exercising 3-5 days per week and staying within a reasonable amount of daily calorie intake causes people to lose weight. Funny how that works.

Onward!

Weigh In 8-7-2015

Following last week’s vacation-delayed weigh in, I had a travel week for work that had me worried about this one.  Travel is killer for me, and this week was not all that different.  I took my stuff but didn’t go for a single run (<sigh>), though I did walk nearly 5 miles on Wednesday afternoon seeing a bunch of National Mall Memorials that I somehow hadn’t hit in the past.  And I was very conscious of my food choices, though sometimes those were more “I’m conscious that this wasn’t a very good choice” kind of moments.

Given all of that, I’m very pleased with this morning’s weigh in.  The scale said 319.4, which is a loss of 1.2 pounds from last week and a total loss of 3.6 pounds.

1.2 pounds a week will get me to a very good place, so given that this wasn’t exactly a focused week for me, I’m ecstatic.  That also tells me that I’ll lose weight much more quickly when things are on the correct routine.  That’s not exactly a goal, but I know it is reality.

I know the posting has slowed down with the travel, but expect more this weekend / next week.  Several things to talk about.

Onward!

Weigh-In 8-2-2015

So – not a great week.  Vacation happened.  <sigh>

Was supposed to weigh in on Friday, but because of a couple of travel days it didn’t happen until today, Sunday.  Since last Friday I gained 2.8 pounds, for a total loss of 2.4 pounds.

Two things happened.  This vacation was not one of those relaxing vacations.  26 people in the house, nearly half of which were children under the age of 6.  Including two of mine.  And this vacation is food heavy.  I did a good job staying within my points until Wednesday, which was my day to cook.  Chili dogs threw might right over the edge.  So food was a problem.  And though I brought all of my running stuff, I never did go for a run.  The baby got off schedule, and we struggled sleeping.  These, of course, are just excuses, but they were enough to keep me off-kilter.

We got home last night around 5:30 after two hard days of driving.  I intended to run this morning, but just didn’t get it done.  It would be easy to get discouraged, though that would be a huge mistake.  Routine will return, and with it a return to normalcy.  This week involves travel for work, too, so it’ll get harder before it gets easier.

I can handle the routine weeks, but I struggle to handle the non-routine weeks.  Next step is to figure out how to cope.

Onward.

No Weigh-in on Weigh-in Day

Fridays are weigh-in days.  Except today.  Vacation has been good, though the last couple of days have tested my Weight Watchers point limits.

BUT – today and tomorrow (Saturday) are travel days, headed back to Florida.  At my normal weigh-in time I’ll (hopefully) be a few hours into a several hour drive.  Overnight in Florence, South Carolina, and then back to Celebration on Saturday.  I will do a makeup weigh-in on Sunday.

Weigh In 7-24-2015

Good morning to the one or two of you that might actually see this!

Friday mornings are my weigh in mornings – and this morning, I weighed in at 317.8 pounds, which is a 4.2 pound loss from last week and a total of 5.2 pounds.

Which is outstanding.  I needed to see a week work to keep up the motivation – and this week worked.  I had a very good week in terms of my food consumption and exercise.  In particular, I have been for 5 runs since last Friday, which is the best extended stretch of getting out there I have had in over a year.

Quick note on weigh in timing:  I chose Friday very deliberately, and that is a Weight Watchers thing.  If you aren’t familiar, Weight Watchers works on points – they assign a point value to everything you eat and drink, and you are given a daily allotment of points that you are supposed to stay within.  You can eat whatever you want, but you have to stay within those points.  On top of that, you are given a weekly allotment of “cheat” points – best I can tell, this is 49 points for everybody, regardless of what your daily allotment is.  That 49 points can be used any way you want – you can go over your daily allotment by a little bit every day, or you can save it up and blow it out on one big meal.  The rule is that you can’t save up your daily points – use ’em or lose ’em – and when you run out of those extra points you’re pretty constrained.  Crucially, your points reset on your weigh-in day.

I find it much more difficult to stay within my daily point total on the weekends, for a lot of reasons that are probably obvious enough I don’t need to discuss.  So most of my 49 points winds up getting used between Friday dinner and Sunday dinner, with Friday dinner and, believe it or not, Sunday breakfast being the two huge weak spots. When I first started WW, I was using a calendar week and weighing in on Sunday morning.  The problem with that is that all of that my perception of weigh-ins was that they were being skewed.  And so I was depriving myself needlessly or feeling very guilty about things even when I stayed within my points.  Also, if I had a slip up during the week and was very low on points, I was finding it hard to keep it reined in on the weekends.

By weighing in on Friday I get rid of almost all of that psychological crap.  And, for the record, I know that is all psychological.  Over time, this comes out in the wash.  However, managing my energy is a big part of this process, and this way I just don’t have to spend any energy worrying about tonight’s perfectly legal dinner unduly impacting tomorrow morning’s weigh in.

Anyway.

Progress is good!  I feel great, and this is just the kick in the ass I needed.

Onward!

Weigh In – 6/7

Weight:  284.6

Weekly Gain / (Loss):  1.2 pounds

Total Gain / (Loss):  (42.8 pounds)

 

Five mile race next weekend – I won’t crush it, but I’m not going to back off, either.  5K in July I intend to PR with, and then a punishing 10K over Storm King mountain in August … with my family in town.  Then a half marathon in September and Ragnar (!) in October.

Break’s over.

The break is over.

Weigh In, 3-23-14

Weight:  277.2lbs

Three Week Gain / (Loss):  +1.2lbs

Two Week Gain / (Loss): (-1.0lbs)

Total Gain / (Loss):  (-50.2lbs)

So, the last time I actually posted a weigh-in was three weeks ago, on March 2nd.  I actually weighed-in on March 9th, but then missed the 16th.  That’s why you get two deltas up there.

More of the same, really, in terms of weight.  The yo-yoing around the 50 pounds down mark has gotten old, but I’m still pleased that I haven’t allowed it to get out of control.   The pattern that has developed is that I spend a couple of days going crazy and then back it off for the next couple of days.  I’m working on breaking that pattern, and I think there is some momentum there. So that’s good news.

There is also momentum with the running.  Since the last time I weighed in I’ve run a half marathon and put together several days of regular morning training.  This morning’s 5-mile run was the best start-to-finish run I’ve put together in several weeks.  And I’m back at the beginning of a half-marathon training schedule, so some of the pressure is off for the time being.  9 weeks until the next half.

Here we go…

Weigh in 3-2-2014

I’m back.

Weight:  276.0lbs

Weekly Gain / (Loss):  +2.8lbs

Total Gain / (Loss):  (-51.4lbs)

February absolutely sucked.  I mean, it sucked enough that my wife and I have solidified the decision that we’re going to move in the next couple of years so that we can limit the number of similar Februarys we have to go through for the rest of our lives.  Snow and freezing rain and sickness and cabin fever and you name it and February sucked.

OK – got that out of my system.

March is here, and brings with it hope.  And slightly warmer weather.  I ran yesterday, and I got my long run in today, and in both cases I wore shorts.  Shorts!  Also, with those two runs, I’ve now run in March about 30% of the miles I ran in February.  On March 2nd.

Did I mention that February sucked?

OK – the half marathon is two weeks from yesterday.  I’m not prepared for it, and though I still intend to PR I won’t be as prepared for it as I’d like to be.  However, these last two days of running have given me a shot of confidence that I badly needed, and I’m now feeling positive about the half.  It’ll be a big event, and I’ll get my shirt and a medal and hopefully a PR … and it will be fun, which, after all, is the point.  And then after, when the weather has begun to be consistently warmer and more runner friendly … then I’ll start bearing down to absolutely hammer my May half marathon.

Also – I’ve begun to get my food in-line as well, and increasing miles helps.  I’ve got some work travel coming up in the next couple of weeks, which is always hard.  BUT – I’m motivated, and I’m determined.  This weight plateau has been fun, but this isn’t where I want to land.  I still have 50 pounds to lose, and it is time to jump start this.

Come on, spring – we’ve missed you.

Weigh In / Long Run 2-8-14

The frustration, it is building.

Weight:  281lbs

Weekly Gain / (Loss):  +3lbs

Total Gain / (Loss):  (-46.4lbs)

Weekly Mileage:  2.42

No excuses.  This week sucked, and I’m tired of weeks sucking.  This is going the wrong way, and it is time to put it to a stop.  Back to Weight Watchers tracking, and runs (even in the 15 degree weather and snow and ice) have to happen – no matter how short.

Incidentally, I didn’t want to do this post.  This is the first time I’ve really used this forum as accountability – it wasn’t laziness that made me not want to post, it was the message.  But the message is irrelevant to the need to get it posted.  And in fact, I’d say that the fact that the message is bad increases the importance of getting this thing posted.

So here it is.  Another post coming in the next day or so.

No excuses.

Weigh-in / Long Run – 2/2/14

Disappointing weigh-in, but I was expecting it … this has been a challenging couple of weeks.

Weight: 278lbs

2 Week Gain / (Loss):  4.6lbs

Total Gain / (Loss):  (49.4lbs)

Weekly Mileage:  13.38

First quick thing – I HATE dropping back under the “50 total pounds lost” threshold.  Hate it.  And will get it under control.

I’m not going to spend the time here in this post talking about why the last two weeks have been challenging.  I could trot out a whole list of reasons excuses that I haven’t been running and eating well, and whine about how hard it is.  And, lets face it … it IS hard.  Which is totally what she said.

But instead, I want to focus here on the very encouraging things that happened in the last two weeks:

  1.  After allowing myself the sad about not running the full marathon, I finally embraced the idea of PRing the hell out of the Rock ‘n’ Roll USA Half Marathon in March.  Many many minutes will come off of my half marathon PR, and this makes me excited.
  2. I went a week and a half without doing a single run … and then put together 4 straight days at the end of that stretch saying “eff it” and doing runs way outside my comfort zone.  Including a 3-miler in 3 degree (Fahrenheit) weather.
  3. My 5-mile long run on Saturday morning was very strong.  Not only did I feel good, but the run was a strong negative split – I got stronger as the run went along.  Also, a 5-mile “long run”, after I’ve been doing 15 and 16 mile long runs, was just the thing to get me mentally enjoying this again.
  4. Today I ran a 5K that was also MUCH stronger than anticipated – only 16 seconds off of my PR on a very hilly course.  I’ll have a race report up later this week, but I could not have been more pleased with how today went.
  5. This weekend had two straight days with highs in the 40s.  I know the groundhog saw his shadow today, so I don’t want to get too excited – but come on, spring!

For giggles, I went and looked at my running log for February 2nd of last year, 2013.  It turns out that I ran 3.1 miles (I won’t call it 5K unless it is an official race – which is a comment that will have my non-American readers rolling their eyes … but, hey, what’re you going do?), and I did it in a 13 minute and 42 second per mile pace.  Which right now seems glacial.  But, in my notes, I put the following quote:  “Did not seem that fast.”   THAT fast.

Amazing how far you can come in a year.  And I’m feeling that momentum building again.

Lets go have a great week.