Thursday, November 29

I had every intention of working out yesterday, but I apparently started my period. The ablation has prevented bleeding (yay!) but I still had all the other symptoms, including that lovely feeling as though your uterus is going to fall out. I forgot what that felt like after all these years. I also stepped on the scale this morning and my slight gain is disappearing, so that was probably water retention.

WP: (0 remain)
AP: (4 total) (0 remain)

Meal 1: Caramel Greek yogurt, hot chocolate (4) (260)
Meal 2: Salad, chocolate, peanut butter (13) (585)
Meal 3: Veggie burger with cheese, banana (8) (460)

Total: (25) (1,305)
APs: None

GHGs
Water — yes
Lean protein — yes
Whole grains — yes
Oils — yes
Dairy — yes
Exercise — no
Fruits and vegetables – yes

November 26, 2012

A little update since it’s been a while. Don’t let the weight tracker to the right fool you. I was actually down to 152 pounds without much effort, but then the lack of effort caught up and there was Thanksgiving and all of that, so I gained a bit back. But the good news is that I was losing and NOT gaining anymore, so I think if I get serious about this weight loss thing, I might actually finally have some success. I just need to avoid a repeat of yesterday.

I almost was going to wait a week to start posting here again. I had a perfect day yesterday until I went to a friend’s house and ate truffles and cheesecake and I was debating whether I should track it or just move on. But I decided to track it and see if I can manage to salvage the week. I don’t know yet if I can, but I’m going to make an effort.

I updated my other blog this morning about some life goals, including my fitness goals. But I wanted to reiterate the fitness goals here. Besides the obvious of eating less (I already eat mostly healthy, just too much sometimes), I am striving to get in a half hour of yoga daily plus an hour of more strenuous exercise, including three days a week lifting weights. I probably will only get two weight days this week, but next week I will do better.

So on that note, my very ugly food journal from yesterday awaits:

WP: (4 remain)
AP: (4 total) (4 remain)

Meal 1: Key lime Greek yogurt, hot chocolate (6) (310)
Meal 2: Salad, chocolate, peanut butter (13) (585)
Meal 3: Veggie burger with cheese, banana (8) (460)
Meal 4: Strawberry cheesecake, chocolate caramel truffles (25) (954)

Total: (52) (2,309)
APs: 1 hour run/walk (4) (460)

GHGs
Water — yes
Lean protein — yes
Whole grains — yes
Oils — yes
Dairy — yes
Exercise — yes
Fruits and vegetables – yes

In the Saddle Again

I decided to just take last week off. I gained .2 after a perfect week and six days of workouts and I was just feeling like there was no point until I got my hormones sorted, so I didn’t track all week and I didn’t really exercise except a little on Saturday. I ate pizza twice and went out for drinks and dinner on Thursday (TWO key lime martinis). I did gain another .2, but considering my terrible diet and lack of exercise, I count that as a gain.

I had the Mirena removed on Tuesday and started back on the pill. I’ve been really low on energy and hungrier than I’ve been in I don’t remember how long. I’d thought my lack of appetite was due to reducing my intake over a long period, but it seems it was probably actually hormonal. That’s going to be a bit of a challenge, but I’ll work with it. If my metabolism is working again, that’s all that matters.

I’ll begin tracking again today and updating the blog starting tomorrow.

Monday, September 10

The weekend was a bust. I ate healthy and exercised, but I was especially hungry for three days straight and ate too much. I also maintained my weight from the week before, so I guess I can’t blame sodium for the gain. I have my doctor’s appointment today and I’m hoping it’s the end of this IUD nightmare, but I may have to wait a week. I have an appointment with the gallbladder surgeon the same day next week. Oh joy of joys.

Anyway, I’m back to counting points. I also decided no more indulgence days. If something comes up, fine. But eating too much junk in one day ended up making me feel not very well at all.

WPs: 31 remain
APs: (4) (4 remain)

Meal 1: Peanut butter toast (3) (190)
Meal 2: Stir-fried veggies and tofu with cheese and sour cream, chocolate, peanut butter (11) (570)
Meal 3: Vegetarian chili (6) (326)
Meal 4: Smoothie (5) (364)

Total: 25 (1,450)

Exercise: Weights, walk/jog (4) (419)

Enough is Enough

I’ve given this losing weight with Mirena thing my best shot. I’m done. I’ve had it. I finally called the doc and made an appointment to have it out. I.Can’t.Wait.

What I’m doing now is following Weight Watchers closely and exercising pretty much daily so that, first, I will have a several-weeks-long log to show my doctor if she doubts what I tell her about the weight; and second, so that when it’s gone, I will be in a routine and won’t have to start from scratch. I’m hoping by Halloween to be down at least 15 pounds, but it will all depend on whether I can have it out on September 11 or later in the month (it’s an insurance thing). It may end up being just 10 pounds, but I’ll take it! Heck, I’ll take one pound at this point.

I’ve discussed this side effect with a few people around the Internet. One woman said she dropped five pounds in water weight the first week after she had it out and continued losing at a steady pace from then on. So, fingers crossed.

Monday, May 21, 2012

I can already tell this week is going to be void of exercise. Grrr. I didn’t have time last night. I went home and made crescia (it’s an Italian cheese bread). Along with my daughter’s graduation next week, we will also be celebrating my mother’s, aunt’s and best friend’s birthdays and they all love crescia, so as a present to them and the graduate, I baked some. I also needed to male chili since I ate the last of my last batch on Sunday. It was going to be dinner last night, but by the time I finished it, I’d eaten so many nibbles of bread dough that I wasn’t the least bit hungry. I also vacuumed the house.

I have to be at work until 5 today for a Spanish class, then I need to clean bathrooms when I get home so people don’t run away in disgust when they come stay at my house.

Tomorrow I need to vacuum again, but that will include moving furniture and getting all the crevices and stairs and clean the litterboxes. E has “convocation” at 7 way on the other side of town and has to be there by 6. We can’t figure out what exactly it is, as it’s a separate ceremony from the graduation but she has to attend it in order to attend graduation. This school of hers is just odd.

Thursday will be a drive down to Orlando to pick someone up from the airport, so seven hours round trip. I’m hoping I’ll be able to squeeze a workout in before we have to leave, but I’m not optimistic.

So that’s my week! Below is yesterday’s food:

Meal 1: Veggie burger with swiss, chocolate, peanut butter (545) (10)
Meal 2: Crescia dough (200) (4)
Meal 3: Fruit smoothie (364) (5)

Total calories: 1,109
Total points: 19

Exercise: None

Remaining WP: 35
Total and remaining AP: (0) (0)

Where to go from here?

Well, I managed a less than 1 pound loss last week. My average daily calories (net) were 958 and I exercised every day except Friday, and even then I had a softball game so I got in some activity (we won, by the way — last game of the season!).

I left 20 activity points on the table. I didn’t really do it on purpose. I’m not even deliberately eating so little. It’s just that I am not hungry enough to eat more. I work all day, so I can’t constantly eat. Then I try to exercise after work, which takes an hour or more, then a shower and exercise actually stunts my appetite, so by the time I’m hungry, I eat my dinner and have my smoothie and it’s bed time.

I know one school of thought is to eat more. And that actually used to work well for me. I saw my highest losses when I ate every last point Weight Watchers allowed. But not anymore. When I do that now, I maintain or gain. But then again, when I eat less, I maintain or gain.

Yes, I’m lighter (slightly) this week than last. But that’s my pattern, anyway. I bounce week to week between 152 and 154 and anywhere in between. It doesn’t matter if I eat more or I eat less. I don’t know how this is even possible, but it’s getting beyond annoying. Weight training isn’t making a difference. My measurements are the same.

I’m going to keep tracking and exercising as much as I can for a few more weeks and see what happens. If I see results, I’ll keep going. If I don’t, I don’t know what I’m going to do. I guess keep going, anyway, because at least I’m not gaining weight anymore. I’m definitely going to try the pill again after I get my IUD out, but that won’t be for a while.

I have a challenge coming the next two weeks. My daughter is graduating high school next week. A lot of people are coming to visit. It’s going to make fitting in a workout difficult and I know there is going to be a lot of food and alcohol flowing and I have a tough time controlling myself around the kind of food we’ll have.

One thing seems to be consistent in my life: Every time I commit to a routine, something like this comes up. Holidays, birthdays, graduations, trips out of town … I’m starting to lose my motivation to even bother.

As the Scale Rises

I’ve been carefully tracking both calories and points since Monday. I’ve exercised every day. I have not had a single day that was below 1,500 calories. I’m lifting weights.

This morning, my scale said 154.4. Now, official weigh-in is Sunday, but back when I was actually having success with losing weight, I was always down mid-week. I’m not optimistic for Sunday, but we’ll see.

I’m annoyed.

Hopeless?

Well, I tried eating more. I tried eating less. The blood tests from my physical back in October were all normal.

I know it’s been a while since I posted here. There’s been no point. Nothing is happening. My weight fluctuates week to week by exactly 2 pounds. One week I’m 152, the next 154 and then back again. No.Matter.What.I.Do.

I think it’s my birth control. I have the Mirena IUD. The company website says weight problems occur in fewer than 5% of users. Lucky me! I can’t win the Lottery with those odds, but I can get fat.

The month after I got the thing, I gained 5 pounds back of the 36 I’d lost and kept off for two years. I figured it was due to a week of lousy eating and lack of exercise because I was out of town for work. But those 5 pounds were very stubborn and never actually came off. I gained another 10 and finally got very serious with Weight Watchers again. I lost a few pounds, very slowly, but it didn’t stay off.

Finally, I was up 20! And that’s when I got really serious. And then it took me three months to lose 8 pounds, of which it took one week to regain 5. That was in September last year.

I tried eating more. I tried eating less. I started seriously lifting weights. I eat very healthy and by no measure of anyone’s opinion (except maybe an anorexic) do I overeat calories. But the scale won’t budge. And neither will the inches (yes, I measure).

Today in Florida is quite cool so instead of my usual sundress, I decided to wear pants to work. I bought these pants a couple years ago and they’ve always been a bit on the loose side, even right out of the dryer. But today, after months and months of working out and eating healthy, they are too tight. I am wearing them, but they are tight around my waist and tight around my thighs.

And I want to curl into a ball and cry. This is not fair.

Do I have to just simply stop eating to lose any weight? Would that even work? I’d probably be the first person to take in 0 calories and still gain. I’m ready to just give up. Eat what I want in whatever quantities I want and take all that time and energy spent working out and do something else with it. What difference will it even make?

Eat More, Lose Weight?

It’s counterintuitive, I know. I’m still struggling with the concept and my brain fights me daily. But my brain is losing because it can’t argue with results.

Twelve days ago, I posted that despite severely restricting calories and exercising, I was gaining weight left and right. I had to pull out my fat pants. I was ready to throw in the towel.

Instead, I decided I had nothing to lose and decided to up my calorie intake. Nothing drastic. I was gaining weight at 1,200 net calories and I was gaining weight at 1,000 net calories, so I decided to try 1,500.

I can’t say I hit that every day. I usually eat about 1,800 to 1,900 in a day (sometimes more, sometimes less) and I work off about 2,500 to 3,000 calories (that I count) each week. Sometimes more, sometimes less. I think somewhere in the week it all evens out.

And since I started that two weeks ago? I’ve lost 2.6 pounds. I’ve had losses two weeks in a row. I was 152.8 the day I wrote that post. Last Sunday, I was 152.4. It was small, but it was a loss. Yesterday morning — after a Friday night of fried lasagna and bread sticks with alfredo sauce at Olive Garden and fried dough at the fair (where we also walked around for more than two hours) — I weighed 150.2. That’s 2.2 pounds this week. And that’s pretty awesome.

Don’t get me wrong. Most days I’m eating eggs, vegetables, fruit, whole grains — the healthy stuff. I’m just eating more of it. And it’s working. And I’m thrilled.

And now I’ve written all about it and I wonder if I’m going to gain this week. Because, of course, that’s how it works.

The fat pants? Friday night, I fit into a pair of my smaller jeans. They were a bit snug, but looked good and were comfortable.