Finally Getting Fit

It’s a long holiday weekend here in Oz, so I slept in and had the pleasure of doing so next to my husband. Not having to deal with the alarm and having the husband home, it wasn’t until after I took a shower that I realized it is Monday. I dried myself with the towel and though, “Oh, Monday. That means weigh in.”

But as I got dressed and prepared to start work for the day (someday I’ll take a real holiday), I thought about how I have been feeling about losing weight lately. I thought about how I have been closer to just giving up completely, for good, than I have ever been. Yes, I’ve fallen off the wagon before, but never have I wanted to purposely just stop.

I also thought about an email I received over the weekend from my lovely friend Jenera. In the email, she said:

“I’ve taken breaks in weight loss (and life) before and it really helps. You might just need to take the next month to focus on YOU-not your body, just you. I know it helps me quite a bit. I think if you keep up with the exercise, still eat healthy, and have the hubby hide the scale, you might be able to refocus a bit and not be too hard on yourself. The fact that you’ve been sticking with the positive changes is a huge accomplishment!”

And she’s right. I have been so focused on numbers, pounds, losing weight, that I have lost focus on me, JM, the person inside. I have been slowly turning myself into someone who judges myself based on my looks instead of based on the beautiful person I know I am.

So for the entire month of June, I’m hiding the scale. Whether it turns out to be a bad or good thing in terms of pounds, I don’t care. I need to focus on me, take care of me, and remember why I started getting fit in the first place.

Another week and another weigh in. Weighing in this week after hitting the weights last week was not something I was looking forward to at all, but one must do what one must do, yes?

SW: 256
LW: 248
CW: 250

Bah.

A gain is definitely not what I wanted to see this week, but I suppose it’s not completely surprising given how much I’ve been hauling into doing the weights work. Now I just need to put in that extra mile with drinking enough water and the weight should come back off.

When I first saw a gain on the scale, I was quite upset. Then I reminded myself that a.) it’s about that womanly time of the month, b.) I’ve been working on weights the past week and c.) I should go on how I feel, not what the scale says.

Bottom line? I’m feeling great and that’s what should matter, not what the scale says. That’s what it’s about in the end, isn’t it? Feeling better? Getting fit? Heck, if I feel great at 170, I’ll stay happy at 170 and not kill myself over getting to 156.

Maybe it’s the fat acceptance blogs I’ve been reading lately or maybe it’s purely my mood, but I am sick of feeling like a slave to the scale. To numbers. I just want to be healthy and happy, and that is what I will continue to pursue – no matter what the scale says.

Have an awesome week.

Be sure to check out the contests I have going on my other sites: Fiction Scribe and Long Relationships. You could win some very sweet prizes.

It’s that time again, and I am more than less than enthused about the prospect. But I hopped (stepped) on the scale this morning anyway. This is what I saw…

SW: 256
LW: 248
CW: 248

I’m beginning to really dislike the number 248…

It’s the last Monday of the month and I’m left feeling like a failure. While we’re told often to focus on things besides the numbers on the scale and I know that it’s hard for someone with insulin resistance and PCOS to lose weight, it’s still hard.

I haven’t felt as committed or motivated this month to getting fit and that’s been hard to deal with. No one motivation works all of the time, but it would be nice to have two or three really strong ones that will always get me through the hard times.

Honestly, I just don’t care that much about myself. I know I want to get fit and deserve better, but… Maybe it’s because of my background or maybe it’s something else, but some days it gets really hard to answer the question, “What’s the point?”

Yet, even with all this, I worked out harder than I have worked out in a long time at the gym today. I was in a pissed off mood (which is great for gym time) and ended up pushing past what I thought were some of my limits.

At least I had that to work with. It felt great.

As a new month starts soon, I am going to make a recommitment to my health.

After all, no one is going to do it for me.

This weigh in is coming to you a little late, and I apologize for that. I do promise, though, that I weigh myself this morning. I just didn’t get the chance to write up the weigh in post. Things have been crazy stressful for me lately, but I’ll talk more about that later.

Now for the weigh in!

SW: 256
LW: 248
CW: 248

So, still no loss, but that’s okay with me, to be honest. Being on the road and being under a lot of stress otherwise has led me off the straight and narrow path a bit, so I’m happy that I haven’t gained anything (which I was sure I did).

It’s at times of high stress that make me feel like I need to gorge. Perhaps it’s the old instincts passed down over the many generations as a ‘flight or fight’ type of mentality, or maybe I’m still holding on to the times when all I really had for comfort was food.

They are things I really need to think about it I’m going to make progress.

This week isn’t looking good for a lot of gym time, but that’s okay because I need to really put my focus on to drinking more water. This has become a big problem for me because I’m not drinking nearly as much water as I used to. I feel like my lack of doing so is causing some of the headaches I’m having now.

Obviously my plan is to work in drinking more water.

What is your plan for the week? How is your healthy journey going?

Hi all! Welcome back to Monday weigh in here on Finally Getting Fit. I didn’t weigh in last week because it was my first wedding anniversary, but now it’s time to face the music and see what kind of damage (if any) there is to deal with.

Well, today is the day I haven’t been dreading but have been…not looking forward to. Like I said before, I don’t regret fully enjoying my anniversary weekend, but that was followed with a lot of time spent on the road and out of the house. Food choices weren’t exactly abundant.

I tried the best I could, and that’s what matters. I’m still in a good place mentally.

SW: 256
LW: —
CW: 248

In a good place mentally despite the fact that I’ve gained since the last week I weighed in.

I know why it happened; that’s what’s important. Yeah, I’m a bit unhappy about it, but I have gained before and that hasn’t stopped me from losing the weight. I can and will lose this weight just like I have lost weight before.

And even with the gain today, I have accomplished an awesome non-scale victory that I have been working towards:

I power walked a mile in under twenty minutes! Yay!

So with that to keep me going, I keep on with my new gym plan and I am trying to drink more water. I have no doubt that I can get the weight back off in the next couple of weeks.

How are you doing? How is your fitness journey coming along?

That’s right; I’m not weighing in today.

Today I am taking a break from dieting, exercise, and everything else. Today is the day I truly enjoy myself…and my husband.

May 5th is the day I celebrate my first wedding anniversary. Last year at this time I was nervously pacing and getting everything together so I could have the wedding I had dreamed of, getting married to the man I had always dreamed of.

We met online, me from the US and him from Australia. We went through a lot of hard times because of distance and so-called ‘friends’. But we made it through and met in person when I took a plane ride to Australia nearly a year to the day after we met online.

Seven months after we started living together, we got married at the local park, surrounded by our friends.

It wasn’t long after that that I got serious about my getting healthier. I knew that if I kept on my current track, my life would probably be a lot shorter and with a lot more complications. I’m a greedy sort and want all the time I can get with my husband, so I began on my journey.

Nearly a year later, celebrating our first anniversary, I am more in love with my husband than ever and I love myself as well. We have lived, learned and grown so much in the last year and the time has gone by so fast.

I can only hope that we see the success and abundance of love this year that we had sustain us last year.

Be well and happy.

Hello everyone! It’s that time again, and I hope you are having a wonderful Monday. No beating around the bush today; it’s time to weigh in.

Starting Weight: 256
Last week: 244
This week: 244

Yep, that’s no loss for this week, but that’s also no gain as well!

It looks like I am going to at least maintain 244 until my anniversary next Monday, which is the minimum of what I wanted to do. Given that this is (supposed to be) time of month, I’m grateful that I haven’t gained anything. Especially given that my PCOS is acting up and I haven’t actually completed the cycle, so to say.

I usually have about a two to five pound gain at this time, so I’m definitely happy with maintaining. There is also the usual gain after having a time of not eating much (I had the stomach flu last week), so I’m glad to not have gained because I’m back to eating regularly again.

How is everyone else doing? Loss? Gain? Maintain? I’d really like to hear about your strategies and how things are going for your personal weight loss.

Are you feeling good about where you are? Discouraged? Do you feel like you could use some support or do you like to battle it out alone most of the time? Are you on a diet plan or are you watching what you eat without a plan?

This week I’m really hitting the water and the gym. I’m trying to take it easy after being ill, but having a little loss for the next weigh in would be fabulous.

It’s once again that time here on Finally Getting Fit. Time to weigh in and see if anything has changed from last week.

Here goes… (SW = Starting Weight, LWI = Last Weigh In, CW = Current Weight)

SW: 256
LWI: 248
CW: 244

Well, well, well…

I’m kind of not sure what to say, to be honest. I’m definitely happy, that’s for sure. I didn’t really expect this. I suppose I should have, looking back on the stomach upset I’ve had for a little while now, but I guess I have been so focused on other things that I’ve been eating right but not thinking about the results.

I suppose that’s a good thing. Sometimes I get a little too focused on the numbers and that upsets me. This past week has been so crazy that it took my focus away, and I’m glad. Today was definitely a pleasant surprise.

Plus, I only have one pound to go before I’ve lose five percent of my body weight. Yay! I’m very happy about that. Also, my BMI is finally under 40, which is even more awesome.

Honestly, I’m a bit gobsmacked. I set the goal of 244 by my wedding anniversary (May 5th), but there was always that nugget of doubt telling me I wouldn’t get there in that time. And now I have. Early, even.

I’m not going to set another goal right now because I have yet to go through time of month, which usually means a weight spike. Actually, I’m not setting a goal loss. I do have the goal to at least maintain until the anniversary.

What are you doing for your health and fitness this week? What positive changes are you making in your life for your future?

Hello and welcome back. Today is once again weigh in day and I felt a bit apathetic getting on to the scale this morning. Still, I like to weigh in at least once a week to keep a bit of an eye on myself.

Here goes… (SW = Starting Weight, LWI = Last Weigh In, CW = Current Weight)

SW: 256
LWI: 248
CW: 248

No change for this week, but I’m okay with that. I had quite the loss last week and as long as I’m under the 250 mark, I’m happy for now.

I’m not sure what’s going on with me right now, but I’m in a bit of a ‘meh’ mood. I like when I lose weight, yes, and I don’t want to gain any, but I’m rather apathetic to both. I hate to say it, but I kind of…don’t really care about losing the pounds right now.

It’s a bit of a strange mood for me, that’s for sure. As long as it doesn’t de-motivate me or keep me from going to the gym and eating right, I reckon it’s not a big deal.

Have you ever had a time like that? Where you couldn’t honestly give a rat’s bum if the scale moved one week? I mean, I know I’d be upset if I gained, but not as upset as other times. Losing weight would be nice, but I’m not really caring about that either right now.

So it goes, I suppose. Now I just need to focus on getting through the week.

So what is your plan of action this week? Do you have anything special planned or going full steam ahead with the usual plan?

This week I am making an effort to get to the gym every day of the week. I’ve been in a bit of a lazy mood lately and haven’t been keen on going, but I always feel better once I’ve done it.

Once again I still need to do better with my water. I’m not sure why it’s so difficult sometimes when I have a water bottle next to me while I work… But I can still do better.

Monday, Monday. I had to go and pick Mondays.

Hello everyone. I hope you had a great weekend. I know I had a lovely one, but that’s usually the way it goes when I spend time with my husband. (And especially when he buys me notebooks and pens. Haha!)

Today it’s that time again, so here goes… (SW = Starting Weight, LWI = Last Weigh In, CW = Current Weight)

SW: 256
LWI: 254
CW: 248

Yay! I am quite excited. Like anyone else, I like to see big losses on the scales every now and then, and this is definitely a big loss.

Getting used to South Beach hasn’t been that hard so far. Yes, I’ve had my moments, but overall, I like salads and love eggs (with mushrooms), so I’m pretty happy most of the time.

I knew I needed to cut my addictions to bread and chocolate fast because, before I started this, my digestive system was really acting up, I was eating more for pleasure than need, and I was having unexplained skin reactions. I knew it was time to make a change.

Even not thinking about the pounds lost, I’m glad about the changes I’ve made. It will get harder, yes. This is only the first week. But I have set the goal of 244 by May 5th (my wedding anniversary) and I’m back at the gym to help me meet that goal.

This week I still need to work on getting my water where it needs to be. Like I said, I’ll be back at the gym this week, and I usually drink about one bottle of water for the whole time I’m there, so that will help.

How are you doing this week? How much have you lost/gained? How are you feeling mentally and emotionally? What are your plans of action for this week?

Another Monday, another week of finally getting fit.

Welcome to the Weigh In.

This morning sees me at a familiar looking number: 254. That number is beginning to turn into an old ‘friend’ you don’t really like having around but somehow always is anyway. That’s four pounds down from the after-Easter gain last Monday, so I’m pretty happy with it.

As I mentioned on Friday, I’ll be starting the South Beach diet this week. I’ve come to realize that I have some very bad food addictions happening (namely chocolate and breads) and I need to break the addictions.

I feel like South Beach could really be the way for me to go because it can help balance out your blood sugar, which, as an insulin resistant person, is very important to me.

This week also marks the beginning of a weight loss challenge on the Yanks Down Under forum, a place for Americans moving to Australia to hand out. (But others are welcome!) I have to say that having the challenges on that site definitely help keep me motivated. Not only do people regularly donate prizes for these challenges, it also helps with the sense that you’re not alone in this. None of us are; we just need to find the support that is out there.

So what is your plan for this week? Have you seen a loss or gain today? Stayed still? What’s been a challenge in your life when it comes to getting fit? Do you have a hard time finding support?

This is another late weigh in. My apologies. I’m not long back from a vacation that has left me sore and tired so I’m running a little behind on things. Plus it’s time of month along with me having just had four days of eating on the road, so getting on the scale to see how I am doing wasn’t exactly my priority.

I tried to be good even though we were on vacation, but it’s not easy with the meals offered at some places. Plus you’re on vacation, so even if you did pack your food diary, you might not always have it right on hand.

I wasn’t perfect this weekend by any means, so part of me is scared to get on the scale. But I certainly will tomorrow morning just because it’s better to know what I’m working with. It’ll help motivate me along.

My plan this week is to get back to the gym Wednesday (to give myself a day of slow recovery from the hiking). I need to put a real focus on drinking the minimum amount of water as well as eating bland foods for a while. I came home and found myself with a very sensitive and upset digestive system. I have no doubt that’s from all the crappy eating that I did over the long weekend.

How are you doing with your weight loss? Did you see a loss or a gain this week? No change? How are your measurements looking? What’s your plan of action for this week?

Is it Monday already? I think the weekend went entirely too fast. Then again, there is a long weekend coming up, so I shouldn’t be complaining.

Monday means it’s that time again…and I’m not very happy with my results, but they could be worse.

SW: 256
CW: 254

I was sick all of last week with a cold/cough/flu, which I’m still trying to shrug off completely. With all that going on, I still managed to keep a food diary, but that doesn’t mean I stopped to think for too long before reaching for the ice cream to soothe my sore throat. So, ice cream and all, I didn’t gain any weight, which is great.

I have to admit that I had some high hopes since I started taking the weight loss supplement, but again, I didn’t take it all the time because I was sick. Also, I didn’t get to the gym either, so no exercise plus ice cream equals no weight gain?

Sounds pretty good to me.

I went back to the gym this morning and pushed myself to a level I’m rather proud of. I plan on doing that all week, watching what I eat, keeping on with my food diary, and also getting into some positive thinking.

I truly believe positive thinking is a part of weight loss, and it’s long past time I started thinking positively about my weight loss with statements like “I can lose weight” and “I will lose weight”.
How are you doing this week? Do you have any specific plans of action? New recipes to try?

It’s that time again – weighing in!

I haven’t gone to the doctor, but I am weighing back in again because I have gone the way of assistance.

Starting weight: 256
Current weight: 254

Yes, I gained a bit of weight back during my time off the scales, but I’m keying in on the pounds lost.

What I mean by ‘gone the way of assistance’ is that I am trying an herbal supplement that is supposed to help you lose weight. Now, I know what most of you are thinking, but it’s herbal first off so I don’t mind giving it a try.

What am I trying? FatBlaster (what a stupid name, I reckon) from Naturopathica. I started it on Saturday.

So far things have been good. I’m a bit thirstier than usual and a bit gassy, but those are the only side effects so far. The thirstier part is a good thing, I think, because it will help me keep drinking enough water.

Today is Labor Day here in Victoria, so I’m not at the gym today, but I plan to get back to it starting tomorrow with more determination than ever.

Who knew two pounds could do so much for motivation?

In the future I hope to get some meal replacement powder so I can start having full, nutritious breakfasts. I love my protein mix cereal, but I think it might be making me tired.

How are you doing with your weight loss? Have you lost any? Gained? Plateau? Are you having troubles with anything? What is your plan of action for this week?

Is it already week five? Sheesh, time does fly by fast, doesn’t it?

I’m holding off on weighing in until I see my doctor, but that doesn’t mean we can’t check in how we’re doing otherwise. (And feel free to check in with your scale loss as well.)

Today is supposed to be the day I take my measurements, but I can’t seem to find my measuring tape, so I’ll have to hold off until I can find it. That’s unfortunate because usually even when my weight doesn’t move, my measurements change enough to help get me in a good mood.

Lately, I’m not sure I have the right mentality for hardcore weight loss. I can’t help but think that there is so much more going on and in the grand scheme of thing, humanity shouldn’t be so obsessed with being stick thin. I mean, we see stick thin children who are starving and that’s not even close to sexy, and yet we expect the same of ourselves.

Ever so slowly we are seeing a movement towards ‘healthy’ rather than ‘thin’, but it’s slow going and just plain not enough for those of us who are overweight and bear the burden of bad judgment even though we are watched by the McDonald’s crowd of all people while we eat our salads.

It’s a sad, sad world sometimes.

Forgive the bit of a rant, but I feel society has a lot to do with not only how we view our bodies but what we do to improve/’improve’ it.

What do you think? Do you feel ‘the world out there’ has anything to do with how you view yourself?