I’m Still Here…

Well, it’s been a LONG time since I’ve posted.  Over a year, in fact.  Last year, I lost a total of 33 lb.  Go me!  Except, since then, I’ve gained 8lb of that back.  I’m still worlds away from where I was, but still pretty far from where I want to be.  I’m starting the Couch to 5k program tomorrow and I can’t wait.

Just to refresh your memory…this is where I started:

 

 

And this is where I’m at now:

 

 

I’m ready.  Ready to finish this thing.  Ready for my tight pants to be my fat pants.  Ready to want to run instead of sitting on the couch.  Let’s do this!

Updates

Since this is my scheduled weigh in day, I have decided to give a little update.  The past month has been a series of ups and downs, and some big changes are coming to our family.  So I will admit that I’ve let anything and everything get in the way of my weight loss goals.  It sucks too, because I don’t want it to be that way.  And actually, I gained 1.5 lbs back over that time.  I have worked to lose it, and I have, but I shouldn’t have gained it back in the first place.  Anyway, that’s where I am right now, still only 14lb down, but working on losing the rest of this weight.  It’s not easy, this weight loss thing.  If it were, there probably wouldn’t be so many overweight people.  I’ve found that, for me, it takes a renewed commitment each day in order to be successful.  If I go into a new day and think “Meh, I’m not going to work hard today”, then guess what…I DON’T.  And my progress suffers for it.  I’m imperfect.  I’m flawed.  I’m human.  But I’m also determined (most days )  And I’m ready to be skinny again.  It will happen…if only I don’t get in my own way.

On the Wagon

Again.  Yes, I was off the wagon for a couple weeks.  I won’t elaborate as to why, but it was a pretty valid reason.  However, since then, everything has been figured out, so I am back ON the wagon again.  But I will be honest with you, my reasons for being OFF the wagon didn’t mean I had to eat as unhealthily as I did.  So I will make no excuses about that.  I have given myself a firm talking to, and have assured myself that I won’t let it happen again.

SO, having said all of that, I’m BAAACK!!  Eating well and feeling good today.  I’m about to get my shred  and hoop on, and hopefully by this afternoon I will be melted into a puddle of sweaty goodness.

“I Can Tell You’ve Lost Weight!”

How many people have to tell me that before it starts to sink in?  I can look at a few places on my body and tell that things are changing.  But as a whole, all I see when I look in the mirror is fat.  Yes, you can see my collar bones (if you squint your eyes and tilt your head ).  And yes, my double chin is shrinking.  And yes, my pants are falling off of me.  BUT, the visual changes are so slight, that unless you see me often, you probably would just think I’m an overweight housewife who sits on my bum all day.  This is the frustrating part of this process.  What you can’t see are my muscles getting stronger everyday, my fat cells shrinking ever so slowly, my confidence, motivation, and determination higher than it’s been in a very long time.  Things are changing.  Slowly.  But that’s just how it is with healthy long term weight loss.  But people are noticing.  I’ve been told  in the last week, “You’re looking great!” “I can really tell you’ve lost weight!” “Those pants are too big for you…they’re falling off!”  And even though the changes are slight, they’re still there.  And apparently noticeable.

Weigh-In Day!! Week 6 and 30 Day Shred Update

Well it’s that time again…WEIGH-IN DAY!!  And I’m happy to report that the scale DID show a loss this week   Not quite as much as yesterday’s weight check though.  Can’t I just use yesterday’s weight for today’s weigh in??  Please??  No?  OK fine.  So, I stepped on the scale today and am down 2.2lbs!!  That makes for a grand total of 14 lb total loss!  I’m feeling good and strong and healthy, so I think something is working.  I am, however, still trying to figure out the right calorie and exercise combination.  I’m sure I’ll figure it out soon enough.

THE SHRED – DAY 4

I thought I’d throw a shred update in here while I’m at it.  Today was day 4, and it was both easier and harder today.  Easier in that I am almost completely doing the full-on versions of the workouts….with the exception of push-ups. <insert stink eye here>  Push-ups.  Who in the world came up with that awful exercise anyway? *grumbles*  Anyway, it was harder today to get up off the floor to transition from one move to another.  Muscles tearing down and building up, and whatnot.  But I really feel great;  totally confident that I will be successful with this commitment.  And just think, when I finally feel like I’ve got Level 1 down, I’ll have to move on to Level 2.  I’m scared.

Cravings – And a Poll!

Last night, all I wanted in the whole wide world was a dozen cookies.  Snickerdoodles, to be exact.  (my favorite recipe)  Never mind that it would eat up (no pun intended) nearly a full day’s calorie allowance.  I. Needed. Them. But, in the end, I settled for a Kellogg’s Fiber Plus Caramel Coconut Fudge bar.  It was sweet and satisfying.  And while it wasn’t my precious snickerdoodles, it still hit the spot.

I got lucky, really.  Some of my cravings don’t go away.  For instance, last week  my precious friend Amy mentioned that her hubby wanted to make sausage balls.  Mmmm….sausage balls.  Little nuggets of sausagey, Bisquicky, cheesy goodness.  Must. Have. Sausage. Balls.  It was all down hill from there.  All I thought about from that point on was sausage balls.  I had to make them.  So I did.  I used turkey sausage, but that was the only thing I changed from the original recipe.  And you know what?  It hit the spot.  Once I had them, I didn’t need them anymore.

So my question is:

Finding a Balance

As most of you know, I’m a proud breastfeeding mama.  We’ve been nursing for 14 months, and do not have a set “end date”.  But this also makes it tricky to lose weight.  For me, when I cut calories, I lose weight and it doesn’t affect my milk supply too much.  But since I’ve added in exercise, my milk supply is suffering, and little sister is nursing constantly.  It doesn’t do either of us any good, and will probably result in no weight loss, or even weight gain at the end of the week.  Finding the right balance of calories and exercise is proving to be a daunting task.  So, I did some digging and found a breastfeeding group on Spark People that had some great information.

What I Found

Apparently there is a formula that can tell you the right amount of calories you need each day.

First figure out your “dosing weight”: Height in inches minus 60, multiply by 5, then add 100, then divide by 2.2. (this is “ideal body weight” in kg)

Then take your current weight and divide by 2.2 (this is “actual weight” in kg).

Next take actual weight in kg minus ideal body weight in kg, multiply by 0.25, then add to ideal body weight. (this is “dosing weight” in kg)

Now you need to convert your height to centimeters. take height in inches and multiply by 2.54. (this is height in cm)

Now do this equation:
655 + (9.6 x dosing wt in kg) + (1.7 x ht in cm) – (4.7 x age)

Lastly, multiply the final number by 1.2.

This is your energy expenditure. Typically you add 500 calories for breastfeeding and you would subtract 500 calories for weight loss. So i would just use the number without any adding or subtracting.

I found that info here.

According to that formula, and without adding or subtracting any calories, I ended up with 1595 calories.  I’ve been eating between 1100-1300 calories, and working out, and have had a baby attached to me 24/7.  So, I’m thinking I need to up the calories a bit.  That way little sister gets more full per feeding, and I can still work out.  Because, let’s face it, this flab ain’t going away on its own.

So, fellow breastfeeding moms, how many calories are you eating?  Do you find it tricky to lose weight while maintaining a good milk supply?  Even though little sister is 14 months old and eating 2-3 meals per day plus snacks, she still gets the bulk of her nutrition from nursing.  Any advice you may have would be great!