So, 4 months later...

So, it's been four months since I last posted. My life got a little crazy... I mentioned the new boy the last time I posted. Well, once the new boy came along I suddenly had no free time left. My job, which I already hated, suddenly got a lot worse, as first my supervisor quit and now our secretary just resigned, leaving me as the only remaining employee under a terrible boss. I also had to move because my landlady lost a property settlement with her ex husband. Seeing as how it was the wrong time of year to try to find a new place (March in a college town) and I'm poor, I moved in with the new boy, who is renting to own his house. I then had to adjust to a new location and lifestyle, along with the increasing terribleness of my job. In the midst of all this, my weight loss efforts have stalled. I didn't even track points from mid-March to mid-April! I finally weighed myself a couple of weeks ago and learned that I had gained 8 lbs since weighing myself 5 weeks prior! So, I've been trying to get back on track - plan meals, track points, exercise, etc. But my life is so busy I feel like I barely have time to breathe. I just picked up a 2nd job on the weekends, and although I'm happier since meeting my boyfriend, my social life has skyrocketed and I now have 1-3 social events to go to each week. Each event involves food, and I'm so stressed lately and unhappy about my job that I seem to pig out at every opportunity. Whenever I do have the time to exercise, I rarely have the energy.

So... after following the plan successfully for over a year, I suddenly have to deal with MAJOR lifestyle changes, and it's like having to figure Weight Watchers out all over again, because I need to work to fit it in and make it part of my life style.

Before, I was mainly treating this blog like a record. I think it would help me to focus on it as a place not only to record my progress, but also to explore the issues surrounding my weight loss. So, I'll be posting a lot more frequently than I used to. I think it will also help me keep weight loss on the table amidst all the chaos of my life - if I'm always blogging about it, I can't very well forget about it, can I?

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone! I decided to do a separate post to acknowledge 2010. It's especially significant because it was this time last year (January 5th, 2009) that I started weight watchers. At the time I wasn't sure that I would stay on the plan for more than a month, but here I am, down 52.5 pounds with just 20 left to go!

I'm always really hard on myself. I was thinking about 2009 and I thought something along the lines of "glad that's over" when I realized that I actually achieved a lot in 2009. But I tend to focus on my flaws and failings instead of my achievements, so I wasn't even seeing them. I decided to make a list of my achievements in 2009:

In 2009, I:

• Lost 53.4 lbs
• Graduated with a Master's Degree
• Started on a career path
• Rescued a stray kitty, who makes me happy every day
  
• Got out of a relationship that was going nowhere
• Met a new guy :)

That's actually quite a lot! Better than most years, I might say. I don't ever make new year's resolutions anymore, but this year I thought I might try it again: In 2010, I resolve to look at myself more positively, acknowledge my achievements, appreciate my good qualities, and stop underestimating myself! It's about time!

Weigh in day 1/7/10

Long time no post! I got distracted by the holidays, traveling, and the new boy. I stopped tracking and weighing in for the past two weeks because of all the celebrations and traveling I had to do for the holidays. Needless to say, when I went to weigh in yesterday I was sure that I was going to be up 5 pounds. But somehow, miraculously, I only gained 0.4 lbs! I haven't even been exercising because it's been in the 20's and 30's here. Normally I'd be upset with a gain or a plateau but in this case I am extremely motivated by the fact that the holidays barely did anything at all to my weight loss efforts. I'm feeling positive and I'm back on the points, so I hope to see some losses in the next few weeks.

One problem I was having is my new boyfriend doesn't really keep much food in his house and tends to eat out a lot. (He's one of those people that is blessed with a freakishly high metabolism or something.) I solved this by bringing my own supplies to his house: splenda, non-perishable snacks, and frozen SmartOnes meals as "emergency rations." I also encouraged him to start keeping food in his house. I told him I would help him shop and teach him how to cook. So, we went shopping last weekend! Now his kitchen is stocked with healthy options. The biggest thing, though, is that I was honest with him and told him I'm on a diet (which I used to be too embarrassed to admit to men) and that I don't want to go out to eat a lot and I need healthy options wherever I am. So far he's been very accomodating, and he hasn't laughed at me for measuring spaghetti sauce or writing down everything I eat. At first I was afraid that this new relationship would hinder my weight loss, but now I think it's going to be fine :)

Weigh in day - 12/10/09 - Big loss!

I lost 5 lbs this week! I know why, and it's not exactly a good reason... when I'm around the new boy, I do the thing we women do where we pretend that we are mythical creatures who do not require food. I don't know what it is, I'm just really shy about eating around him! And when I do eat, I eat very small portions. I know there were a couple of days where I only used half of my points. But, I still expected to have a small loss because there was a night of pizza in with one of my roommates, and a night out to dinner with my brother in law where I stuffed myself to the point of discomfort and then had creme brulee for the first time (it was good!) I did get in a 20 mile bike ride this past weekend, but other than that I didn't get many opportunities to ride my bike because it keeps raining or being horribly cold.

Although I am thrilled to lose 5 lbs and hit my goal of 165 early, I know fast weight loss isn't healthy or sustainable. I really need to use all of my points every day! I will try... but it's so hard to do in front of men!

Weigh in day 12/3/09

(This post is a few days late) Anyway, this weigh in day was the first time I weighed in after 2 weeks. I missed weighing in on Thanksgiving because I was out of town and didn't have my scale. But, it looks like I lost 3.2 lbs over those 2 weeks. Can you believe it? I lost weight over Thanksgiving! I helped myself by riding with my dad on Thanksgiving day (30 miles) and the day after (15 miles). Those were the two days I did the most eating. Also, we had two Thanksgiving events, and my mom and I made sure we did not retain ANY leftovers. That was a good move!

On the emotional front... well, maybe I'm not that good at being single, because there's kind of a new guy... but I am taking things slow because I don't feel ready for any intense emotional connections at the moment. We are doing friend-things together, like watching movies, volunteering together, hanging out, etc. I think slow is best!

Weigh in day 11/19/09

Small loss this week - 0.8 lbs. But still, a loss is a loss. Unfortunately I barely got to exercise this week. On Thursday, my last weigh in day, it was raining so I couldn't go for a bike ride. I was so motivated by last week's big loss, however, that I decided to work out inside using my free weights. Unfortunately I overdid it, because I was so sore for the next few days that I couldn't work out at all. It was mainly my calves - I did suicides, squats, jumping jacks, and other calf-pounding exercises you probably shouldn't do without stretching. Once I was finally not sore I got in one bike ride before it rained for days. It's still raining today, so no bike ride for me :( But it's supposed to clear up soon, so I want to ride every day I can and see another big loss. On that one bike ride I went on, I achieved my fastest average speed ever - 13mph. When I started riding I always averaged around 10mph, and lately it's been more like 12.5mph. Once I get up to 15 average mph I think I'll feel comfortable joining a group and going on group rides.

As for the breakup, I think I'm feeling a lot better. From time to time I get pensive and reminiscent. In these moods I usually listen to sad songs and just steep in my grief. He is still calling me, almost every day. Neither one of us wanted to just cut off all contact. But the conversations are short and awkward, and afterwards I feel worse. I keep wondering if I wasted the last two years of my life on a doomed relationship. After my last breakup I searched desperately for a new boyfriend because I felt like I couldn't be alone, but this time I don't feel like I want another one for a while. Maybe I'll just sit back and wait for one to come to me.

Weigh in day 11/12/09 - perhaps my biggest loss ever!

I lost 4.6 lbs this week! I didn't even know that was possible! Remember, to reach my goal of losing 11.8 lbs by Dec 23rd, I needed to lose about 2 lbs per week. Now I only have to lose 1.2 lbs per week!

I think I lost so fast because whenever I gain weight very quickly (like the 3 lbs I gained in the 2 weeks prior to this one) I tend to lose it very quickly once I'm trying again. Also, I exercised every day - a 12-15 mile ride on my bike before work and on the weekend. The one day I didn't get a ride in I went for a brisk 30 min walk before the sun went down. So basically, exercise is essential for me to lose a significant amount of weight. The only thing I'm worried about for this week is that it's supposed to pour rain for a few days because of the tropical storm coming up from the south and I can't get in a bike ride.

It's also worth noting that I feel like I'm conquering the breakup by being so successful with my weight loss!