Why you Shouldn't Trust the Scale

Of course, there are quite a few reasons you shouldn't use the scale alone as a tool to gauge your progress. However, I am only going to talk about one of those reasons. My scale was literally lying to my face. I was using one of the old style scales and it would give me different readings. I got tired of it acting up, so I went and bought a snazzy new digital scale. I also had suspicions because every time I would be weighed on a doctor scale it said I weigh more. Well, it turns out that my old scale was being too kind and was telling me that I weigh 6 pounds less than I really do. That doesn't mean that I didn't still lose those three pounds last week. It does mean that my starting weight was 6 pounds higher. Talk about a low blow. My starting weight is actually 193 pounds and I am now 190 pounds.  Rather than 187 and 184. Yes, it really sucks but it doesn't mean anything when I think about it. If I hadn't found out soon enough then it may have affected me more drastically . Even then, I still have my progress pictures and my measurements to fall back on. Those will never lie to me! So the moral of the story is, gauge your progress using mutliple tools and you are less likely to go awry when one gets messed up or is less than your desired result. You can also gauge it on how you feel as well. I took pictures, measurements, and I'm using the scale. I also feel so much better already.

Week One Review

Well, I am done with week one and all is good so far!

I am down 3 pounds... so the scale says. The thing is, I started (this time) at 188 and now I am 184. I honestly do not consider that being down 4 pounds. My reasoning? My weight can fluctuate that much already week to week anyways because I am not consistent with my eating habits. With that being said, I have been doing pretty well, so I am not dismissing the fact that the scale has gone down. However, I am not even going to do a smidgen of a victory dance until I am under 168 pounds. Why is 168 a magic number for me? Well, that is the weight that I was at when Dereck and I met. Once I can get under that again, I will allow a small victory dance. Once I am below 150 pounds, I may do a big victory dance and some clothes shopping.

It's not all about pounds lost though. I am going to be exercising and trying to get toned. That means that I may look awesome at 160 pounds. Therefore, I am going to be taking progress pictures and I need to do my measurements tonight. Pictures and measurements will tell more truth than the number on the scale.

So, how well have I done at following my own rules?

1. Work out a minimum of 2 times a week for 45 minutes at a high intensity
2. Stay between 1200-1500 calories per day
3. Follow the Eat to Live lifestyle as closely as I can.
4. Use Calorie-Count.com for support.
5. Drink a lot of water
6. Eat every 3 hours

1. I worked out twice last week. Both times it was Zumba and I actually did 60 minutes. It was tough, but it made me feel great!
2. I only went over on my calories one day. It was yesterday and I only went over by 45 which is amazing considering I felt like it was a pig out day. Even though I went over, I still netted over 400 cals, so I was still "technically" under.
3. I have been trying to incorporate as many vegetables as possible and cut down on meat consumption.
4. I've been very active on Calorie-count.com and love using the app. The calorie camp feature is great and my BFF joined so we can keep each other in check!
5. I have been very conscious about the amount of water I am drinking and even chugging some when I realize I am way under. It's hard to remember to drink a lot of water in the winter time. 
6. While I have not been religiously eating every 3 hours, I have been using the Breakfast, Snack, Lunch, Snack, Dinner structure. Eating that way almost makes you eat every 3 hours without really timing it. I started having mixed feelings on how important it really is to eat every 3 hours. Some things I have read now say that it doesn't really matter. However, I did that in the past and it worked well for me, so I am not going to abandon my previous beliefs.

I am not sure if it is in my head or not, but my pants feel a little loser in my outer thigh area. That is one of my major problem spots, so if it's true, that is awesome. That's also the reason I am going to take measurements tonight.

24 Day Challenge: Day 16

Oops, sorry it has been over a week since I lasted posted. I am still doing the challenge. I am down to 175 LBS right now. I have strayed a little here and there, but mostly have stuck to the challenge. The things I have had over the past 8 days that are not 24 Day Challenge friendly are : A few fries, a couple crackers, a skinny cow ice cream bar, some bbq sauce,  granola bars, a sandwich that I realized a little too late was highly processed, and some bread.

I need to exercise more and the weekends continue to be the biggest challenge for me. I ran out of the meal replacement shakes and have had a sugar filled granola bar the past two mornings. It sucks. I forgot to order them and then when I remembered, I paid for 2 day air so they will be here tomorrow. I like the results I have gotten so far and I definitely plan on continuing even after the 24 days using some of the other supplements offered by Advocare and continuing to eat this way the best I can.

I really don't miss the greasy food all that much. I plan on having a turkey burger on lettuce for 4th of July. The one thing that I read that made so much sense to me was an explanation of why fast food just makes us fat. I will try to explain it the best I can remember. Fast food is highly processed and stripped of all of its nutrients. It also has added sodium to help preserve it. Therefore, when you ingest it, your body is not getting these nutrients which are needed for your body to tell you that you are full so you stop eating. It has so much added salt and fats to make it taste better too. I have always known that fast food is full of fat, but never thought of it this way. Fast Food is completely empty. If you want calories and fat, then go for it. If you actually want to give your body what it is asking for , then kick it to the curb. Your body is telling you it is hungry because it wants you to give it nutrients to give to your body, not fat to give to your thighs!

Anyways, I have to go for now, but I will be sure to keep you updated !

One-Seven-O-Yeah!

I'm very happy to update that I weighed myself yesterday and was 170 ! To celebrate I bought myself this super cute dress on eBay I've been drooling over. With some luck it'll be here the day before Christmas and I can wear it in the family pictures!

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I'm Doing Something Right!

I did my weigh in this morning and I'm happy to say that I am at 183.0, yay! That means I have lost 4.2 lbs since Sept 5th. Once again, not quite as fast as I would like, but I'm not exercising, so I don't feel like I have a right to complain. I also still eat what I want (but with some substitutions and in moderation). That puts me at a BMI (Body Mass Index) of 27 which is still in the "Overweight" range and rightly so. To be in the normal weight range for my height, I need to be between 125 and 169. That is perfectly fine with me! I hope to be around 145 anyways. :)

 I have noticed some ups and downs of changing my diet, here they are:
(I've bolded the highlights in case you don't want to read everything)

UPS:

*Feel like I have more energy
*Feel more confident just knowing that I am losing weight
* Amazingly enough my attitude towards certain foods has changed. I have started to view some really greasy foods as gross. I now sometimes crave fruits and other healthy foods.
* My pants are getting more comfortable and on the way to being a tad loose.
*Compliments! I have gotten a few compliments saying they can tell I'm losing weight. (I know I am quite verbal about it on here, but the only other people that know I am actively trying to lose weight in my day to day life are my boyfriend and my dad. My step-mom and sister now know after they complimented me and I then told them that I'm trying).
* That "full feeling" actually is started to give me a different vibe now. It is so weird to me. I used to eat until I felt "full", right? OK, sounds normal, but here is the thing... that "Full Feeling" has actually changed for me! Now when I feel full the way that I used to, I actually feel like I over ate and I am now the size of a whale. I think I have actually trained myself to now eat until I am "satisfied". It is a much better feeling too! Now I feel like I can still get up and do whatever after a full meal, whereas before all I wanted to do was lay on the couch and watch TV after dinner. Fascinating!
* I have changed the way I think about food. I now try to find food that gives me the most amount of Fiber with using the least amount of my daily calories while still tasting good. I say most amount of Fiber, but really just whatever will fill me up the most without using a lot of calories, but still be yummy :) .

DOWNS:

*Seems like my body (internally) is changing to accommodate the new way I eat. Sometimes leads to undesirable effects, but seems like that has stopped and my stomach is being normal.
*Going out to eat. I have noticed that the days I do really well on my diet are the days that I can completely control where I am going to be and what I will be eating. Days that I get asked to go out to eat at the last minute really screw with me. If I have a little advance notice, I have enough time to find the nutritional facts and make an educated decision, which makes eating out not a problem.
*Counting Calories- this is kind of an up and a down at the same time. I don't like it because sometimes I forget to do it, don't know the calorie content of a food, or I'm just being a lazy girl. I do like it because it lets me know where I am at calorie wise after lunch, so I am able to eat a sensible meal for dinner and not go over my calories for the day.
* Agreeing on dinner is harder than ever! My boyfriend is a huge fan of Meat! I think he would eat it in every single meal if he could. Besides that, he loves the type of food that I can only distinguish as being in the comfort food category. The problem is... I love these foods too! lol. So it doesn't help when he wants them and I want to make him happy, so I say ok sometimes. Him and I are basically on two different plans of diet and exercise. His is more exercise and eat what he wants and I am the opposite! I'd rather cut the calories than slaving away working them off. I figure this is probably a common issue for dieters. What really matters is that in the end we both support each others own plan for dieting and exercise and make compromises where possible, so it is not a huge issue.

So,What have I been doing to get these effects? I think I better save that for another blog, this one is getting long! lol. But I will tell you, it doesn't involve buying any magic pills, diet program, or anything special. It's about finding your will power and determination.

YOU are the only person who can make yourself Fat or Skinny!