Need to get back on track!

Hello friends,

I am back after not doing a very good job keeping up with my blog. There are a couple reasons for this: One, with the weather FINALLY getting nice, I like to spend every moment I can outside in the fresh air and sunshine, not inside on the computer. Secondly, I have been bitten by the lazy crazy days of summer bug and have gotten pretty lazy. As you may know, all of our exercise equipment is in the basement. Who the heck wants to go down to the "dungeon" and workout when it's sunny and 80 degrees out? Apparently not me.

Okay fine, so what is stopping me from riding my bike, jogging, walking the dog, etc. outside? Like I said, being lazy. Instead of being active, I have taken to lounging on the patio after work with my feet up and a nice cold beverage in my hand as well as a few snacks. I tell myself I deserve to relax after 8 hrs of hard work and that I'm way too tired to do anything else. And once I start relaxing, there's no turning back.

Here's the thing: I'm not losing any weight this way! I know, shocking!! So the way I see it, I have two choices: I can make my priority relaxing after work, and not watching my dieting and remain overweight, OR....I can get back on track and start exercising and eating healthy. I hate to say it, but I've even gotten to the point of trying to except my body for what it is...surrendering to the extra fat. Can you even believe that! Although I believe a healthy body image is important and you should not dwell on the negatives, I know deep down inside of me (buried under a number of layers of fat),there is a thin person dying to get out!!!!

I know what I need to do, I just need to do it!!!

By the way, my wedding is a mere month away. I know there is no way I'm going to make my goal by then, the most I can hope for is to lose a few meager pounds at the most. I know Rich will love me no matter what I weigh, but I really want to be the best person I can for him, and for me!!

Stay tuned..............

Hitting the proverbial brick wall!

Good Morning friends!

I'm at a loss here. For the past few weeks, I've been doling out all of this great (well, perhaps good), weight loss advice hoping I sound like I actually know what the heck I'm talking about. These are things I've learned along the way, and what has worked for me in the past. Here's the thing: I've been doing what has worked for me in the past, but for some unknown reason that's driving me nuts, it's NOT working! At least not yet anyway. When I first started getting serious about losing this weight (when I was at my highest weight ever at 158 lbs last summer), I started eating better and working out. I was only working out 2-3 times per week but it was enough to lose on average 1 to 1 1/2 pounds per week. Not a lot but it was steady and consistent. Eventually, I was able to lose 18 lbs. I am still 20 to 25 lbs away from my goal weight of 115-120lbs.

So, for the past few weeks, I've been working out 3-4 times per week and trying to eat really well. I actually GAINED two pounds the end of May and have not been able to take those off, much less LOSE any more weight! What gives???? The only thing I can think of, is that I eat too little during the day, then at dinner time, I eat a little more to make up for it, and my body is in starvation mode and turns any and all extra calories right to fat to make up for the deprivation. Also, since I've been doing more strength training, it's possible I'm gaining muscle which weighs more than fat. Whatever the explanation, it is extremely frustrating. Maybe you have experienced similar problems.

Here is what I am NOT going to do: give up! Not a chance. I am going to keep pushing myself and do my best each day to stay on my program. I know eventually, my body will give in and start burning those fat cells despite it's current resolve to hang on to them!

This brings me to my current weight loss tip:

Try not to get discouraged if you don't see the results you are looking for right away! You didn't get heavy overnight and your not going to lose the weight overnight. Sometimes, it takes your body awhile to adjust to new patterns of eating and exercising. Do not give up! If you fall off track one day, resolve to do better the next day. Keep your goals in sight. It also helps to set short term as well as long term goals and to change them if needed.

Yours in Health,

Mary Lou

Great workout today!

Hello friends,

I have to give myself a little pat on the back today. I was off work and had my daughter's 8th grade commencement/award ceremony in the afternoon. I got up around 9:00am, got into my workout clothes right away and went right down to the basement to workout. Since I did some strength training/conditioning yesterday, I decided to go all cardio today. I usually try to push myself as hard as possible during my workouts to maximize my efforts. Today after warming up with a fast walk on the treadmill for 4 minutes, I decided to jog at 5.5 mph for 2 miles without stopping. There was a time when I could run for 45 minutes and do 3.5 to 4 miles but I am quite away off from that time and distance right now. The 2 miles was tough but I did it. I did a total of 2.4 miles in 30 minutes. Not a record by any stretch, but I certainly worked up a good sweat. After a little bit of stretching, I jumped on the elliptical and did 25 minutes on variable resistance. That was tough, worked up a major sweat and it felt great!

I probably sweated off another quart or so in Lee Burneson Middle School gym during the ceremony! Man was it hot and stuffy! And long! After my workout, I had a banana/strawberry smoothie. That's all I had to eat until 3pm. I was starved and grabbed a banana, granola bar, and slice of cheese before the next activity. For dinner, I made my "gourmet" burgers, with watermelon on the side.

All in all, a good day. It's going to take a long string of "good days" to see progress but I'm up for it!

Healthy tip of the day:

Get enough sleep and try to minimize stress. Both are important for your body to fight sickness and recover from exercise. I believe most people do not understand the importance of getting 7-8 hours of sleep. I have lived with sleep deprivation and it is awful. You can't treat yourself well if you are tired and fatigued. Stress is also detrimental to good health. Find ways to relax and to avoid stressful situations. Short of jumping on a plane and flying to a tropical island which is what I'd love to do!

Until next time,

Yours in Health,

Mary Lou

Consistency is key!

Okay, I'm back. I very much enjoyed the beautiful weather this weekend and had some good times with family and friends. Unfortunately, dieting and exercise took a back seat again. I've noticed a fairly consistent pattern that I'm gonna have to try to figure out a way to break. During the week, when I'm working, I do really well with the eating plan. I'm also on a fairly routine schedule which helps. On the weekends, I tend to want to relax and enjoy myself. Food and drink are part of that enjoyment. Then, I'm disappointed when I see the number on the scale Monday morning. DUH! It's almost like, when I'm doing good during the week, my body is just biding it's time until the weekend when I'm feeding it extra fat and calories and then it's party time for the fat cells!! I know for sure, that in order to see any kind of progress, I'm gonna have to be more consistent.

Rich and I are on our "Last Chance Diet/Workout Routine" before the wedding! He had to really twist my arm to get me to do our new Bosu trainer/DVD this afternoon. He had already done the 1 hour complete workout earlier. Of course I was glad when I finished it. I'm sure I'll be sore tomorrow. I'm glad Rich is encouraging me more so than he has lately. It helps to have someone motivate me when I don't feel very motivated. I am trying to fight the feeling of getting discouraged and just really try everyday to stay on track.

Here's my workout tip of the day:

Be as consistent as you possibly can. Each day may be different for you, but stay on the sensible eating plan, even if you are out and about. Try to fit in at least some exercise each day, even if it's not a full blown workout. Any exercise is better than none at all.

Yours in Health,

Mary Lou

Fighting the daily battle with fatigue and losing.

Okay, I'm struggling here. If you've been following my previous blogs, I should be giving you the impression that I have at least somewhat of an idea of how to lose weight and get in shape. My personal knowledge is based on my own personal experience over years of gaining and losing weight, as well as tons of reading materials in books and magazines on the subject. I know in my head what works for me. However, it is one thing to know what works, and a completely other thing to actually be able to do it! Ha! No shit Sherlock! Why do you think millions of other people are in the same boat? Why do you think the diet and weight loss industry is a BILLION dollar industry? Because it's NOT EASY!! Most people want the easy way out. Take this pill. Wear this rubber thing around your waist. Eat this shake. Look at our sexy, skinny model and put your face on her body. You get the picture. Think about it: if weight loss was easy, the diet industry would go out of business in a matter of days. Think about the Biggest Loser show. Those people looked like they were nearly KILLING themselves in the gym! Look what they had to go through to get where they are.

So here's my dilemma, and I'm asking for advice.

I work 4 days per week/8 hrs a day in a hospital lab. My work day usually starts at 6am. I usually get 4.5 to 5 hours of sleep per night on the days I work (not nearly enough, I know). My job is very hectic and much of the time stressful. By the time my shift is over, I am BEAT! Sometimes, I try to catch an afternoon nap. Other times, I'm running around with my kids (three of them, ages 11, 13, & 16). Every day is different. This week I work Mon-Thurs. Every day this week, I have felt tired, head achy, and just blah. There is absolutely no motivation nor energy to workout.

I have been doing fairly well with my eating plan. I usually do great all day until about late afternoon, when I'm starving and I tend to eat a little more than I should, although I'm still not eating junk (or very little).

However, I know I NEED to workout for an hour per day 4-5 days per week to make any progress. If I only work out on the days I'm off, that leaves 3 days per week. Not enough. So, what do I do about exercise on the days that I work?

Since January, I have only lost about 4 pounds. I need to lose 20lbs. So far, I'm not getting the job done. I am not happy with my appearance and don't want to use my job as an excuse. But it is what it is. For one, I know I need to get more sleep at night. However, I am a night owl and my brain and body don't start to wind down until after 11pm. I have been struggling with this since I started this job 3 years ago. All I know is, my current strategy isn't working and I need to step it up but how?

No weight loss tip today, I'll make up for it tomorrow.

Let me know if anyone has any great ideas for me!

Thank you!!

Yours in Health,

Mary Lou

Not a stellar day....

Hello Friends,

I'm back after a busy weekend of lots of yard work. I am hoping that counted as exercise because it consumed the better part of Saturday and Sunday. Our yard looks beautiful and I was pretty darn worn out by Sunday evening. I did my usual share of socializing: out with the girls on Friday night, watching our beloved Cleveland Cavaliers lose on Saturday with the neighbors. Eating and drinking more than I should but not going hog wild either.

Despite what I consider at least halfway decent efforts, the number on the scale refuses to budge!! The fact that it happens to be "that time of the month" for me does not help matters at all. I can always count on 2-3 lbs gain during this time. I am reminded once again how difficult it is for me to lose weight.

Today, I did great with my eating plan. I ate very moderate portions of healthy foods. However, I had a very hectic day at work and by the end of my shift, did not feel well at all. I had a slight headache, stomach did not feel good, and very, very fatigued. All I wanted to do after work, was to curl up in a ball and snooze on the couch. And that is exactly what I did! I was in major low energy mode the rest of the evening. Rich and I did have a very pleasant walk with the dog but that is as much energy as I could muster. I am not feeling too great about myself right now but I am trying to stay positive. We all have good days and not so good days. I have decided my weight loss tip of the day will be different ways to gauge your progress.

Mary Lou's weight loss tip #4: Use varying methods to gauge your progress:

1) The scale: Weigh yourself the same time everyday, preferably first thing in the morning. I have heard different theories, including only weigh yourself once a week. Here's what I do: I weigh myself everyday. If I don't like what I see, it motivates me to do well the rest of the day, if I'm happy with the number, it is positive reinforcement. However, I only RECORD my weight once per week. That is a good way to track progress.

2) Clothing: Your clothes fitting looser is a sure fire way to know you are losing weight. I wear scrub pants to work. When I was gaining weight, those babies were getting tighter and tighter until they were busting at the seems. I knew right away I had lost some lbs when they felt loser. I remember getting ready for a trip to Floriday in the winter years ago and being shocked when my summer "skinny" clothes actually fit. What an awesome feeling!

3) Take your measurements: I take my measurements once per month. The main areas are : chest, waist, hips, and thighs. I also measure upper arms and calves. You would be amazed how much an inch here and an inch there adds up! Just make sure you measure the same area each time at the same spot.

4) Body Fat percentage: I have a digital scale that measures body fat percentage. The average percentage for woman should be 22-24%. I am at 34%. Your body fat should decrease with your weight. That way you know you are losing fat and not lean muscle and/or water. It is a good indicator of what "type" of weight you are losing.

I need to reinforce my efforts each and every day. Try to stay positive! Tomorrow is another day full of possiblilities!

Yours in Health,

Mary Lou