So, first off, holy crap! I'm down 117! I'm back in the 240's again and am down in the teens as far as sizes. Top half is further into the teens than the rest of me, but woohoo! I'm outta the 20's officially.
My original goal was to be at 185 at the end of this journey. That's 63 pounds from now. Totally do-able in my guesstimation, but as I continue to shrink, I wonder if it's a number I should be striving for. Personally, I think I look my best as a size 10-12. Anything lower than that and I start to look like a stick figure. I'm not built to be small. I'm also not built to be the size I am now, so don't misconstrue this line of reasoning as my giving up on being more svelte. That's the thing though, I just want to be svelte, not skinny.
I've lost weight different ways and have looked fantastic at 220, 155 and 185. This time though, I've really added a lot of muscle mass throughout my body and I'm curious to see what 220 looks like this go-round. Hell, I'm curious to see what 230 looks like. If I don't have anything flabby hanging off of me, I'm wondering if I might want to hold at 210-220.
Is it just that "2" in front of my weight that's bugging me? I haven't been without it for over a decade and I would sure as hell not mind to see it go. That said, if I look great and that number is still there...does it really matter? If I'm healthy, does it matter?
If I'm a size 10-12...seriously, does it matter?
We'll see!
Showing posts with label milestone. Show all posts
Showing posts with label milestone. Show all posts
Monday, February 20, 2012
Sunday, January 15, 2012
103...Abs and Arms: You're On Notice!
It's still odd for me to conceptualize any number over 99. The 3 digits 1-0-0 were something I had always hoped I'd see in terms of weight loss, but, if I'm being totally honest with myself, I'm not entirely certain it's a milestone I completely and wholeheartedly believed I had the ability to achieve. Yet, here I sit at 103 pounds lost (as of last night). Now my goal of losing a full 180-185 doesn't seem nearly as impossible or far off. In fact, I think that I might just make it there by the time I get married in July.
Here's the latest round of pics.
Ooops! Now, how did THAT get in there?
The difference over the past few weeks has really been in my abdominal region and in my arms. I've gotten a lot more aggressive there.
On top of the bike, which I do at about 16-18 mph for 30-35 minutes 3-4x per week plus a ten minute hand weight routine, I'm also still doing my full body 40 minute pilates workout at least 2x per week.
Then, I've just added a customized stability ball and resistance band workout to the arm, arse and ab toning regimen. The ball/band routine is still a work in progress, but here are the highlights:
I've combined the Biggest Loser Stability Ball Workout (if you're interested, it came with this product: http://www.amazon.com/Biggest-Loser-Advantage-Stability-Orange/dp/B001JIV6A0)
...with a core routine courtesy of Real Simple (http://www.realsimple.com/health/fitness-exercise/workouts/stronger-abs-in-fifteen-minutes-00000000022852/index.html)
...plus another resistance band routine, also courtesy of Real Simple (http://www.realsimple.com/health/fitness-exercise/workouts/resistance-band-exercises-00100000067997/index.html)
I've cut the overlapping exercises, making it about a 25-30 minute strength training blast. It's a nice change from what I've been doing and a hell of a challenge. Did this on Friday and am still sore on Sunday. That "Monkey" exercise in the last RS workout is a hell of a killer.
Anyway, I think I've ramped things up in the exercise department just enough to hold me for at least another month. I've built in a good amount of variety and challenges to keep me interested as well. I really want to see my abs and arms take shape, so it feels good to start targeting them more directly. The rest of me is kind of falling (or raising) into place pretty naturally.
As for the diet, Medifast is shockingly easy for me to stick with. It's been weird to move back to being a carnivore...but I'm still steering pretty clear of red meat (minus the roast beef yesterday). That said, I feel a lot of energy, I see a lot of progress and, while it's friggin expensive as all hell, I also see it as a worthy investment in my future. I'm actually really glad that I started it when I did, since it does put me on a path to be pretty slim (if not at my goal weight) by mid-July. I had no idea we'd be getting hitched back when I hopped on the train in November, but things do often have a mysterious way of working out.
Onward and downward!
Here's the latest round of pics.
Ooops! Now, how did THAT get in there?
The difference over the past few weeks has really been in my abdominal region and in my arms. I've gotten a lot more aggressive there.
On top of the bike, which I do at about 16-18 mph for 30-35 minutes 3-4x per week plus a ten minute hand weight routine, I'm also still doing my full body 40 minute pilates workout at least 2x per week.
Then, I've just added a customized stability ball and resistance band workout to the arm, arse and ab toning regimen. The ball/band routine is still a work in progress, but here are the highlights:
I've combined the Biggest Loser Stability Ball Workout (if you're interested, it came with this product: http://www.amazon.com/Biggest-Loser-Advantage-Stability-Orange/dp/B001JIV6A0)
...with a core routine courtesy of Real Simple (http://www.realsimple.com/health/fitness-exercise/workouts/stronger-abs-in-fifteen-minutes-00000000022852/index.html)
...plus another resistance band routine, also courtesy of Real Simple (http://www.realsimple.com/health/fitness-exercise/workouts/resistance-band-exercises-00100000067997/index.html)
I've cut the overlapping exercises, making it about a 25-30 minute strength training blast. It's a nice change from what I've been doing and a hell of a challenge. Did this on Friday and am still sore on Sunday. That "Monkey" exercise in the last RS workout is a hell of a killer.
Anyway, I think I've ramped things up in the exercise department just enough to hold me for at least another month. I've built in a good amount of variety and challenges to keep me interested as well. I really want to see my abs and arms take shape, so it feels good to start targeting them more directly. The rest of me is kind of falling (or raising) into place pretty naturally.
As for the diet, Medifast is shockingly easy for me to stick with. It's been weird to move back to being a carnivore...but I'm still steering pretty clear of red meat (minus the roast beef yesterday). That said, I feel a lot of energy, I see a lot of progress and, while it's friggin expensive as all hell, I also see it as a worthy investment in my future. I'm actually really glad that I started it when I did, since it does put me on a path to be pretty slim (if not at my goal weight) by mid-July. I had no idea we'd be getting hitched back when I hopped on the train in November, but things do often have a mysterious way of working out.
Onward and downward!
Monday, December 12, 2011
What The Huh?
So, I hit 92 pounds lost today. I mean, sure, I was expecting 90 maybe...but 92?!?! Holy crapola!
...is it reasonable to think I might just his 100 by NYE?
...is it reasonable to think I might just his 100 by NYE?
Monday, December 5, 2011
99 Problems (but it sure beats 100)
Today, (well - yesterday, really - but I'm blogging about it today) I hit 86 pounds of weight loss.
For those of you keeping score, that means I only have 99 pounds left to lose. Now, I know the word "only" is pretty laughable -- but, for me, the fact that I no longer have over 100 pounds to go is as much a psychological achievement as it is a physical one.
The past few pounds have really started to show in my ab region -- and thank friggin' bejeebus, because I have been doing so much targeted core work, it's almost absurd. Between pilates 2-3x/week, my 2-3x/week on the bike (which also works the abs and lower back) and my general mat ab work that I try to do an additional 1x/week, it's about damn time that my spare tire shrink from SUV size to something you'd maybe find on a Smart Car.
Maybe you can see the change too -- here are the latest pics.
For those of you keeping score, that means I only have 99 pounds left to lose. Now, I know the word "only" is pretty laughable -- but, for me, the fact that I no longer have over 100 pounds to go is as much a psychological achievement as it is a physical one.
The past few pounds have really started to show in my ab region -- and thank friggin' bejeebus, because I have been doing so much targeted core work, it's almost absurd. Between pilates 2-3x/week, my 2-3x/week on the bike (which also works the abs and lower back) and my general mat ab work that I try to do an additional 1x/week, it's about damn time that my spare tire shrink from SUV size to something you'd maybe find on a Smart Car.
Maybe you can see the change too -- here are the latest pics.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Ocho Cinco
I officially weigh just under what I did when I left NYC for Upstate NY. I'm fitting back into a whole bunch of clothes I thankfully never tossed out from that era and I've had to draw the strings on my lounging around the house/work-from-home uniform once again. (Glad I'm a packrat or else this process would be infinitely more expensive).
On to weighing what I did when I arrived in NYC. ...and THEN! What I weighed when I arrived at college.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
The Half Pound That Changes Everything
Today, I surpassed 75 pounds of weight loss...by a half a pound. Now, 75.5 pounds is accomplishment enough, but that it signifies the single largest amount of weight I've ever lost in one diet/lifestyle change/unified attempt...that half a pound means everything.
I now enter new and unchartered territory. Each new pound lost signifies a new accomplishment that I have never achieved. That's not to say the last 75 haven't been gratifying - but there's something about doing better than you've ever done before that really tickles the psyche.
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| next stop: saddlebags! |
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| 289.5...and more revealing pants. |
I now enter new and unchartered territory. Each new pound lost signifies a new accomplishment that I have never achieved. That's not to say the last 75 haven't been gratifying - but there's something about doing better than you've ever done before that really tickles the psyche.
I am not going to allow the fact that this hurdle was overcome thanks to the help of Medifast - something I started on Friday - take away from this achievement. I lost those first 74 fair and square. I learned the lessons. I changed my habits, my attitude and my body. Frankly, I just don't want to spend the next 2 years losing what's left to be lost. I'm ready to start living the rest of my life now -- I know I'm ready! So, hopefully Medifast will push things along.
I thought about Medifast throughout the past two years and could never bring myself to do it. I wasn't ready to give up alcohol. I didn't want to give up my snacks (even the healthy ones). I didn't want to surrender the bits of pieces of control and, honestly, the cheating (however small those cheats were). I wasn't ready to accept my food addiction - not completely. Now I am. And, because I have so many fewer hangups about food/control over food (and food's control over me), I'm ready for Medifast. The plan meals actually taste good and I still get to cook one healthy meal every day. I feel fueled and satisfied. I feel my new attitude about food as fuel taking a solid hold in my mind.
Here's to the next 75!
