Phase Two: Week 2

So it's Sunday and the end of week 2, which means it's time for a weigh in and picture update.

October 5th when I weighed in I was 229lbs. Today I weighed in at 231lbs. Granted that is a gain of two pounds, but I was expecting at least a gain of 5 pounds so that is a win.

Here are the comparison shots: (I don't really see a whole lot of difference but then again it's only been two weeks)

Working out this week didn't really happen like it should have and I only made it to the actual gym twice this week because of job interviewing stuff and a charity event, but I did walk the dog quite a bit this week to get some kind of movement in since I didn't make it to the gym as often as I'd like. 

Good news this week though on the lifting front for leg day. I think I have figured out why I was getting so sore...doing intense cardio after. We skipped it this week and there was no major leg soreness. This makes me both happy and sad because I have figured out why it was happening but I use to do cardio all the time after leg day and now what 4-5 weeks later I can't. What's up with that? I think I am just going to try to build it back in see how it goes. 

I also think that my food plan is changing for the next two weeks and I am doing more of a cutting diet, but I am still waiting to find out exactly what will be on the menu from by brother so hopefully I can update the new two week food plan tomorrow. 

Phase Two: Week 1

Well not much to report from week one. 

The new diet has me feeling really bloated, and I am not sure what exactly is the cause but I have a feeling it might be the black beans. 

Workout wise leg day kicked my ass and left me sore for about 4ish days which is an improvement from the last leg day but still odd that I am left that sore for so many days afterwards. 

All of my other lifting days have been going well. It's odd not doing an hour of cardio every workout or doing a second workout a day. I have a feeling the lack of cardio is going to hurt me weight wise but my brother did say that I would probably gain 5ish pounds my first two weeks but to stick with it as it will pay off, so I am trying not to worry too much about it. 

Next Sunday is weigh-in/measurement/picture day and lets just say I am not looking forward to it because I know I am going to see set backs, but I have to remember that they are just numbers and there is a reason for it.

Phase Two Starting Weight and Measurements

I haven't weighed in and measured since August 17th and going off of the program for about a month I knew that when I stepped on the scale and measured today I would see a definite increase in numbers but I was hoping it wouldn't be that detrimental to my weight loss goals.

Here are my measurements from August 17th:

Weight: 224 lbs              

Chest: 44 1/2"

Biceps: 14 1/2"

Waist: 37"
Stomach (around the belly button) 40"

Hips: 44"

Thighs: 26 1/2"

Calves: 17 1/2"

These are my measurements from today:

Weight: 229 lbs              

Chest: 46 1/2"

Biceps: 14 1/2"

Waist: 38 3/4"
Stomach (around the belly button) 43"

Hips: 44 3/4"

Thighs: 27 1/2"

Calves: 17 1/2"

Here are my photos from August 17th:

   

Here are my photos from today:

So in about two months I have gained 5 pounds and 8 1/4 inches. Needless to say that I am disappointed in the gain, but the minor set back just makes me even more motivated to start this next phase and to keep myself on track as I now can see just how easy it is to undo all the hard work that did. 

Day 109 Get Fit Challenge...Weigh In and Measurements (month 4)

Well it's been about a month since my last weigh in and measurements. My goal for this month was a loss of 15 pounds and 8 inches so let's get down to the numbers and see if I hit it.

Here are my measurements from July 20th:

Weight: 231 lbs              

Chest: 45 1/2"

Biceps: 14 1/2"

Waist: 38"
Stomach (around the belly button) 43 1/4"

Hips: 45"

Thighs: 27 3/4"

Calves: 18"

These are my measurements from today:

Weight: 224 lbs              

Chest: 44 1/2"

Biceps: 14 1/2"

Waist: 37"
Stomach (around the belly button) 40"

Hips: 44"

Thighs: 26 1/2"

Calves: 17 1/2"

That is a loss of 7 pounds and 8 inches. So I definitely missed my goal for weight loss. With not being able to get to the gym as consistently this month because of  my bachelorette weekend and then my grandpa being in the hospital I can see why I didn't reach my goal of 15 pounds. Inch wise though I did reach my goal so I am pretty happy about that. 

Here are the pictures from July 20th:



Here are the pictures from today:

   

Total so far I have lost 36 pounds and 32 inches in a little over 3 months. There are 41 days until my wedding day and I have my first dress fitting this coming Friday. Since I cannot lose a huge amount of weight once the fittings start my goal for the next month is to really focus on toning up my upper body and not completely stressing out. 

Day 68 Get Fit Challenge...2 week weigh in and measurements

Today is Sunday and you know what that means...weigh in time. I wasn't expecting much since I was out last week with a rib injury. When I stepped on the scale this morning I was 4 pounds lighter and 2 inches smaller. Not horrible but not great I really need it to be between 6-10 pounds but a loss is better than a gain. 

After talking to my brother today after weighing in he said I should incorporate more cardio into my day, because you know an hour and forty minutes is not enough. So now whenever I am sitting around on the couch or watching TV or basically whenever I am not working out at the gym I should instead be on the treadmill walking on an incline. I think my cardio just went from an hour and forty a day to 5 hours a day...that can't be right...right? I'm going to start by adding in an extra 2 hours on top of what I do at the gym twice a day and see where that gets me because no one should have to workout for 9 hours a day.

Tomorrow morning I have to drive my dad to Des Moines so he can go to a specialist for his back and it's like some 2-3 hour thing so I am thinking I will not get my morning workout in so I'll definitely need to do 3 hours of walking on the treadmill when I get back to make up for things before I head to the gym tomorrow night for weightlifting and more cardio.

Day 55 Get Fit Challenge...Weigh In and Measurements (month 2-well close enough)

Ok so technically it hasn't been exactly two months yet but I was told to weigh and measure every two weeks now. So this morning before everything else I did just that. 

Here are the measurements from June 1st:

Weight: 249 lbs              

Chest: 46 1/2"

Biceps: 15 1/4"

Waist: 40 1/4"
Stomach (around the belly button) 47"

Hips: 47 3/4"

Thighs: 28 3/4"

Calves: 18 1/2"

Here are my measurements from today:

Weight: 239 lbs              

Chest: 46 1/2"

Biceps: 15"

Waist: 39"
Stomach (around the belly button) 43 1/4"

Hips: 46 1/2"

Thighs: 28 1/4"

Calves: 18"

Now if my math is correct that is a loss of 10 pounds and 7-3/4 inches in 21 days which is not bad. 

Here are the pictures from June 1st:

Here are the pictures from today:

Honestly I don't see a big difference or where the 7-3/4 inches came off of, but a loss is a loss even if you really don't notice it. I do wish it was a bit more as there is only 14 weeks until the wedding and I am still miles away from where I want to be. 

The good thing about weighing and measuring in the morning before everything is that when I went to the gym this morning I worked a lot harder. I think it's because I saw where I was and where I still need to get to and it's a bit of a motivational push. Hopefully that sticks with me for the next couple of weeks until my next weigh in and measurements. 

Day 48 Get Fit Challenge...Weigh In Day

This morning I was not looking forward to jumping on the scale as Aunt Flo is in and all the ladies knows what that means...weight gain. However, this morning I was pleasantly surprised when I got on the scale and it read 242 which means a loss of 3 pounds for this week with all the hormonies none the less so uber win there. 

Since my grandparents were in today for Father's Day and we had the wedding dress fitting mom and I just did the HIT workout this morning. I felt a little guilty about not getting lifting in again today but tomorrow is Monday and things can go back to normal with the workouts. 

The dress fitting went well today. I've lost so much in weight and inches that it was practically falling off of me which made it hard for my grandma to see a true fit but made me feel great to see the progress. Thankfully the taylors at the bridal shop are awesome and said they will have no problem altering the dress so to just keep doing what I am doing and they will take care of the rest. Though come towards the middle of August I will have to go in for alterations so hopefully by then I will have lost another 30-40 pounds (fingers crossed that's about 10 weeks from now and if I keep losing 3-4 pounds a week it's well within my reach) and they can make it fit me like a glove, assuming I don't lose too much more before the wedding.

Tomorrow is Monday and with the hiatus in lifting that means it's leg day...bring on the pain.

Day 34 Get Fit Challenge...Monthly Weigh In and Measurements

Today  I stepped on the scale at my parent's house and it read 249. When I weighed myself at my brother's house before I left on Friday it said 247. There are two possible explanations for this, 1-I managed to gain 2 pounds in two days or 2-the scale at my parent's house is heavier than the one at my brother's. The likelihood of me gaining 2 pounds in two days is slim especially with what I've been eating or rather NOT been eating, so it must be a difference in scales. Since I am here for the duration of my program I'm just going to go with what my parent's scale said. Yes, it only showed a pound lost but that is better than nothing.

Now for the measurements.  Here are my measurements from when I started:

Weight: 260 lbs              

Chest: 49 1/2"

Biceps: 15 1/4"

Waist: 43 3/4"
Stomach (around the belly button) 49 1/2"

Hips: 49 1/2"

Thighs: 29 3/4"

Calves: 18 3/4"

Here is what I measured in at today:

Weight: 249 lbs              

Chest: 46 1/2"

Biceps: 15 1/4"

Waist: 40 1/4"
Stomach (around the belly button) 47"

Hips: 47 3/4"

Thighs: 28 3/4"

Calves: 18 1/2"

That is a total of 12" for the month! Needless to say I am very pleased with these results and hopefully they continue in the next 4 months especially as my wedding date is slowly creeping up on me. 

Now for the photos. I forgot to take starting photos so I pulled a couple recent ones:

Here are the progress photos from today:

Where I notice the loss the most is from my face and my back.

So there we have it one month down. If the next 4 months goes this well I am going to be happy, happy, happy. 

Day 27 Get Fit Challenge...Weigh In Day

So it's Sunday which means it's weigh in day my least favorite day of the week. After last night's slight panic attack I tried to go into my weigh in this morning feeling positive that even if I didn't lose anything I have still made progress this week and I am fitter than when I started. 

If you don't remember last week I didn't lose anything and the weigh in before that I had gained 1.2 pounds taking me up to 261.2, so imagine my surprise when I stepped on the scale and saw 250.8. I figured it must have been off balance or something so I checked it and stepped on it again, same number popped up. Still in disbelief that I could drop 10 pounds in one week I checked it one more time, you know that whole third time's a charm business, and still there is was 250.8.  Holy Sh*t! was the only thing I could get out of my mouth. After 26 days, 52 workouts, and a week without carbs my metabolism has finally got the memo that I mean business...thank baby Jesus because there is no greater motivation than to see the numbers on a scale decrease. 

I think it's safe to say that my body just doesn't do well with carbs. This coming week I am following the same diet and workout plan and we'll see where I end up next Sunday. Eventually the plan is to re-introduce small amounts of carbs back into my diet. Until then it's still 6 meals a day 4 of which are 5 oz of chicken and 1.5 cups of veggies, a morning protein shake, and my last meal of 8 egg whites. 

This next week is also my last week here with my brother and his fiance. They have been such a huge support and motivators for me and I am a little nervous to go back to Iowa and continue on this journey as I've gotten use to them kicking my ass every day =) I also am due for my one month measurements next Sunday and progress picture as well and I am curious to see the results. 

And for tonight, well tonight is leg day and I fully plan to rock it.

Day 26 Get Fit Challenge...down side to no carbs

Week one of the no carb diet is over and I think I am suffering from some of the temporary side effects that go along with it. I have found that all this week my body has been very tired and run down. Like clockwork I would need two hour naps in the afternoon after my morning workouts as I would just be exhausted and needed some rest. All of this need for extended naps made me a little worried so I did a little research to see what might be going on with my body and I found this great article on bodybuilding.com that talks about 8 temporary side effects to low carb diets.

Side Effect 1 /// "Brain Fog"

The first major side effect that you'll likely experience—usually about 2-3 days into your low-carb "induction"—is a mental lethargy often called "brain fog." 

Side Effect 2 /// The "Induction Flu"

This goes hand-in-hand with brain fog—call it a "body fog." Since the typical Western diet is so carb-dependent, starting low carb can make your body feel like the rug has been pulled out from underneath it.

Side Effect 3 /// Increased Irritability

Feel like you have a short fuse on your low-carb diet? You're not alone. Low-carb diets can make certain people irritable, especially when they first start. 

Side Effect 4 /// Weird Smells And Tastes

Ketones are a by-product of your body using fat as fuel. This means that as you progress further into your low-carb diet, there will be an inevitable build-up of ketones—called ketosis—which can cause some unique side-effects.

Side Effect 5 /// Decreased Strength And Endurance

All the meat and protein in your new diet is going to transform you instantly into a warrior in the gym—right?Unfortunately, in the short term, many people experience the opposite. Some have no problem adapting and will respond favorably right away, while others find themselves unable to toss up numbers that used to be a cinch. They may also feel a pervasive fatigue working its way into their cardio and athletic activities.

Side Effect 6 /// Constipation

Meat itself doesn't cause constipation, but constipation can be an issue if you don't have enough roughage, no matter what your nutritional system. As a result, it's a must that you get your veggies as often as possible.

Side Effect 7 /// Dehydration

You might jump for joy the first time you step on a scale after going low-carb, but don't be fooled. That weight you lost wasn't burned off—it was peed out. Ketosis has a well-documented diuretic effect that can be pretty intense for some people. Dehydration can also make the other side-effects here more pronounced.

Side Effect 8 /// Feelings Of Depression

This is a contentious point in the low-carb community, but there are some researchers who maintain that reducing your carb intake can impact your brain's serotonin levels, putting you at risk for depression and mood imbalance. 

I am pretty sure I am dealing with side effects 2 and 5 which would explain why I've been so run down. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks things will even out and I will feel better and have more energy.

In other news on the eve of my next weigh in I find that those horrible voices have crept back into my head filling it with all kinds of negative thoughts.

I keep hearing things like this over and over:

You're disgusting and not worthy of anything good

You're lazy and undisciplined

None of this will make a difference you're still fat and will always be fat

This should be so easy and you have messed it up

I don't even know why are you trying you're a failure

What is wrong with you? 

You're doing everything wrong?

Obviously I am still struggling with my self-esteem and self worth. I've been trying to tell myself that I am happy with who I am but every time I go to think of good things about myself I hate everything. So tomorrow when I step on the scale I need to remember this:

Days 18-20 Get Fit Challenge...being social on a diet is awkward

This weekend was my brother's finace's graduation from pharmacy school (she rocks btw so proud of her) and it gave me a real eye opener about how difficult it is to have a life and do this diet. 

Sure eating 6 meals a day is easy when you're not working or obligated to go anywhere no matter how tedious it may seem. Then add in anything remotely social and the dial gets turned from tedious to OH MY GOD I HATE MY LIFE. Everything has to be planned ahead like meals, what to carry the meals around in, access to a microwave (or just deal with eating things cold as heating it up doesn't really make the food any better), and then getting up extra early or staying up extra late to get your workouts in. It's like having a baby around to take care of only it doesn't do anything cute or adorable to redeem itself.

Mostly everything just went to shit and I missed 2 meals on Saturday and 5 meals on Sunday. Yep 5 meals I ate once today and it was at 10pm...well technically I ate twice but the solitary chicken breast I had around 4pm hardly counts especially when I was drooling over everyone else's hamburgers, brats, potato and macaroni salads, chips, cookies, and pop. In short I suck at doing this diet and having any kind of social life. Good thing I don't know anyone in Iowa and will never have any plans so I can focus on all this crap. 

In addition to all of this today was a weigh in day and guess who didn't lose anything? Me. I didn't gain anything either so at least there is that. Honestly, I'm not surprised I've always had to work ten times harder than anyone else to lose any amount of weight be it from a pound to twenty pounds so why would this be any different. 

In an effort to make something happen my brother is going to rework my program for the next two weeks. So starting tomorrow I am on a no carb diet (basically I'm still eating 6 times a day but instead of having carbs with every meal I am having an extra half cup of veggies), we are focusing more on form and adding more time to each complex in my HIT workouts, and the intensity of my cardio workouts is increasing as well. Also in addition to my two cardio workouts a day I have to be more active when I am not at the gym since I am currently unemployed. This will more than likely involve me walking the dog for 30+ minutes twice a day (I'm thinking once in between my 2nd and 3rd meals and again between my 3rd and 4th meals). 

So to answer the question of the day, how do I feel? Like shit. Complete and utter failure shit. I just want to curl into a ball and cry. 

Day 14 Get Fit Challenge (pt 1)...Weigh In Day

So this morning I weighed in and I went from 260 pounds to 261.2 pounds so I gained 1.2 pounds in two weeks. Am I disappointed? Hell yes I am, but it is less than what I thought I had gained so I guess that is good. 

I think what I am struggling with about this first weigh in is that when my mother did this program she lost 7 pounds her first week only working out once a day. I am working out twice a day and I gained weight...talk about frustration. My brother says that it's not a big deal and that most people don't see weight loss till about the 4th week. I also know that I am not supposed to compare my body and the way it works to anyone else's but damn it's hard not to especially when your mother is on the line when you weigh in and then proceeds to lecture you about how you're not doing enough during the day and that you should get extra cardio in by walking for an hour or two or riding a bike in between morning and evening workouts. 

Long story short I feel like I have failed. There were a lot of expectations with me going into this from the get go and I haven't lived up to any of them yet. Hopefully this is not the trend for the next 17 weeks.