Weekly Weigh-In #2 : -0.4kg (Total -2.6kg)

Friday, my weekly "official weigh in" day. The only day of the week I should actually be near a scale that isn't a foodscale, but unfortunately I can't let go of the daily weighing. I am afraid that if I let it slide one day, I'll fall of the wagon altogether again.  So even if the fluctuations are bringing me down when they're on the upside, it's part and parcel of this journey.

As expected the weight loss was less than remarkable this week than last, but in the end no matter how small, a loss is still a loss and a few steps closer to my goal.

Assumption Day

Today being a public Holiday (Assumption Day), it was a rather laid back Wednesday.  I didn't mind at all having a day off in the middle of the week.  Who would? :o) 

I decided to seize this occasion to increase my mid-week walk to a 10K too.  Usually I stick to 5K on weekdays, because I leave the house upon arriving from work around 18.30, and I want to get back within an hour. But today I didn't have any time imperatives, so a 10K seemed feasable.

However I left for my walk later then I originally planned.  I had scheduled the alarm for 7.30 but I just couldn't get up.  Too tired.  And it was almost 9.00 before my feet hit the bedroom floor.  A decision I regretted later on, because by leaving later I got caught in the upcoming heat.  And walking in 28 degrees, is no fun at all.  I felt I was painfully trudging along and my pace was indeniably slower than last Sunday.  I even had to make to extra stops along the way to buy new water bottles.  I usally carry a 50 cl water bottle on my walks and buy a second bottle when I pass a little shop about 2K from the end of my tour.  But today I was dehydrated and was starting to feel a bit dizzy, so I incorporated two extra pitstops on my walk.  

I think I will be looking for a camelbak type water pouch for my walks.  The other alternative would be to carry a belt with bottles on it, but considering the shape of my body it would be neither aesthetic, nor comfortable.

How do you keep hydrated on your walks?  Any suggestion is welcome.

Until tomorrow ...

Overview of my day :

Breakfast : 3 pts (50cl aquarius lemon during my workout)

Lunch : 12 pts (7 wasa crispbreads 6pts, 50g WW duckmousse 3pts, 65g philadephia grilled pepper cheese 3pts, 100g mirabelle plums 0pts)

Dinner : 10 pts (1 serving Jambalaya chicken)

Snacks: 4 pts (rocket icelolly 1pt, 2 Petit Louis 2pts)

Unused  : 19 pts

Drinks :   2,5L still water + 1 diet coke can + 50cl aquarius

Calorie counting according to FitBit:  1.266 kcal

Game On, World

After a week of being non-active due to my backpains, I finally hit the road again.  I was determined to get back into the groove and especially today as it's Nike+'s Game On, World event.  The goal is for the whole Nike+ Community to break the previous June record by earning over 361,293,515 Nikefuel in 24 hours.  I think they are going to make it, because 5 hours before closing the counter is already indicating over 338 millions nikefuel.

I am gradually increasing the distance of my walks and today I reached the 10K milestone in just over 1,5 hours, burning 1160 kcal along the way.  Which obviously made me very happy :o)  Just like 10 days ago, I broke every record I established since starting this more active lifestyle. Proof below.

Last day of the weekend again, but nexr week is going to be a bit of a weird week as Wednesday is a public holiday, so I'll have a day off.  Working two days and getting a day off, I think I could get used to that :o)

Until tomorrow ...

Overview of my day :

Breakfast : none

Lunch : 12 pts (Ribeye steak with tomatoes, salad and tomato)

Dinner : 17 pts (light cheesecake, apple, schinkenchips, tortilla de patatas)

Unused  : 19 pts

Drinks :   2,5L still water.

Calorie counting according to FitBit:  1.607 kcal

Longest run

My Sunday walk was a bit more difficult today : my legs felt heavy and I knew early on that my pace was slower than last time.  So instead of going for speed, I changed the route on a whim and decided to go for distance instead.  That's how I ended up walking a full 7K this morning.  Very pleased with myself.

On a weigh-level, there aren't any changes, but that was to be expected.

Until tomorrow ...

Overview of my day :

Breakfast : 0 pts (half a cantaloupe melon)

Lunch : 14 pts (Chicken filet, salad, tomato, potatoes, rocket icepop)

Dinner :  18 pts (starter : light mozzarella and tomato 6pts, 1 portion of Arroz caribeño 12pts)

Snack : 3 pts (Ile gourmande) 

Unused  : 13 pts

Drinks :   2L still water

Calorie counting according to FitBit:  1.482 kcal

My personal Olympics

Look at me ! First walk of the month, and I already reached my goal of breaking at least one of my July records in August. And I did more than break just one, as a true Olympian I broke five of them in one streak.  Ha ! :o)

My route today was almost the same as the one I did two weeks ago and I noticed I was going faster because of the soundtrack.  I remember that the last time I heard Kucha Las Payas, I was at an intersection and when the song kicked in today, I was already way beyond that place.  My pace has increased drastically.  My pace downhill from a month ago, is my current pace going uphill.  Seeing how the walking tempo is going up, I grow more confident in my abilities and I am slowly convincing myself that I will be able to be do the Start2Run until I reach the 5K mark, running instead of walking.

My favourite song for my walk? King of my Castle by Wamdue Project. Not exactly a recent one, but one whose beat matches my pace exactly.  I should try and find other songs with that bpm.  I have a few on the playlist that are a bit slower and I feel like they are keeping me back. Something to look into.



Weigh-in tomorrow. Unless something horrible happens overnight, there should be a nice figure on the scales.  Tune in tomorrow to see how much ...

Until tomorrow ...

Overview of my day :

Breakfast : 8 pts (20 cl halfskimmed milk 3pts, 45g nestlé fitness chocolate 5pts, apple)

Lunch : 6 pts (Thursday's Bento: 100 g steamed potatoes, 100g lean pork sirloin, 1 tsp olive oil, carrots, babycorn and snowpeas 0pts, plum and 1/2 apple 0pts)

Dinner : 15 pts (170g turkey breast 5pts, 150g rice 5pts, mushrooms 0pts, asian veggies soup 2pts, 1tsp olive oil 1pt, petit louis cheese 2pts)

Unused  : 21 pts

Drinks :   3L still water

Calorie counting according to FitBit:  1.389 kcal

July Statistics

The last day of the month : time for a recap and some stats.

My activities

I only started monitoring my steps and walks, when my FitBit was delivered on July 4, 2012.  That's why there are a couple of days missing from the chart.  As for the steps counter, the days where the activity is nearly non-existant, I simply forgot to put it on before leaving for work. I try to reach at least 5.000 steps a day, which is merely half of what the WHO advises, but nonetheless not always easy to achieve (except on days when I go walking).

 

I try to go walking twice a week and usually (weather permitting) I try to come up with routes that are at least 5K long. The little pace graph (left bottom) shows a clear improvement in my walking pace, from 11"28'/km to 9"05'/km.  I haven't tried running or jogging just yet because I didn't have the appropriate shoes until last weekend.  I might give it a try in August but otherwise definitely in September, when I will join the local athletics club and their Start2Run programme.  Start2Run is the Belgian equivalent of C25K, and after 14 weeks I should be able to run a 5K.  Hard to imagine I will ever be able to do that, but many have preceded me and if they could do it, there's no reason I should fail. Right?

 

I established a few records this month. I should be able to break at least one of them in August.

This stat really cheered me up :  despite being obese, I did more Ks than the average women my age. Ha ! :o)

My food

At the moment I keep track of my calories as well as my points according to the weight watchers programme.  I don't know which one I prefer, but I do feel that the kcal counting is more accurate.  Even if going overboard on fruits and vegetables is not as bad as overeating on junkfood or sweets, giving them all a zero points value, can be a bit tricky.  Obviously, you shouldn't be eating one kilo of aples or oranges, just because you don't have to count them.  My daily points allowance is 48 points and it came down from 50 points a day when I first started.  I can count the number of days I used up all my points on one hand. Usually, I end the day with 10 to 15 points remaining to be used.  On a kcal level, I hover on general between 1.400 en 1.700 kcal a day. 

 

My body

On average there is a downward trend on everything.  It'd better be :o)

a. My weight : I lost 4,6 kg since the first of July.

b. My body fat: According to my scales, my fat percentage dropped 2,2%.  More of half my weight is pure fat.  That's gross.  First goal, make it melt to less than 50%.

 

c. My BMI: My Body Mass Index went down by 1.5 .  It is of course still excessive but I see that it is going the right way i.e. down.

Tomorrow is a new day and a new month. I am ready to start fresh and motivated.

Until tomorrow ...

Overview of my day :

Breakfast : 8 pts (20 cl halfskimmed milk 3pts, 45g nestlé fitness chocolate 5pts, apple)

Lunch : 9 pts (Epigramme d'agneau bento: 100g lamb epigramme 7pts, 100g potato 2pts, leek & celeriac 0pts, fruits are 0 pts as well)

Dinner :  16 pts (270g baked chicken 7pts, 190g potato 4pts, salad, tomato and cucumber 0pts, 1 tbs olive oil 3pt, 45g 10% mayo 2pts)

Snacks : 3 pts (Royco minute soup Mushroom supreme)

Unused  : 12 pts

Drinks :   2.5L still water

Calorie counting according to FitBit:  1.672 kcal

Sunday walkday

My Sunday started with the usual 5K walk.  Funny, how I start to use words like "usual" when talking about exercise.  How your life can change in a matter of weeks.  Who knew?  My average pace keeps improving too (as you can see on the right).  During the walk, I felt like I was slacking a bit, as if I was walking slower than usual. But every time I checked my pace it was quicker than I expected.  I guess that my body is getting used to working about. 

Today was a very good walk and I broke 4 records: longest walk, fastest 1K and 1M as well as the quickest 5K to date.  I'm proud of myself. There, I said it :o)

Foodwise, the day could have been better.  I had lunch with my parents which was great and foodwise, completely appropriate. We spent the afternoon on the terrace enjoying the lovely weather.  Things got a bit more complicated with an unexpected Mexican dinner. I have no idea how may points/calories I used for this dinner. In between the nachos and guacamole, the fajitas and the tortilla wraps, the salsa, ... I'll assume I used all the remaining WW points of the day and about 1.500 kcal. I have no idea. But it was worth every point and every calorie.  In one month, it's the first time I haven't stayed on plan, so I am not going to beat myself up over it.  Tomorrow, it's another day and I am just starting fresh. 

Until tomorrow ...

Overview of my day :

Breakfast : none

Lunch : 12 pts (Tomato, Mozzarella, Shrimp combo as appetizer 4 pts, steak 3pts, potatoes 4 pts, spinach 0pts, 1 tsp olive oil 1pt)

Dinner : Mexican dinner tonight and I have no idea how many points were used up in between the nachos/guacamole and the fajitas.  In doubt, I'm taking up the 34 remaining points of the day.

Snack: 2 pts (1 Wasa Crispbread slices 1 pts, 1 WW cream cheeses 1pt)

Unused : 0 pts (see dinner)

Drinks :  3L still water.

Calorie counting according to FitBit:  2.185  kcal (not 100% sure as the dinner part is largely estimated)

On the move

I have mitigated feelings concerning tonight's walk. On one hand, I am happy I managed to do a 5K in the middle of the week, by leaving the office early. On the other hand, I was way slower than last Sunday and just as I like my weight going down, I would like my pace going up.  Unfortunately that's not how it works, for neither one for that matter.

During the first 2K, I had really sore shins and I seriously considered turning around and just going back home.  In the end, I decided to walk through the pain and halfway in the walk, it got distinctively better. Maybe because of a slower pace as there were many uphill parts, steeper than the slow uphill I usually take.

Right now, I feel like I am walking like an old lady.  We'll have to see how I will feel tomorrow.  I also hope that Miss Scales will be kind to me tomorrow, as she seems to have been on strike since last Sunday, giving me the same weight over and over again.  I stayed on plan, didn't stray into sugary temptation and reached all but one of my activity goals for the day.  So even if the scales don't reward me immediately, I know it is only a matter of time. 

Until tomorrow ...

Overview of my day :

Breakfast : 10 pts (half skimmed milk 3pts, 45g nestle fitness cereals 5pts, a glass of orangejuice 2pts and an apple)

Lunch : 10 pts (Chicken and beans bento : 2 Wasa Crispbread slices 2 pts, 2 WW cream cheeses 1pt, 130g of steamed baby potatoes 3pts, chicken 3pts, other fruits and veggies 0pts, 1 tsp olive oil 1pt)

Dinner : 14 pts (100g baked salmon 6pts, unweighed pasta 7pts, 1 tsp light nayonnaise 1pt, mxed salad 0pts)

Unused : 15 pts

Drinks :   2.5L still water and 0.5L sparkling water.

Calorie counting according to FitBit:  1.487  kcal

New record

I did my weekly 5K walk this morning and managed to pick the only hour of the day that it didn't rain. Am I lucky or lucky? :o)  And to top it all, I walked my fasted 5K to date.  Things couldn't be better.

I hope that one day that time will be much shorter because I will have run that distance.  

Talking about running, I was researching shops specialised in running shoes, because I feel that the soles of the ones I have are a bit too stiff and are not adequate for my weight and feet.  There appears to be a shop that offers a gait analysis in my hometown, so I'll probably visit them next weekend.  On their website, I found a link to a local athletics club and apparently they are organising a Start2Run course starting mid-September. Start2Run is the local equivalent of the US C25K programme I started on the iphone app. I am seriously considering registering with them because running in group will undoubtedly provide the stimulus I need to push myself to the limit and beyond.

Something to look forward to.

Until tomorrow...

Overview of my day :

Breakfast : none

Lunch : 9 pts (100g rice 3pts, 170g chicken grilled chicken breast 6pts, carrots & leek 0pts)

Dinner : 12 pts (50g uncooked  tagliatelle 5pts, 100g ground beef/pork 6pts, 1/2 tsp olive oil 1pt, zucchini, onion and tomatoes 0pts)

Unused : 19 pts

Snacks : 9 pts (grany biscuit, mini mars)

Drinks :   2L still water.

Calorie counting according to FitBit:  1.426 kcal

Rainy Sunday

Not much to say about this Sunday : it rained almost all day, the weight stayed stationary since yesterday, ...

The only thing worth mentioning is this :

I completely aced all the objectives : I went over the recommended 10.000 steps, climbed 25 floors and walked for 10K.  Great, isn't it?

The biggest part of this activity was done by a uptempo walk of +/- 5,5K just before lunch.  I was a bit surprised about my average speed (5.8K/h) which is way higher than the speed I usually use on a treadmill (5K/h). It seems I might have underestimated my abilities.

Unfortunately the weekend is already over. Only two more weeks before I am home for a week. I can't wait. I need a holiday!

Until tomorrow ...

Overview of my day :

Breakfast : 5 pts (greek yoghurt 5pts, apple)

Lunch : 9 pts (turkey filet 5pts, 200g potatoes 4pts, flat green beans 0pts)

Dinner :  15 pts (150g seafood 3pts, chorizo 10pts, 1 slice of bread 2pts)

Unused :  15 pts

Snacks : 5 pts (one 18g mars bar 2pts, 2 mini WW cheese 1pt, homeroasted chickpeas 2pts) -> I didn't eat anything in between meals for two weeks and this afternoon I have cravings for sweet and savoury alike.  I wonder if the extra exercise might have something to do with it ...

Drinks :   3L still water.

Calorie counting according to FitBit:  1.478 kcal

Better delay the zombie apocalypse

Source: itsfitnessbaby.com via Ingrid on Pinterest

Because I am not nearly ready.

Even a one-legged walking dead could easily take me down.  Seriously, have you seen how fast they go on TWD show?  Either they were all fabulous sprinters when they were still among the breathing kind or death is improving their running skills tenfold.  I wonder if if might be pain-related: if you can't feel anything (no burning lungs, sore shins or fear of hurting yourself), you have no limits.  Of course it could also be the fact that they are running after their food. Maybe I should run with a piece chocolate on a stick then ;o) 

All kidding aside, this to say that I managed to get in my half an hour of "athletics" tonight.  I found a local version of the Couch to 5K programme, which includes encouragements and a built-in soundtrack, but I couldn't get it to upload to the phone before heading out.  I'll have to try again later on, because it came highly recommended by my co-worker.
Talking about apps, I downloaded the Nike+ running app, so I can check how far a distance I really cover in 30 mins.  Today I covered 2.5K, of which a very small percentage was actually done running.  I am convinced getting to the 5K will take more than the advertised 10 weeks.  But as the quote goes : No matter how slow you go, you are still lapping everybody on the couch!  I need to keep that in mind.

Weight-wise, the rise I dreaded ever since I got on this "losing several days in a row" streak has finally occurred.  It is one of the inconveniences of daily weighing that I have to accept.  On the other hand, stepping onto the scales on a daily basis could be a good indicator of what type of food I react most strongly too and I have an inkling that it might be bread.  I hadn't had any until yesterday and subsequently I gained 0.4kg.  Something to monitor closely.

Until tomorrow ...

Overview of my day :

Breakfast : 10 pts (half skimmed milk 3pts, 45g nestle fitness cereals 5pts, a glass of apple juice 2pts and an apple) - same as every day

Lunch : 11 pts (Bobotie Bento 100g rice 3pts, ground beef 5 pts, green beans and apple 0pts, egg 2pts, oil 1pt)

Dinner :  10 pts (160g turkey filet 5pts, 200g potatoes 4pts, leek 0pts, cooking oil 1pt)

Unused :  19 pts

Drinks :   3L still water.

Couch to 5K ... first steps

If yesterday was really hot, with temperatures around 30°, today was way better for what I had in mind.  The thermometer indicated a balmy 21°, there was a little breeze and although overcast the weather seemed to remain dry.

So, this afternoon I donned my running shoes and a sports outfit in which I didn't look too awful (any Eeyore t-shirt is cute), switched on the Couch to 5K programme and went on my way.

I would lie if I said it was easy peasy.  I couldn't do the full minutes of running (bad, isn't it?) but if I stopped running, I just walked for a couple of seconds before setting off again.  Considering my lack of exercise and the fact that I am basically carrying an extra person on my back all the time, I am however very pleased with my achievements and the fact that I didn't give up.   Especially, as I got caught in showers out in the open, only halfway into the cycle.  Which reminds me that I should wear my contacts when working out outdoors because I couldn't see a lot with all the raindrops clinging to my glasses. :o)

I'll have to redo the first week's training until I can do the minutes of running without stopping.  It's no use to try to move faster than I am able to.

All in all, I had a great Sunday : I met my running challenge, I lost another 0.5 Kg on the scales this morning and Spain won the Euro 2012.  I'll go to sleep with an immense feeling of satisfaction. :o)

Until tomorrow ...

Overview of my day :

Breakfast : no time for breakfast as most weekends

Lunch : 16 pts (Bami goreng with unweighed portion of pasta, an egg, lean ham and a bit of provençal tian on the side and an apple for dessert)

Dinner : 15 pts (2 pork/veal meatballs with an unweighed portion of rice, and a tomato/zucchini sauce and an apple for dessert)

Unused : 19 pts

Drinks : 2.2L still water.

Day 10 - Beat

Feeling exhausted and not up to typing a post tonight.  I guess the pilates course took a bit more strength than I expected it to.  Nevertheless, a little post because I need to keep the routine up.  More tomorrow.

Overview of my day :

Breakfast : 8 pts
Lunch : 9 pts (Saveurs d'orient bento)
Dinner :11 pts
Snacks : 9 pts

Day 8 - Not a happy bunny

Getting up this morning was already quite an achievement. It was so nice as toasty under the duvet that when the alarm went off at 6.00 AM, my initial reaction was to hide my head under the pillow and pretend it wasn't there.  Pretend that it was Sunday morning and that I could slumber in bed for another couple of hours. Obviously, it doesn't work like that ... especially as I have one of those annoying alarms that gets louder the longer you wait to cut it off.  So after having snoozed the alarm a couple of times, I grabbed all my courage together, threw back that warm, cosy duvet and rushed to the bathroom for the daily routine : the scales.

And that's when it happened.
Shock and horror.
It didn't indicate the right number.

Believing something was up with that crappy piece of technology, I got off, switched it back on, stepped on it again, ... to no avail.  Two tries later, I was forced to admit that something had gone terribly wrong.  I gained 1.1 kg overnight. :o(  Looking back at my food diary I can't see anything special: I stayed well within my points budget, ate my fruits and veggies, drank my water ...  The only thing "out of the ordinary" would be the little bit of toast I had with supper.  I didn't eat any bread since I started dieting last Monday, but I can't imagine that 50g of toast would have that effect on me.  Thinking of it, I might have skipped my thyroid medication on Sunday morning as well.  If that's the price to pay for forgetfulness and a little toast .... that's harsh.

I'll have to see what tomorrow brings.  I was so happy yesterday, being only a breath away from the Jan. 2011 starting weight, that this set back really threw me.   If I ever needed a reminder why weighing yourself on a daily basis is not a smart move, I think I got it.  No need to rub my nose into it...

On the other hand, I did something today I promised myself I would.  I went to a Healthcity club close to the office straight after work and worked out, something I didn't do for several months.


I changed sports club back in September but if I am really honest, I didn't once go in and do a proper workout since the day I signed the papers. There was always a welcome excuse for me to use (horrible weather, feeling sad for myself, bad day at work, no time, ...).  What a change compared to my high motivation days when I was at the gym 5 or 6 days a week.  I didn't spent hours on end at my first club but the hour that I worked out, made me feel good about myself.  And although I am heavily overweight, people there were friendly, never seemed to laugh behind my back or make nasty comments. After a while, I came to recognise the regulars and we had a laugh and a chat, before getting back to our exercise routines.  I think that's also one of the excuses I have used to not go and work out since I changed clubs.  What if people the new place are all skinny bitches and treated me like a freak. Like, what's that fattie doing in our gym?  I have always been self conscious and that mentality hasn't improved with age neither.

The advantage of the premium subscription I have at Healthcity is that I can go to any of the 20+ clubs they have in the country. So I can go to one close to the office after work (thus avoiding trafic jams), one close to home during weekends and pick and chose the group courses I find interesting, no matter which club they are given in.  So on Wednesday, I am going to another club (halfway between the office and home) because they have a Pilates course that starts at 6.30 PM which I would love to try.  Working out tonight was hellish. Like losing weight, acquiring condition is something you have to work hard for but which you loose much faster. Motivation is the key to keep going.

Overview of my day :

Breakfast : 8 pts
Lunch : 10 pts (Scaloppina alla milanese bento)
Dinner :16 pts
Snacks : 4 pts