I originally wanted one of those Withings scales or an Aria, but since they run anywhere between $120 and $160 (it's just a SCALE, people!), I had to be a bit realistic. Since the primary feature I was interested in was body fat analysis, I just got a body fat scale for $40 bucks from Target, thanks to an awesome friend for a generous Christmas present.
I compared that scale to my old (regular old digital kind) and the weight was identical last night. Which is why I was a little disappointed when I got on this morning and the weight read 189.2. Because I had been down to 187 on the old scale yesterday morning. Whatever. Out with the old.
So, it also measures water content (I guess for determining WHAT exactly is making you weigh what you do), and estimates muscle percentage.
Without further ado:
Weight: 189.2
Fat: 38.2%
Water: 45.2%
Muscle: 29.7%
So, let's do this for a while and see what the numbers show us. Wheee!
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Back again!
I just wanted to come write a quick note about this evening. I meant to pack up all my unhealthy foods (stuff from the holidays/candy/pizza rolls) and send them to live in the freezer of a good friend. I should have done that Tuesday night. But I didn't.
Today I ate perfectly. I ate everything I planned for yesterday. But before dinner, I got a call from a loved one who needed help with some technology. Said loved one is terrible at technology. It involved calls to help desks, my own laptop crashing, my own cell phone running out of minutes, and other mishaps. Finally, we got through it, but I was sure it was going to end in hysterics, and I wasn't really sure whose they would be.
Afterwards, I reheated my dinner that had been on hold all this time. I ate it, but didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. And after that, I started thinking about the 2-lb jar of Good & Plenty in my pantry. I started rationalizing how I could just have a handful. But I know that's probably not likely. I told myself it wasn't like I really started the whole regimen today (um, yeah, I did), seeing as how I didn't make 10,000 steps or go to the gym.
Finally, I just envisioned myself in 4 months getting on the scale and not making the goal of 166.5 pounds. And then I made myself a cup of tea. Granted, the night's not entirely over, but I feel pretty confident that I'm over the whole candy thing for the night.
Now, to get the stuff out of the house. For reals.
Getting on this wagon...AGAIN!!!
Okay, so the last plan didn't go quite like I thought it would. I gained another 2 pounds.
The negative side of that, is that I gained back 22 of the 24 pounds I lost.
The positive side is that I lost a total of 2 pounds in 2012. So, if that trend were to continue for the next 3 years, I'd be at my goal weight on my 70th birthday!
In preparation for starting the new year off right, I made some vegetable soup last night, and went onto My Fitness Pal and logged today's food. I planned my entire day of food out in advance, so there could be no surprises. The plan is to continue planning food in advance. Last year, when I lost most of the weight, I was logging the food, preparing it in advance, and making sure I always food with me for work.
So back to that. In order to earn the money on healthywage.com, I will need to have lost 26 pounds by April 4. So, that means 2 pounds a week, and no backsliding and really charging through any plateaus.
The negative side of that, is that I gained back 22 of the 24 pounds I lost.
The positive side is that I lost a total of 2 pounds in 2012. So, if that trend were to continue for the next 3 years, I'd be at my goal weight on my 70th birthday!
In preparation for starting the new year off right, I made some vegetable soup last night, and went onto My Fitness Pal and logged today's food. I planned my entire day of food out in advance, so there could be no surprises. The plan is to continue planning food in advance. Last year, when I lost most of the weight, I was logging the food, preparing it in advance, and making sure I always food with me for work.
So back to that. In order to earn the money on healthywage.com, I will need to have lost 26 pounds by April 4. So, that means 2 pounds a week, and no backsliding and really charging through any plateaus.
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Trying to stay positive
So, that little "bug" I had was bronchopneumonia. For a good part of the last few weeks, I've been coughing, tired and having trouble breathing. Now, I feel mostly good. But when I got diagnosed, I realized that 1) the antibiotics were going to negate the effects of the cleanse I was on and 2) having something knock you on your ass like that, you want all your favorite "comfort" foods.
I got "comforted" all the way up to 190 pounds.
That means I have gained back 20 of the 24 pounds I lost this year.
I don't want to get into a whole "shaming" thing where I beat myself up and feel terrible. I'm trying to keep a good sense of humor about things.
At one point, when I was 180, Bup was, too. So I made a deal with him. For every week we got on the scale and I weighed more than him, I would pay him ten bucks. There's nothing for him to lose; this something I came up with to keep me in check. Now it looks like I'm going to really have to work hard to get out of this one.
Also, it's no mystery how this happened. I did unspeakable things to an Entenmann's cake, many, many cookies, cupcakes, a pumpkin roll and some mini-muffins. And cheese. Getting sick over Thanksgiving just gave me a bigger license to eat what I wanted.
So, for reals, this time. Tonight it ends. I'm not letting it slide until New Years, because then I'll have gained weight for the year. There's still time to lose a few pounds before then.
Tomorrow I eat like I did on the cleanse, with a little more leeway (if I want yogurt or a smoothie, that's fine). I have bananas, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, brown rice, yogurt and a frozen entree for dinner. I also want to make sure I'm at the gym three times this week (in addition to walking).
Okay...let's get cracking!
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Mini-update
Okay, so apparently I can get into a bit of trouble eating such a clean diet. I'm at 179 right now.
I'd be all gung-ho to turn this boat around, but I seem to have gotten some nice little bug -- the flu or something. So I'm feeling pretty terrible. But that doesn't mean there's not time to reconnect with our goals, now, does it?
I'm still working from home during my germy phase, and Thanksgiving is on Thursday. I have a giant project to work on over the weekend, but then, I'm thinking let's really kill it between the holidays. Avoid all the sugar, white flour, etc. And really get going at the gym. I have a really cute app for running that I'd like to try out, so let's make that happen next week.
On the upside, before I got sick, I was feeling MUCH better. Not sleeping all the time, and being able to get through the day without being exhausted all the time. So it was definitely worth it. But now I'm ready to start focusing on the weight loss.
Also, I'm in a few challenges on this site, so I need to kick it into high gear.
I'd be all gung-ho to turn this boat around, but I seem to have gotten some nice little bug -- the flu or something. So I'm feeling pretty terrible. But that doesn't mean there's not time to reconnect with our goals, now, does it?
I'm still working from home during my germy phase, and Thanksgiving is on Thursday. I have a giant project to work on over the weekend, but then, I'm thinking let's really kill it between the holidays. Avoid all the sugar, white flour, etc. And really get going at the gym. I have a really cute app for running that I'd like to try out, so let's make that happen next week.
On the upside, before I got sick, I was feeling MUCH better. Not sleeping all the time, and being able to get through the day without being exhausted all the time. So it was definitely worth it. But now I'm ready to start focusing on the weight loss.
Also, I'm in a few challenges on this site, so I need to kick it into high gear.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Things are getting serious
Okay, not THAT serious. But the last time I was at the doctor's, he said that even though my tests aren't back yet, there's no reason I can't cut out wheat, sugar and alcohol, to sort of clean things up in anticipation of The Big Detox.
Oh...no reason you say? But I LOVE beer! And food!!!
So last weekend, I bid adieu to those things. My diet this week has been mostly clean (a little cheese, dried fruit, mushrooms, nuts and tofu in there, but other than that, veggies and fish). I even went to a crab place with some friends and had corn on the cob and a pot of snow crabs.
But when the cleanse starts, even fish and tofu are on the no-fly list for a while. Sigh. So, today I had a nice salad from Whole Foods. I got my last kombucha for a little while and got some muenster cheese -- my favorite -- so I can say goodbye to my old friend, cheese.
Tomorrow I do my weigh-in for this little challenge. I paid 100 dollars, and if I lose 10% of my body weight in six months, I get 200 back. I'm teetering at a BMI of 30 right this very minute. If I weigh 181 tomorrow, I'm also doing the BMI challenge on the same website. If you're over 30, you pay 300 dollars to enter, and if you're under 25 in a year, you get 1000 bucks. On the one hand, it would be great to be eligible for that, but on the other hand, it's a pretty crappy mindset to wish you were heavier.
I do I feel like I've lost my mojo lately -- mostly due to the exhaustion, but also because I kind of get close to a goal and just lose interest or panic and change direction. So tomorrow's official "doctor scale weigh-in" starts the next chapter. I've been told that the beginning of the cleanse, I'll probably feel crappy, so I'm giving myself a free pass on a few things, like logging/tracking food and fretting about exercise. My logic with the food is that if you can only eat steamed or raw vegetables, how much trouble are you going to get into? And if I'm not eating protein or carbs, I'm pretty sure I'm not going to feel like training for a marathon or anything.
So, let's get this show on the road. I'm ready to start feeling better.
Oh...no reason you say? But I LOVE beer! And food!!!
So last weekend, I bid adieu to those things. My diet this week has been mostly clean (a little cheese, dried fruit, mushrooms, nuts and tofu in there, but other than that, veggies and fish). I even went to a crab place with some friends and had corn on the cob and a pot of snow crabs.
But when the cleanse starts, even fish and tofu are on the no-fly list for a while. Sigh. So, today I had a nice salad from Whole Foods. I got my last kombucha for a little while and got some muenster cheese -- my favorite -- so I can say goodbye to my old friend, cheese.
Tomorrow I do my weigh-in for this little challenge. I paid 100 dollars, and if I lose 10% of my body weight in six months, I get 200 back. I'm teetering at a BMI of 30 right this very minute. If I weigh 181 tomorrow, I'm also doing the BMI challenge on the same website. If you're over 30, you pay 300 dollars to enter, and if you're under 25 in a year, you get 1000 bucks. On the one hand, it would be great to be eligible for that, but on the other hand, it's a pretty crappy mindset to wish you were heavier.
I do I feel like I've lost my mojo lately -- mostly due to the exhaustion, but also because I kind of get close to a goal and just lose interest or panic and change direction. So tomorrow's official "doctor scale weigh-in" starts the next chapter. I've been told that the beginning of the cleanse, I'll probably feel crappy, so I'm giving myself a free pass on a few things, like logging/tracking food and fretting about exercise. My logic with the food is that if you can only eat steamed or raw vegetables, how much trouble are you going to get into? And if I'm not eating protein or carbs, I'm pretty sure I'm not going to feel like training for a marathon or anything.
So, let's get this show on the road. I'm ready to start feeling better.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
I'm still here
A couple of things have kind of stalled me out. And truthfully, none of them should have done that. I've lost a little motivation. Let's discuss:
1. Somewhere between the thyroid diagnosis and now, I've gotten into a fatigue situation that can only be described as all-out exhaustion. There has been at least another medication change that could have contributed to this, too. But really, I'm tired all day every day. When I don't have to work (ie, weekends), I can sleep for 15-17 hours a day. It's wasteful, I don't feel any better having slept that much, and it's frustrating. Additionally, I have this brain fog situation where I can't retain a lot of information. I can remember the important doctor's appointment, but not the conference call an hour later.
2. I started seeing a new set of doctors. The regular MD said she was out of options for why I'm so tired. The thyroid is now within range, so there's no reason for it. She kind of threw up her hands and suggested psychiatry. I'd be all for that, except that my only symptom is that I'm tired. I don't have pain, depression, or any other symptoms. So I'm seeing this people who do alternative and regular medicine (chiropractic, acupuncture, there's an MD, etc.) We're still in the testing, evaluating phase, but apparently there are some big dietary changes looming. This site is pretty close to what I think will be coming down the pike. http://www.thecandidadiet.com/
Since that's on the immediate horizon (next couple of weeks), I know I'm going to be pretty severely restricted. I'm not going out and eating deep fried garbage, but I'm also not trying to be on a raw food diet or anything right now. That's pretty close to what I'll be on in a few weeks!
3. I'm going away for a few days in a few days, thanks to the generosity of a dear friend of mine (Hi C!) She's watching what she eats, and I'm not going to go crazy or anything, but I'm also feeling like I'm probably not going to be eating as clean as I'd like to be, or as I will be in a couple weeks.
4. Random distractions helping other people with stuff. Nothing crazy, and certainly nothing I couldn't have been fitting healthy eating and working out into, but distractions nonetheless.
I haven't had any significant gains (I still keep bouncing up and down the 170s. I was 176 this morning and 179 on the doctor's scale), so that's good. I've been eating a TON of vegetables, mostly from the farm.
Basically where we're at is this: I'll come back from my jaunt down the shore next week and start getting back into the gym. Start cleaning up the food after my last test (I'm supposed to keep eating however it is I eat before this one.) Then follow whatever eating plan they suggest. There won't be any starchy stuff, alcohol or sugar for a while, so I'm sure we'll see SOMETHING happen! That will at least serve as a nice reboot.
This place also does nutritional and weight loss stuff. So we'll see what kind of magic we can make happen by the end of the year.
1. Somewhere between the thyroid diagnosis and now, I've gotten into a fatigue situation that can only be described as all-out exhaustion. There has been at least another medication change that could have contributed to this, too. But really, I'm tired all day every day. When I don't have to work (ie, weekends), I can sleep for 15-17 hours a day. It's wasteful, I don't feel any better having slept that much, and it's frustrating. Additionally, I have this brain fog situation where I can't retain a lot of information. I can remember the important doctor's appointment, but not the conference call an hour later.
2. I started seeing a new set of doctors. The regular MD said she was out of options for why I'm so tired. The thyroid is now within range, so there's no reason for it. She kind of threw up her hands and suggested psychiatry. I'd be all for that, except that my only symptom is that I'm tired. I don't have pain, depression, or any other symptoms. So I'm seeing this people who do alternative and regular medicine (chiropractic, acupuncture, there's an MD, etc.) We're still in the testing, evaluating phase, but apparently there are some big dietary changes looming. This site is pretty close to what I think will be coming down the pike. http://www.thecandidadiet.com/
Since that's on the immediate horizon (next couple of weeks), I know I'm going to be pretty severely restricted. I'm not going out and eating deep fried garbage, but I'm also not trying to be on a raw food diet or anything right now. That's pretty close to what I'll be on in a few weeks!
3. I'm going away for a few days in a few days, thanks to the generosity of a dear friend of mine (Hi C!) She's watching what she eats, and I'm not going to go crazy or anything, but I'm also feeling like I'm probably not going to be eating as clean as I'd like to be, or as I will be in a couple weeks.
4. Random distractions helping other people with stuff. Nothing crazy, and certainly nothing I couldn't have been fitting healthy eating and working out into, but distractions nonetheless.
I haven't had any significant gains (I still keep bouncing up and down the 170s. I was 176 this morning and 179 on the doctor's scale), so that's good. I've been eating a TON of vegetables, mostly from the farm.
Basically where we're at is this: I'll come back from my jaunt down the shore next week and start getting back into the gym. Start cleaning up the food after my last test (I'm supposed to keep eating however it is I eat before this one.) Then follow whatever eating plan they suggest. There won't be any starchy stuff, alcohol or sugar for a while, so I'm sure we'll see SOMETHING happen! That will at least serve as a nice reboot.
This place also does nutritional and weight loss stuff. So we'll see what kind of magic we can make happen by the end of the year.
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