Vacations and Weight Loss

Today is my one-month weigh in since joining Colin Devroe's the diet. I began on May 29th at 123.6 and today I am at 118.5. That is a loss of 5.1 pounds. I am extremely happy with this since I spent the last 2 weeks in Orlando, FL on vacation. I am actually up .9 pounds from my June 15th weigh-in, but I'm happy that I am taking the weight off again!

I have to say that I was not keeping to my good food choices while in Orlando. I also did not exercise daily like I do at home. I expected a larger weight gain than I had, but am pleased that I have fallen right back into my routine and better eating habits.

Here is what I consider to be some DON'Ts for vacations (all of which I did these last two weeks):

1. Don't go on vacation without a plan. Plan what types of food choices to make in restaurants, or what types of foods to purchase (we had a condo with a full kitchen). Plan to incorporate exercise or movement into your vacation.
2. Don't give yourself permission to indulge. After 2 days of decent food choices (fruits, veggies, salads with dressing on the side, lean meat, fish) I decided "heck with it" and as each day progressed I ate more calories, more fat, less fiber, less protein, and more desserts!
3. Don't ignore the scale. Our condo had two scales - one in each bathroom. I weighed myself the first 3 days. One day 3, I watched the scale (not a digital) needle go back above the 120 pound mark. That's when I decided to ignore the scale the remaining 11 days.
4. Don't stop exercising. Even though we spent quite a few days walking the Disney theme parks, we also spent many afternoons and evenings lounging around the pool or pond. I fully intended to go to a local Curves, but the closest one was over 8 miles away. The hotel that was affiliated with our condos was over a mile away (not easily accessbile) where the 'gym' was located. I never really made any effort to continue to exercise the entire two weeks.
5. Don't stop drinking water. Even though it was in the 90's every day, I did not keep up with my water intake. I am sure this contributed to my vacation weight gain (somewhere in the neighborhood of 4-5 pounds). Okay, so a Hot Fudge Sundae, sausage, bacon, 3 pieces of chocolate cake and a smore's dessert didn't help!
6. Don't stop tracking what, when, or how much you eat. Portion sizes seem to increase on vacation. One dessert leads to another the next night. Buffets and irregular eating times can really make for excessive or unhealthy food choices.

Vacation DOs:

1. Choose a condo/hotel/location with easy access to exercise equipment, walking paths, or any sport you enjoy playing (golf, tennis, volleyball). And more importantly, plan these activities into your day!
2. Research before you leave home. I could have looked into the local restaurants and determined the best food choices on the menus. I could have made better choices at the grocery store. I could have planned ways to incorporate exercise into my days. Coulda, woulda, shoulda..... no matter what you DID on vacation, get right back on track when you get home! Don't beat yourself up - just refocus.
3. Write down what you eat! I began this process, but gave it up after the first few days. Had I continued to track this information, I might have continued to eat more fruit, salads, and lean proteins. This would have been a daily reminder of how well (or not) I was eating.
4. Weigh every day. If you have acess to a scale - use it! By putting your head in the sand, you are only ignoring the reality of where you are. It is better to know where you are than find out after you have added a few pounds. It is easier to keep the weight off than it is to take it off.
5. Drink water. This is so important. I am usually very good about this. Because I wasn't always willing to run to the bathroom I decided to substantially lower my water intake.

Join the-diet!

This diet is sponsored by The Diet Channel.

Week 2 Weigh-in

On Monday morning I was at 117.6 pounds - and sooooo happy about that. But...... we are now in Orlando on vacation so I have no way of weighing in accurately. I am trying to make good food choices and do have a scale here at the condo, so I will continue to weigh and report. This scale is not digital so I will be happy as long as I remain in the 117-120 range while here.

I hope everyone else on the diet is doing well. I can only hope that I do not over-indulge while on this vacation. Fresh fruit and fresh seafood and salads will be my saving grace. I also brought whey protein powder with me and we do eat breakfast in the condo. Lot's of water is also helpful and easy to drink since it's 90+ degrees outside. Walking the Disney theme parks is also helpful, but I am missing my Curves and free weight workouts and my treadmill.

I'll report in on Tuesday, while still in sunny Florida!

Colin obtained a sponsor for his diet, so if you would like to join in and participate, feel free to check out the diet site on Colin's blog or The Diet Channel for their sponsorship!

Weigh Day

Oh Happy Day. Last week I began at 123.9 pounds and today I am at 119.6 pounds, a loss of 4.3 pounds - yeah for me. Now, I know that this is a lot of weight, especially since I don't have much left to lose, but I knew I would lose more than 2 pounds this past week. My eating habits were so poor that cleaning up my eating, would result in a larger drop in weight.

I am also aware that it is not just fat that I lost, but I did what I could to minimize the muscle loss. I ate a lot more protein. I even had supplemental protein in the form of whey protein powder in water or in milk. I have also been lifting free weights and using hydrolic machines at Curves.

This next week I anticipate about a 2 pound loss. I will continue to eat well and exercise daily. I am really excited about finally getting back to a more comfortable weight for me. I am also excited that I can continue to eat healthy like I am and not feel like I'm on a 'diet.'

Check out Colin's Blog to see how everyone else has done this week.

Eating to Live!

Eat that you may live and not live to eat. - Aristotle

I am begining to think that I have conquered cravings! How?

• I am staying focused on my goal of eating healthier, getting fitter, and of course, Colin's diet challenge.
• Drastically reducing sugar intake without eliminating it.
• Making food decisions ahead of time.
• Drinking plenty of water.
• Tracking what I eat.
• Being Mindful.
• Eating a protein snack in place of a sweet snack.

I consciously began incorporating these into my daily routine. Now, they are becoming habits that I hope I will continue.

Staying Focused. When I wanted something sweet, initially I would reach for a low-calorie, low-fat treat. I didn't deny myself the desired treat. I have learned from past experience that if I try to deny myself, then I only want that treat even more than before. Now, I keep this diet challenge in the back of my mind. It has become a personal challenge to permanently change my eating habits. With this primary goal in mind, I find secondary goals (like better snack choices) much easy to achieve. If something doesn't support my ultimate goal, then I am now less likely to even consider it an option. Staying focused on my goal makes it easy to stay away from sugary snacks.

Reducing Sugar Intake. While I am not counting grams or teaspoons of sugar I consume, I am looking at labels and being much more aware of how much sugar I eat. For example, today I had a Lean Cuisine for lunch and noticed that while it is a prepared food, it only has 3 grams of sugar. Reader's Digest has an article on 23 ways to Painlessly Lower Your Sugar Intake that I found helpful.

Planning Ahead. I tend to be a rather impulsive person so planning has not been my nature. This has resulted in poor food choices since I would either eat what was readily available, drive through the nearest fast food restaurant, or would eat anything without considering the nutritional value. Now, I anticipate where I will be and what I might eat. While at a workshop on Saturday, a friend and I walked to a restaurant rather than eat the buffet available at the hotel. I chose vegetable soup and a turkey burger (my first!). Although the server brought an entire crock of soup, I had one bowl. I requested steamed veggies instead of the french fries and ate only half the bun. At a graduation party that evening I had small portions of chicken, baked beans and pasta salad. I did have cake, but a small piece, and after four days of very little sweets, the cake was not as delicious as I thought it would be.

Drinking Water. If I have a craving for something sweet the first think I do is reach for my water bottle. The Mayo Clinic has an article about the health benefits of water. They even include a nifty little 'poster' you can click on to see the functions of water in the body. Your personal water requirements will depend on a number of factors; I drink 64 ounces a day (8-8 ounce glasses).

Tracking Food. Looking what I have eaten for a day helps me to see how healthy my choices are. I am also aware of how many calories I have left for the day and how well I am doing with fiber and protein intake. When I compare these figures to the empty, non-nutritional calories of a cookie, chocolate treat, or ice cream, it's easy for me to either forego the treat or replace it with something that has nutritional value (like almonds or an apple).

Mindfulness. Being aware of what I am eating, what my choices are, what my body needs, and how I feel, help me stay away from junk (which for me is sugary) food. Mindfulness includes no longer reaching for something while talking on the phone, while walking past the pantry, eating 'just one' cookie, and thinking I want something sweet. I thought awareness was half my battle. Yet, when I became more aware, I found there really was no 'battle' to battle. Awareness has changed my perspective.

Protein. Protein helps you feel full. After some research on nutrition, I learned that I didn't eat enough protein. Increasing my protein intake is not only helping me curb sugar cravings, it is helping me to reduce my weight. WebMD has a good article on the benefits of protein.

I am actually looking forward to my one-week weigh in. Even more than the weight loss, I am looking forward to my future days without all that junk food I never thought I could do without!

Fitter & Healthier!

I have been doing really well with the weight loss and healthy food choices. I won't post any stats until Tuesday, but here is what I am doing:

1. Measuring and weighing everything I eat (yes - this can be tedious, but it really focuses my attention on portion sizes.
2. Writing down everything I eat. Again, this can be tedious, but it really is helping me make better choices. I am tracking Calories, Fat grams, Fiber grams, and Protein grams.
3. Weighing myself every morning when I get out of bed. I know many people do not agree with or encourage this behavior, but if I don't weigh every day, not knowing this seems to give me license to not care (meaning eat more). So, I step on that scale every morning! Since I have joined Colin's "the-diet," I am happy to say that the number on the scale has decreased daily (even though it is 'that time of the month' and I am perimenopausal;) ).
4. Walk on the treadmill daily! Today I walked 7 miles. Some days I walk only 3 miles and once a week I skip the treadmill. I cannot seem to walk faster than 3.8 mph due to prior, serious lower back problems. And, I did not walk all 7 miles at one time.
5. I workout at Curves 3 times a week (Mon, Wed, Fri).
6. I do an additional 30 minutes of toning with free weights or with Margaret Richard and Body Electric (you can check your local PBS station in your area). I have been exercising with her for 15 years (off and on). She's an inspiration at almost 60 years young!

That's about it for the 'routine.' I even went to Dairy Queen the other night and six of us sat there for over an hour and talked. I got a glass of water - yes just water - and had NO cravings for ice cream. I attribute my determination and mindset (I will not say 'will power' as I don't feel like I have to 'will' myself to do this) to Colin's challenge - Thanks Colin!

Yes, the weekend is upon us. I have an all-day workshop to attend, then a graduation party. I will be running my daughter to various appointments on Sunday, but I am going to stay the course. No Curves over the weekend, and no treadmill on Saturday. I'm off to complete my 30 minutes of toning! I feel lighter already.

Lose the Weight, Get in Shape

I have stumbled upon Colin Devroe's blog about losing weight and I am joining him and many others in an effort to lose weight, get in shape, and simply support each other.

A month ago, the teachers at my kids' Junior High were having a weekly weigh-in with a monetary challenge. I was tempted to follow along from the sidelines, but quickly forgot about the challenge. I don't know how they did or who won the challenge, but since then I have gained another 2 pounds. I have been doing this - gaining a pound or two each month - since just before Christmas 2005.

I was once a Weight Watcher's lifetime member. It has only been in the last year that I have slipped above my "2 pounds over goal weight" and I have been slowly 'slipping up' since. So, in a effort to curtail any more additional weight, and more importantly, to feel better and to change my eating habits for good, I have joined Colin in his weight loss journey.

I began on May 29, 2006 with my weigh-in at 123.6 pounds (I know, that isn't very much!). My goal is 115 pounds. This not-quite-9-pound gain is actually 2 jeans sizes for me, so this will be a substantial improvement. In addition to the weight goal, I am adding a goal of maintaining this weight through the end of 2006 and beyond!

Please join us and get healthier and fitter this summer. Here is Colin's blog so you can join us. I learned at Weight Watcher's that support can really make a difference. I know it will make the difference for me.

My blog name is We Get to Choose - so right now I am going to focus on making good choices. I choose healthy foods and daily exercise. What will you choose?