A rough week

OK, first the good news: Monday was my weigh-in day and I lost 10 pounds last week! The bad news is Monday night I had a chopped beef sandwich from Rudy's (I have no regrets; it was yummy!) and Tuesday I did no workout whatsoever and today I weighed in at 219, which is a pound up from Monday. I'm back on track though, and I'm sure I'll see a loss when Monday rolls around again.

Monday was my first "official" CrossFit workout. (Last week I did the intro sections, remember?) Anyway, nothing could have prepared me for that workout, except a year or more of additional intro sections. That was rough. And I wasn't expected to do what everyone else was doing, but it's in my nature to at least try. First, the warm-up is a mini-workout in itself. It consists of rowing, running, skipping, jumping, squatting, push ups, sit ups and an exercise they like to call "Superman." Yes, that is the JUST the warm-up.

Then, it was on to the strengthening portion of the show. We alternated between swinging a kettleball and pull ups. Obviously, my 219-pound self can't do a pull up, so I did ring rows (You basically lean back, hang on to two rings and pull yourself up). Nope, we're still not done. The last part was conditioning. We were supposed to do five rounds of eight squats with a heavy weight and then run 200 meters. They gave me a modified routine; I was supposed to walk instead of run. That helped, but it still killed me. I almost passed out afterward. And I know you're thinking I'm being dramatic, but, no, I really almost passed out afterward.

I did learn a valuable lesson about knowing my limits. My natural inclination is to want to be able to do what everyone else can do with little-to-no preparation or experience (My career as a pianist lasted about a month because I couldn't improve quickly enough). I'm not going to give up this time because I know I can do this and I already saw a drastic improvement from Monday to today. For example, I didn't feel like I was dying after the warm-up. I did the strengthening exercises (wall squats and more ring rows), taking only slightly longer than everyone else. And I did my modified workout (they ran 400 meters and rowed for 500; I walked and rowed 250 meters). It wasn't so bad. And no killing myself.

Overall, I'd say it was a good day. And one day I'll be able to do a pull up. I swear.

A great week ... and it's not even over

I cannot get over how much a slight change in my diet has affected my weight loss. I've always eaten fish; I've always eaten chicken. All I did was substitute the rice I usually eat with the meat and ate a ton of spinach and avocado. Oh, and I also eliminated sandwiches from my lunch and cook with butter instead of olive oil. As of this morning, I lost seven pounds this week. I'm told the weight loss will level off after a couple of weeks, but still, it feels good. And I'm definitely on track again for the month.

I wasn't able to do my 3 minutes straight on the treadmill last night, but I was able to do 2 minutes and I'll take what I can get. It still feels good to be running again.

More good news

First, I lost another pound, which means I've lost five so far this week. I've almost completely made up for the birthdays and stresses earlier in the month. Woot!

Second, my body has completely recovered from my introduction to CrossFit.

Third, the treadmill in the exercise room was actually fixed at some point and for the first time ever I was able to run (it's probably closer to a jog, but whatever) for three whole minutes last night!!! If you're even moderately athletic, you may not understand why that's so exciting, but keep in mind that seven months ago I was closer to 300 pounds than 250 (I'm now 223). Running a few steps at a time was pretty much it. Before last night the longest I could go was a minute and a half. I will admit, however, that last night I felt like I was dying afterward. I managed to hold out for another 10 minutes walking/running another minute and a half on the treadmill before calling it quits.

Am I going to go for it again tonight? Most definitely. I have had a taste of success and I like it. Plus, I am determined to get to week 3 of this workout. I will run a 5K this December, even if it kills me.

One last thing! Since I've joined a community of people looking to get healthy, I've learned that there are a ton of untold success stories in the community. The most recent one I've heard about is 8-year-old Ale. Check out Ale's story.

I want to hear more. If you've got a success story you'd like to share, e-mail me at jdaffern@lmtonline.com

Good news

I lost another two pounds! I'm at 224, so I just need to lose four more in the next week and a half to make my goal. I really think I can do it. Woot!

And I'm a lot less sore. I can walk again!!! I'm kidding, I'm kidding. But I am looking forward to getting on that elliptical tonight. I've got the momentum going, and I'm excited!

I am so very sore

First, I'm so excited because Stephanie Ibarra, also an LMT employee, has started her own weight loss blog. I love talking to other people about what they're doing to reach their goals, and Stephanie is definitely on her way to getting healthy.

I just finished Day 3 of CrossFit, thus ending my introduction to the program. I've never done so many squats in my life. My legs are so incredibly sore that just standing up is painful. Walking up the stairs to my apartment is ridiculous. Starting next week, I'll be doing the same workouts as everyone else and that is a terrifying thought. I've been watching them over the past three days and it's intimidating. I'm trying not to psyche myself out, though.

The good thing about it all is that I enjoy learning everything. I now know the correct way to squat, and, well, it hurts ... a lot. However, I like feeling challenged. And a part of me can't wait to start on the real workouts because I want to see if I can push myself to finish them.

AND I've lost two pounds this week! Woot! I was going over the calendar yesterday and I realized I have an extra week this month to lose my eight pounds. I know that losing the full eight pounds this month might be a stretch because of how up and down my weight was the first two weeks, but I hope to lose another two pounds by the end of the week and two more next week. If I can do that, I'll only be two pounds over my goal. I can live with that.

On a side note: My favorite meal of the moment: baked chicken with avocado ... so yummy!

Starting from scratch

OK, I said I needed a kick in the booty and I got one. After an unsuccessful weekend (I weighed in Monday at 228), I started doing CrossFit. And it was definitely the kick I needed. After doing way too many squats, my legs felt like Jell-O. And all I did was an INTRO session. This is going to be interesting.

And I already got in trouble! I was sent a form to log my food, so I dutifully noted my two cereal bars as snacks and a sandwich for lunch. It turns out that grains and processed foods are bad. Oops. So I loaded up on fruits, veggies, chicken and fish at the grocery store on my way home. I guess I'm being forced to do this a much healthier way.

So I finished the day off strong (I think) with chicken and spinach for dinner.

One bright spot of the day was chatting with a reader who found me on Facebook and is going to start walking around North Central Park for exercise. I love hearing your stories! They are great motivation and I truly believe there is power in numbers. We can encourage each other.

Let me know what you're doing. E-mail me at jdaffern@lmtonline.com or hunt me down at facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000956394362&ref=ts

Ups and Downs

I know, I know. I've been MIA. It's been a long week, and I can't say I'm sad it's almost over.

First of all, boot camp was a success. I lost five pounds over the weekend, and it actually wasn't that hard. Both Saturday and Sunday, I woke up and headed for North Central Park, where I walked/jogged 4.5 miles. I spent most of both afternoons swimming and was cleaning around the apartment the rest of the time. I figured as long as I was moving, I was being productive. I had a sandwich for lunch and salmon with cheesy brocolli and rice for dinner. I snacked on cereal bars and bananas and pretty much kept my calories to about 1,200.

The bad news is that the fiance's birthday was this week and the cake and pizza added to extra calories. Oh yea, and then I was in a wreck Tuesday and that has caused me not to exercise for most of the week because of neck pain.

So, yea, I've gained most of it back. As of this morning I'm at 228. I'm getting tired of this. I really have nobody to blame but myself. I just need to get focused. I'm thinking another boot camp is in order this weekend and the lack of birthdays for the rest of the month should help me keep the weight off this time around.

I can tell you that I'm definitely tired of losing these same few pounds.

Drastic measures are in order

I somehow gained two pounds this week even as I continue to work my booty off (40 minutes on the elliptical last night) and watch my calories. I may have been a tad lax with the calories, but I was still keeping them under the recommendation from livestrong.com, which is about 1,700. Months ago, I was keeping them under 1,500. I certainly shouldn't be GAINING weight, but I guess I need to find ways to cut back again.

In the meantime, I am planning a weekend boot camp. Drastic measures are in order to get my mojo back. I will either hit the treadmill or elliptical both days. Let's hope the treadmill is fixed by this weekend, otherwise I may go to the TAMIU rec. I'm going to walk around North Central Park both days; I'm going to hit the pool and swim laps and I'm going to do my step workout.

I plan on eating sandwiches (about 200 calories each), Gorton's Premium Grilled salmon (180 calories each if I remember correctly), baked chicken (about 200 calories), and cheesy rice and broccoli (150 calories). I'll probably throw in some cereal bars, bananas and string cheese to fill in some calories.

Wish me luck. I need a head-start on next week. Tuesday is the fiance's birthday, which means cake will be involved. That's never a good thing and we proved that last week on my birthday.

If you're reading this thinking you need to drop a few pounds, don't keep putting it off. Get moving today. I have absolutely no self-control, so if I can do it, anybody can. And if you have already started or are starting your own weight loss journey, shoot me an e-mail. I'd love to hear about your plan and how you're doing: jdaffern@lmtonline.com.

One pound at a time

I know you've been waiting on pins and needles, so I'll end your misery now. I did manage to lose one more pound last week and am now at 227. Now, I'm aiming for three pounds this week to make up the difference.

Tonight's my in-house workout. We'll see how that goes. The past two nights I had to use the elliptical because the treadmill is broken. It stinks, but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

I did cheat today and tried out the new spicy chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-A ... and it was totally worth it. It was so good, and now I'm going to have to fight the urge to have one every week.

Losing it ... again

I personally believe that any calories consumed on your birthday shouldn't count. Unfortunately, that's not how the world works.

The fiance took me to eat at Applebee's Tuesday, also known as my birthday, because I happen to love the Asiago Peppercorn Steak there and it's fewer than 400 calories. But something came over me when I saw the menu and I decided that to truly celebrate my birthday I should be able to eat whatever I want. We ordered the spinach and artichoke dip and it rocked. Then, I ordered a big cheeseburger, and it rocked. Then, I was full.

When I got back to work, a very sweet coworker had gotten me a cookie cake. How can a girl not have a piece of her own cookie cake? The fiance and I finished the day off at the movies and I was full enough to avoid the calorie-filled popcorn. However, when I got home I ate a Wienerschnitzel hot dog we imported from McAllen the day before and washed that down with birthday cake.

So, yea, the amount of calories I consumed at lunch alone is more than the amount of calories I eat on any typical day. It's ridiculous, and I can't believe I let it get that bad. I'm not going to lie, though. That dip and that burger were soooo good and I don't regret it.

When I stepped on the scale Wednesday, I got the full extent of the damage I had done. I had gained two of the three pounds back that I lost last week. Son of a motherless monkey breeder! You know what stinks more than losing weight the first time around? Losing weight the second time around.

So, I hit the treadmill Wednesday and Thursday, did my little cardio exercise in the apartment Friday night and ate food like this:


I stepped on the scale today and I'm back at 228. Whew! Now, I'm aiming to lose just one more pound this weekend and I'll call it a successful week. To kick things off I walked 2.5 miles around North Central Park today in the searing heat. I know what you're thinking: "That was a bad idea." And you're right. It was a horrible idea. I thought I was dying of suffocation.

On the bright side, I am now chillaxin in my apartment in my old, raggedy Adidas shorts from college. I don't know about you, but I think one of the best feelings in the world is putting on a piece of clothing that you couldn't wear just a few months ago. I've always loved these shorts and I don't care how raggedy these shorts get, I'm never throwing them out.

I don't know how but I did it

I couldn't weigh in Monday because I was out of town, but I stepped on the scale today and I did it! I lost the three pounds I needed to lose to be on track for the month of May.

The thing I don't understand is I barely did any exercise last week and I ate pizza, Wienerschnitzel, taquitos and cake over the weekend.

Maybe it's a birthday present from my body (today's my birthday). I mean there have been weeks where I consumed no more than 1,500 calories every day and worked out every day and didn't lose anything. I swear I don't understand the complexities of human body.

Or maybe tennis is just a really good workout. That's the only half-way cardio thing I did over the weekend ... and it lasted about 45 minutes. Whatever the case, I'm happy. Now all I have to worry about is June.