I know the scale isn’t everything. The numbers do not define me and it is all about how I feel and finding a healthy weight. However that being said after a few weeks of back and forth and small nudges of zero point somethings. I did the happy dance this morning.
Admittedly it is a small bathroom so I also hit my funny bone on the sink, but still, it was a happy dance.
I know the weight loss is good, and I am always going to be thrilled when it is a week where I lose more than three pounds, but it is more than that. with my weight loss I have been in a rut lately. I put in the effort but nothing seems to change. I know that this happens periodically and i just need to tweak things. Unfortunately this time it wasn’t my body getting used to a new level of food and exercise it was that things beyond my control kept knocking me off my plan.
Now I will be the first to admit that yesterday my plans were sent into a wood chipper and sprayed across the landscape in an effort to conceal the crime against planning. However my food and exercise plan stayed in tact for the week.
So this morning’s weigh in felt like a much needed validation that if I just keep sticking with it and getting back up every time I get knocked down things will progress.
You have no idea how much I needed that. Or if you read this often, maybe you do. It felt like such a huge win.
The stats
Starting Weight: 246.0 lbs
Last week’s Weight: 231.7 lbs
This week’s Weight: 228.3 lbs
Lost this week: 3.4 lbs
Lost thus far: 17.7 lbs
I know there is still a long way to go but for the first time in a long while it feels like I am actually moving forward instead of standing still. The scale may not be the end all be all but sometimes it can provide much needed validation. I am going into my Friday feeling better than I have for quite some time. This was exactly the pick me up I needed.
Oh yes my darlings the scale is once again moving. I know it didn’t move as much as I liked but it did move. And that itself is always a relief. This week was interesting as far as exercise went. there was much rain so there wasn’t a lot of out door activity. However, I managed to make it to my morning workout every day this week.
That’s right, five days in a row with no talking myself into hitting the snooze button until the last possible second.
Which I will admit is quite the feat. I do not like mornings. I just don’t. I am comfy in my bed and really don’t like getting up. I have no problem staying up later to get something done. Personally if I could wait to roll out of bed around eight thirty to start the day and then just work later in the day to make up for it, i would.
However i do not live alone and the world can not just run on my schedule. (although really who got to decide the morning people ruled the world? I think they just made that decision before the rest of us were awake. maybe threatened to take away our coffee or something).
As much as it pains me to admit it, I do feel more awake even without my coffee after I have done my morning exercises. For me the trick is to start them before I am actually fully awake. So before bed I put ot the exercise clothes. Then when the alarm goes off I roll to the bathroom and then straight into the work out clothes before i have a chance to rethink it and head back to bed.
Then i am already in the clothes so i feel like I might as well just get it over with. For me that works best. I may feel more awake after the workouts and i may know it is good for me and I even may see a difference in the scale, but I am never going to be a huge fitness enthusiast. I am a reluctant participant. I’ll do it because it is good for me, but it will never be my happy place. Still it is helping me out, so I will continue. I am also pleased that the stiffness and sore muscles have also faded. On Monday I am going to add one extra exercise to my list and see what happens. I haven’t increased for a while and I think it is time. I go slow, and that too seems to work for me.
The stats
Starting Weight: 246.0 lbs
Last week’s weight: 231.3 lbs
This week’s Weight: 230.4 lbs
Lost this week: 0.9 lbs
Lost thus far: 15.6 lbs
And so the journey continues. I hope that where ever you are on your journey to a healthier you, that you are feeling good with yourself today. remember to celebrate the little things. this week i am celebrating the fact that i managed to get up and fight the urge to hit the snooze alarm, instead making it to all my regularly scheduled workouts. It is a small thing, but it will have big consequences if I make it a set habit.
They say beauty comes from within. And so today, it is inside we are going. One of the things I have always had issues with are my guts. I have a very slow metabolism. I like to thing that as my tastebutds like to savor flavors, my innards like to savor neutrients.
As amusing as that image is, it is less amusing when you have to feel the effects of it. And as we are talking about the inside, I will have to admit that my body does not like releasing gas either. In either direction although when it does release it tends to go up rather than down. Admittedly that does mean that I often feel as though there is a giant softball sized bundle of gas trapped just behind my sternum. Which is just as uncomfortable as it sounds.
And so I tend to try all sorts of different products to sort of settle things down. The item I am trying now is the OLLY Metabolism Gummy Rings.
According to the website…
he secret to a mighty metabolism? Here’s the in’cider scoop. These delicious gummies help boost digestive health, improve metabolism and rev energy production. The best part: our Apple Cider Vinegar contains the “mother” (strands of protein packed with gut-friendly probiotics) so you can get all the benefits of ACV without having to drink it.*
I know the thought of eating a gummy to lose weight is a very appealing one. However I did choose to try these out because of the apple cider vinegar. When I was little constipation was a routine feature of my life. It is actually less so as an adult. One of the things I was given to drink then, and still make now when I need it, is a homemade remedy.
The homemade version we used for a constipation cure is One tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar, Two tablespoons of lemon juice and eight ounces of water. It is not the most pleasant of tasting drinks so I always put in a straw and just suck it back as fast as I can. About half an hour later, the bathroom is my best friend. This is not a concoction to drink when you have to be away from a restroom. It is my emergency constipation cure.
When I saw that this Metabolism Gummy had Apple Cider vinegar in it I figured it was possible it could help me out. The container (retail $19.95) has a thirty day supply and today I am taking my last gummy in the jar. For the past month i have taken one each day. with my mind thinking about my constipation cure, I started the thirty days on a day where I knew i wasn’t going to be leaving the house for a meeting. It was a day, I would be home and I am glad I did.
The first one worked a bit like a slow acting version of my homemade concoction. After about an hour, I found myself visiting the restroom. So i was very glad that I scheduled my start at home. I did have some concerns about a daily dose. The second day there was a need to be near the bathroom, but it was less than the day before. By the third day a more normal course had been resumed. I think that was my body purging and getting used to the gummies.
Taking them regularly sort of regulated my insides. It was just the first that blasted through like human Drain-o.
Once I adjusted, I did find that I was also a bit more regular and I felt less bloated and my guts less cramped. I also had a lot less trouble with trapped gas. So I burped more this month than usual, which wouldn’t normally be something to be happy about. But for me is a very good thing. I had fewer problems this month with my guts than I have for a while.
As for the taste…much better than my homemade concoction. It still has the vinegary tang I would expect, but the sugar of the gummies brings out the apple. They are sweet but not quite candy sweet. They are pleasant to eat, but i would never mistake them for a candy gummy ring, which is perfectly fine with me. The jar tells you not to eat more than one a day and I can say while I am fine with eating one a day, I don’t find myself wanting to reach for a second.
While i will probably still try other items, This is definitely a repeat purchase item for me. I will continue to take it as long as it continues to work. I’m sure i will try other things, but for now, I think this is going to be my standard. I don’t think it helped with any weight loss this month, but it certainly made me feel better, and when I feel better, i am more inclined to exercise. It isn’t a magic weight loss pill, because such a thing doesn’t exist. But it does help me feel a lot better. The OLLY Metabolism Gummy Rings get two thumbs up from me.
There is a strange sort of routine developing. Have you picked up on it because I certainly have. I lose a pound or two and then stay at the same weight for two weeks. Then I lose a little more weight only to stay at the same weight for two weeks.
To be honest I am not mad at it. As long as it stays consistent then I am fine with two weeks at the same number. i am happy I am not gaining anything, so there is that. I have no idea why it is happening, but as long as I feel healthy and the weight is slowly declining, I am fine with the trend.
It does make me curious but the only thing I have to blame is the weather. I think that on the days where my sinuses are acting up even if I can walk i put a little less effort into it. So on the days where my sinuses are fine I put more effort into it. I’m betting that somewhere along the way ot balances out.
But that is just me trying to figure things out. For now, I am happy with the over all trend. The weather has turned cold again, however that isn’t really the part that bothers me. The part that gets me is the wind. It has a way of knifing down the through and spearing into the lungs. I’d like to say it wasn’t this bad last winter but the truth is that while the wind is probably the same as it has always been, it is my lungs that are different. This past summer I had a go round with Covid and ever since then I’ve noticed the wind seems to hurt my lings just a little bit more.
It isn’t a debilitating thing, but it is something that has bothered me since then, that never bothered me before. This morning I did go on a walk but that wind, more than the cold forced it to be a shorter one. I think until it settles down I am going to look into more of the indoor exercises.
The stats:
Starting Weight: 246.0 lbs
Last Week’s Weight: 231.4 lbs
This week’s Weight: 231.4 lbs
Chance this week: 0.0 lbs
Lost thus far: 14.6 lbs
And so with that, I have to admit that i feel pretty good (minus a slight sore spot on my lungs. It will warm up soon enough and I will be fine. And then the world will continue. Have a great Friday everyone.
No my darlings it is not Deja vu. This is the same weight as last week. To be honest, while I would always like to see the numbers shrinking, I am not terribly surprised. Last week I lost nearly three pounds which for me is a lot in a week. Usually I have a big loss and then not so big a loss the following week. I’m okay with that. If that trend holds up I will be fine.
This week was also very strange as far as exercise went. I managed to get a few walks in and I did about 40% of my indoor exercises. I know 40% is something I can work on but there was very little sun this week and with the flip flopping either my sinuses were running like a faucet. while I got stuff done this week there were days where breathing was sort of an achievement all it’s own.
So I am impressed there was no weight gain. That makes me feel good.
I owe that to keeping track of everything I ate. (I am using the My fitness pal app as my food diary.) I don’t know if this is a factor of getting older but if I just watch what I eat and limit my calories, I mange to not gain weight not lose it. It is only when I have a Wonder Twins Activate movement with exercise and calorie control that thigs start to move.
Perhaps that is another reason I am not terribly surprised there is no movement. It was more of a hold the line sort of week. with luck things will dry out next week and I can edge back into a decline in the scale numbers. For now, I feel content with what I have done. Part of that content may be the sinus meds kicking in and the ability to draw in deep breaths for the first time this morning, but I am not worried this week. It is only if the scale stays static for multiple weeks that i start to worry.
Everyone knows that drinking water is good for you. It keeps you hydrated, makes your skin look good and is excellent when you are trying to lose weight.
One of the first things I found out when i started working out and trying to live healthier is that sometimes I mistake being thirsty for being hungry. Sometimes just having a little bit pf water makes me realize that I wasn’t actually hungry at all. Which means I consume less in the way of calories, which I find really nice.
The trick is convincing myself to drink more water. I use several tactics. One is that I find water to sit less heavily on my belly if it is carbonated. As I don’t want to run out and get a bottle of sparkling water every time I need a drink, I purchased a Soda Stream. I’ve actually been using it for years and it is one of my favorite items in the house. It is a purchase I will never regret making.
But I don’t like drinking from the large water bottles that the machine takes. They are great for making the water fizz, but not so much for drinking. I can drink from them but I find that if I just use the bottle to carbonate the water, the bottles last longer.
To drink I will often use a glass. I am quite fond of a stemless champagne flute as my glass actually since it makes my water feel far fancier than it it. To this I will often add a twist of lemon or lime to the glass so the water seems almost cocktail like.
However when I make my water in this fashion I tend to sip the water. So I reserve the champagne flute for evening water consumption. I have also found recently that my water consumption has been slipping and I am trying to get uit back to where it needs to be.
Enter Smartass and Sass. They are a subscription service and do have a monthly box. They also have an on-line store where you can purchase various item, usually from one of the boxes. Recently I took advantage of one of their sales to puck up this water botte/glass.
I am sure it is listed as a water bottle, but i think of it as a glass. The container itself is made of glass and it dishwasher safe. I really prefer glass bottles as they are not only easier to clean but they last longer because they don’t retain off flavors and scents over time. Sometimes I add flavors to my water, other times I don’t. I like that to be my choice rather than the water bottle’s.
Over the glass is a silicone sheath so the glass will not become slippery. The lid is wood, bamboo with a silicone band to keep it in place and a silicon liner for the hole for the straw. I love that the straw hole is lined with silicone as it will help keep the lid lasting longer. The hole in the wood for the straw is often the weak point and I have had several unlined wooden lids for bottles that simply took a beating from everyday use. With the lining I think it will last longer.
The lid fits in snuggly, although I wouldn’t pick the bottle/cup up by the lid. The straw is also a reusable plastic. I love that the lid comes all the way off. It not only aids in cleaning (while I will send the bottle through the dishwasher I won’t put the lid in as it will last longer if I just wash that by hand.) It also lets me add thongs from Ice to fruit if I want.
The bottle/cup itself holds 17.5 ounces of fluid. I think this is a fantastic size. It means that it will not only hold a lot of water, but it fits my hand well. It is quite comfortable to use. All in all it is a very well thought out design.
And for me, it is good to look at and good to hold, both of which encourage me to continue drinking from it throughout the day. For me though the straw is the key to getting me to drink more water. I find that when I drink through a straw I tend to drink more. I don’t know if there is some sort of physics involved, if it is the memory of fountain sodas needing to be drunk before the ice melts or if it is just how I drink liquids, but I will drink more, faster with a straw.
Which means that with the purchase and use of this Smartass and Sass Water Bottle/cup my daily water consumption is back where it needs to be. This is going to be a favorite for quite a while.
I have to admit I was thrilled to see the weight drop this week. It has been one of those weeks where I felt like I did everything right even though the world seemed somewhat against me. The weather was foul, the park was flooded and because of the rains I woke up in the dark which always makes me feel like someone has adjusted my clock in order to play a bad joke. My body has no problem staying up to the wee hours in the morning, but there is something about waking up before there is sunlight that I just do not like.
It makes my mornings feel like I am swimming through molasses just to get things done.
But I did stick with my plan. I kept to my workouts and not only are my muscles noticeably less achy than they were last week but the scale has given me a bit of recognition as well. It feels fantastic.
Yes, I know the scale is not the end all be all and weight is just a number, however on weeks where nothing seems to have gone my way, everything was interrupted by something (although thee were some good interruptions as well as bad), it feels amazing just to have the vindication of the numbers to show that me sticking with the plan, in spite of myself worked.
Somedays a little external validation does make a world of difference.
The Stats: Starting Weight: 246.0 lbs
Last Week’s Weight: 235.3 lbs
This Week’s Weight: 232.4 lbs
Lost this week: 2.9 lbs
Lost thus far: 13.6 lbs
And so with a feeling of good will I leave you here and continue on my day. The rain is still raining and the park is still flooded. But I have a handle on my meal planning and will continue with my indoor exercise plan. I feel really good going into this Friday. I hope you do as well.
I will admit that his week was not the loss I hoped for. It is actually somewhat disheartening to see actually. I have started back on my indoor workouts and quite honestly my muscles are on the sore side. I know last week I was all “I’m going to do these every day!” but the truth is, that wasn’t what my body wanted and as they are strength training exercises I actually needed a day between to let the muscles rest.
So I went with the Monday, Wednesday Friday approach this week which was far more sensible. Monday was good and by Monday evening the soreness crept in. It’s presence was felt more on Tuesday, Wednesday morning wasn’t bad, but Wednesday night I was sore with increasing soreness on Thursday morning. This morning I was fine and I suspect i will be a little sore this evening and then a bit more sore tomorrow morning.
I know I planned to increase each week, but I think that I am going to listen to my body on that as well. When the soreness dies down a bit, I will increase. Then I’m sure i will be sore again.
There were a few things I was reminded of this week. The first is that I need to do these exercises first thing or I will find reasons to skip them. The best way for me to do this is to have my work out clothes already out. Tat way I see them first thing in the morning and just put them on. Then I can shower and change and get ready for my day. Starting the day off in workout clothes increases the chance that i will actually do the work out.
the second thing I need to remember that these are strength exercises which are important but don’t burn the same number of calories as cardio. This week there was not a lot of cardio. There was a lot of intermittent rain and most of my cardio is done out doors. It is a simple equation. I did find myself drawn into exercise equipment adverts more this week. Peloton commercials drew me in a couple of times. I also found myself strangely drawn to the curved treadmill. I don;t know why I find it so appealing but I do. I am disturbed that they didn’t have a price on the website, but I find the curved treadmill appealing. Maybe it is because I walk as so much of my exercise.
The Stats:
Starting Weight: 246.0 lbs
Last Week’s weight: 235.3 lbs
This week’s Weight: 235.1 lbs
So over all not a mass of weight lost, barely a flicker. But I feel good, aside from the muscle stiffness and I think that counts for something. Now I just need to figure out if my treadmill window shopping is because I think it is a good idea to buy or because I simply miss the walking trail. The summer sun may cause me problems and cause me to realign my schedule, but the winter rains flood the walking trail for several days at a go. o at this time of year i always feel a little antsy. Still not sure if that is a treadmill endorsement or not, but I certainly feel it when I can’t get my walk in. fingers crossed that today the rains of last night will have dissipated and the trail will no longer be flooded by midafternoon. Then I can sneak a walk in and still window shop for exercise equipment. Next week looks to be drier so hopefully there will be more walking and more weightloss next week. At least that is the hope. I’m also hoping for a reduction in muscle stiffness, but only time will deal with that as well.
I was pleasantly surprised by this morning’s weigh in. I may have gained weight over the holiday but it was only about a pound. Please excuse the hair in the photo by the way. I brushed my hair before pulling the scale out and didn’t realize there was hair on the floor until later. I saw it after I put the scale back in it’s out of the way place and cleaned up the floor but until I sat down to post this I didn’t realize it was in frame. It is the curse of a clear glass scale. well that and the reflection of me taking the photo.
Anyway, while a weight gain isn’t something I would normally celebrate i have to say I am pleasantly surprised that it was only one -ish pounds. I was expecting a lot more actually. Especially after yesterday’s realization. I posted about this on my daily post, but to sum up, I realized that Each time I didn’t really feel like doing my indoor workouts I would lower the reps that I did and then later forget that i lowered them so the lower number became standard. Until the next time I didn’t really feel like doing them and so I’d knock off another couple. It was a bad cycle.
I’ve fixed it by creating a spreadsheet actually. It’s a simple Excel sheet with the numbers clearly marked on the page. Like my food journal it is helpful for me to write everything down. And if I have to see the numbers I can’t fake them to myself. I have the bad habit of thinking, Oh I’m sure I only planned to do twenty of these squats today. If I have marked down on the paper that it was in fact thirty, it is harder to think twenty because I’ll know I am lying to myself. It is the same with food actually. Measuring and weighing are a bit of a pain, but it keeps me from saying things like, sure that looks like only half a cup. And then only counting half a cups worth of calories when i actually consumed a full cup.
Which I actually started recording my food again this week as well. during December I did pretty good with recording the meals I prepared. The problem was that I had a lot of meals that I didn’t prepare. Which is why I was expecting a lot more of a weight gain. So, pleasantly surprised. Let’s get the official stats for the first weigh in for the new year then.
The Stats:
Starting Weight: 246.0 lbs
This week’s weight: 235.3 lbs
Lost thus far: 10.7 lbs
I know there is still a long way to go but I am committed to reaching a healthy weight. And I think I have set myself up with the tools to accomplish this in 2023. At least that is the plan. It is one I hope to stick to. As it is January, hopes are high. I think that if I can stick with the plan, I can manage it. I suppose we have twelve months to figure that out.
Here we are my darlings on the verge of the end of the year. Usually I like to look at a retrospective of my year in weight loss at this time. To see how I coped with life’s little ups and downs. Except that this year there were no little ups and downs. My world was more or less a small boat in the middle of a very angry ocean.
Often times weight loss was the last thing on my mind and many times my diet got left far behind because circumstances took over. This year had long stretches where no routine of any sort was possible. As a result I know I will be ending this year heavier than I was last year at this same time.
And I am okay with that.
It doesn’t make me happy of course. no one attempting to loose weight wants to gain it instead.
But here is the thing. Every once in a while you get a year that just kicks your feet out from under you. the ground will shake like your own personal earthquake and it takes all the effort you have in you to stand upright and hold on until the ground stops moving.
For me, this was just one of those years.
But here is the thing. Those years don’t last. eventually the ground stops shaking and the cyclops on the hill stops chucking goats at your head. And yes this year it felt like there were screaming goats being hurled down upon me. Go ahead take a minute close your eyes and picture it. I’ll wait.
Yeah, like i said, goats.
But eventually the world settles down. Your footing is regained and you can reestablish a routine.
You can breathe again.
That is how I am looking at this new year. I will not be doing a retrospective of the events that led me to this point. I will just put up my goat proof umbrella, maybe send if out for repairs because of the beating it took, take a deep breath and move forward. Because ultimately, that is what a new year is. A chance to move forward.
For me it will also be an excuse to drink champagne and wear a fabulous pair of heels. As we are having a quiet new years at home this year it will be a fabulous pair of heels paired with a fuzzy pair of pajama pants. But that is okay too. And rather suits me.
Was this year the best for weight loss? No, this year my weight loss journey took several dark detours. But here I am looking at this incoming bright shiny new year. And I am still standing and I am still willing to put in the effort to make next year a better one.
And honestly that counts for a lot too.
Once the champagne and heels are put away, The journey will resume.
Ms. Mimsy Reviews 