26 Weeks and Week 1 of Challenge

So today while I was at the gym, I had the realization that today is my "half birthday," also meaning that there is 6 months until my 25th birthday. It feels so far away but I know I'll blink and it'll be here. So I have approximately 40 lbs to shed until then. It seems like a very large chunk I'm trying to bite off but I remain optimistic.

For the first week of my 12 week challenge with my friend K, I feel that I was quite successful! Not only did the scale say I lost 4.6 lbs this week, but I managed to stay OP AND I exercised every day (with the exception of my WI day). Exercise everyday is a challenge for me when I work my 12 hour shifts. When I get home from work, I feel as though I do not have the energy for exercise ad tell myself that it's not a possibility to exercise after work. Just eat and go to bed. Well this week, I added to that little after work ritual. This week I came home, changed, did a work out video, ate, showered, and then went to bed. I got to bed a little later than usual but I don't feel like I lost out on sleep or anything. If anything, the work out video probably tired me out a little more so I could fall asleep even quicker than I normally would.

This competition has really put some fire under my bum to do well, I never realized how competitive I really can be. It makes me want to continue to exercise and eat right. I've already planned out most of my week food wise. I loathe tracking on a daily basis but I think if I have the majority of it done and I just have to supplement snacks and lunch in the tracker, it will make it a more positive experience rather than something I dread. My BF and I already plan out all our meals for the week so we make an efficient grocery list and have what we need to make all our meals so why can't I just track as much as I know ahead of time to save me the everyday grief?

I'm nervous about next week. I am going home for a high school friend's wedding shower and bachelorette party. I've already started to plan out what I need to bring so I stay on track as much as possible. When I come home, my mom likes to buy stuff from the European bakery in town. I fucking love bread and carbs and all that sort of junk. I tell my mom not to buy that kind of stuff but she just buys it anyway and then puts it in my car without my knowledge and it ends up AT MY HOUSE! I have already told my BF that we'll have a bag full of snacks and we're bringing the cooler to have sandwiches. I might allow a lunch/early supper stop at Swiss Chalet if the BF wants, he's not a big Swiss fan. Planning will be essential, I do not want to gain because I have to travel, this challenge is motivating me not to let that be an excuse.

Anyway, that's what's on my mind right now :)

Starting weight (April 14/09): 261 lbs
Current weight (May 14/10): 239.8 lbs
Weight loss this week: 4.6 lbs
Total weight loss: 21.2 lbs

-Kira

27 Weeks and Starting Weight for 12 Week Challenge

So just as I predicted, I was up this week. 2.2 lbs. Boo. But it's ok. I'm going to work extra hard this week. I went grocery shopping today, I'm restocked and menu planned for the next 9 days.

Usually my weigh in days are a kid of cheat day, I forgot that I'm not supposed to do that for the next 12 weeks. I bought Triscuits, those are never a good idea to have around me. They are too much of salty goodness and I eat them all. Well I started out weighing them and had a sensible portion, but then I kept eating them. I literally had to throw them in the back of my cupboard. And I tracked them. Boy they add up fast. And there are way more servings in a box than you would expect there to be. So there goes a whole bunch of my weekly points already. Ugh, well live and learn... and earn some activity points!

So speaking of activity points, I'm dragging myself to an RPM class tonight. I think I might be exaggerating about the dragging, I almost feel neutral about going. Before I started going to classes, I had spin anxiety. I thought it was the greatest form of exercise torture that existed and I thought it was extremely difficult because of the standing they do. Well, it's starting to get better. I go now because I know it's a great workout and big calorie burn. Next step is enjoyment right? I'm also going to see if I can perhaps do a work out video before I go to bed when I'm going to be going to work the next day. I'm somewhat skeptical about being able to do it because I usually come home, eat, and go to bed. Now I will have to add the exercise and shower at night. I can't exercise in the morning since the BF is sleeping at 6 am right under my living room, so I'll give it an honest try. 

Anyway, thats all for now.

Starting weight (April 14/09): 261 lbs
Current weight (May 6/10): 242.2 lbs
Weight gain this week: 2.2 lbs
Total weight loss: 16.6 lbs

-Kira

28 weeks and a 12 week challenge!

So I avoided blogging about last week's weigh in.

I lost 0.2 lbs because I lost control the day before weigh in and had a binge/pig out fest.

I was really frustrated and decided that I was not going to follow plan this week. I will see a gain on the scales tomorrow, but that was by my own doing. Here I am, accepting and moving on. I will go to WW tomorrow and will be receiving a "starting weight."

This will be my starting weight for the 12 week challenge my weight loss pal K and I are starting tomorrow. It's quite simple, 12 weeks to see who can lose the biggest percentage weight. Oh yeah, we're straight up copying Biggest Loser. What is the drive to win this challenge you ask? Well, the loser will take the winner to Adventure Village (www.adventure-village.com) to have a lovely day and of course, the winner will receive a dollarama trophy of some sort declaring them the Biggest Loser.

We are lame, but that's how we like it.

Hopefully, this will make us accountable and encourage us to stay on track. I'm not making any predictions but I know this will motivate the heck out of me. I like to win. Will I win? I sure hope so! But either way, I'll get to go to Adventure Village! Wee! I'd like to see a 10% loss over these 12 weeks, thats what I'm hoping for (which would be like 24-25 lbs, which is a realistic 2 lb loss per week). But we won't know what the results will be until July 30th, 2010. I'm pretty excited. I made this collage of funny picture edits as my wallpaper on my computer to inspire my competitive bone. 

It doesn't matter what I did yesterday. Or this past week for that fact. I will work really hard to shake off some weight over the next 12 weeks. This might just be the jump start I need to get under 200 lbs by my birthday. So until tomorrow...

Starting weight (April 14/09): 261 lbs
Current weight (April 28/10): 242.2 lbs
Weight loss this week: 0.2 lbs
Total weight loss: 18.8 lbs

-Kira

29 Weeks To Go

Ups and downs are part of life and definately part of my WW journey.

Well this past week was an up hill battle.

I'm trying to applaud myself for the good things I did, but the scale is a huge fixation for me. The scale told me I was up this week. Only 0.4 lbs but still, I always feel like it's a fail moment. I left the meeting and comfort ate and the day became a "diet write off" but I got my shit together and tracked the next day.

So what went wrong this week?

Well, I stopped tracking mid week. I'll start off tracking on etools very well, planning ahead and such but then I started not tracking things or telling myself I'd track them when I got to the computer later. Another reason I am right pissed that WW doesn't have an iPod app in Canada, that thing goes where I go, I am never without it.

Potlucks at work. Spontaneous potlucks at work. I'm talking day before notice. That kills me because after a full 12 hour day shift at work, and knowing I have to go back the next day for the same thing, does not make me able to plan what to bring that is a healthy option. I brought a cheese and chicken pepperette tray with crackers. Tricuits are like crack to me.

Also, days at work where I don't get breaks and literally jam whatever I can into my mouth so I don't feel super lightheadded and pass out on a patient suck too. Not constructive to the way I want to eat.

But there was something I am proud of. I have to admit something I'm ashamed of in order to share what I am proud of. Usually, when I go to the grocery store by myself, like the BF doesn't want to come with me, I buy treats. Not only do I buy treats, I eat them in the car on the way home so there is no evidence of the multiple treats, except for one treat that I bring into the house which is usually acceptable to my BF. He'll generally say something about my consumption of treats if there's more than 1 or 2. So this week, I was at the grocery store by myself. The bakery is where my treats are, oh cheese bagels and croissants and muffins and danishes and cheese sticks. Well I managed to walk past and not pick up any treats. Even doing that once is a huge accomplishment for me, as I did buy danishes later that week which does somewhat diminsh the first accomplishment in my eyes.

Food addictions are tough.

Overcoming them involves doing a lot of things that you wouldn't normally do when giving in. I got back on track on my first night shift at work this set. I ate fruit instead of Starbucks Oat Fudge Bars. Heck, I didn't even go to Starbucks on my second night. I find it easier to stay on track on nights than it is to do on days.

On my second day shift this week, I had a patient that was autistic and a colleague of mine helped me to get an IV in him... plus about 5 security guards. Of course, my friend got punched straight in the chest. Last night, the patient and his mother brought us cookies and what looked like cannolies of something along those lines to thank us for all our help and understanding. This does happen a lot when you're a nurse, patients and their families end up liking you and thank you, even in ER. As much as I appreciated their kind gesture, the treats were placed in a high traffic area for everyone to enjoy. I did not eat one. I am happy I chose not to eat them. I asked someone if they were delicious, they said yes. I felt a strong urge to take one but I just didn't. I must have had treatment room fever, as I like to call it when I feel a little loopy from working there. My food addiction wanted me to eat them, many of them.

Food addictions are tough.

Walking home from work this morning was tough too, when 3 buses passed me that I could have hopped on. But thats my activity for the day, even if it only earns me 2 activity points. I knew when I left work that I wouldn't be going to the gym today. The walk home was especially slow today. But I walked.

I should really go to bed and get some sleep.

Starting weight (April 14/09): 261 lbs
Current weight (April 22/10): 242.4 lbs
Weight gain this week: 0.4 lbs
Total weight loss: 18.6 lbs

-Kira

New Goals and A Plan to Get to Goal

Hi.

Remember me?

I'm Kira.

And I stopped blogging a really long time ago.

I'm not a very good or dedicated blogger, but I'm back. I am proud to say that I have not stopped going to Weight Watchers even through all the stuff 2009 threw at me like a new job, a move and starting my adult life, but it's not like I have lost much weight. I currently weigh 242 lbs, which is a difference of 19 lbs since I rejoined Weight Watchers on April 14/09. Don't get me wrong, 19 lbs is great and I'm so happy I haven't cumulatively gained weight over this past year but I know I can do better than that.

So here I am now. Whats different? Well, I have come to realize that I am still unhappy with my weight and my behaviours with food. This year, I will be turning 25. In approxiamately 30 weeks, I will be turning 25. I'm not one of those people who really care about how old they are, or at least I don't believe I am, but whenever I thought about myself at that age in the past, I did not see myself still overweight at age 25. So how do I fix this problem? Well I'm not 100% sure but I think I need a goal. The overall amount of weight I have to lose is very overwhelming to me, I tend to focus on the big picture. I've never been good at establishing short term goals for myself, I've always been a procrastinator. So the idea of still having approximately 100 lbs to lose has always been very daunting and unmotivating to me.

I have this idea. I'm thinking if I can get under 200 lbs for my 25th birthday, that would be the best present I could ever give myself. So I would need to lose about 1.5 lbs per week until my 25th birthday on November the 15th of 2010. Can I do that? Sure I can, but the question is really will I do that?

I have a problem with food. Don't we all. Well I simply do not control myself around food. Like take this week for instance. I was over my weekly points by like 30 points. Thats with a good amount of activity and being "on plan." But I still managed to shed 3.4 lbs at weigh in this week. You'd think that would motivate me right? Negative! Friday, since it was weigh in day, I allowed myself a "cheat day." But I've let it spiral out of control until today. Luckly, I'm done eating for today and have assured myself that I will plan tonight and follow the plan tomorrow. I can do that. When I plan, I am more likely to succeed. My problem is that I am lazy. I simply do not plan because I don't feel like it. It also allows me to cheat for longer, psychologically speaking of course.

So I am going to give this a try. See what I can do with a shorter term goal versus the looming 121 lbs in total I want to lose. I know that if I can get under 200 that I will be happier with myself and can actually see getting to goal and then lifetime. So it doesn't matter what I've done this weekend already, I am forgiving myself and moving on. This plan expects slip ups, I can't beat myself up anymore for them, they are part of the journey and I just have to accept them. It's like family members that horribly embarrass you, they're still part of you're family! I'm going to try to talk about my feelings and what I'm doing with my weight loss journey more often also.

Happy re-birthday to me.

Starting weight (April 14/09): 261 lbs
Current weight (April 16/10): 242 lbs
Weight loss this week: 3.4 lbs
Total weight loss: 19 lbs

-Kira