Changes After 1 Month

I took my second set of measurements yesterday (one month after the initial measurements). I lost in some areas and not in others. I basically did not lose any inches on my arms and legs with the exception of my upper thighs which lost 1" each. My biggest loss was with my waist which was 2" (and that's with premenstrual bloating). Next, were my hips with a loss of 1-3/4", and I lost 1-1/2" around my chest. I even lost 1/4" around my neck, which I know has helped me to sleep better (less snoring). It's nice to see some difference in measurements and weight (14.4 pounds so far). However, my biggest difference is in how I feel. Instead of dragging myself, I am now running up stairs (and not getting out of breath). Yesterday, I went rollerskating with my daughter and nephew and I was able to enjoy it while getting a good workout. I can't seem to lay around as much anymore. It's like my body has to be moving. I haven't been taking in any extra caffeine or stimulants, just my regular cup of coffee in the morning (which I now sometimes skip), yet I feel much more energized. I give most credit for the improved well being to the foods I am now eating as well as the regular exercise. For me it is not just about losing weight. It's about being as healthy as I can be and enjoying it. I have fallen in love with fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds and (luckily for me) they love me back!

My First Comparison Photos

It's been 25 days since I started my weight loss journey, and I couldn't wait to see if it shows. So, I took a picture today to compare with the original photo taken at the beginning of the month. I definitely feel so much better and I think there is some difference in my appearance. I went down to a pant size of 16. I'm still able to wear my 18 size pants, but they are loose. Last night I collected all of my 20 size clothes and got them out of the closet. I plan to donate them or sell them at a yard sale this spring--not giving myself the option to grow back into them! If anyone can use them, let me know, and I'll send them out to you. There's not much, but they are nice clothes for work in an office type setting.

Staying on Track

The weight is steadily coming off. I have started going to the gym on a regular basis. I've designated the time after dinner as my gym time and take along my 8 year old daughter that has started exercising along with me and my 15 year old son decided to go last night as well. I make sure I have a very light dinner. My heavier foods are eaten earlier in the day. At the gym, I spend about 20-30 minutes walking briskly around the indoor track, then 20-30 minutes on the stationary bike. I leave there very sweaty and it feels so good!

An Attempt at Sabotage

Today I asked my dear husband to pick up 3 items from the supermarket. He came back with the 3 items and lots of baked goods (which by the way he's never previously bothered to purchase unless it was requested). Anyway, this was fine. Just because I wasn't eating the stuff doesn't mean the rest of the family can't enjoy it. But then... he points out that he bought 2 chocolate croissants just for me. He knows I love them. I remind him that I'm working on losing weight and that I'm not eating that stuff. He claimed to have forgotten. I gave him the benefit of the doubt. But then... he goes on to say I should eat them because I "deserve it". I said to him "What I deserve is to be happy and healthy".

10 pounds so far!

I've lost almost 10 pounds so far (9.4 to be exact) and it's been 2 weeks on my journey. I lost 2 pounds this past week. If I can continue to lose 2 pounds per week over the next 10 weeks, I will be able to get under the 200 mark just in time for my vacation (at the beginning of April) which is a cruise to Key West and Mexico. That is the mini goal I am reaching for right now. I can't remember the last time I was under 200 pounds. I think it's been at least 9 years--probably longer.

No more chest pain & irregular heart beat!

It's been 10 days with a weight loss of 10lbs. so far. I don't see much of a difference in my clothes, but I feel so much better. I'm sleeping better and my husband reports that he hasn't heard me snore during the last couple of nights. (I have sleep apnea, but was not able to adapt to using the C-Pap machine). I also noticed that when I walked down the stairs this morning, it didn't hurt and I wasn't even holding on to the railing. I used to have to hold on and go down one step at a time when I would first wake up, and the bottoms of my feet would hurt. This morning, I just walked down like a normal healthy person. I have also noticed that my head is clearer and I'm able to manage my emotions better. There has also been a huge difference with my heart. It's beating normally this week! Before I started my weight loss and during the very first days, I had trouble with dull chest pains and my heart was beating irregularly. That problem seems to be gone and I hope it never returns! It's a scary feeling when you can't count on your heart! I knew that I would see these type of improvements over time, but am so very pleasantly surprised that it was this soon. Instead of laying on the couch after dinner, I actually had enough energy to go to the gym last night!

So Far So Good

I'm feeling much better! The weight is going down and I feel healthier already. I'm experimenting with new foods and preparation methods. The other day I made a raw vegetable soup that was surprisingly good. I juiced vegetables to make the broth then chopped up and added several other vegetables including raw corn. It was my first time tasting raw corn and I was surprised to learn that it's edible and actually tastes very good with a pleasant crunch to it. I froze the left over pulp from the vegetables I juiced (along with a bit of the juice) and then used it a couple days later to mix into a turkey meatloaf which turned out very moist and tasty. I'm looking forward to more delicious and healthy discoveries.

Weight Chart

Because I am a very visual person, I created a weight loss chart where I can document my weight each week and visually see the progress in black and white.

Today is day 2.

So far so good! Sometimes the hardest part of a journey is getting started. Now I'm on my way!