Week 1: Reflections and Results

First for the results, drumroll please:
I met my goal and lost 2 pounds!!!!! Yay!! Unfortunately I only got to work out 1 time, so I think the results are pretty good! Adam and I also measured, but there is no changes in the measurements (no big surprise there). I'm only going to take and post pictures of my progress every few weeks. Hopefully we'll be able to tell a difference that way!

As far as the reflections go, it was easier than I thought. For the first time since we were engaged I am determined enough to lose weight to stick to my goals. I didn't snack, I didn't eat junk food, I kept my meals small, and I drank a lot of water. Basically I did things right, except that I didn't get to work out. I'm not really going to get to work out this week either because I'm working long days at work to get a project done.

I am finding that some of my symptoms of my stomach issue (which is undiagnosed, even though the doctors have done tons of testing) are popping up. I feel hungry between meals, which I'm okay with, but after I eat my meals I've been having some pain. After both breakfast and lunch this morning I felt ouchy in the stomach region, but I feel fine after dinner! Who knows! Anyway, I'm going to keep an eye on it. I think I may need to incorporate a small 100 calorie or less snack into my morning and afternoon. I think that way I won't be quite as hungry for my meals and hopefully my stomach will react better.

I am still quite motivated and am having an easy time of saying "NO!" to all the junk I am offered at work. I'm happy with my choices this week! I hope I can be just as good, if not better this week! However, I do have a confession to make... After a long hard day of work yesterday I went over to my parent's house and had some left over birthday cake from Sunday! I know I shouldn't have, but it was worth it! I got some great chatting in with my dad, and I needed a reward for working a 12 hour day.

So, my goal for this week is to lose another 2 lbs. I'm afraid that may be difficult since I'm most likely not going to get a chance to work out this week, but I am hopeful none the less!

First Day

Today was my first real day of trying to lose weight, and Would definitely consider it a success! I ate quite a bit fewer calories, I resisted the urge to snack, and I drank lots of yummy water. And I still feel satisfied! Although I did get hungry this afternoon, it wasn't like I was in extreme hunger pain mode or anything. I'm pretty happy with myself. To continue these happy feelings, I am going to go to the gym now (or go outside) and do some cardio. Yay! I even weighed myself this morning and it looks like I'm down about a pound. I'm hoping the first 10 pounds will come off really fast and easy, but I'm not sure!

In The Beginning.... The "BEFORE"

So I'm going to lose 20lbs before Thanksgiving. Why? For a few reasons actually. The first, is that I'm sick of being overweight. Obesity runs in my family and while I am not YET obese, I don't want to ever get there. The next is that I'm not happy with how I look with these extra pounds on me, it is not so much the number as the state of flabiness that I currently inhabit. The next is I want to be in great shape before I get pregnant, and I want to get pregnant soon! The sooner the better in fact! So I'm losing the weight before I put on baby weight, so I don't have double work to do after I have a child. Make sense? There are just so many risks and potential complications if you are already overweight when you get pregnant, and I don't want to risk it. So basically I am losing the weight for not only myself, but also for my future babies..


Here are all of my "BEFORE" pictures and statistics:

(WARNING: I'm VERY white, and I'm overweight! Not a pretty picture, I know! But that is the whole reason for this blog!)


(P.S. We took these pictures first thing in the morning, meaning I hadn't showered and I have no makeup on. Doesn't make for the mos attractive pictures! Ack! I can't believe I'm posting these!)

Statistics:
Thigh: 24"
Hips: 40"
Waist: 29"
Arm: 12"
Weight to lose: 20lbs

Goal for the week:
Lose 2lbs

How am I going to accomplish the goal?
--Work out 4 times this week
--Eat vegetables with every meal
--Cut down on portion size
--Cut down on the amount of sweets intake

Explanation

Recently I posted my weekend "To Do" list on my blog. I realized that by posting it I felt a greater sense of accountability and I was able to get much more done, knowing that people were potentially going to know if I lived up to my goals or not. This realization got me thinking... If posting my to do list on my blog helped me get things done, then wouldn't blogging about my weight loss and exercise goals help me to stick to my plan and lose weight? The answer (I think) is YES! I'm not going to widely publicize the existence of this blog, as I do find it a little embarrassing, but some will know about it and that is enough to keep me going I suppose.

My plan is to post pictures of me here weekly (in a black leotard and shorts, just like they do in the magazines) as well as my weekly statistics. I'm going to track the measurements of my Thigh, Hips, Waist, and Arm. I will also post my pounds lost (or gained!) and the number of days I worked out. I think throughout the week I will post about some of my successes and failures, set goals, and really think about what is working and what is not working. Anyway, my goal is to lose 20 pounds before Thanksgiving! I know I can do it!