Sunday Weigh In

AMAZING!  I have stayed on path for the week and lost 1.2 pounds which is so awesome. I am now down to 242.2. But the more amazing thing is that I have lost weight for four weeks in a row! I have not done that since 2012 when I first started! I would have a "bad" week or be hormonal or just go off the charts once in a while. But I have stayed so consistent! I have tracked every day. My only dessert after dinner has been either fruit or cheese or yogurt. (And the cheese has only been once.) No processed sugar after supper.

242.2

I am not the blogger she is talking about

One of the new people I met while I was in Malibu was Heather. She is absolutely lovely and a very dry sense of humor. She was happy she tried the experience but she could not imagine going back which I thought was very interesting.

She sent me this list today. I liked it not only because it was funny, but also because it is true. So here is someone else's perspective on fat camp.

Things I learned at fat (okay... "fitness") camp:
1. You're stronger than you think.
2. Hiking sucks.
3. It really is a mental game.
4. Try not to book the rainiest week ever....
5. Healthy food can taste very good.
6. Bloggers who are 25 and look like supermodels are demotivating and should fucking stay home.
7. You can't resist the camaraderie and probably shouldn't.
8. There's no such thing as too many massages.
9. Have your son drop you off so you don't have a car and can't leave.
10. There are more important stats than the scale shows you (although the scale matters too).
11. Try to kick caffeine before you arrive so you don't spend days with a headache.
12. You can get sick of water.
13. HGTV is always there to sooth your sore body.

Funny Friday

You can never get enough of the Ryan memes.

Martina!

Today was my big interview of Martina Navratilova. It went really well and everyone enjoyed it. So that is great! Until I started looking at the pictures that were being posted on LinkedIn and Twitter.

MY ARMS!!!!

I know you can't spot lose weight but it sure made me aware that I gotta keep going. The chicken arms are terrible!

On a separate note, still no dessert!  And I am still tracking.

Happy Australia Day!

I was invited to BBQs and parties, but I decided to work out and go and get healthy groceries!

I had a good workout today and tomorrow we have a corporate run around the Tan. I feel like I am in the zone at the moment and my lack of sugar is going to start showing results at the scale. We will see...

Tonight's dinner is delicious salmon and salad.

Monday Motivation

My blog posts get more whiney the less I go out and exercise. If I am successful with my training, I am happier and more positive.

Sunday Weigh In

I had a great week and I still have not had any dessert. I am going to see how long I can go. I am going to try and cut out extra sugars as well.

I didn't exercise as much as I had wanted but I did get some good workouts in.

Lost 1/2 pound. :)
243.4

Funny Friday

This is particularly good because it happened to me this week. I literally had to get off the treadmill. I need to be distracted when I work out. Good news - I found the headphones at my office!

Maybe it was the dress?

I had several people comment that I was looking slimmer this week. That is such a nice thing to have happen. It could be the dress.

One of my employees said she could see it in my face. This was a big win because I have done nothing but gain weight since I started this company. So for someone who works with me to say something was really great.

I did not work out twice today.
Or once.
I WILL workout before my weigh in. It will help me hit that 1 pound for the week.

Hump day

I am over the hump for the week and continuing to do well on my diet but my energy for exercise has been non-existent. If I continue on my health will improve but I really want to up my energy levels. Yes, my knee has been hurting but that can not be an excuse for all activity.

So, my goal for tomorrow is TWO workout sessions. I've got to get back on track with the exercise to consistently get the weight off.

Having said that...9 days without dessert!!!!! :)

I'm glad I'm not a professional athlete

Maybe the only thing worse than having a weight struggle is having your struggle with full media attention, having your weight published and having your boss say, "you need to lose weight." That would be awful.

So, imagine my discomfort when I saw my favorite running back being criticized in the media today for his weight. If Eddie Lacy has a hard time, what chance do the rest of us mere mortals have?

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/25454051/mike-mccarthy-on-eddie-lacys-weight-issues-hes-got-a-lot-of-work-to-do

I'm not sure if this made me want to work out more or less. But it did make me sad.

Monday Motivation

I didn't realise this was a goal until I read this quote. I thought, "How cool would it be if someone looked at me and thought....'if Victoria can do this, I can do this'".

Sunday Weigh In

Yea!  Lost almost 2 pounds this week!  YEA!  (The camera on my iphone is totally dodgy.) But the scale does read 243.8. I haven't had dessert all week. (I have had fruit but no chocolate or goody goodness.) Well done me.

Funny Friday

You know I am not a serious runner, but even I could laugh out loud at this one.

Getting high

Here is a poll:
1 - How many of you have felt a runner's high or an endorphin rush?
2 - If yes, what were you doing when it kicked in?

Andrew, my roommate, and I were talking yesterday and he was surprised I have NEVER got an endorphins kick. Not only that, I have NEVER craved to do any exercise, probably because I haven't felt the euphoria that comes with it. He gets it all the time and I was very jealous as he talked about it.

I admit, I do feel better after I workout. No doubt.
I am always glad I did the workout but never have been high.

So, I googled it. And it turns out they don't really know exactly what causes it or why some get it and some don't.  But guys get it more frequently. Enjoying the exercise you are doing helps. Good luck with that!!! HA!

I did think this was funny - someone got a tattoo of the runner's high chemical compound.

On a separate note, I have gone two days without dessert. WOW!

Completely terrified of a flat 12" digital square

Finally back home and back on schedule!
I had a full day of work.
Did 40 minutes on the treadmill.
Completed my food diary.
Had a great day.

But...I still have not gotten back on the scale. It is like I just do not want to face the numbers anymore. My goal is weigh in tomorrow morning so I know where I am starting this year. Time to stop being afraid and start being empowered!

Motivation Monday

This one really hits home. If I had just kept going with my routine and schedule since leaving fat camp in 2011, I would ALREADY be at my goal!!! Can you imagine me at 149 pounds? That is so awesome. But I am not. So as it is a new year, I tell myself, I can look back and the same numbers on the scale, or I can get back on.  Get busy living or get busy dying!

Sunday Weigh In

I have completed my time at the new fat camp. What were the results?

Today I weighed in at 245.6.
That is a total loss of 4.6 pounds/2.1kg.
I lost 7.7 pounds of fat.  I gained 3.1 pounds of muscle.
More important than that, I lost 1/2 inch off of my hips and waist this week alone.

In the past I would have been very discouraged by a small number on the scale but I really am happy with the big picture. And, I had Xmas in between, so a big success to getting back on track.

Revelation

I am sitting in class and we are talking about grocery shopping. Someone mentions that you shouldn't shop while hungry because you will walk out with a big bag of chips that is already open.

I think to myself, "I would NEVER do that."

And I have this flashback to when I was still living in Chicago.  The first aisle I would grab a packet of mini chocolate donuts and eat it as I shopped. I hate grocery shopping (still do) and this would be my reward for doing it. I would pay for it with the rest of my groceries when I left but that was my grocery store treat.

I couldn't believe I forgot about it.
I couldn't believe I use to do that.
Every week....

Tri

Fridays, here at fat camp, are the big end of the week - celebrated by having  a triathlon in the gym.   Run the treadmill, bike on the recumbent, swim in the pool. They have some variation but you spend about two hours completing your race.

I was excited about today's event for two reasons.
1 - it is my fav thing here as it is an all out cardio class which is my favorite thing
2 - I really wanted to test my knee to see if I could run two miles straight

My knee wasn't in the best shape to begin with but I went straight to the treadmill. Each step was like a stab to the knee but the tear must have moved around because eventually I was running pretty much pain free.

I am so proud of myself. I did the two miles. It was EXTREMELY slow but I didn't stop. I kept going through the pain and really gave a good effort.

The biking was no problem.

Due to all the rain, the pool was freezing! I almost gave up on it but I just plunged through and finished.

Next goal?????  Run the Tan without stopping???

Stronger, harder, faster

In my effort to really give strength training a go.... here is the latest workout.  I also like reverse toe touches and reverse situps.  Like is a strong word.  I can feel the burn with all of these.

For those of you interested, this can be modified without any weights:

Pushups
Plank
Glute Bridges
Squats
Reverse Toe Touches
Reverse Situps
Situps

 Yo!  Penny and Tim - we will need to add a few of these to our Sunday sprints.

FINALLY!!! The first sun all week

Sunny southern California has been awful, cold, wet and rainy. It has really soured everyone's mood here, kept us out of the pool (and since none of my clothes can dry fast enough) and doing laundry. Today is the first sun we have seen all week but I think tomorrow it is back to rain. Grrrr.....

The Apple Watch Sucks

I am officially done with the Apple watch. If I can get to a sports store while I am still in the US, I am going to get a new Polar.

This morning, I ran for 20 minutes and then did a grueling 40 minute mountain walk on the treadmill at an incline of 15!

So, what did my Apple watch track?

I had burned 276 calories - that is the red line.  Now, this could be true, I burn very slowly but I don't think it is.
I had completed 20 minutes of exercise!!!!  This is the green line.  I don't know what Apple thinks exercise is but both my run and my walk had me dripping with sweat so this is not correct.
I had stood up for 2 hours - that is the blue line. Could be right but at that point I had been up for four hours. Not really sure how the watch tracks this.

I want my heart rate and my calorie burn.  The Apple watch is just not accurate even though it is the prettiest screen around.  Oh well...off to look for a new watch.

Never too much exercise

Todd recommended to me that I go exercise CRAZY this year and it was just after I had decided the same thing.

I kept telling myself - You can not exercise away a bad diet.  BUT….

1 - it keeps me motivated

2 - it atones for a lot of sins.  And when I say sins, I really mean cookies.

3 - Exercise is a natural appetite suppressant.

I think exercise is the real different in my weight loss and so I had come to the same conclusion - I need to go exercise nuts.  I drew up a calendar yesterday with two exercise options every day.  And if my knee/body can keep up, the running really helps.  In the back of my mind, I would like to do a half marathon.  I could do a half by the end of the year.  And for those of you who remember, I want to do the Nike Women's Half.  At the end of the race, a fire fighter - dressed in a tux - gives you a charm from Tiffany.  (I believe it was Miss Elissa who said that if I completed ANY half, my friends would find a fire fighter to dress in a tux and give me a charm.)  I will buy the charm but you ALL have to hold up your end of the bargain!!!!!!  :)

As far as my speed, I read in Runners magazine a few days ago that for every 10 pounds you lose, you subtract a minute from your 5k or something like that.

So thanks to Todd for the suggestion.  I think you are spot on!

Join me on MFP

Is anyone else on My Fitness Pal?

I have joined two groups to start the new year:

 - Runners
 - The Weight Annihilators Team Challenge

I am hoping that being on a team will be a little more focused and keep me accountable.
If you are on MFP, friend me so we can encourage each other!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/

What is typical?

So many people want to know about typical food while you are here and this is it.  You get a choice of 5 items for breakfast:
Eggs with toast
Toast with peanut butter
Oatmeal
Musli
Peanut Butter chocolate smoothie

I get the smoothie every day and it is delicious! (as you can see from this empty glass)

Snacks are always the same as well. A protein and a carb.
Apple and peanut butter
Almonds and a banana

I usually get string cheese and an orange.

Lunches and dinners are the wonderful items I have been typing about for weeks. Tonight is salmon and I can hardly wait!

Fat camp friends

Very interesting group this week.  There are about 20 people here.  Three of them weigh about 100 pounds combined. They are super fit girls who write a fitness blog.  WHAT?!??!?!  I write a fitness blog! :) I sat across one at breakfast this morning and she had a hard time finishing her meal. SERIOUSLY!  It is the smallest portion of toast and eggs you will ever see and she could barely get the toast in.

The other surprise guest is a known Hollywood actress. She isn't A list but you would know her. Is it betraying her confidence to say who she is? I won't give her name. Actually, I LOVE her husband and just saw him perform in Melbourne a few years ago. She has been very quiet and nice. That's all I'll say.

It seems like a very nice group.

I've started the morning with a great workout (by myself while everyone hiked) and am really going to use this week for planning and getting my act together!

Sunday Weigh In

Another reason NOT to trust a scale...according to the fat camp scale - I didn't gain any weight over Christmas! It is a Christmas miracle, but I'll take it!

Here is to 2016 - I am so excited!

Starting weight at 248.7 and going down.