April Measurements (1 Year Gymiversary Comparisons)

Arms

• Last month (11/16/2013) - 9.75 inches each
• This month (4/13/2014) - 9.5 inches each
• Last year (4/13/2013) - 11.5 inches each

Hips

•  Last month (1/18/2014) - 38.5 inches
•  This month (4/13/2014) - 38.25 inches 
•  Last year (4/13/2013) - 47 inches

Waist

•  Last month (1/18/2014) - 28.5 inches
•  This month (4/13/2014) - 28.25 inches
•  Last year (4/13/2013) - 36 inches  

 
Bust

•  Last month (1/18/2014) - 35.25 inches
•  This month (4/13/2014) - 35 inches
•  Last year (4/13/2013) - 40 inches

Thighs

•   Last month (1/18/2014) - 19.5 inches each
•   This month (4/13/2014) - 19.25 inches each  
•   Last year (4/13/2013) - 24.5 inches each

It's been one year since I stepped into the gym for the first time after having Izzie.  I have never gone more than two months in a row being consistent with going to the gym before now.  I've spent a whole year being faithful to working out and am beyond pleased with the results!

In one year, I've gone from 179.4lbs to 142.8lbs, a net loss of 36.6lbs.  That number alone is so great, but when combined with the number of inches lost really blows my mind and you know I am easily my hardest critic.  2 inches from each arm, 8.75 inches from my hips, 7.75 inches from my waist, 5 inches from my bust, and 5.25 inches from each thigh, bring the total to 36 inches lost!  That's almost an inch per pound which is insane to me.  I went from a size 16 pants to a size 8 and a size 14 dress to a size 6.  In terms of general sizing, I've gone from XL to mainly M with some S mixed in here and there (usually in women's sizes not juniors).

I am beyond excited about buying all new summer clothes.  I am so glad I could do this before my kids no any better so as not to give them body image complexes.  I don't put myself down in front of them (not that I put myself down too much in my head anymore) and when we go to the gym, Brady knows I'm there to exercise, which is something he likes to do too in his own way.  There's no connotation about it being to lose weight.  He knows we eat good food so that we can grow healthy and strong.

Here is the ultimate comparison over the course of the last year.  The top pics are from the first day back in the gym when Izzie was 6 weeks old.  Second set was 10 weeks later at 16 weeks old, the third 10 weeks later at 6 months old, and the final set was after a whole year working out.  I still can't believe how much of a change I've made, especially when I don't see it until put like this.

Weigh-in for 4/12/2014

Last weigh-in (3/22/2014) : 142.4 lb

This weigh-in (4/12/2014) : 142.8 lb

Change : 0.4 lb gained
 
Total weight loss since Izzie : 57.6 lb


It's been about three weeks since my last weigh-in and some weeks have been better than others in that time.  We've been to a record five birthday parties in the last eight weeks and another two weekends in there were my kids' birthdays.  It's hard to say no to cake every single week.  I didn't every time, but when you are tempted week after week, you give in.  The kids got sick . . . again, taking me out of the gym for a week, which never helps.  Even though my number seems to be hovering between 142-145lbs, my body fat percentage has decreased from 26.2% to 25.2% so at least some of the weight has become muscle rather than fat and I am happy enough with that.

I plan to do measurements to commemorate my one year gymiversary this weekend and I'm sure there will be changes there as well.  I can tell because the clothes sizes are going down in number.  I wore my size 8 bermudas the other day and they were super comfy and had me thinking I could get into a size 6, but they might be a bit restricting.  I bought a few new dresses for summer in general, a wedding, and my brother's college graduation.  I had been in the department stores and not seen anything I liked, so I looked online and saw one that might be nice, but I debated on which size to buy.  I settled on a size 10 because I really had never worn a dress in a size smaller than that.  A few days later, I saw the same dress in the store, in a size 8 and $20 cheaper.  I tried it on and it was perfect!

It's definitely not my normal style which is something that has a more flowing skirt to hide my hips, but I have been feeling more confident in how I look and decided to try something new.

I was heading out of the changing room when another dress caught my eye.  It was also on sale, but when I looked at the ones in stock, there was a size 6 and a size 10.  I figured the size 10 would be too big since I'd just gotten comfortably into a size 8.  I grabbed the 6 and headed back into the changing room, but not really expecting anything.

This is more my typical style, with a band right under the bust and flowing skirt.  To my complete surprise, the size 6 fit perfectly!  A size 6 has been the magic number in my head since I started losing weight almost eight years ago.  I still can't believe I did it!

There's still plenty of work to be done, in terms of body shape, even if the weight and clothing sizes stay relatively the same.  My goal is to have my ultimate body by the time I turn 30 (which is now 23 months away).  I plan to have another baby in that time, but now see that as an aid rather than an impediment to my weight loss.  I just have to keep working hard and keeping up a positive attitude.  I know now to appreciate what I have now instead of being down on myself for not being better.

Weigh-in for 2/1/2014

Last weigh-in (1/18/2014) : 140.2 lb

This weigh-in (2/1/2014) : 141.0 lb

Change : 0.8 lb gained

Total weight loss since Izzie : 59.4 lb


We've certainly had a lot going on in the last two weeks, including being stuck inside again for extreme temps.  That certainly makes it hard for me to avoid eating all day long.  I don't have junk food in my house, but even eating too much healthy food isn't good for you.  All in all, 0.8 lbs in two weeks isn't so bad.  I've maintained my workout schedule and as long as the inches come off or continue to maintain, the number on the scale isn't going to bother me fluxuating a few pounds here and there.

2013 Year-End Stats

Starting weight : 189.0 lb

Ending weight : 142.2 lb

Change : 46.8 lb lost (average 3.9 lb lost per month)


Going from the start of 2013 to the end with weight doesn't accurately reflect the loss for the year, since I was still pregnant at the start and the numbers went up for the first two months of the year, up to 200.4lbs.  The total loss when looking at the weight that was shed would be 58.2lbs and that was all lost in the last 10 months of the year, which made the monthly average when it came to weight lost 5.82lbs lost per month.  

This year has been absolutely phenomenal when it comes to weight loss.  I really had no idea that I could lose almost 60lbs in 10 months while caring for two young children.  In the 10 months following Brady being born, I only lost 44.2lbs and weighed almost 30lbs more than I do today.  I am at my lowest ever on program and also the lowest I've been since middle school.  I'm in clothes sizes I would've never dreamed of being in.  I look better than I did the day I graduated high school and also the day I got married.  Sometimes I really can't believe how far I've come in the last 7.5 years on Weight Watchers, it's truly changed my life.  I know my kids will be healthier because I'm healthier and that's more than I could ever ask for.

This year was huge in terms of weight loss and obviously I'm at a point where there's not much left to reach my ultimate goal.  I have 12.2lbs I still want to lose before I'm ready to stop with weight loss (but the journey to maintain is just as hard).  I would like to do that before my 10-year high school reunion in July, but would be happy to see it before we ring in 2015.  That's an average of 1lb per month, which I can see being totally achievable.  My biggest benchmarks will now be seeing the inches go down rather than the pounds.  I'm at a very healthy weight, so if that doesn't change and the inches still come off, I won't obsess about the number on the scale.  Here's to a happy and healthy 2014!

Weigh-in for 11/2/2013

Last weigh-in (10/26/2013) : 145.2 lb

This weigh-in (11/2/2013) : 144.4 lb

Change : 0.8 lb lost

Total weight loss since Izzie : 56 lbs


The Weight Watchers scale was kind to me this morning, as my own scale didn't have me down so much.  I'll probably pay for it next week, but right now I don't care.  That's a decent loss for a week where I only made it to the gym twice and of course, it was also Halloween week.  I definitely implored my will power this week, as I only allowed myself three pieces of candy in the last two days.  We also went over to a friend's house after Trick-or-Treat and they had pizza.  We had already eaten before the kids went out, so I just enjoyed the company and didn't eat anything.  There were plenty of times in the past where I'd say, "Screw it," and eat the pizza anyway.  That shows how far I've come in the last seven and a half years.  There are certainly times when I allow myself to overindulge, but I have to pick and choose.  I can't do it every time that I might want to.  If I didn't allow myself some things that aren't so great for me, I'd never be able to stay on program and this is something I have to maintain for the rest of my life, so I have to make concessions sometimes.

Setting My Final Goal

Well, I've made it to pre-Germany weight and have even dipped below it.  That was the goal I set for myself to reach before Christmas, so now it's time to set my new, and final, goal for myself.  The healthy weight range for my height (5'6") is anywhere between 124lbs and 155lbs.  The ultimate number I want to reach is 130lbs, and I would like to reach that by the time I get to my 10 year high school reunion in early July.  I want to look so good that people don't even recognize me.  I have just under  nine months to lose 16.8lbs, which means I need to lose less than half a pound per week in order to reach this final goal.

130lbs has been a number in my head for a long time, since I was a teenager.  The last time I was 130lbs was when I was 14 and at that age, I was just over five feet tall, so it wasn't a healthy weight for me at that time.  I was huge into Friends and I would read articles about how Jennifer Aniston was having a hard time getting her big break because she was overweight.  Even having a father in the business wasn't enough to get her the jobs she wanted.  She was 5'6" like I am and weighed 160lbs.  She went out and lost 30lbs and then landed her huge gig on Friends.

A 30lb difference from 160lbs to 130lbs (although I'm pretty sure there have been many times when she's gone lower than that).

Although Jennifer Aniston's story is what got the number in my head, there was a bigger inspiration that lead to the body that I would like to have.  I have watched Days of Our Lives since I was Brady's age or even younger.  Alison Sweeney has been on the show for over 20 years and I used to watch when she was just a chubby teenager.  She went on to lose a ton of weight and eventually landed herself as the host of The Biggest Loser.  She's well endowed like myself and has also had two kids.

Just about a month ago, she was on the cover of Shape magazine and my mom brought it to my notice while we were getting our hair done.  She looks amazing!  She's 36, so nine years older than myself, and I can only hope that I look that good by the time that I'm 36.

My butt has been a huge sticking point in my weight loss and something I've heard criticism about my whole life from multiple sources.  Andy decided to catch a shot of me from behind last night and made a point of showing it to me to show me how small he thought it was looking.  Of course, it's not small in comparison to most, but it's small for me.  It's hard to ever see yourself from behind, so I'm glad Andy was able to show me that my hard work is making a difference.  I've already bought my bikini's for next summer on clearance and I have this image in my head of how I'll look in them at my final goal and this is when it's really going to happen.

Weigh-in for 10/12/2013 ~ New Lowest Ever!!!

Last weigh-in (10/5/2013) : 149.0 lb

This weigh-in (10/12/2013) : 146.8 lb

Change : 2.2 lb lost


Total weight loss since Izzie : 53.6 lbs


I finally did it! Exactly 20 months and 3 weeks after I stepped on the plane to Germany, I am back at the weight I was that day!  Coming home 20lbs heavier and being pregnant before we got home, watching the weight creep up for another nine months, I despaired that I might never get back here again in those darkest of days.  I kicked that attitude in the butt the minute Izzie was born and decided that I would be there before Christmas.  Hard work, determination, and sheer willpower are what led me back here and not only did I reach that weight, I blew through it!

It's time to start thinking about a new (and final) goal before I start the long lifetime- journey of maintenance.  I'm not done having kids, so there will come times when it becomes necessary to kick it into weight-loss mode once again, but by reaching my ultimate goal before then, I will have less to lose before maintenance become the norm again.  So much of my family hasn't seen me in months and I'm excited to blow everyone away when I next see them.  My 93 year old grandma sees us maybe once a year (if that) and the last two times she saw me was when Brady was 10 months old (170lbs) and last year when I was seven months pregnant with Izzie (189lbs).  She's likely to think I'm sickly because she's never seen me thin.

September 2013 Stats & October Goals

Starting weight : 154.8 lb

Ending weight : 149.8 lb

Change : 5 lb lost (average 1.2lb lost per week)

This time last year : 172.5 lb (17 weeks pregnant)


My goal for September was to lose 3lbs and I was more than happy to have lost more than that and break back into the 140s for the first time since December 2011.  We took family portraits earlier in the month and it was the lowest weight (154lbs) that I'd ever been when taking them since Brady was born.  Not traveling most of the month was very helpful in the weight loss for the month as there was more time for the gym and less time eating bad food.

October is here and I have one goal - to reach my pre-Germany weight of 148.2lbs, which is only 1.6lbs from where I am currently.  That would require only 0.4lb loss per week for the full month.  I set this goal for myself shortly after Izzie was born and I wanted to reach it by Christmas.  The weight has come off much faster (with a lot more hard work this time around) than it did after Brady.  I am down 50.6lbs since Izzie was born 7 months ago and that took me 15 months to do after Brady was born.  Once I break through that number, I will have to set a new goal for myself as I will be in uncharted territory.  I can't wait to get back there in the next few weeks and look forward to a new number.  It's only one step closer to getting to a point where I stop trying to lose weight and start to maintain, which has never happened in the over seven years of being on Weight Watchers.

Weigh-in for 9/27/2013 ~ Back in the 140s!!!

Last weigh-in (9/21/2013) : 150.8 lb

This weigh-in (9/27/2013) : 149.8 lb

Change : 1 lb lost

Germany weight loss : 18.2lb of 19.8lb gained
Total weight loss since Izzie : 50.6 lbs


I can't begin to tell you how good it feels to get under 150lbs again after all the struggles of the last 18 months.  In the back of my mind, I always wonder what would've happened weight wise had we not gone to Germany and it makes me a little sad.  I can't dwell on that now, especially since I am so close to getting back to where I was before we stepped on that airplane.

Losing over 50lbs in less than 7 months is something I never thought myself capable of, considering it took me over 5 years from my first day of Weight Watchers to get from where I started to get to lifetime weight (42lbs lost).  I have to give a big part of the credit to the work I do in the gym on a weekly basis.  In the past, I've tried to lose weight either through exercise or eating better, but never both at the same time until the last few years.  Using one or the other either led to no loss, or not enough loss to change much in the way of inches because the fat wasn't getting replaced by much firmer muscle mass.  

As an overweight and obese child and teen, I hated recess and gym at school.  I was never athletic in sports that required much speed.  My main sports were volleyball and swimming, and even in swimming, I was better at endurance than sprints.  I'm not proud of this, but there was even a time I pretended to sprain my ankle so I didn't have to go to volleyball practice one day because we were going to have to run.  Never would I have thought then that I'd be one of the regulars at the gym.  The people at the gym daycare know my kids the minute we walk in and if we miss a day because one of the kids is sick or we're out of town, they tell us that they wondered where we were.  There's more to it than just the physical benefits at this point in my life.  It's a mental release as well.  I get to have someone else watch my kids, while they get to run around and play with other kids and toys they don't have at home.  I get some much needed time to myself and I don't seem to mind too much that it's hard work.  It'll be weird when I have to shift to maintain mode and I don't go quite as frequently (likely twice a week instead of three times).

Weigh-in for 8/3/2013

Last weigh-in (7/19/2013) : 161.8 lb

This weigh-in (8/3/2013) : 161.6 lb

Change : 0.2lb lost

Germany weight loss : 6.4lb of 19.8lb gained

Amount needed to get back to WW lifetime weight : 6.6 lbs


I'm not shocked about such a small loss over the span of two weeks.  The previous weigh-in was one day before we went on vacation for a week and I ate what I wanted.  When I got back and stepped on the scale, I was only up 1lb (a miracle that give full credit to breastfeeding).  I spent two days in the gym making sure I took it off.  I would've been happy with a complete maintain but happy that I even got a tiny loss.  Now that we're back home, I can focus on my workouts and tracking so that I reach my goal of getting back to the lifetime weight by the end of the month.  My clothes have been getting looser and others fitting better, so I will be excited to take my measurements in two weeks.

Weigh-in for 6/29/2013

Last weigh-in (6/20/2013) : 167 lb

This weigh-in (6/29/2013) : 167 lb

Change : no change

Germany weight loss : 1lb of 19.8lb gained

Amount needed to get back to WW lifetime weight : 12 lbs


I can't say I'm upset or surprised by the maintain of the last nine days.  I felt like I was getting away scotch free after graduation parties, funerals, and a baptism, along with constant road travel eating.  I was dropping weight like crazy despite all of that.  It finally caught up with me.  In addition to another traveling weekend, we attended a wedding and I certainly didn't count anything I ate.  I'll take a maintain over a gain any week and look forward to a full week in the gym for the first time in over a month!

6 Year Anniversary!

Six years ago today, I walked through the doors of weight watchers and changed my life forever.  I had just finished my sophomore year of college and was seriously unhappy with how I looked and felt in my clothes (gosh doesn't sound too different from now).  My mom was overweight too, so we went together.  I can still remember how shocked I was to see my starting weight : 197.2lb.  I had only weighed 183 the last time I'd weighed myself only 6 weeks before, so I wasn't expecting a number so close to 200lb.


That first summer, away from college food and classes, helped to spark my weight loss.  My mom and I were so very serious about our new lifestyle and that first summer, that I lost 25.6lb, which was 13% of my starting weight.


There have been a lot of ups and downs since that first day in May 2006.  In that span of six years, I met Andy, graduated college and grad school, got married, had Brady, became a lifetime member, and finally moved to Germany.  We've gone through our fair share of program changes as well.  I've gotten as high as 215lb (the day before Brady was born) and gotten down as low as 148.2lb (right before this last Christmas).  I've had periods of gaining where I've had to take the weight off over again, and other times where I've been stuck in a maintain for six months or more.  Right now, I'm in a difficult position of gaining weight, but I know as soon as I get home and have more control, I'll take it back off again, just like I've always done in the past.  No matter what has happened, up or down, I don't regret walking into that meeting room and changing my life for the better!


Here's how I've weighed-in at the anniversary point each year, since I started.


May 2, 2006 : 197.2 lb
May 2, 2007 : 165.2 lb (down 32lb from previous year)
May 2, 2008 : 172.4 lb (up 7.2lb from previous year)
May 2, 2009 : 164.2 lb (down 8.2lb from previous year)
May 2, 2010 : 187.0 lb (up 22.8lb from previous year)
May 2, 2011 : 168.6lb (down 18.4lb from previous year)
May 2, 2012 : 164.4lb (down 4.2lb from previous year)


Overall, in exactly six years, I've netted a loss of 32.8lb.  Even though I'm in an upswing, I'm nowhere near where I started on day 1 and I'll be happy to never see that starting number ever again!  Thanks weight watchers!

Help from an International Friend

I've mentioned before how the food selection here in Germany has been posing some problems for me. I was always hungry and would just be eating all day long, never feeling full or even satisfied. A friend from Switzerland came to visit and I shared these concerns with her, thinking she might have some insight as she has lived in Europe for the last five years, and has spent a lot of time over here before setting up a permanent residence here. I was not disappointed with the suggestions she had.

I confided in her that I was concerned that Nutella was becoming my new peanut butter, because I was eating sometimes three slices of bread a day with Nutella spread on them. She said that she eats Nutella every day, but instead of on bread, she eats it on plain rice cakes. The rice cakes are low in carbs and bulky, so they fill you up. I am able to eat two rice cakes with 1 tsp of Nutella on each for 3 Points Plus, or three rice cakes with 1 tsp of Nutella each for 4 Points Plus. It is definitely filling, I get that great chocolate, hazelnut taste, and I forget about food for a while.

I was already eating yogurt, which isn't something I would normally eat at home. It was nonfat, but eating it for a snack or breakfast didn't feel like enough. My friend suggested putting some muesli into my yogurt to bulk it up a bit. She mentioned that getting the non-sugar plan muesli was best for this. The first time I tried this as a breakfast, I was STUFFED! I couldn't believe such simple adjustments could change everything. Basically, she was teaching me to use the situation of carbs being everywhere to my advantage.

I've been stocking up on fruits and veggies and have been using hot tea to help fill me up when I don't want to eat anything with points. Instead of eating out once a week, we have started picking out a pastry at the end of our large shopping trips. Normally pastries are high in points, but nothing compared to a full meal at a restaurant. I still haven't made it to weight watchers here in Germany yet, but the plan is to make it there this week or I'll be cutting it close when it comes to the requirement that I weigh-in once a month. This weekend will mark 6 weeks from my last weigh-in.

Goals for Germany

Normally, at this point in the month, I would be sharing the goals I have for this particular month. Until we get back to the States, I will refrain from doing that. Instead, I am setting a blanket goal for our entire time in Germany, which will cover the next five and half months.

My goal for our time in Germany is simple, but in a way not so simple. I want to maintain. My last weigh-in was at exactly 150lbs. I would like to stay in that ballpark and if a loss should happen, I would gladly welcome it. On the other hand, I know that the food over here isn't what I'm used to and I will have to adapt. The bottom line is that in order to maintain my lifetime member status, I have to stay under 157lbs. I would hate to think that I could get back up there in that short of a time, but that's something I'm going to have to work on to make sure it doesn't happen.

I will be going to a German weight watchers (it's an international company, so the plan is the same) tomorrow for the first time. We haven't been to an actual meeting in over a year due to Brady not being able to behave in a way that we feel appropriate. We usually go and weigh-in, then leave. That's what we intend to do, but I'm nervous that they won't speak very much English. I also expect that my weight will be measured in kilograms instead of pounds and I will have to convert that later. My lifetime card gets me access anywhere in the world, but I don't know how their system of free etools works. At your first weigh-in of the month as a lifetime member, you receive a voucher for 8 weeks of free etools as long as you are under your goal weight. Since you get one every month, you always have a little extra time, so I'm good through the beginning of April. My concern is that the vouchers here may only work on the German component of the website and since I'm a registered member in the US, it may not work for me. Only time will tell and when it comes time to enter a new code this week, I will try theirs first to see if it works. If not, I'll have to pay from April until we get home, and then get a new voucher valid there.

The German Food Experience

We've been in Germany for 10 days now, and although I anticipated the food experience being tough, but not as tough as it turned out to be. The first two days weren't so bad because we were out and even ate at a Subway, so things looked positive.

We arrived last Thursday, and I didn't make it to the store myself until last Saturday. We have an Aldi's right around the corner from our apartment and that's when the culture shock really hit me. I knew about bringing your own bags, but what I saw inside the store really freaked me out. There was absolutely NO variety. Almost everything in there was carbs, too, and we all know that in Points Plus 2012, carbs are the enemy. We grabbed cereal, a jar of Nutella, some yogurt, sandwich bread (we never have bread in our house), a package of chicken breasts, whole wheat pasta, a can of chili, and two packages of microwave veggies.

I was already starting to freak out a little because I had no idea what I was going to eat for lunch. Andy hadn't gone back to work yet, but I knew that time was coming soon and I'd be on my own, with not only myself to feed, but Brady as well. I had brought from the States 12 packets of tuna (they don't sell it in Europe) that would last me 3 months, a few cereal bars for Brady, and oatmeal for Brady.

For those of you who have never been to Europe, the fridges are small, and the freezers even smaller if you have one at all (which we do). You don't go to the store once a week and stock up. Most people go every day. My goal is to go no more often than every other day.

We had coffee with a neighbor last Sunday and she offered to take me to another market, in addition to the butcher, where she assured me that I could at least acquire lunch meat. I got some sliced turkey at the butcher, and then we went to a market that had more variety and plenty of produce. I stocked up on apples, bananas, yogurt, tortilla wraps, and a few other things that would help get us through part of the week. Another part of the trouble with Europe is that parking is all paid on the street and most people use public transportation. That means, when I go to the market, I have to consider what I can carry, the distance to the certain store, the weather, and the fact that I have to push Brady in the stroller. It's certainly overwhelming.

In our first week here, what we ate for dinner consisted of frozen pizzas, chicken breast, that one jar of chili, and pasta. We went through an entire box of cereal, a whole loaf of bread, and an entire jar of Nutella. Eating things like this had me convinced that there was no way to lose weight or even maintain. Andy was convinced that I wasn't eating enough to even hit my points, but I assured him that most of the items I was eating were carbs and that was just bad enough to hit my daily points plus allowance.

Today, we again went to the larger market and the butcher, this time with Andy in tow. We found it difficult to find many of the main staples needed to make most of our favorite recipes. I was very frustrated and again wondered whether or not I'd starve to death or go the opposite route and start eating badly.

The only weigh-in I had this month was a week after New Years, and I was up to exactly 150lbs. Four days after that weigh-in, I left to spend a week with my parents and I was up a little over a pound when I left. No doubt, I gained some more in the week before we traveled here, since we ate out lunch almost every day. I stepped on the scale this morning because we got our freight shipment on Thursday, and almost didn't want to know what it would tell me. It showed me up less than half a pound from my last weigh in, exactly three weeks ago. I hope this is a good sign but only time will tell what the food here will do to my weight. There are several weight watchers within the city, but only have weekday meetings, and mainly in the afternoons during naptime. I did a broader search and specified only weekend meetings and found one just outside the city, within 20 minutes driving distance. This way, Andy could take me, as he has the car at work during the week. I technically only have to weigh-in once a month, but to keep up my accountability, I think I will try to make it every other week.

January Goals

January is historically a bad month for me (as I'm sure it is for a lot of people), due to the holidays. I think there has only been one January in the last five years that I've had a net loss, and that would be the first one that I was on program, since I was really strict about what I ate. Every other January has been a net gain and although you never want to see a gain for the month, in some ways, it's worth it to enjoy a little.

My goal for the month is simple. To lose whatever I've gained due to the holidays. I was 148.2lb at my last official weigh-in in December, so I want to end the month like that, regardless of how much I've gained.

This is a brand new year and I'm excited for all of the experiences I will get this year. We are moving to Germany in two weeks! Although we've known unofficially for almost two years and officially for 9 months, it still feels a little unreal. I'm sure it'll take some time to sink in once we get over there, but I know that the food situation will be a lot different and I'm sure light options may not be available.

December 2011 Goals

This month is tough for anyone, myself included. Personally, we have a trip to Disney this weekend, a trip to Atlanta to see the Georgia Aquarium, a Christmas party, and of course a trip home for Christmas. My goal for this month is simple: maintain. I think the only way to achieve this goal is to spend as much time in the gym as possible. We also are coming up on our big move, so this will be the last month I have access to a gym until we get over there and settled. That means I have to make it count. This month we will have the big reveal of Points Plus 2012 and hopefully the changes will boost my weight loss.

October 2011 Stats

Starting weight : 153.4 lb

Ending weight : 152.0 lb

Change : 1.4 lb lost (average 0.32 lb lost per week)

This time last year : 173.8 lb

I am 1 week of "maintain" away from becoming an official lifetime member! I can't believe I've made it this far. It's a dream come true and someday I will be able to work at weight watchers part-time and help change the lives of others. After several big months of weight loss, this month is more typical with 1.4lb lost in the whole month. I missed my month's goal of hitting 151lb, by 1lb, but I'm not too upset.

Weigh-in for 10/29/2011

Last weigh-in (10/19/2011) : 151.6 lb

This weigh-in (10/29/2011) : 152.0 lb

Change : 0.4 lb gained


5 weeks of maintain down, 1 to go! I'm never happy with a gain, but I am grateful that it's less than half a pound. I also take comfort in the fact that the last time I had a gain was 10 weeks ago in mid-August. I was back in the gym this week, so it's a slight shock to my body. Most people would think, "I worked out so I should lose this week," but it doesn't always work that way. Your body is getting muscle and takes about a week to adjust to the change. I also accept that I ate a little more badly at the beginning of the week than I normally do, so I can't blame it all on getting back in the gym. I am excited that so long as I don't gain more than 5lb in the next week, I will become an official lifetime member! Here's to a great week!

October 2011 Goals

Last month was awesome. I hit a goal that I'd been working towards for almost 5 1/2 years and even managed to push past it by 1.6lb. I am in the midst of my 6 week "maintain" period and getting excited to become an official lifetime member and stop paying each month. This month brings with it an incredible challenge : Halloween. I love candy and I'm hoping that the trick-or-treaters take the majority of the candy that I'll be buying. I also will be taking a trip home (on a plane this time) and making it to my only Pitt football game of the year (can you say Primanti's sandwich?). I would really like to make it under 151lb by the end of the month, which would mean 2.4lb lost. I will have 3 more weigh-ins this month, so I need to average 0.8lb per week.