Plateau

I know... I have been a bad, bad blogger.

Life has kicked into high gear, and my weight certainly reflects it.

I haven't reported my weigh-ins on here in over a month, but I have faithfully stepped on the scale every Wednesday.  I have hit a bit of a plateau.  Although it isn't a typical plateau where I'm doing everything right and the scale isn't budging.  It's a plateau of not doing all the things I know I'm supposed to do.

Here are the numbers from over the past month:

May 15 - 162.2
May 22 - 158.6
May 29 - 160.2
June 5 - 162.6

Here are some of the excuses events that contributed to the rollercoaster:
- house hunting in our new city = dinner out every night for 5 nights
- preparing the sale of one of our current houses (painting, cleaning, etc.) = quick, not-always-healthy dinners on the go
- surprise birthday party for my father-in-law at our house = leftovers from party for days afterward
- evening seminars twice a week with snack food tables to pick at
- a general lack of exercise

This week I have re-committed myself to following Weight Watchers and tracking everything.  I have also started half-marathon training because, damn it, why not?

See you again on Wednesday - I promise!

general ramblings :)

I've managed to undo the damage from last week and weighed in today at 160.8.  My goodness, I can't wait to break through into the 150s!

I have to admit I've been feeling kind of "blah" over the past week.  Although I am finding ways to stay active, I haven't had a solid exercise routine since finishing Body Revolution a few weeks ago.  Perhaps that is throwing me off.  I continue to run 2-3 times a week, but I'm having a hard time with that as well.  I make sure my blood sugar is on the higher side before I begin (I usually need to start in the 10.0 to 12.0 mmol/L range), and even drink a 1/2 glass of juice before starting as well, but I always seem to return home with a low blood sugar which means even more juice and calories (not to mention having that drunken-like feeling as I stumble up my road to get home).

I do know that my stress level has been gradually elevating with thinking about all the things we need to do to prepare for our big move.  Mr. McMuffintop still hasn't received the official "green light" from his physical (although he is overweight and his cholesterol was elevated, the person who did the physical said it shouldn't prevent him from getting hired; the hold up is simply that the company's doctor hasn't had a chance to review and approve the physical yet).

So until he gets that green light, everything we need to do to prepare is on hold.  We have been searching MLS for house listings, but we really need to get out there and look for ourselves.  We can't decide whether to buy a house or a condo.  We want to adopt a child/children so a house would be better, but if for some reason it doesn't happen then a smaller condo would suit us just fine.  Gah, I wish I could see the future!

Ok, back to positive thoughts. :)

This weekend I am hosting a Mother's-Day-slash-birthday dinner for my family, so I plan to prepare as much of the food in advance as possible so that I can enjoy the day rather than be running around in a frenzy.  I already made some cupcakes last weekend and immediately put them in the freezer so that they would be out-of-sight, out-of-mind.  McMuffintop 1, delicious food 0!

If at first you don't succeed...

My disastrous self-sabotage continued after my last post.  I feel like I must now refer to March 27 through April 2, 2013 as my Week of Shame.

Easter dinner at Mr. McMuffintop's parents' was another glorious gluttonous free for all.  Ham, potato, turnip, 4 types of pie... oh my!  So many starchy, carb-filled, tasty foods to choose from.  My portions were fairly small during dinner, but the pie.  Oh the pie!  I sampled two flavours at dinner and since Mr. McMuffintop brought home a big plate of leftovers including the other two flavours I HADN'T tried on Easter Sunday, on Monday I ate the other two kinds.

Yeah, I was a total mess.

I was so far over on my Weight Watchers points that I stopped tracking.  And since in my twisted mind I knew that my new week didn't start until Wednesday, I gave myself permission to continue my downward spiral on Tuesday.  My mom had given me a chocolate bunny that had been staring at me since Friday.  Yesterday I ate the whole thing.  Every. Last. Crumb.

I spent about 10 minutes last night feeling really terrible about myself.  Why is it when I fall off the weight-loss wagon I fall so damn hard? (answer: probably because I still have 170 lbs. of me fighting gravity... hahah...).  But instead of feeling bad, I shook it off and said to myself, "Self, only you control you.  So hop to it.  Get back on that wagon and make better choices starting NOW."

And that's what I'm doing.  I began this morning back on Jillian Michael's 7-Day Metabolism Kickstart.  This week will be full of lots of veggies and lean protein while I kick all the sugar out of my system again.

In terms of exercise, I really am amazed with myself on how hard I worked during the past 12 weeks.  I actually did all 12 weeks of Body Revolution without missing a single day.  For me, that is a HUGE accomplishment.  The old me would have probably given up by week 5 or 6. 

But now that I am finished the program I need to figure out a new exercise routine.  I could do Body Revolution over again, but I feel like I need to change it up.  I am really enjoying running outside, so much so that I bought a GPS/heart-rate watch last week to track my runs (the Garmin Forerunner 410 at Costco for $154.99 - great deal considering anything comparable at MEC was at least $300).  I have every intention on entering a charity run sometime this summer, but for now I have to wait to register for anything because I'm not sure yet which part of the country I will be in this summer (but that's another story for another day).

Today's weigh-in:  171.2.  Yeah, that's another 0.6 gain, however I thought it would be a lot worse after my Week of Shame.  So back on the wagon I get, and here's hoping that I see the 160s again by this time next week!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter weekend!

It has been a busy, busy, busy few days in the McMuffintop household.  We are knee deep in a bathroom renovation (it's looking so pretty!) which we are trying to get done by Monday, so I haven't had time for much else.

But I did have time to squeeze in my daily work outs, so I'll give myself a pat on the back for that!

Unfortunately, that is about the only good weight-loss-slash-making-myself-healthier related tidbit I have to report.  Meals this week have been a disaster, and I only have 5 Weight Watchers weekly points left until my new week starts on Wednesday.

On Thursday I tried out a lemon cupcake with raspberry icing recipe in preparation for my sister's anniversary party this summer.  And guess what happened?  I licked the bowls while making the cupcakes and just had to have one that evening after supper.  I logged 50 Weight Watchers points on Thursday.

I brought the remaining 11 cupcakes to my Mom's house on Good Friday so others could give their opinions on the flavour (with a couple of small tweaks it looks like it's a winner, by the way!).  We had a Good Friday fish fry, so not only did I eat another cupcake yesterday, I also ate pan-fried fish.  I calculated the day at 42 points.

Today has been better because the cupcakes are now out of the house and out of my reach.  I am ending the day at 29 points, and the only reason it's that high is because I battled a low blood sugar after my run today and had to drink 8 oz. of orange juice (3 points).

Tomorrow we have a family Easter dinner at Mr. McMuffintop's parents' house to get through.  I think I'll probably be dipping into my Activity Points, which I never do (I usually manage to keep myself at 26-28 points total per day).  I seriously can't wait for this week to be over!  And I seriously envy those who managed to not be tempted by treats this weekend.  It's not easy, give yourselves a huge pat on the back!

Oh, and if you haven't already noticed I am way late on my weigh-in report.  The scale was up 1 pound, and I am already dreading this week's weigh-in.  BUT, it will be a new week and I already have a master plan running through my brain to get back on track (i.e., following Jillian Michael's 7-Day Kickstart meal plan again)!

p.s. I only have 2 MORE BODY REVOLUTION WORK OUTS TO GO!  I am OVER THE MOON EXCITED if you can't already tell.

Takin' it to the streets

Since starting the Couch to 5K running program a month ago I have been not-so-patiently waiting for warmer weather and the snow to melt so that I can take my running skills from the treadmill to the great outdoors.  I swear, on every one of my designated running days Mother Nature has simply not co-operated with my plans.

Therefore, it was no surprise this morning when I woke up to see snow falling from the sky AGAIN.  But I checked the temperature and it was a mild 0°C, so I said "screw the snow" and laced up my outdoor runners.

I mapped out my run to match the 5 km I've been logging on the treadmill each session (I don't exactly follow the Couch to 5K plan... I do the "prescribed" part, and then continue to walk/run til I complete 5 km - gotta earn my Weight Watchers Activity Points somehow!).  Surprisingly, my time came in close to my usual time on the treadmill, although it took me a couple of minutes longer than it should have because I had to tiptoe through the first and last 0.5 km of my route.  The road my house is on is VERY icy.  I think what saved me is all the core strengthening I've been doing - everytime I'd hit a patch of ice and feel myself start to slide, my abs would immediately contract and keep me upright!

But it felt so good to be outside breathing in fresh air.  Final verdict?  Outdoor running kicks treadmill running's butt any day, even while being forced to step carefully on ice and through slush.  Hopefully the first day of spring tomorrow will finally bring some sunshine to melt all this nasty stuff!

Weight Watchers

I decided to join Weight Watchers on Saturday.

For the most part I'd been counting calories for the past 8 weeks, but I find it tedious.  I'd been considering Weight Watchers for a while now because I like the idea of their point system.

I do find it a bit easier, but I am confused as to why fruits are not given point values (even bananas!).  Maybe it's the diabetic in me, but I feel like I NEED to acknowledge that fruit has sugar and therefore calories.  Weight Watchers considers it a "free" food (although they do state that they expect it to be consumed in moderation). 

Anyway, today's weigh in is going back in the right direction:  174.8.  I think it is mostly due to losing the bloat from "that time of the month" because I certainly made some very bad choices this past week (*ahem* family dinner with gravy-covered meat and potatoes and not one but TWO decadent desserts *ahem*).

But I am staying on top of my exercise routine and I have to say that I am very impressed with myself in that department.  Tomorrow I begin the last phase of Jillian Michaels' Body Revolution and on cardio days I have been on the treadmill following the "Couch to 5K" running plan (I just finished week 3 of that).  I'm thinking of entering myself into some charity runs in order to motivate myself to continue running throughout the summer. 

Ahhh summer.... I can't wait for this snow to be gone!

Reasons to Ignore the Excuses

Yesterday was weigh in day and I lost 1.4 lbs last week bringing me to 175.4.  I know a loss is a loss, but it's hard not to feel frustrated that the number isn't bigger knowing how hard I worked.  I have to remind myself that "slow and steady wins the race".  Actually, I think I need to lay off of watching The Biggest Loser... seeing their big weight loss numbers each week can really play mind games for people doing it at home without trainers and a controlled environment.

Anyway, to remind myself of the reasons why I'm doing this and not let myself get derailed, the following is a short list of reasons I need to ignore the excuses I listed the other day:

- To be at a healthy BMI.

- To look good in a pair of skinny jeans.

- To feel confident when I'm naked in front of Mr. McMuffintop.

- To like seeing pictures of myself on vacation.

- To enjoy sports and active outings with friends and not feel like I'm going to collapse halfway through.

- To have better control over my blood sugars, blood pressure, and cholesterol.

- To be able to chase after and keep up with children if that day ever comes.

- To live a long life.

Channeling The Little Engine That Could

Today's work out was H. to the A. to the R. to the D.

I just finished the last 30 minutes of week 6 of Body Revolution which means I am now officially half way to the finish line (of the exercise series, not my weight loss journey).  I am feeling stronger and more fit (my love handles are shrinking and I'm down a pant size!), but I struggled to finish the work out today.  It felt like I had bricks strapped to my arms and my legs were made of lead.  I had to stop the video half way through for a minute to recover my muscles and catch an extra breath.  I am already dreading the next video because it promises to be even more challenging.

Traditionally, this is right around the time I would start to give up on my weight loss goal.  I would allow negative thoughts to take over and never really believe that I can get to the end successfully so I'd figure what's the point in trying.

But this time I need to remind myself of the old cliche, "Nothing good in life comes easy."  If I want to lose weight I DO need to work for it.  And if it isn't hard and I'm not sweating, then I'm not burning calories.

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!

Diabetes and Exercise

Before I bring you today's regularly scheduled blogpost *said in my deep announcer voice* today is Weigh-In Wednesday! 

Drumroll please...

176.8!  That equals 4.2 lbs in one week and 13.6 lbs lost so far.  I did work very hard this week and I think going back to the Jillian Michaels' "7-Day Kickstart" meal plan was a big key to this small victory.

*****

Having type-1 diabetes can be hard when it comes to weight loss.  Diabetes is hard in general, but when you're chubby and need to lose weight, diabetes is one more (giant) thing to think about.

How so, you ask?

Blood sugar levels can be very sensitive to food and exercise, especially for someone with type-1 diabetes.  My blood sugar can fluctuate from 5.0 mmol/L (a good number within range) to 15.0 mmol/L (a bad, bad number way out of range) within an hour or two if I eat the wrong thing or don't calculate how much insulin I need correctly.

Conversely, when I exercise I need to make sure my blood sugar is a bit higher than normal (around 10.0) and that I back off on my insulin intake so that while I'm burning calories my blood sugar doesn't drop too low (below 4.0), which it often does.

And when it does drop too low I need to drink juice or eat something sugary to bring it back up.  Juice/food = extra calories I don't want in my body.

For a long time diabetes was a good excuse to not exercise hard and stay fat, but I'm slowly figuring out how to manage it. 

But to make matters even more complicated, sometimes an exercise I've successfully managed my blood sugars through one day can give me completely different results another day when I do the exact same thing! 

Another issue is sometimes hours after exercise (especially if I do strength exercises) my blood sugar will suddenly drop without notice.  More juice needed, damnit!

In a nutshell diabetes is complicated and doesn't always cooperate with my efforts.  But it can't be an excuse anymore because I'm seeing results and I know many other diabetics who successfully manage their blood sugar while doing great, athletic things (Why hello Mr. Ironman David Weingard!).

The Plan

Like most overweight people, I have tried a LOT of different diets and exercise programs.

I've had small victories along the way, but I never get to the ultimate END (i.e. a healthy weight).  I find myself satisfied after losing 10 or 20 lbs and quit.

Although I haven't figured out yet what is going to take me all the way to the end this time - because this time I really am determined to make it to the end (eek, how embarassing it will be if I don't) - I do feel like I've made a solid start.

For exercise I am currently rocking Jillian Michael's Body Revolution series.  Much to my own shock I have not quit and am on week 5.  I WILL make it through all 12 weeks, I WILL make it through all 12 weeks... The only alteration I've made is that I do not use the cardio workouts as I find all the jumping too hard on my knees and back.  On cardio days I use my treadmill and walk/run in intervals.

Diet wise I began with the recommended 7-Day Kickstart included with Body Revolution.  I found the meals pretty easy to make and for the most part tasty, although the lox/eggs/spinach recipe is NOT my favourite.  I dropped 5 lbs in that first week.  The second week I tried to just eat reasonable sized meals and a snack in the afternoon.  During weeks 2-4 I only lost 4.4 more lbs.

I think calorie counting will be essential for success.  During the Kickstart, daily caloric intake is around 1200 per day.  I was probably eating closer to 1500 a day when I started freestyling - on some days even up to 1800.  Again, I am just guessing.  In order to keep track of calories from now on I downloaded a calorie counter app onto my phone.  I can also track exercise and it calculates calories in vs. calories burned.  Very helpful!

To steer myself back on track I am doing the Kickstart again this week.  Although I am trying to keep my official weigh in days to Wednesday, I stepped on the scale yesterday morning and saw 179.4 (!).  1200 calories a week it is!