Monday Weigh In

Let me start by first wishing everybody a happy Memorial Day! Nothing is better than taking a Monday off to spend with friends and family while remembering loved ones that are no longer with us. That is, of course, unless you are stuck in a cubicle while the rest of the free world enjoys NOT being at work.

Regardless, I do have something to smile about today because what did I see when I stepped on the scale this morning?

323.8

I was down just over 4 pounds this week, which is amazing considering that it was rough finding time to exercise this week (see last post). So, I guess it's a pretty good day after all. Even if I can only enjoy it from my cubicle prison.

Making it Automatic

Let me start off by saying that this has been a rough week for me. I wasn't exercising very much, although I did stay very close to my diet. (On a side note, one thing that I am finding interesting is that I have no problem with the diet. I'm constantly thinking of everything that I eat in terms of how many calories it is and what food give me energy instead of which ones taste the best. I guess that's a good thing.) However, a busy week both at work and at home made it tough to get that exercising in. I'm not making any excuses because I am the only one to blame for any shortcomings. I realized this about halfway through this week and committed myself to doing everything that I can to make the latter part of this diet/exercise plan as automatic as the first half has become for me. This whole thing isn't easy, and I'm learning that the hard way.

Monday(ish) Weigh In

Sorry I'm a bit late this week in posting. I try to have these posted on Mondays, but sometimes the planets just don't align. Anyway, enough with the excuses. Stepping on to the scale, I'm pretty happy to see this number staring back at me:

328

I lost 2 and 1/2 pounds last week. Not too shabby! And while that is great news, I'm happy to report that I also have some arguably better news: I've dropped two belt notches since I've started losing weight. Booya! Also, it seems that my clothes are starting to feel a lot looser, too. Overall, it feels like a pretty good start to the week.

Anybody know what time it is?

So, it's Monday again, which means it's time for that time of the week. I didn't have the greatest week as I missed a few workout sessions and had a big meal yesterday for Mother's Day with my family, so I'm a bit worries as I step on the scale.

330.4

Hey! The scale is moving in the right direction! Granted, it's not the numbers that I've been seeing so far, but a pound lost is a pound lost. It'd be pretty easy to get down on myself for going from losing 5 pounds in a week to only 1 the next, but I'm still well ahead schedule for my goal. I'll just have to redouble my efforts for the next week.

The Plan

I've had a few people ask me what it is that I'm doing as my weight loss program, so I thought I'd throw up a post with the info. The 411. The skinny, if you will.

First up is the diet. I'm sticking to a 2000 calorie a day diet that includes about 5 to 6 smaller meals a day. I try to have 5 fruit and/or vegetable servings a day as well as a lot of protein. What I've noticed is that sticking to a diet is all about preparation. I take my lunch and several snacks to work mainly because it's a lot harder to grab a burger for lunch when you already have lunch made. It help cut down on the impulse eating. Plus, it's also a whole lot cheaper.

Moving on to exercising. Now, here is where it's going to get a bit embarrassing. I've been using two exercise DVD's for my main workout, which carries with it certain stigmas. Whenever I heard about "working out" to an exercise video, I would think of some old person wearing spandex and sweat bands sitting in front of a TV watching aerobics with 80s music playing in the background. And not the good 80s music. But when I started this process, I decided I would give one of these a shot. I went with The Biggest Loser: Cardio Max DVD (http://www.amazon.com/Biggest-Loser-Workout-Cardio-Max/dp/B000WEVGHA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1241799367&sr=8-1). I did this for two reasons. First off, The Biggest Loser kind of specializes in getting people that need to lose weight to lose weight. Also, most everything that I've read says that you need to do cardio to lose the pounds, so going with a name like Cardio Max HAS to be good, right? Because it takes it to the MAXimum? Anybody coming with me on that?

So, I bought the DVD, took it into my room and locked the door. The last thing I wanted was someone walking in and seeing me exercising with a video. I fully realize how silly people look while they are doing these and I'm already self conscious as it is. But as I started going along with it, I found that it really was an incredible workout. They recommended that you have a few weights for the workout, so after the first time, I went and bought 2 ten pound weights. It's a half hour workout and I do this about 5 times a week. And it feels pretty good.

So, there it is. Yes, I use those silly exercise videos. And contrary to popular (read: my) belief, it works. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go find my spandex and Kris Kross tapes.

Monday Morning Weigh In

So, I've decided that Monday will be the days that I weigh myself in. I figure once a week is a solid amount of time for me to get a feel for how I'm progressing. But we're not here for explanations. Let's step on the scale and see what's up.

331.4

!

I lost just over 5 pounds this week! Booya! Seems like I'm doing something right. I just wish I knew what it was.