Wait a minute...did you...

Over the next two weeks, I will be spending a lot of time working at one of my client's offices. I haven't been there in over two years but I have run into some folks between now and then.

Within my first hour at the office, the first person I ran into looked at me and said "I know there's something different about you. I want to ask if you've lost weight but sometimes you just can't go there." We had a chuckle and I confirmed that I did lose weight. About 30 minutes later, another person looked at me with similar commentary.

I understand that some folks are uncomfortable with commenting about somebody's weight loss because of the fear that it opens a can of worms. For example:

• "You look great. Have you lost weight." So are you trying to say I looked terrible? Are you trying to say that I was fat?

Not for nothing, I appreciate the validation and the compliments.

Hitting a plateau

I have been slacking something awful since the fall. Running has been the only thing that has saved my ass from having the scale revert to my previous numbers.

I will admit fault. Yes, I can say that life got in the way, I picked up a crazy workload, I'm dealing with personal crap, etc. but the fact is that I haven't been on top of my game.

A few weeks ago, I went for my Weight Watchers weigh-in and the leader addressed plateaus. He was spot on when he said that we will plateau when we get comfortable with our results and take it as license to get lax in our routines. That's exactly what happened to me. I lost 60 pounds and have been getting compliments so it goes without saying that I did develop a sense if complacency.

Yes, if my life was different,  I'm sure the extra weight would've been long gone but the reality is that I have a husband, a daughter, and a career that seems to revolve around meals and cocktail parties so it's a challenge to modify my eating.

I'm running my first marathon in less than 4 months so I will be doing a lot of training runs and some cross-training. To be on top of my game when I conquer those 26.2 miles on November 2nd, I need to work on other components between now and then.

Updated Measurements

Just wanted to get a more global perspective on my progress

Weight - 166.4 lbs (down 67.6 since I started)
Waist - 36" (down 8 inches since I started)
Hips - 43.25" (down 12.75 inches since I started)
Bust - 40" (down 11 inches since I started)
Chest - 32" (down 6 inches since I started)
Right calf - 15" (down 1 inch since I started)
Right thigh - 24" (down 7 inches since I started)
Right bicep - 10.5" (down 2.5 inches since I started)
Right forearm - 8.5" (down 1.5 inches since I started)
Approx BMI - 28.6 (down 11.6 since I started)

I just went on a 5 mile training run this morning and will be running a 15K this Saturday. It's 24 degrees, 11 with the wind chill. There was a time when I wouldn't want any part of being outside in weather like this, much less run in it. Talk about going through changes.

I'm hard on myself but was given a different perspective

In last week's blog, I mentioned hitting a plateau and being down about it. Yes, there are things within my control that I could do better but every day is an opportunity to start anew.

I've spoken to my Weight Watchers leader on a number of occasions over the past few weeks and yesterday, she gave me a different perspective on my plateau. She told me that it's tough to stay within a given weight for a certain period of time and she commended me on my ability to do so considering all of the "crap" I've been dealing with in terms of a crazy schedule and other personal circumstances. Yes, there are things that I could've done better in terms of tracking and food choices but due to my level of physical activity, I've been able to not regain a considerable amount of weight.

I'm 25 pounds away from getting to Lifetime status at Weight Watchers.

Plateaued and it's nobody's fault but mine

Over the past few weeks, there hasn't been much progress on the scale. In fact, the scale has teetered around one number. It's frustrating but the fault lies within me. I haven't been making very smart food choices but fortunately, I have maintained a decent level of activity.

The next six weeks are going to be challenging because of Thanksgiving, Christmas and all of the holiday-related activities. At a Weight Watchers meeting a few weeks ago, one of the attendees said it's a holi-day, not a holi-month. With that in mind, I will need to make a better effort to be more conscientious with my food. I am training for a half-marathon so activity is not a problem but it's not license to pig out.

Latest numbers. Another 3-1/2 months have passed.

I'm supposed to take my measurements on a monthly basis but that hasn't happened. I took some measurements yesterday & noticed the following changes:
Hips - 46 (down 3.5 inches since March)
Bust - 41 (down 6 inches since March)
Waist - 37 (down 5.5 inches since March)
Right thigh - 24 (down 4 inches since March)

A lot of folks have noticed that I've lost a significant amount of weight. In addition to the kudos I've received, some are bold enough to ask me about my boobs; yes, they've gotten smaller but I'm not flat-chested.

Going for a run. How did that happen?

I'm training for my first half marathon and have been using RunKeeper, an app on my phone that maps out a training program and tracks my progress. The objective is to get you ready for a half-marathon in about 4 months; you will build your endurance and slowly add distance to make it to 13 miles.

I started the program after I completed my 10K in July. Yes, I should've been done by now but I was working on a project that got me off track with training. I was looking to do my first half either this month or next but that didn't happen.

My first half-marathon will be the Manhattan Half on Janary 26, 2014 and I will make two loops around Central Park (hope it won't be too cold). It's funny how a new activity becomes part of your life. When I was doing my 6-mile run earlier this week, I thought "a year ago, if you told me that I would be logging in a 6-mile run today, I would wonder what you're smoking." My pace isn't great but I'm getting it done.

I'm not doing straight running yet but I'm getting there. I did notice that I will do better at an event than when I'm by myself. I have a 5 mile event on Sunday. I knocked out a training run of a similar distance last Sunday in an hour and 4 minutes. It might be a hoot if I can knock this out in an hour.

Enough with the celebrities who lost oodles of weight in a short period of time.

I'm down 65 pounds so far and it's been a tough road. I just have to put it out there that I am sick and tired of seeing celebrities getting front page coverage for losing 50+ pounds on 4 months.

Time to poke holes in this crap. I don't have a personal chef who will take care  of my 3 daily squares and I don't have a personal trainer who will make house calls to work with me 2-3 hours per day, 7 days a week. Another thing to put out there is that when you have a baby, you will lose not only the weight of the baby but you will lose the amniotic fluid, sac, etc. and that can be between 15-20 pounds.

Yes, I do know somebody who did lose 45 pounds in 3 months but she busted her ass to make that happen and she continues to bust her ass to keep that weight off.

This is a lifestyle change.  When you take out certain foods or put in other restrictions, you're running the risk of putting on the weight you lost when you get back on "real food."

It took me 7 months to drop 50 pounds. In my younger days, it was easy for me to drop 20 pounds pretty quickly by hitting the gym for a few weeks or cutting out some stuff but as quickly as I lost it, those pounds found a way to get back on.

Rant over.

Validation

I notice a difference in my clothes and my measurements but when other people notice your changes, it's pretty exciting.

My Weight Watchers leader has been very encouraging in terms of my progress but when you hear "wow, you look great" from other folks, it feels great.

A few days ago, I ran into a couple of my neighbors and one of them told me to get out of my car because he "heard that [I] was thin." I asked him where he heard such a thing and he said on Facebook. So I stepped out of the car & told him that I was down 50 pounds. He's not the only one that's commented but it's just awesome to hear and it gives the inspiration to keep going.

I hate to shop but have to bite the bullet

I hate to shop. I don't know how the aversion to shopping developed...maybe it's bad memories of shopping with my mom growing up or general dissatisfaction with selection, prices, etc. The irony is that I have a considerable amount of clothes. My approach to shopping is that the less time I spend in a store, the happier I am which means that I tend to go to stores that group clothes by size or genre in a small area; with that said, I have minimal patience with department stores where I have to go rack to rack for an outfit. In recent years, most of my clothes have come from Walmart and Burlington Coat Factory because I can hit a few racks, find some clothes that I like in my size, try them on, pay for them and get out of dodge.

I am looking to lose a considerable amount of weight and recognize that I will need to buy a few "transition" wardrobes along to way. Doesn't change the fact that I hate to shop. I'm also not crazy about the fact that I need to buy clothes that I know I won't be able to wear for more than a few months. Whatever. Fortunately, I work from home (or wherever I happen to be at a given moment) so I don't have to keep an extensive "work" wardrobe so I can get by on shorts. I basically buy dress clothes on as as-needed basis since I gave away a lot of clothes because they are too big.

Tonight, I'm meeting up with a group of folks I haven't seen since last summer. A number of them keep in touch with me through Facebook but we don't see each other in person. I wanted to buy shorts that fit so I can show off my weight loss (they've heard about it on Facebook & Twitter) so I went to Old Navy last night. I was annoyed by the slim pickings of larger clothes (must be the given location or all the bigger folks shopped there before me) and since I'm in between sizes, I usually try an item in two sizes & pick from there. I couldn't find anything in a size 18 so I grabbed a size 16 and hoped for the best. I was thrilled to see that the shorts I tried on fit and what I mean by "fit" is that I was able to zip them up & have room in them. What an awesome feeling!

The Color Mob 5K NYC. Fun but a mess.

On Saturday, I participated in my fifth 5K. The Color Mob is a relatively informal event that doesn't issue D-Tags or have a timing system in place to measure one's progress so I used MapMyRun to get my results. I'm thrilled to say that my pace is faster than previous races so I'm pretty psyched about that.

I had somebody take my picture after I finished, posted it to Instagram and linked the photo to Facebook & Twitter. The responses to my picture have been positive.

Next Sunday, I tackle my first 10K.

New numbers 3-1/2 months later

I'm supposed to take my measurements on a monthly basis but that hasn't happened. I took some measurements yesterday & noticed the following changes:
Hips - 48 (down 1.5 inches since March)
Bust - 43.5 (down 3.5 inches since March)
Waist - 39.5 (down 3 inches since March)
Right thigh - 25.5 (down 2.5 inches since March)

50 down, 50 to go (give or take)

This post is a tad overdue but I was thrilled when I weighed in at Weight Watchers to see that I am down 50 pounds from my highest weight. As I mentioned in my blog description that losing 100 pounds isn't the end all & be all goal but I was striving to a better level of fitness and health.

I like the flexibility of Weight Watchers. I knew that I couldn't deal with the "restrictiveness" of other programs for an extensive period of time. Ideally, I would & should pre-plan my meals but life has a tendency to get in the way and that doesn't happen. Yes, I have gone to McDonald's, Burger King, Dunkin' Donuts, etc. and as long as I log in the point value of what I ate, it's all good.

Physically, I'm making strides. I'm doing a 5K tomorrow and a week from Sunday, I will be doing my first 10K. I am also starting half-marathon training and hope to be able to do the Philadelphia Half Marathon in November. There are a number of other races that I will be doing this year.

It's great to have experienced this weight loss but I hate shopping and it's come to the point that I need clothes. The problem with women's clothing is that you can be one size under one label but a different size under another label; in the words of Sweet Brown "ain't nobody got time for that." With that said, I consider shopping to be a chore but I'm beginning to feel ridiculous in loose-fitting clothes.

Let's get something straight, a pound of muscle & a pound of fat weigh the same

It really annoys me when I hear people say that muscle weighs more than fat & that's why they can't lose weight. Yes, it does get discouraging to spend a lot of time at the gym & make better food decisions only to see slow (if any movement) on the scale. Some folks will say "why bother" and abandon all efforts.

A pound of muscle & a pound of fat weigh the same but they take up different amounts of space. Here are some images that can break it down for you.

If that's not enough, here's something that can serve as motivation to keep going.

One that that I learned a few months ago is that when muscles are being developed, there is a tendency for them to retain water and that may contribute to the scale not moving "too quickly." Just keep at it and the pounds will go away.

30 day challenges

In recent weeks on Facebook, a number of my connections have been posted various images for 30 day challenges they are planning to undertake. I guess it's in preparation of the warmer weather & the need to want to firm up certain parts in anticipation of wearing clothes that require less coverage.

I have been placing a heavy focus on cardio (especially the treadmill) and have been doing weights about 2-3 times per week. I understand the need to perform weight-bearing exercises to help speed up my metabolism. I'm about 40 pounds down & the inches have been melting away but my abs remain problematic and that's annoying when I try on pants that fit well everywhere else on me except my gut!

I found this set of ab work to be straightforward.

It's been a while since I've done serious situps (at least 20 years) and I have been treating crunches as an afterthought but I'm forced to tackle both exercises here. I was introduced the planks when I was seeing a personal trainer before I got married but I wonder if I'm doing my leg lifts properly.

I look forward to the results that should be there at the conclusion of the 30-day period but one thing to keep in mind is that abs are made in the kitchen & not the gym. I realize that a lot of folks have been following this program but if their eating habits are horrible, the results won't be as great.

I'm also doing the squat challenge. I have been doing a considerable amount of lower body exercises on weights but I have been told that any exercises that rely on your own body weight will produce greater results.

I do the squats on the same day as the abs exercises.

A few weeks ago, I was at a thrift shop to pick up some clothes (since buying a series of new wardrobes during my weight loss is cost-prohibitive) and I saw an Alfred Angelo evening gown (which I can use for an event at the end of July). The label said that it was a size 16 and I tried it on out of curiosity only to be thrilled that it fit in most places but my boobs were too big! I did a search to see what exercises I can do to reduce my bust line and learned that push-ups would be the way to go. Every other day, I do 6 sets of 15 push-ups.

Can't wait to go clothes shopping at the end of the 30-day challenge.

Knocking out a 5K

I joke with people that I won't run for a bus but here I am trying to knock out distances that are greater than a city block.

In the months before my wedding, I was seeing a personal trainer and during one of our sessions, she had me do a few sprints on the treadmill. I think the last time I was actually "forced" to run (besides trying to catch a train or a bus) was when I was a freshman in college & needed to run for ROTC.

Fortunately, I walked a lot through the years so the concept of going a certain distance wasn't foreign to me but doing it "double time" just wasn't happening.

I realized that incorporating running into my fitness regime was a quick way to burn calories in a short period of time but it is hard as hell.

I found a few "couch to 5K" programs and took numerous stabs at getting started in recent years but I would burn myself out and quit after a few weeks.

Last year, I found this program and I will admit that life has gotten in the way causing my to take more than the suggested 9 weeks to finish. I am currently in week 9 of a "couch to 10K" program. I'm still pretty self-conscious and not too comfortable about running outside. I know that once I'm done with the 10K program, I will move onto the half-marathon program and I will have to run outside.

Last month, I participated in my fourth 5K. Here are the results of the various races I've done.

Date	Race	Time	Pace
3/6/2011	Coogan's Salsa, Blues and Shamrocks 5K	45:34	15:08
3/4/2012	Coogan's Salsa, Blues and Shamrocks 5K	53:19	17:47
3/3/2013	Coogan's Salsa, Blues and Shamrocks 5K	42:38	14:18
4/14/2013	JFK Runway Run	40:39	13:20

For the 2012 Coogan's run, I hurt my foot before I reached the one-mile mark so I basically walked/limped the rest of the race. In 2011 & 2012, I wasn't diligent about training but I decided to get serious this year. When I did the JFK race, I was thrilled to see that I was able to knock an minute off my best pace.

I do need to disclose that the Coogan's course is quite hilly and the JFK course is flat (well, it is a runway...duh).

Happy New Year

The mantra I'm adopting for the year is along the lines of "my actions are consistent with my desired results."

Last year, I recognized that I needed to take action in terms of improving my overall health and level of fitness and my time at the gym was spent in dribs and drabs. Over the summer, I was pretty diligent but then I got busy and my dedication went down the drain.

I lost some weight and was thrilled that I was able to buy smaller clothes but since I stopped going to the gym, the numbers on the scale went back up and I was back in my old clothes.

Today, I spent some time on the bike and worked on the weight machines.