90 Day Challenge: Weigh In

I missed last week's weigh-in. So I wanted to be sure that I didn't miss this week's too. Good news is that even with the craziness that is my schedule, I've been able to stay relatively on track. I haven't hit the gym as much as I wanted to, but I have been able to get some studying done. There was even one night that I took my Economics text book to the gym with me. Yup, I was that girl walking on the treadmill reading a book, highlighter in hand. Not my favorite, but it did knock two things off my to-do list for the day.

Some of that hard work has paid off, I'm down another pound.

Total Weight Loss: 6.8 lbs

That's pretty darn good. It's right at the pace my trainer recommended, which is slow and steady. Another nice moment this week; one of my coworkers asked if I'd been losing weight. It's nice when other people notice the change. It helps keep the motivation going!

90 Day Challenge: Day 38

Another week into the challenge. After last week's weigh in I was a little disappointed. This week, I missed my regular Saturday morning weigh-in, so I hopped on the scale this morning. I wasn't really sure what to expect, but I wanted to at least have a starting point for the week.

This Week:
Weight Loss: 1lb
BMI Percentage Change: 0.2%

Overall Progress:
Weight Loss: 5.8 lbs
BMI Percentage Change: 1.1%

I'm pretty happy about that. I'm back to where I was two weeks ago, and hopefully this week we'll continue to go in this direction. We've got a new meal plan from our nutritionist that feels like we're constantly eating, but it seems to be adding a nice boost to the workouts. We've gone to more weight training than cardio, so we'll see how that continues to change things. It's turning into quite the wait and see process, but ultimately I know that a slow & steady change is best. But man am I getting impatient!

90 Day Challenge- Day 31

I'm a little bit (or a lotta bit) behind posting the results from this week's weigh-in. That's probably because I'm not very happy with myself. I indulged a little too much, and definitely saw the impact it had on my progress.

This week (Weigh-in happened on schedule on Day 28)
Weight lost: -1 (Yup, I actually gained a pound. Ugh)

Overall
Weight lost: 4.8 lbs
BMI percentage change: .9%

So overall, still going in the right direction. Just with a slight detour. It's going to happen every now and then, so I'm trying to keep it in perspective. As long as the progress stays consistent, that's what will bring about a lasting change. And that's really what I'm working towards.

A big plus for this week was getting a new weight lifting routine. I'm spending more and more time in the part of the gym that I find most intimidating. But it's not as bad as I thought, mostly because of something our trainer said that really put things into perspective.

When I mentioned that this particular area is a little scary for me, he said  that was fine and nothing to worry about. I expected the standard "nobody's paying any attention, they're not going to be staring at you and judging response." Instead he asked me to look around the gym and just observe people, specifically to look at body compositions that were most common in each activity area. Then he asked me which group I want to be in. Gave me some things to think about.

It's like the ultimate To-Do List

I've seen this around the blog world many times, and I've always been intrigued. It's 101 in 1001 list. You pick 101 goals and give yourself 1,001 days to complete them. They can be big or small, expensive or free, silly or serious. They just have to be something clearly defined and easily trackable/measurable. And it's really a good amount of time, just about 2.75 years to get everything done. Sounds reasonable, especially since a few of mine are already in progress. Maybe that's cheating a little, but I think it counts as long as it hasn't already been finished.

So what does my list have on it? Some house projects. Some items about getting healthier, because really couldn't we all make some healthier choices? Some entertaining stuff. Some work and school stuff. Some spiritual stuff. Some financial stuff. Some time with friends and family, especially the big guy and Loki.

The list has been added as it's own page, here. This will make it easier to keep track of what's done and what's not. I'll do a separate blog post about each goal as it gets crossed off the list, and I do like to cross things off lists.

So when does it all start? Today. Nothing like the first day of a new month to get you inspired about taking on a new challenge. Apparently Fall 2010 is all about challenges. I've got the 90 Day Challenge at the gym, I've got this 101 in 1001 challenge, and I've got the challenges that come with a Big 10 MBA program.

Maybe the first thing on the list should have been a vacation!

90 Day Challenge- Day 21

Ok, so technically as this posts it's Day 24 of the Challenge, but the weigh in actually happened on Day 21. I've just been behind in getting it posted.

This Week:
Weight lost: 2 lbs
BMI percentage change: 0.2%

Overall:
Weight lost: 6 lbs
BMI percentage change: 1.1%

Pretty good so far! We've got another session with our trainer this week, mostly because we missed the first one. Totally our fault. So we'll get a new workout and hopefully have some time to go over our meal plans.

90 Day Challenge: Day 15

Week 2 is complete. The weigh-in is a day late, but all in all, I'm pretty happy with the results.

This Week
Weight lost: 1 lb
BMI percentage change: 0.1%

Overall
Weight lost: 4 lbs
BMI percentage change: 0.7%

Not bad, not bad at all. In addition to the workout schedule, lots more weight lifting, we met met with one of the gym's on-staff nutritionists. It was great. I went in thinking that it was going to be about what we need to stop eating and what we need to cut out of our diets.

Instead, Austin asked us a lot of questions about what we like to eat. He's taking that information and will be giving us a better plan for eating the things we already like. I'm sure there will be some modifications and shifts in the balance of what we eat, but if we already knpow that we like it, it'll be much easier to stick with.

He's meeting with us again on Thursday. He's going to be our trainer as well as our nutritionist. Kinda nice to have the one stop shopping and be working with someone who's going to have the whole picture of where we're at, where we want to go, and how we're progressing on the way there.

I'm already looking forward to seeing what Week 3 has in store.

90 Day Challenge Check In- Day 7

Ok, the first week of the challenge is complete. I added a trip to the gym on Tuesday, got an additional 5 miles in. Not my first choice, but definitely a better choice than sitting at home. And that's what this is about right? Making better choices. Slowly but surely the choices that seem hard now will become second nature. That's what I'm working towards.

Wednesday night was Zumba.Thursday we worked out with one of the gym's trainers, and tonight I got another 5 miles done on the elliptical. I'm a little tired now.

So how has this week's work shaped up? Let's take a look.

Weight lost: 3 lbs
BMI percentage change: 0.6%

Not bad for the first few days. We'll take another look next week. I'll be looking at the overall changes, so it'll be a running tally in addition to the specific week data. We'll watch as these numbers get bigger, and my waist gets smaller!

90 Day Challenge Day 2

You're probably wondering why I'm starting to track this challenge on day 2 instead of right away. I'll start by explaining what the challenge is and maybe that will lend a little insight as to why my excitement was lacking yesterday. But, a new day can sometimes bring some much needed perspective and a better outlook. So here I sit, typing away, with a more optimistic approach to getting done what needs to be done.

Yup, the picture is right. I've signed up for a 90-day weight loss challenge being pout on at our gym. There's a contest that goes along with it. By signing up for the challenge, we (yes, I made the big guy sign up with me so I wouldn't be totally alone doing this) get two sessions with one of the personal trainers as well as two sessions with one of the nutritionists. There's a competition component of the challenge as well. So there's some added interest and a little more motivation coming directly from the program.

So why was I not so excited on day 1? Day 1 meant officially signing in, which involved weighing in. Weight and BMI were recorded for everyone participating. I saw those numbers and was not happy. I know I've got some work to do, but it was a little hard to see it in writing. So I took a day to recover from my initial shock and lack of excitement. Today I'm a little more excited about what the next 88 days will bring. I'm planning to learn a lot in an area where I could use a little more focus, and I'm excited to see what the results will be.

In order to keep myself a little more accountable, I'll be checking in each Friday with a quick update on the overall progress. Some Fridays will be more exciting than others, but I think that's ok, it's probably just a part of the process of change. Change is hard, especially this kind of change. But change is good, especially this kind of change.

And what shifts and changes will become normal parts of my routine.

I think this is going to be bigger than just 90 days. And I think that's a good thing.

Getting Fit Friday- Negative Calorie Foods

We hear about them, but do we really know which foods are the so-called negative calorie foods? Here's a list I found that helps make it easier to know what to eat. Too bad they don't stay negative calorie foods if you smother them in a great sauce. These foods can do a lot to get you going in the right direction, but without your own will power (I have none!) you won't get nearly as far as you could.

Negative Calorie Foods

apples
asparagus
broccoli
carrots
cauliflower
celery
cranberries
cucumbers
grapefruit
lettuce
mangos
oranges
papayas
raspberries
spinach
strawberries
tangerines

There are probably a few more, but this looks like a pretty tasty list!

Getting Fit Fridays- 5 Foods to Fight Cholestorol

So I need a little reminder about how hard I'm working otget healthier to make sure I stay on track during the weekends. It's probably the hardest time to really stay on top of things. So this weekly post will be my way of putting a good thought in front of myself to start the weekend. Hopefully it'll help me stay focused!

5 Foods to Fight Cholestorol

almonds
oatmeal
fish
soy
red wine

I know I can get plenty of that last one!