Day 89

Sunday Rundown:

Weight: 199 lbs

Weight lost this week: 0 lbs

Total weight lost: 38 lbs

Bust: 41 1/4" (0" lost since last week, 5 5/8" lost total)

Waist: 35" (0" lost since last week, 5" lost total)

Hips: 46 3/4" (1/4" lost since last week, 6 1/8" lost total)

Ugh, I hate plateaus! Gets so frustrating to work and work and see no real change. Could be worse, I suppose. Could work and work and see myself backslide. Now THAT would be a downer.

I did a really good job of cooking for myself this week - did chili one night (although it wasn't totally right, I didn't remember to properly season the meat), garlic stir fry two nights, and a hamburger patty one night. The others were all leftovers, with one free meal (Service Station). I've even been packing lunch to campus to prevent myself from hitting Wendy's or Quizno's and breaking my diet.

I've literally scheduled out my whole week: dinners, classwork, grad work, and workouts. I popped up Microsoft Excel and mapped everything out. Should make it really, really easy to stay on track, and I can easily upgrade it every Sunday. The one bummer is that my grad schedule overlaps many of the exercise classes I'd take - sculpt, Zumba, yoga, etc. I'm pretty much confined to free cardio/weights, walking, and water aerobics. Sort of a pain, but I at least have the time I need to get a workout in every day without wrecking myself.

So biggest success this week: yesterday, my friend Nate and I went to lunch at Gaillardia to use up the food minimum we have to pay each quarter. Now Gaillardia is quite the classy place, which means jeans and such are frowned upon severely; I had to pretty up. I went through all my go-to nice tops ... and they all looked terrible! Baggy, shapeless, with patterns that made me look bigger than I am ... it was ridiculous! So, at wit's end and about to make us late, I grabbed a little black dress that I haven't been able to wear in over two years and put it on. And it looked DAMN GOOD. Like seriously; it didn't even look that nice when I first bought it. I was psyched! And, to top it off, I went to The Righs' concert last night wearing a flowy black skirt, black vest, and white t-shirt (my attempt at a celtic-punk look), and it all fit flawlessly! Hell, half my vests were so big that I could've smuggled stuff underneath them pretty easily. Guess I need to cycle a few more things outta my closet now, huh?

Tomorrow, I'm trying a new water aerobics class ... I'm not clear on what it is I'll be doing, since they all have vague names like Wave, HART, and Hydro H2O, but I'm trying it all the same. I'm really gonna bust my butt this week ... while I did get a workout in every day last week, some of them were just sorta going through the motions. I know it takes serious butt-busting workouts to make progress, not the wussy little pseudo-workouts I turned to once or twice in the last few days. I am DETERMINED to get off this damn plateau, I'm dying to see more progress! Wish me luck, all!

Day 82

Sunday Rundown:

Weight: 199 lbs

Weight lost this week: 0 lbs

Total weight lost: 38 lbs

Bust: 41 1/4" (1/2" lost since last week, 5 5/8" lost total)

Waist: 35" (0" lost since last week, 5" lost total)

Hips: 47" (3/4" lost since last week, 5 7/8" lost total)

Finally got a proper tape measure, so we've got measurements again! Still can't figure out a good way to do a picture though; surely I can figure something out.

I'm bummed I didn't see any weight loss this week, but not too surprised. It's been a busy week; between TA training (which was far less fun than anticipated), Gaylord orientation, finishing my apartment, and having plans almost every night, I was seriously strapped for workout time - especially considering that the pool at the Y was closed for cleaning all week. I ended up going to my apartment complex's workout room five out of the seven days - super-monotonous - and managed a walk one day and a Y visit this afternoon. Not bad, but definitely not the level of exercise I'm accustomed to. I'm gonna have to seriously bust my butt this week, no question.

Tomorrow marks the beginning of the fall semester (although not so much for me, since I don't have any classes on Monday or Friday), and the beginning of my GA-dom. I'm very excited - my schedule should allow me to get in a morning workout and leave time for me to cook dinner every night. The GA facilities even have a small kitchen, so I'll be able to take leftovers for lunch on occasion. I've already built this week's workouts into my schedule - I'm doing a few familiar classes, as well as some new ones I'm curious about. I'm determined to stay on track this week, back to school or no; with my apartment finally in the shape it needs to be and my schedule stabilizing, I've got nothing to hold me back!

Day 75

Sunday Rundown (belated!)

Weight: 199 lbs

Weight lost this week: +2 lbs, then -2 lbs

Total weight lost: 38 lbs

Bust: ?" (?" lost since last week, 5 1/8" lost total)

Waist: ?" (?" lost since last week, 5" lost total)

Hips: ?" (?" lost since last week, 5 1/8" lost total)

Mom took my tape measure, so I can't get you guys my measurement updates just yet. And I haven't figured out a way to set the camera properly to take a self-pic with my camera's timer. And to top it off, I'm a day late. I'm a terrible blogger! Why do yall follow me again?

Haha in all seriousness, I felt so guilty when I realized I hadn't gotten a post up yesterday! Mom and I spent most of the evening embroiled in the Battle of the Bookcase, wherein we attempted to assemble a particleboard bookcase and failed miserably. There was a moment where I thought Mom might start stabbing it with the screwdriver, and I wouldn't have blamed her. We grappled with it til late, and I crashed hardcore. It was a long day.

Anyway, I did pretty well these last two weeks, considering I was traveling so much! Gained a pound and change in NY, which was better than expected; all I can say is thank God New York restaurants are required by law to post the calorie count of each dish right in the menu. It saved my butt more than a few times. I mean, as tempting as some meals sound (like the garlic chicken alfredo whatever-it-was at California Pizza Kitchen that nearly did me in), they weren't worth the calories even as a free meal (the alfredo dish topped 1000 calories! For one meal! That's almost a day's worth!). I just carried CLIF bars everywhere and made the best choices I could.

The last week's been a bit muddled too; between traveling home, beginning my TA training, and trying to get my apartment in order, cooking time/space/gear has been slim to none. I've been able to keep to healthy quick-fixes (sandwiches, chili, tuna, etc) to save me from myself. I've also gotten some hardcore workouts in - Saturday morning Kickstep and Deepwater Weights nearly ended me. I also tried Aqualates (aquatic pilates? Eh? Eh?) and loved it; I was even able to do the advanced moves! Very gratifying.

I promise to add on the measurements, once I repossess my tape measure ... and I'll be sure to get next Sunday's post up on time! Also, I have three other blogs for your consideration, all friends of mine pursuing similarly healthy lifestyles: Wendi, Chris, and Tami. Wendi's working on cooking cheap and healthy food, Chris is working to improve his life all around via introspection and positive thinking, and Tami's doing a program very similar to my own; click their names to check it out! See yall next Sunday (with pictures, perhaps)!

Day 61

Sunday Rundown:

Weight: 199 lbs

Weight lost this week: 2 lbs

Total weight lost: 38 lbs

Bust: 41 3/4" (3/4" lost since last week, 5 1/8" lost total)

Waist: 35" (1 1/4" lost since last week, 5" lost total)

Hips: 47 3/4" (3/4" lost since last week, 5 1/8" lost total)

Thigh: 27 1/2" (3 5/8" lost total)

Bicep: 14 1/2" (2 7/8" lost total)

Wrist: 6 1/4" (1/4" lost total)

It's done, guys! Done! Over 8 weeks ago, I swore to do everything in my power to get myself below 200 pounds before the end of HFFC, and here, on Day 61, I have officially done it. For the first time in I-don't-know-HOW-long, I'm back below 200 pounds!! I'm ... floored! I'm ecstatic! I'm so glad, and so relieved - part of me was terrified I'd put in all the time and effort and bust my butt, only to shave off ten pounds or so. It's so gratifying to know it's been worth it, and that it'll continue to be worth it. It's like I always say about Mom and Dad ... they're fit because they put a lot of time and effort into staying fit, and the same potential's always been in me. Just took me this long to try and tap it.

So here's the plan for this blog, following the conclusion of HFFC. I'm no longer going to do a nightly post, since there's only so many times yall will enjoy reading the same routine over and over. Instead, I'm going to do a weekly post on Sunday nights. I'll post the rundown - weight and measurements, perhaps a pic - and talk about the challenges I've faced throughout the week: learning to cook for myself every meal, resisting temptation (both foodwise and getting-my-butt-out-of-bed-wise), and keeping myself going even on the sucky days. I feel like I'll need this continuation for some accountability, to you guys (and of course my parents, whom I know will be the first ones to call me up and inquire about any weight re-gained, haha) as well as to myself. I'll start these posts on August 16th - I'll be traveling all day next Sunday coming back from my celebratory NYC trip, so I'll have no chance to weigh and measure.

I am eternally grateful to everyone who has been a part of this. Everyone who's read this blog, cheered me on, offered me tips or asked for advice; everyone who's helped me celebrate the wins and commiserate the losses; everyone who's called me, IMed me, or messaged me just to check in and see how I'm feeling and how I'm doing; everyone who's had a hand in spurring me on to where I am now. Thanks especially to my brother, whose pre-HFFC phone call was so sweet and supportive it left me in tears, and to my parents, who have endured two months of doing hardcore workouts and eating even the nastiest diet recipes right along with me. I could not have gotten here without all of you guys backing me up.

One of my favorite tips I read this summer (out of the mountain of diet books living on our kitchen table) was in the Biggest Loser 30-Day Jumpstart book; it said simply, "Choose your team wisely." Make sure the people around you will be enablers, helping you move forward no matter what. In starting this blog and making public my weight loss efforts, I managed to rally the most supportive people possible around me. You guys have been an amazing team; thank you for everything you've done, and everything you'll do as i continue to work towards total health. I've lost nearly 40 pounds, but I've got 50 still to go. This time next year, guys - 150 lbs! Let's make it happen!

Day 60

One day of HFFC left ... a lifetime of workouts ahead of me, true, but only one day of the bootcamp. After this, getting a workout or two in a day is gonna be an absolute breeze, haha.

The weather was incredibly dreary today, so I wound up with all indoor and freestyle workouts. Cardio, strength training, and yoga. Felt really good to stretch out, apparently my calves were kinda kinked up. Also meant I got everything in before noon again, so another afternoon off! Wh-hoo. =) Ended up chilling pretty seriously - read a book, watched some tv with the fam, and took a pretty hardcore nap. Very relaxing.

Food was straightforward too, although dinner was nice - my final free meal. We went to Chenal, and I got to indulge in some seriously spicy poblano pepper soup, a tuna sandwich, and a rare treat: french fries with sea salt. Mmm ... I ordered a rum and Diet Coke too, but it was like ALL rum. Ended up not drinking too much of it. Some nights, that drink goes down so smooth; others, not so much.

It seems that the closer I get to the end, the less I can come up with to blog about, haha. My first few weeks, it'd take me half an hour to compose a post at the end of the day; now, I'm knocking them out in five, ten minutes flat. I feel bad about it, but there's only so much to tell now before I begin repeating myself. Tomorrow should be a more promising post, though ... the final Sunday Rundown of HFFC, the final day of HFFC, all that good stuff. Not long to go now, guys!