Weight lost
This week: -4.2
Yeah, but last week I was "officially" up 3 pounds, thanks to Mardi Gras. (I think I actually gained/lost about 6 pounds last week.)
So far: -14.4 (Would 6 more ounces be so much to ask? Pleeeeease?)
Average weight loss per week: 1 pound
Total inches lost
Arms: - .5 inch
Bust: -.25 inch
Waist: -4.5 inches
Hips: -3 inches
Thighs: -.5 inch
Yes, I'm disappointed at how slowly I'm losing weight.
I can understand that it might not seem like a slow loss to someone who doesn't go to the meetings I go to. I see people there losing 5 pounds a week. Each friggin' week. It's not a bad group of people, I'm not saying that, but I'm a little miffed.
What bothers me most, I think, is that I am exercising three times as much as anyone else there, and losing far less. (Mind you, I have calf muscles that would do a calf proud. Wish I'd thought to measure them from the start.)
The other night, one woman spoke about how she struggles to exercise for 15 minutes a day. Since December, I have averaged 50 minutes a day of exercise. (I've been tracking my exercise since then. The actual average is 51 minutes/day.) Is she losing more weight than I am? Of course she is. Silly question. ("Hello, my old and familiar dilemma. Stop exercising and lose muscle as well as fat? Why yes, you are a tempting idea sometimes.")
Last week I couldn't make the meeting and had to go to another location instead. I was amazed at the people there who said it had taken them several months to lose 15 pounds. Why aren't these kinds of people going to my meeting? (Maybe they are and just don't say much.)
I want to keep going to this meeting because it's within walking distance of my house, I like the woman who leads the meeting, and the group is basically quite nice. The other meeting would require driving my car, and has the very grave drawback of being right next door to Powell's bookstore. So we're talking serious bucks spent each week. (What's that? Who said oh, just don't go to Powell's after the meeting? You don't know me very well, do you? I can skimp on cake,* I can skimp on doughnuts.* Don't ask me to skimp on books.)
*Except during Mardi Gras. But that's once a year. I haven't been binging on a regular basis. Honest.**
**Oh all right. I binged 3 times. Once over Christmas, once because I had a hissy fit after not making it to 10 pounds, and once at Mardi Gras. There. That's honest.
Exercise du jour: Cycle 5 miles
Semi-FAIL. I honestly did try. Even though I ended up working a 12-hour day, I ended up walking a whole mile. Oh boy.
19 comments:
Yum, Powell's....my sister took me there when I came to visit her, what a wonderful bookstore. Floor after floor of books, I could spend hours there. (At least climbing the stairs could be counted as bonus exercise)
And don't be disheartened, everyone loses at their own rate. Life is simply, not fair.
I'm sorry? A meeting next to Powell's is a drawback? I don't think I heard you properly.
And look. Losing 5 pounds every week is NOT healthy. You do know that rapid weight loss can have health consequences, right? Among other things, it can contribute to the formation of gallstones. Just remind yourself firmly that the muscles you're building will keep your metabolism up and running and help you sustain your weight loss long after these other ladies start to regain the weight they've lost. Because, hello, the cutbacks needed to lose that much in a week -- also not sustainable.
And quit making it a competition!
It's much better to lose inches than pounds. At least that's what I keep telling myself. You're doing the right thing. And no you don't want to lose muscle just so you can say you've lost some pounds.
Tortoise and the Hare!! Remember, slow but steady wins the race. Besides, I still think that a slower weight loss is one that is more sustainable. Just my 2¢ worth.
Not familiar with Powells, but any bookstore is a good bookstore, and I'd be hard pressed to pass it by,too. In fact, I wouldn't.
Slow and steady ... is so frustrating but I honestly believe the longer it takes to get the weight off the more likely it is to stay off.
I wouldn't be able to resist the siren song from the bookstore. At least that addiction doesn't have any calories. ;)
I get you on the aggravation at the slow weight loss when everyone around seems to be dropping it like it's hot! It pisses me off that I'm eating cottage cheese and berries and those around me are having ooey gooey pasta, meats in sauce, gi-normous glasses of wine (let me stop b/c now I'm getting hungry) and I'm sweating my rear end off (literally) while others (my ex-workout partner) hardly breaks a sweat and now claims to have lost about 35 lbs (I know for a fact she's lying) - yes, I'll have a slice of bitter pie.
I read somewhere (either a blog or Self - can't remember now) that you can over exercise. Yes, I know sounds like a load of crap and goes against everything else we know about calories in vs calories out. BUT...I started to actually slow my pace down from cardio pace to fat burning pace and I've noticed a HUGE different (well huge for me). I've over the freaking plateau I've been at since 2008!
So if you've been aiming for your heart rate to be in the cardio zone, tone it back every other workout to fat burning zone and see if you notice any difference.
I haven't been following you long, but I just saw the inches you've lost and that is VERY impressive!!! But I totally understand wanting big numbers.
Hang in there and keep up the great work!
I had a rough day yesterday and felt like I "deserved" to pig out because I was stressed. Such messed up logic. My battle continues :)
First, i love weight watchers and i attribute it to my initial weight loss and understanding of portion sizes etc;-)
But I stopped using the ww method when I became my active in my fitness, especially training for half marathons, races etc, b/c I found i needed more 'points' or calories than allotted for ww. So i hired a nutritionist and it was the best decision ever. I ended losing more weight by eating more and exercising.Basically eating more allowed my metabolism to burn more and not hoard the calories..does that make sense?
That's just been my experience, but wanted to share;-)
I completely understand your frustration. I sit in my meeting from week to week watching other people lose while I sit here tottering along with the same 2-3 pounds (lost one week, gained one week, then hover for a couple of weeks).
I'm getting strict with exercise, so some of it is probably due to muscle mass water exchange... but, like you, I want to see the results of my work.
When I lost my first 40 lbs in WW, it took me 9 months. Then I plateaued for 2 years!
The next 25 lbs came off in 5 months - and I haven't gained any of either weight loss back. (Also, I'm usually nearly 10 lbs lighter now than when I left WW.)
What I'm saying is you know you're doing it right. 5 lbs/month is fantastic. Slow loss is more likely to stay off. (those women losing fast? Do you know if this is their first time through the program?) Fitness is more important than weight. Etc., etc.
Congrats on the 15 lb loss! (I round.) That's great!
My hat is off to anyone who can skimp on books.
Those people who are losing so fast will probably regain, and you will get to smugly watch when they start coming back to meetings to start over again.
Congrats on how far you have come!
Coming from a slow loser, I can empathize with you when it seems like everyone else is losing weight by the bucketfull! OK, that is kind of a gross analogy, but you get the picture. But let me tell you - this way is good...you'll keep it off, and you are losing a lot inches while toning your body with all of the fantastic exercise you do! I'm proud of you!!!
Damn that "Biggest Loser" mentality! We all think now that if we lose under 10 pounds a week we're FAILURES!
I WOULD give sensible advice about how muscle weighs more than fat, the scale is not the best measure of success, etc., but everyone here has said it much better than I can. So I'll just say this: slow and steady wins the race. The slower the weight comes, off, the more chance it will STAY off. SO when all those others are back in meeting because they've gained their weight back, you can power walk on by and be smug and self-righteous. And THAT feels so much better, doesn't it?!?!?!
I tend to agree, 5 pounds a week seems a bit on the steep side of safety... Are you sure the people in your group aren't related to my husband? We both try and lose weight, he does 40 sit ups a day, 10 pounds in about 3 weeks. I have managed to get nearly 10 pounds off in... 34. So, everyone has a personal speed. You are working to a goal. Sometimes others that are working to the same goal work faster than you. But does it make it less important that YOU reach your goal? NO. You go! You are doing it! Yay! (Oh, Lawdy, sorry about channelling my inner cheerleader...) And Powell's? All I could suggest is if you go, don't take ANY money. You might make it out sans books. But it wouldn't be as much fun... Boooks. More Boooks. Drool. Er, yes, I think skipping Powell's would be advisable. Heh.
Cat
Powell's online is difficult enough to resist. Actual physical books, oh dear.
Food is much more resistible.
Mary Anne in Kentucky
Keep up the good work! I know it's a long road, and when others around you seem to be losing quick it makes it that much harder.
The one tip I'd recommend is to be sure you're including strength training exercises in additional to your cardio activiites. Google body weight exercises or try Belly Off. It worked for me...muscles loves to eat fat:)
I've just recently started reading your blog, so I apologize if you are actually already doing this...Good Luck!
15 pounds?! That's awesome! That's practically an entire Hugh Jackman bicep. Go get 'em (not him, tho - he's mine)!
Oh I gained weight for Mardi Gras too. And the week before at the Superbowl game.
Hopefully Lent sans chocolate will help. And marathon training.
First - congrats on your loss! That's fantastic! And you have a much better chance of keeping it off than the non-exercising women so do try and remember that at your next meeting;)
Second - I'm a slow loser too. I'm lucky if I get even 1 pound a week. It's usually less.
Third - this: I have calf muscles that would do a calf proud. is why I LOVE YOu!!!
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