Tag: Weight Watchers

I came to an important realization this week.

I wrote earlier that I was going to forgive myself for not making the second round of Power 90 happen with our summer schedule.  I was all proud of myself that I wasn’t beating myself up about that “failure” and just moving on.  Which is good and progress -in a way.

I also said I was going to do an old Billy Blanks Tae Bo workout with Princess.  I finally did, yesterday.  I know a lot of people love Billy Blanks, and I do personally connect with him while he’s instructing.  But he confuses the HELL out of me.  He doesn’t mirror, and I’m so mixed up between doing what he’s doing (which is backwards) and listening to what he says (argh, right not left) and getting my weight shifted to the other leg, etc. etc. that I’m totally lost and confused.  Princess was worse off because at least I had Power 90’s modest tae bo to build on.  We were only trying the foundation – beginning – too, so it wasn’t like a workout or anything.  I didn’t even break a sweat.

Now pause there.  I didn’t break a sweat.  I said that like a bad thing, didn’t I?

I kept thinking and thinking and today when it got close to my lunch, I said to myself, “Self, you really need to try and do Power 90 again.  You feel better.  Remember?”

I do remember.  I love how I feel when I’m working out consistently.  I loooove muscles in my arms.  I love seeing the shape of my abs in my tummy instead of just flubber.  I’ve still got sooo much to lose, and while I haven’t been exercising, it’s the same old story.  Up 2 pounds, down 2.4, up 3, down 1.6, etc.  Today I was up 2.  Not bad after a lazy weekend that led to pizza.  The real deal – pepperoni, my favorite.

I got to thinking about other things too.  How when I workout, I take better care of myself.  It’s the small things.  Like taking a shower.  This might be TMI, but I don’t always take a shower every single day.  Why bother?  I work from home for the Evil Day Job.  No one’s going to know if I washed my hair today or if I threw it in a pony tail.  No one’s going to care if I’m in sweats or jeans or a suit for that matter.

But I know.  I know how I feel when my hair is grungy and I’m wearing my “fat” pants.  I sure don’t feel good about myself.

Not getting in a daily shower is the first sign I’m not taking care of myself.  I don’t wear my cute (tight) clothes as much.  Maybe I don’t wear my favorite Clarks, settling for tennis shoes instead.  Not even my workout tennis shoes…  I don’t lotion up my feet that tend to get dry and rough.  Maybe one day I’m just so tired and stressed out that I don’t feel like cooking.  The kids want pizza anyway…

And that lack of care continues to spread like a cancer in my life, making me feel more depressed and tired.  The more depressed I am, the less care I take.  The less care I take, the less likely it is that I’ll eat healthy and exercise, continuing the vicious circle.  When someone needs to lose well over 100 pounds to get to a healthy weight, then it should be pretty obvious that I haven’t taken very good care of myself for years.

The countless arguments I might throw at myself don’t matter in the end.  It doesn’t matter if we’re busy, if I have to do xyz for the EDJ before this date, or if Lady Blackmyre is beating me up, or Sig won’t cooperate, or I got a bad review, or I have a release out, or…  The list will always be a mile long about why I don’t have time to exercise.

Do I really not have time to take care of myself?

No one else is going to do it for me.  I have too many other people depending on me to take care of them.  I can’t push my own care to the wayside, because someday, it will catch up to me.

I feel better when I exercise.  I eat better.  I sleep better.  I’m more productive in general.  I can solve half the (story)world’s problems in the shower, so why wouldn’t I make sure I get a shower each day?  It seems pretty ridiculous, doesn’t it?

So I am going to try Power 90 again.  Starting today.  And if I miss a day here and there, that’s okay.  I have to keep trying.  I have to keep finding little ways to take care of myself.  Getting in my exercise is the first step.

And who knows, maybe I’ll finally figure out Sig’s problems in the shower.

I made it!  I didn’t miss a single day in March (although I did miss starting April out perfectly – this was a very busy weekend and I was just too exhausted to workout last night).  The entire month of March I worked out at level 3/4.  It was tough, sometimes so tough I was afraid I wouldn’t make it, but I did.

I’ve never completed such an exercise program before.  I’ve never worked out 90 days consistently before.  Even if I didn’t have very good results on the scale or in measurements, that alone would be a victory.

However, I saw pretty awesome results!

March 1- 31 results, followed by (totals) since Jan 1st:

• Lost 5.4 pounds (12.6 pounds)
• Bust 0  (-3)
• Waist  -1 inch (-4)
• Arms  0  (-.5) each (doesn’t even come close to showing how rock-hard my arms are getting!)
• Hips  -1  (-5)
• Thighs -1 inch (-4) each

Amazing – I lost a total of 21 inches in 90 days!

I am so much stronger.  In one routine of sculpt/strength, I’m able to do a total of 71 pushups (from my knees).  Compare that to when I started Power 90 – I could only do 15-20 total.  I’m doing the dips now (with my legs under me to help, but I couldn’t do them at all before).  In the cardio portion, I’m able to make it all the way through level 3/4 without having to pause to catch my breath (I do bring my arms down to rest occasionally, but I keep going!).  I occasionally do more of the high impact jumping jacks and cross hops, versus absolutely none at the beginning.  I can do almost all 200 ab crunches — the last two sets of 20 are touch and go but I can almost do it.

Since starting Weight Watchers over one year ago, I’ve gone down from a 24W or 26W to 14W-16W/XL in dresses.  From that first pair of 24W jeans I bought (which were probably at least 2 sizes smaller than I would have worn — if I’d even tried to wear jeans), I’ve gone down to 18W and I have a pair of 16W that I can zip (I just can’t sit in comfortably!)  In tops I’ve gone down from 2x or even 3x to an XL.

Here’s the funniest measurement:  I’ve gone from a 10/11W (wide) shoe to a 9W.  Who thought my feet would lose weight too?  I’ve even returned a pair of 9W that were too big!

My exercise goals for April are mixed.  Since I’m going to Chicago for RT, I think I’ll take that week off except for walking.  I am going to take my exercise clothes and tennis shoes, and if I get the opportunity to do some cardio, I’ll be prepared.  I’ve never been to this kind of conference before so I’m not sure if I’ll actually have time to work out or not.  At the worst, I’ll take the week off since completing Power 90 and I’ll start up from scratch Monday, April 16 (I’m taking that day off from the Evil Day Job to recover).

I plan to do Power 90 through April 10th, the day I leave for Chicago.  That’ll get me another full 6 days of training in, even though I missed yesterday.  However, I might switch things up a bit and do some Walk It Out or other cardio routines just to keep things exciting.  Since my workouts will be interrupted (or at least not “routine”) thanks to the trip, I’m going to use the opportunity to try some new things.

Once I’m back, I plan to get right back on the Power 90 horse through the end of the month.  At this point, I’m going to stick with Power 90 through May and then see if I think I’m ready for P90X.  Who knows – I might ask for it for my birthday!

First off, I apologize for the lack of posts this past week.  I’ve been fighting a bad attitude for the last few days as the hits keep coming on in.  Plus I had copyedits to get back on Vicki – but yay, that means she’s almost ready for you!

Memory is a funny thing.  I’m an avoider.  For many years we didn’t even have a scale.  I didn’t want to know how bad it was.  So for me to come up with milestones as I lose weight this time around is kind of hard.  I don’t really know because we didn’t have a scale.  I have to try and piece my memory together from events, like when I had a kid, etc.  And my memory isn’t the greatest.

I’d set my goal months ago to be what I believed to be VFT – the lowest weight I had achieved through dieting in recent memory (10-15 years) and had never been able to attain again.  This was supposed to be the weight I was after a stint of Weight Watchers at work right after Princess (the first) was born.  However, I’m pretty sure my memory is way off – by at least 10 pounds.  Because I’m wearing sizes now that I couldn’t then.

Of course Power 90 has been helping reshape my body tremendously – so that’s part of the difference.  But I’m pretty sure I hit VFT a month or more ago.  That wasn’t the “goal” weight that I’d set for this milestone, so I kept plugging away.

I hit that goal this morning, bringing my total lost to 73.6 pounds. I know for a fact I haven’t been at this weight in at least 13 years, but it’s probably closer to 15 years.

Now I’m getting to the embarassing level of weight loss.  People are like WOW!  And then they say how much more are you going to lose?  It’s hard to admit that I’m only half way there.  It becomes clearer how big I’d let myself get.

However, I’m feeling really really good now.  I’m doing things I never did before.  Whatever I lose from here will just help me feel even better.  The closer I get to my goal, the slower it’s going to go.  If I lose just 25 more, I’d be pretty darned ecstatic.  That’d put me down to a weight that I probably had in Texas between 1992-1994.  25 more from there would put me at my undergrad weight (1988-1992).  Any more than that will put me in the high school range.

Seriously, WW, is it possible to weigh what I did in high school?  At that point, I may have to get a doctor to assign me a new goal weight.  I really don’t see weighing what I did at 18 again.  I’ve had 3 kids since then and I’m just a few years older. 

My next goal is mini – just to get me down inside the next decade.  From there, I’ll go in 10 pound increments.  If I can hit the 100 lb mark by Christmas, I’d be pretty darned happy!

Nothing to report on the Weight Watcher front this week.  I’ve been up slightly for over a week despite being fully on plan.  I haven’t missed any workout days in March yet.  However, the scale might not be cooperating, but I managed to get into a size smaller in jeans!  Still “women’s” size but another smaller size makes me very happy.  I’m still wearing several of the higher size too – especially my Old Navy drawer pair.  Which honestly are fitting me a little better since I first started wearing them.  Less junk in the trunk!

Another reason I committed to Power 90:  a concrete time frame.  I told myself I could do anything for 90 days.  At the end of the first round, I’m hoping that the habits I’ve formed will continue — which is why I’m not quitting this round exactly at 90 days but continuing until I leave for RT in April.  When I return, I’ll have to decide what my next workout goal will be and what time commitment I’ll make.  Most likely I’ll do another 30-60 days of Power 90 with increased weights, and then see if I’m ready to make the jump to P90X.

After 75 days of Power 90, I think I’ve almost got the habit of exercise engrained in my head.  My preferred time to work out is over my lunch, but I’ve worked out as late as 8 PM to fit it in.  I’ve also gotten up early on the weekend to fit in my routine before the family was up.  Yes, I gave up my only day to sleep in to work out!  Shocking I know.

But I keep waiting for it to get easier.  When there’s no question in my mind that I’m going to do it, even if I don’t feel like it.  Oh, I still do the routine, but I wish I didn’t have that moment of dread.  Especially on cardio days.  Ugh, they really wipe me out.  I keep waiting for the day when my legs don’t feel wobbly.  When I don’t have to bring my arms down and rest a little bit.  Or when I don’t lose my balance in the taebo portion (because I’m so tired) and nearly fall over.  Or when I’m not slow to roll out of bed because I’m a little sore.

Then I realize:  it’s NEVER going to get easier in that regard.  Why?  Because I’m always pushing harder.

If I can do 15 pushups now for each set, then in another 30 days I ought to be able to do 20.  (And I started doing a few from my toes this week, which are really killing me.)  If I’m using 10 lb dumbbells for most everything now and can get all 15 reps in, then I should go up slightly and make it hard again.  When the squats and lunges became easier on my knees, what did I do?  Throw some weight on my shoulders to make it harder.

And yes, on those cardio days when I’m gasping for air and dripping sweat, Tony says push harder, don’t give up, this is it, you’re almost done…  and so I push through even though I can’t see and my legs are burning.

It’s never going to get easier because I’m constantly raising the bar higher.  That’s a good thing, even if it doesn’t always feel like it as I crawl up the stairs.

I dream about being LIGHT on my feet.  Agile.  Strong.  Where I can walk/run a 5K and still have gas in the tank or hang with Middle on the basketball court.

Someday.

As I said in my update, I decided to move up to level 3/4 as of March 1st, which gave me 60 days on the beginning level 1/2.

Boy am I glad I waited that long.  (Some people start on level 3/4 as early as 30 days into the 90 day program.)

First up, the strength/scupt portion.  Most of the same weight lifting moves I’ve been doing are included in this level; however, there’s an additional fourth round at the end with all new exercises.  There are two main differences:

• Speed
• Max sets.

The first obvious difference is the increased speed.  I mean, I was seriously pumping hard to keep up.  I’m glad I had 60 days of concentrating on form before!  The other huge difference are the “max out” sessions.  Instead of sticking to 8-15 reps, you’re supposed to burn through as many as possible.

Believe it or not, I managed 20 (!!) pushups and 25 squats…AFTER doing all the other sets.  I was so stunned that I was able to do that much!

Today I tried the sweat/cardio portion.  Again, with the speed – it was insane.  Thankfully all the exercises were the same.  The power yoga warm up wasn’t any longer than usual (thank God!) but the rest of the mini sessions went from 2 to 3 rounds.  Man, the sweat was just pouring off me, but I made it all the way to the Taebo kicks and punches.  There, again, the speed was… Whew.  I had the form down after 60 days, or I never would have been able to keep up.

Here’s another reason I love Power 90.  I would NEVER push myself that hard alone.  I need someone to make me go harder and faster, and Tony does it without screaming or that annoying jock attitude that some “famous” celebrity trainers have.

I will admit to saying, “Tony you SUCK” when I realized that while there were only two sets of kicks…there were THREE sets of punches.  I’d pushed hard through the second, thinking maybe a new phase would follow (I could see one more bar of exercises – I just didn’t know what it was), only to find out that “last” set wasn’t really the last at all.

I’m sore again and my thighs were tired enough I didn’t try to add any additional walking today.  I might not be able to for awhile until my body adjusts.  For Activity Points (AP) on Weight Watchers, I was counting level 1/2 as “moderate” intensity – but I counted 30 mins of “high” intensity for 3/4 and the rest as stretching.  By how tired I am and how drenched my shirt was, I think I earned those higher APs!

Two months ago, I would have probably had a heart attack.

Now, I made it all the way through without having to pause for breath or stop altogether.  I’m still stunned that I did it.  Amazing!  I really think I’m going to be able to work up to P90X this year!