Starting the Year off Right!

I thought it could not be done.  I truly believed (in the beginning) I would never reach my goal of 185 pounds.  It had been *such* a long time since I had seen those numbers on the scale, it truly seemed an impossibility.  Well, I am here to tell you…it was not impossible!

I MADE GOAL OVER THE HOLIDAYS!!!!

This morning I weighed in at 183.2 pounds!  This is the least I have weighed since I can even remember…teenage years included!  Since July 10, 2011 I have lost a total of 131.8 pounds.  From my heaviest recorded weight (according to my doctor’s office), though, I have lost a total of 158.8 pounds (since January 2011).  I find this absolutely mind-blowing!  Insanity.

My prediction for this year is *very* optimistic.  I am starting this year the healthiest I have been probably in my whole life.  I am also starting this year the happiest I have been as well.  I have amazing people in my life right now who love and support me, which is an awesome feeling.

Of course, I have goals left to meet (and new goals will continue to come, believe me).  So, the work is not finished…we are just beginning.  This is when things start to heat up, not cool down.  I am working toward my certification still, and my BS in Health & Wellness.  My photo shoot is coming up with Kat (awesome photographer) and Aaron (phenomenal trainer), so I am both looking forward to it and being anxious about it.  Good things, though, good things.

How did your year start off?  What goals are striving for this year?

-Erica

Weigh Day (week fifty-three)

“There’s a first time for everything.”

That is a saying that comes to mind today.  Today is a first for me (as far as I can remember, anyway).  When I weighed in today, I was UP from last week.  I do believe that in 53 weeks this is the first time that has happened.

200.2

I would be totally hysterical right now, but I have a funny feeling I know exactly why I am up.  Let me count the ways:

1. I lifted heavy weights this week with very little (to no) cardio.

2. I stopped logging my food in my journal (big no-no!).

3. I was in the gym only twice this week (Monday and Wednesday).

4. I ate a very good dessert yesterday at a family reunion…and I do not feel bad about it, nor do I regret it.

I am coming to understand that my body is *extremely* sensitive to lifting weights.  Monday I lifted on my own (focusing solely on my arms and shoulders), and I ate well.  Tuesday morning’s weigh in had me up several pounds.  I knew I had not eaten an excess of 14,000 calories to truly pack on those pounds, though.  So, I was not worried.  Wednesday morning’s weigh in had me down a couple of those pounds from Tuesday.  That night I focused on strength training with Denise.  Thursday I was back up a little over a pound from Wednesday.  I was also *extremely* sore Thursday and Friday…and Saturday.  My legs took a beating with Denise.  Yesterday had me back down a couple pounds (hovering right around 199.6 to 200.6).  After yesterday’s sedentary nature (sitting around with family…and tables full of food), I knew I was not going to drop under that 199.2 from last week.

In one way, I do find it frustrating that I am not down for the week.  However, in another way, I find it almost absurd to beat myself up over this.  First of all, I am up only a bit.  Second of all, I know that at least part of that is muscle…has to be.  So, for this week I am going to cut myself some slack (very little, mind you) and we will see what next week shows (which better be a loss).

My plan of action:

1. I will be in the gym every day this week.
2. I will be careful not to let cardio go unnoticed again.
3. I will start logging food again (seriously cannot believe I stopped doing this).

With those three things in place, I should be back on the road down by the end of the week, and I will be able to take this hiccup in stride.

How do you handle hiccups in your path?

-Erica

Weigh Day (week fifty-two)

This is my 52nd week weighing in.  It is absolutely insane to think how much things have changed since my first weigh in.  Of course, today does not mark (officially) one year since I began this journey.  That will happen on Tuesday (July 10th).

This week has been fairly boring.  I went to the gym a few days for cardio, but since Wednesday was a holiday my weekly training appointment was missing.  I lifted a *tiny* bit of weight this week, but nothing that even made me remotely sore the next day.  Bummer.

As for my weigh in…are you ready for this?

199.2

A 2.2-pound loss from last week.  Can you dig that?!  I am *finally* under 200 pounds!  This is the first time I have been under 200 pounds since I was a teenager!  Seriously.  To say I am excited would be the understatement of the year.  Elated.  Speechless.  Excited.  And so much more.

Going forward things are going to change a bit, I think.  I still have weight to lose, of course.  My initial goal weight is 185 pounds, so I still need to lose 14.2 to get there.  However, instead of focusing solely on the weight loss, I may start getting more into lifting weights…building the lean mass.  I know this will (in a sense) stall, or significantly hinder, the numbers dropping on the scale.  However, I want to make sure when the weight comes off, my body looks good…and toned (and strong) muscles is what I need for that.

Over the last couple months I have been lifting less and less…and doing more cardio and endurance exercises.  And I have been fine with that, of course.  I want to lose the weight, and I want my endurance to be high.  Now, though, that I have relatively little weight to lose (compared to what I had to lose before), it makes sense to really kick it up on the weight-lifting front again.

This will also give me an opportunity to put some things I am learning into practice.  In order to build a lean, toned muscle structure, you need to work toward myofibril failure.  That means lifting 80-85% of your 1RM (the absolute most amount of weight you can successfully lift only once).  With such a heavy, intense weight I will be limiting to only 4 to 6 repetitions.  This will do a couple things: build muscle (of course), and strengthen/increase my fast twitch fibers.  That is something I really want also.  As of right now, I am mostly slow twitch (endurance).  I want that explosive, raw strength…and that comes from fast twitch muscle fibers.

Please do not be mistaken…I am not looking to be a body builder.  I am not looking to bench press 150+ pounds.  I just want to be lean, toned, and strong…for a girl.

So, this week I will be determining what my 1RM is for various exercises and developing a plan to maximize my weight lifting.  That is my short-term goal for the week.  Of course, my longer-term goal is still to get these last 14.2 pounds off this body.  My goal is to accomplish that within the next two months (by September 1st).  The other longer-term goal I am working toward is, of course, to get my personal training certification.  That should be right around September 1st as well.

What short- and long-term goals are you working toward right now?

-Erica

Weigh Day (week forty-nine)

Sorry for the late post, folks.  I failed to mention I was going camping over the weekend with my daughters’ girl scout troop.  Me and 30 girls under the age of 11 in a room for two nights.  Needless to say, I did not get *nearly* enough sleep to adequately feul hiking, swimming, dancing, playing, roasting marshmallows, and painting nails.  I survived, though.  Guess that is what really matters…

I worked hard last week.  I attended bootcamp on Tuesday and Thursday, and I trained with Denise on Wednesday.  Three days in a row with Denise was awesome…and it was intense.  I am; however, looking forward to getting back into my regular routine again.  Between vacation early this month and camping, my routine has gone pretty far off track.  That bothers me to a degree, but it also helps me feel like I am in better control of my life than I realize.  The reason I say this is simply because I am continuing to lose…despite vacation and camping…despite family functions and holiday celebrations…I have learned how to cope with these things and still come out on top.  This is huge!  Not that I am perfect, I am certainly not.  I still have weak moments, I probably always will, but I am learning to manage them so they do not consume me any longer.  Yes.

As for weigh in…

203.6

That is 2.2 pounds down from last week!  I am certainly happy with that!  My total for 49 weeks is 111.4 pounds!  Insane!  I could not possibly be happier…really.

Realizing that 52 weeks is just around the corner…I really, really, really, want to be under 200 before that happens!  Ideally, I would have liked to lose 120 pounds in 12 months, but I seriously doubt that will happen.  So, I am just going to shoot for being *under* 200 pounds by the time week 52’s weigh in comes.  I should be able to pull that off easily, right?

I have some other things coming your way (hopefully later today)…

-Erica

Weigh Day (week forty-eight)

Today is a pretty important day.  This day marks exactly 11 months since I began my journey.  Eleven months…and what an intense eleven months it has been.  Seriously.

I never would have guessed I would have lost more than 100 pounds in just 11 months.  Not in a million years.  I must admit, though, I am anxious to see what my numbers will be next month when I hit one year.  That is really going to be something!

My week has been a little light, which is partly due to vacation.  I only worked out three days this week (down from my usual six or seven), and I could really feel the difference in my body after relaxing for a full week.  It was a bit more of a struggle than I am used to these days.  Not to worry, though, my body rebounded quickly and I was on my way!

As for weigh in…

205.8

That is 0.6 down from the last weigh in; however, that was only five days ago.   I did not expect to lose a great deal between then.  At least things are still moving in the right direction!

My goal for June is to get under 200 pounds.  I have just a day under three weeks to lose six pounds.  That is going to be super close, and I admit upfront, I may not make it.  However, I am going to work *hard* in hopes of achieving that goal!

What goals are you working toward right now?  Are you taking advantage of every opportunity to meet them?

On another note…I re-vamped the blog.  Any thoughts on that?

-Erica

Weigh Day (week forty-five)

What an unexpected kind of week…in the best possible way, no less!  My week has been fairly busy, but not too busy.  I ended up taking Tuesday off of the gym because of a later appointment with my therapist.  I felt bad about it at first, but decided my muscles could probably use the unscheduled break anyway.

As for the rest of my week:

Sunday – lazy day

Monday – 30 mins w/ Neil (13,203)

Tuesday – lazy day (10,121)

Wednesday – 35 mins w/ Denise (10,683)

Thursday – bootcamp w/ Denise (20,358)

Friday – Relay for Life (16,928)

Saturday – bootcamp w/ Denise (16,480)

I forgot to tell you all about this fitness/endurance test Denise had me complete last week.  It consists of 100 pushups, 100 situps, 100 squats, and 100 kettlebell swings.  You do continuous work until you complete all four exercises.  Your “score” is just your time.  I completed all 400 reps in 12 minutes 58 seconds.  It felt a *lot* longer than that to me when I was actually doing the work, though.  Of course, looking back, I wish I would not have stopped in between all them for water.  My time would have easily been 10 to 20 seconds faster without those breaks.  Oh well.

Friday night my chicklets and I walked in the Relay for Life.  My father died of lung cancer on May 16, 2010.  My older daughter, who is seven, spoke to other adults as if she were already grown and advocating this cause.  That little girl is going to be someone very special when she is grown.

Alright, onto weigh in, right?

Do you remember last week when I said I hoped to weigh in at 210.6 or less this week?  Well,  I was in for a serious surprise because here is what the scale beamed back at me today:

209.0

That is 3.2 pounds down – in one week (and 106 total)!!!  I cannot believe that!  I have not lost that much in a week in a *very long* time!  Apparently I need to be setting weekly weigh in goals so that I can surpass them!

I am inching ever so close to being under 200 pounds, and I can feel the excitement building!  This is going to be monumental – seriously.  With just under two weeks until June 1st, I know I will not quite make it before then.  However, I think I will be quite close…and I am certain I will be under 200 sometime in June!  Excellent!

GOAL TRACKER
1 week; 5 days
9.2 pounds

I have some other posts coming up hopefully later today or tomorrow…

How was your week?  How can you improve this upcoming week?

-Erica

Weigh Day (week forty-three)

Holy moly, folks!  This weekend slipped right away from me without any kind of warning!  This, of course, is the late edition of weigh day.  Sorry about that!

I have big news from the previous week:

I was discharged from physical therapy!  They measured my knee cap for progress and…it does not track incorrectly anymore!  They were astonished.  Really.  One girl measured me…and then measured again.  Stood there staring at me…measured again.  Said, “Okay.  I must be doing something wrong here.  How did you measure her before?”  Cue the other gal (who originally measured me) to come over and measure me.  Both girls measured exactly the same way.  Both girls stood staring at me, confused, after measuring me.  Just about eight weeks ago that knee cap was moving laterally (horizontally) more than half an inch when I flexed my quad.  And now nothing.  It stayed completely put (which, of course, is what we want)…they were not expecting that.  This is *huge* for me, although I am still not cleared for running and jumping.  I have to get that clearance from the doc on Friday (which I doubt will happen because the knee is still killing me from the damage that was already sustained and the arthritis).

Here is how the rest of the week looked:

Sunday – relaxation day

Monday – dinner with my bestie in the whole wide world, Leslie

Tuesday – 30 mins of spin

Wednesday – legs and arms (party day at the gym – sorry no pics!) (12,153 steps)

Thursday – 1.5 hours of bootcamp with Denise (12,984)

Friday – physical therapy; 15 mins of spin; 20 mins of stairs with Chris (21,103 steps)

Saturday – 1.5 hour bootcamp with Denise; gardening (13,279)

Sunday – relaxation day (11,565)

The celebration Wednesday went well, and I was so glad it was quicker than I had imagined.  I doubt I have ever had reason to mention it here, but I am horribly socially awkward when a room full of people are staring at me.  It is so bad, in fact, that the situation becomes painful for the crowd as well as myself.  People can usually pick up the tension in my pale face and sweaty upper lip…yeah, I am not even good at hiding that fear/awkwardness.  Thank goodness I was not required to speak…and thank goodness all the people who said they were coming did not show up (only about half made it).  Denise was cracking up because she has never seen that side of me, and it thoroughly confused her.  She teased me a little both Thursday and Saturday when I seen her at bootcamp.  🙂

As for weigh in…things are still moving in the direction I want:

213.0

That is one pound down from last week.  Not going to lie…wish it were more…but I am not disappointed or anything.  How could I be knowing that brings me to a total of 102 pounds lost?!  Right?  That also means I am *so very* close to being under 200 pounds…and I cannot wait!

GOAL TRACKER:
3 weeks; 4 days
13.2 pounds
(I know this is unattainable at this point, but I am curious to see just how close I will get by June 1st.  So, I will keep this running until then.)

How was your week?  Was it everything you hoped it would be?  If not, how can you improve your upcoming week?

-Erica

Weigh Day (week forty-two)

What an excellent week this has been…and I am looking forward to another excellent week ahead!

I spent some quality time with my chicklets, hit my 100-pound mark, spent quality time with Denise, and continued to see the scale numbers drop…closer to my next incremental goal of 199.8 (onederland)!

My week included the 3-mile loop at Sharon Woods, power yoga (not as much as I would have liked, thanks to work running over), bootcamp twice, self defense class, spin (and my poor tush can tell the tales of how horrible a design those seats have), and strength training.  All that added up to:

214.0

That is down 1.8 pounds from last week (and a total loss of 101 pounds in 42 weeks)!  I certainly have nothing to complain about!

Here is something else interesting I figured out this week.  According to my body fat percentage at last check (latter part of March), if I can gain only 4.5 pounds of lean muscle mass while losing the rest of the weight to my initial goal weight (185), I will be good to go.  My body fat percentage would then be 21%, which is perfectly acceptable (and such an improvement from my initial body fat percentage of nearly 50%!)!  I find this incredibly exciting!

One last little thing…Fitworks is having my century celebration this week (Wednesday)!  I am really moved that they are going through the trouble of celebrating this milestone with me.  My girlfriend (who is professional photographer) hopes to be able to attend, if she does I will share photos of the shebang with you all!  Should be a fabulous time!

GOAL TRACKER:
4 weeks; 5 days
14.2 pounds

-Erica

Today Is The Day

…and what a day it is, folks!  I hit that 100-pound mark this morning…actually just a touch beyond!

214.8

That puts me at a total of 100.2 pounds lost in *exactly* nine and a half months…to the day.  Absolutely INSANE in every way.  I would never have imagined coming this far so quickly!

I, of course, have worked *very* hard to get here…I have overhauled my relationship with food (big game changer).  I have reorganized my life to include activity every single day.  I have surrounded myself with people who are a positive influence and who push/inspire me to be better.  I have owned things that I never would have before (such as being addicted to food, being an emotional eater, etc.).  I have remained honest (not only with all of you, but with myself).  I have consistently worked on (and continue to do so) my mental status and have strived to put the kibosh on self sabotage/harrassment.

As much determination as I brought to the table from the very beginning, I do have to give credit to those who have been instrumental to my journey.  Denise, of course, being number one.  Without her I know I would have become frustrated (especially with all the injuries and such) and quit months ago.  I would not have been able to dig deep enough within myself to find passion for fitness and even a little self love.  She is an absolutely amazing woman (both as a trainer and just as herself) and I am truly thankful to have her in my life.

Other people who have encouraged and assisted me include Dorsey, Aaron, Ketrell, Chris, my daughters, Branden, Bill, friends, family, other members at Fitworks, all of you who read and comment with kind words, and even random people who just said the right thing at the right time.  Collectively you all have made this journey much more interesting, exciting, and achievable.

This is certainly not the end, though.  I still have 29.8 more pounds to lose (at least).  So, my next incremental goal is to make it under 200 pounds…that, my friends, is going to be one seriously exciting day!!!  I have not seen anything on the scale beginning with a one in a minimum of 13 years!!!  That will be an incredible milestone…and certainly cause for celebration!

GOAL TRACKER:
5 weeks; 3 days
15 pounds

-Erica

Weigh Day (week forty-one)

Things are down to the wire, ladies and gentlemen.  Seriously…to the wire.  I am getting so anxious I can barely stand it…and I know Denise is feeling the same anticipation I am.  How wonderful that she is so invested in my success, right?  She is not just excited for me when I am with her…she and I communicate nearly every day via text.  She is 110% invested in me, and that is an amazing feeling.  Truly something I would not have expected.

I could go on and on about Denise and all her exceptional qualities as both a trainer and just a person.  However, I should probably move on to tell you about my week:

Sunday – 3-mile loop at Sharon Woods with Denise and Branden (Denise’s trainer, folks) (17,752)

Monday – physical therapy; 35 mins with Denise; stairs with Chris; 30 mins shoulders & back with Cathie (10,072)

Tuesday – day off (somehow missed my step count, too?)

Wednesday – full fit score with Denise (CRAZINESS, folks – seriously)! (missed my step count again?)

Thursday – 15 mins of spinning; 30 mins with Neil and Chris (18,407)

Friday – physical therapy (2 hours); manual resistance training with Aaron (arms and back) (9,564)

Saturday – 1.5 hours of bootcamp with Denise (11,845)

Apparently somewhere in the middle of the week my step counts did not make it to my journal.  Not sure what happened there.  Friday was obviously a slow day for me, step-counting-wise, which is the first day in a *very* long time I did not break 10,000 steps.  I did work *extremely* hard that day, though, so I am not too terribly torn up about it.

I have to share the fit score thing with you all.  It was MADNESS at its finest.  Seriously.  The fit score test was created by Branden (Denise’s trainer) as a way to really measure both strength and endurance in such a way that is comparable to future testing.  I cannot tell you specifically how it is done (because as I said, it does belong to Branden), but I will tell you this much…  It includes EIGHT sets of pushups, squats, upright rows, burpees, and situps.  You have to complete all eight sets of all five exercises with *very little* rest between each set.  They then add up what you were able to complete and that makes up your score.  I scored 604, which they say was pretty good.  They also told me I beat an NFL player’s score.  Go figure that one!

On to this week’s weigh in (since I know you are all anxious to know, right?):

215.8

That is 2.2 pounds down from last week.  That also puts me ONLY 0.8 away from my 100-pound mark!!!  I think it is safe to assume I should be hitting that milestone at some point this week!  How very exciting!

As for today…I am getting ready to head out to Sharon Woods with my chicklets for the 3-mile nature trail.  They are excited to see what is going to be out and about today (critter-wise).

I will keep you all posted throughout the week!

GOAL TRACKER:
5 weeks; 5 days
16 pounds

-Erica