Scales can be deceiving

I have had two weigh-ins since my last post and while I'm still losing weight, I did not have a massive drop of four pounds in one week again.

In the last two weeks I lost one pound off of my total weight, that's deceiving though. The scale I am weighed on is not your typical scale that you'd buy in a department store, but rather is a massive device. The InBody is a scale that I step onto barefoot while holding metal arms attached to the machine. Electric pulses are sent through my body (no, I can't feel them) to determine how much of my weight is muscle, fat and water. It's an extremely cool device.

Keeping up with the diet and exercise (I still have to do the ridiculous routine of hopping from one exercise to the next) resulted in the loss of four pounds of fat and the gain of three pounds of muscle! That's not bad, however I was expecting bigger results since I was working extra hard the last two weeks. I'll take what I can get though!

I think a lesson I've learned from this, which everyone should learn, is not to put too much stock into that number staring back at me on a scale - there is a lot behind that number that's not explained.

The closer I come to my goal weight the harder it is to shed a pound or two, which can become frustrating. However, I have to remember this is normal and that this is a good thing because it means I am closer to where I only dreamed of being seven months ago.

Total weight loss since the beginning of January: 40 lbs. That's not half bad :) However, I'm officially done with this diet next Tuesday, and I'm going to have to make sure I don't gorge myself on all the things I've craved in the past 24 days or I'll gain half of the weight back in a week.

Wish me luck on my last four days through the "sprint phase"! I'm going to need it.

Droppin' it like it's hot (the weight that is)

This past Thursday I went for my weekly weigh in and to my great surprise I lost 1...2...3...4 pounds! It made feel me great :)

I should have lost that much, though, considering the cardboard diet I'm on. Those fiber "crackers" just don't get tasty no matter what you do to them - I tried mashing them into my oh so delicious plain oatmeal, using them as croutons on my filling two cups of lettuce, dipping it in my "rich chocolate" protein shake and force feeding it to myself with big gulps of water. But hey, at least it's doing its job, even if it tastes like saw dust.

I'm not hungry on the diet, but I still have cravings. It gets a little old eating the same thing for breakfast, am snack, lunch, pm snack and dinner. I was flipping through a magazine with delicious pictures of pasta, steak and cheesecake. My mouth started watering for the flavorful food so much that I felt like my dog begging for chicken at the dinner table. I was ready to eat the picture, BUT that would be a calorie that I can't afford.

This week is the "tone up" phase in which I am to start strength training. I was ready to be using weight machines, but little did I know that strength training was considered timing myself doing jumping jacks and wall sits in my living room. The dog watches me like I'm an idiot while I jump around the room from one exercise to the next - the dog can judge me all it wants as long as these pounds keep melting off.

Even though the diet is not the most tantalizing taste wise, I am so thankful that I am participating in it. I had plateaued and didn't know how to continue my hike downward with my weight. Sometimes I feel frustrated that the weight has taken so long to come off, but when I sit back and look at it, 36.5 lbs lost in six and a half months is not bad. 6.5 of those lbs being in ten days on this diet - that really is incredible. Going through this program helps me realize that I really can accomplish anything that I put mind to.

"Be not afraid of going slowly, be only afraid of standing still." - Chinese Proverb

A new adventure for me

Lately I've been receiving a lot of crap e-mail so when I got one titled "Congrats" I rolled my eyes and pondered what I possibly could have won now. A million dollars? A free iPod? An all inclusive trip to Thailand?

I opened it up and woo hoo! I actually won something REAL! I had previously entered a drawing at my gym to receive their weight loss program for free (a $250 value) and my name was on the lucky piece of paper drawn! I honestly have never won a drawing my life so I am quite excited.


I need this help because since I've lost 30 lbs. I've been on a plateau, unable to dent into the next 20 I need to lose.

I started the program Monday and for three days had to do a "jump start" (aka eat fiber crackers that taste like tree bark and drink shakes.) I went in this morning for my weigh-in and low and behold I've lost 2.4 lbs. since Monday.

I now move into the "shake up" phase for seven days. More calories and real food have been added to my diet as well as exercise.  I'll update my weight loss as I continue through the 28-day program.

I guess good things really do come to those who don't give up.