Weigh-in - Plateau! OH NO!

 I didn't have to take a new picture.

 I'm still 562! That sucks! And after all that halfassery this week and showing up at the gym only two times! GAWD IT'S LIKE I NEED TO PUT EFFORT INTO LOSING WEIGHT OR SOMETHING! JEEZ!

Playtime's over.

I'm thinking a lot of thoughts right now, so I guess I'll just run them off and see if that gets me refocused. First, this is the first plateau I've witnessed. Considering the erratic frequency of my past weigh-ins, it's probably safe to say this isn't my first. I've just been losing weight because I've been naturally increasing the intensity of my workouts over the past several months. Second, this plateau couldn't have come at a better time. It's at the end of the month, and next week, I start adding another 15 minutes to my interval walk. The extra 15 minutes on the treadmill should really get things going again. At least, I hope that's the case. Our bodies are funny like that. I am a little worried however because in the past, a plateau has been devastating to my motivation. I need to reach out for support from friends, and really do my best to take right action and just show up in spite of feeling like this is a loss for me. The best thing I can do is try and realize that this could have been much worse. I could have gained weight. My goal for next week is to not give up! I can't let this sink me.
Okay, here's the plan:

• Reevaluate current workout. Can I be doing anything better? Should I be lifting more weight? Should I be going faster on the treadmill? According to my last calculations, my Target heartrate Hi/Lo was between 146-168 with the sweet spot being about 157-163. Am I focusing too much on the high end, and not making sure that during the slower part of my intervals I'm still no lower than 146?
• Just show up. I may hate doing cardio, but now that I'm going to be walking for 45 minutes, the treadmill and track are going to start feeling a lot more tedious. I should probably update my iPod playlist with fresh music to keep me motivated. But the important thing is to show up at the gym on days when I'm not lifting weights. The cardio is vital to my weight loss, and it's time I took it seriously.
• Re-stock the pantry with healthy foods. Create a meal plan for the next two weeks. Considering that I've reached a plateau, a real effort needs to be made to start eating more vegetables and fewer carbs. At least two of my major meals should have a vegetable and I'm thinking at least 1 of my snacks should too. I'm still not giving up my oatmeal for breakfast.
• Sleep. It's time I commit to lights out at 10PM. I need to get in the habit of sleeping at a regular time because with the extra time added to my workout, I can't go in late at night to work out anymore.
• Find support. I need to find a friend that can keep me accountable and that I can talk to when feeling down. If I can just get through this week and come out with some weight loss, I'll probably find my motivation again, but right now, I really don't trust myself.
• Visualize success! I will be 9 pounds lighter next Friday. 553! 553! It's February 4th right now, and I'm on the scale, and I've finally lost a goal I've set for myself! Wow, it feels so good already!

Okay, I'm mentally ready to make next week better. I just asked on my Facebook page for song suggestions for my February playlist. You can leave a suggestion there or write one here along with your comments, You can also reply to me on twitter @BecomeBoundless.

Weigh-in Day

 

When you're over 400 pounds, getting weighed can be a hassle. In my case, I require this digital scale:

This laptop

and my trainer, Johnny. I forgot to take his picture. Sorry, Johnny.

If all of these elements are not together, I can't get weighed accurately. Usually, Johnny is gone if I arrive at the gym too late, and I miss my opportunity. It would be nice to be able to step on a scale, and weigh myself, but that is not yet a possibility. It's just another thing on my list of things to look forward to.

Here's my weight as of Friday, Jan 21, 2011

562! Down four pounds since my last weigh in. I know it should be way more, and I'm not really sure what caused the weight loss other than my increase in intensity during my weight training. I've noticed while keeping my food log that it's actually pretty hard to hit my current Basal Metabolic Rate. I really think when a person gets as obese as me, their body does everything it can to lose the weight and get healthier. My body moves less efficiently than a healthy person, so I burn many more calories. My BMR is high, so unless I eat a lot of calorie rich foods, I'm usually in a caloric deficit. All I have to do is keep moving, and the weight starts coming off.

I still don't know if I should be upset that the number is so little, or happy that I haven't gained anything like I originally thought. Most people do gain weight over the holiday season, and so far, I'm almost 20 pounds lighter than when I started taking this goal seriously. That is something worth celebrating! I will enjoy this small victory, even though I know it could have been better.

Weigh in Day! Week 3!

I have had a rollercoaster week. I was fairly good on my diet most days, but I was only so-so on my exercising. You know how it is, right? I wasn't expecting double digits this week. I hadn't put in the work to accomplish that. When it gets hard for us to get dressed for the gym, it's time for a boost of motivation! Right now, I'm busy creating a playlist for myself. It has some of the best motivational movie theme songs from the 80s and 90s, mixed with some classic 70s Elton John. What do you do to keep yourself motivated? Comment and let me know.

I have lost 3 POUNDS this week. So far, that is 14 Pounds overall! I'll definitely celebrate over those numbers this holiday season!

As much as I'd like to see those Biggest Loser double digits, I know it won't happen until I commit to the cardio. Right now, I'm still warming into it with 15 minute intervals. In a couple of weeks, I'm going to be doing 30 minutes, and also trying out a new exercise regimen at home because I won't have access to the gym for about a week. The challenge will be exercising at home because I don't really think of the home as a place to workout. It's a place to sit in front of the television or my computer. This will be the last weigh-in until January 7th, so for now, I'm excited. I can't wait to see what I can lose on my own without the help of a gym!

Day 5! WEIGH DAY and Week In Review.

I went to the gym earlier than usual today because it closes at 8PM on Fridays. Tomorrow, it's only open until 12PM. I am very surprised at how quickly I'm progressing in my strength training. On Monday, I had to stop twice in the middle of my second set of reps on most of the machines. This time, I only stopped once on one of them!

When I got weighed, I had to decide whether to take it as good or bad news today. As I was standing in front of the special scale that's used to weigh me, I was nervous, and was fully expecting to be breaking the 600 mark. I have never been that large, but I was not feeling optimistic at all.  My personal trainer, Johnny, logged into the computer. I kept telling myself, "The truth is better than ignorance." I was totally freaked out! Finally, Johnny said, "Step up!"



"Yeah, you're up. You were 561 the last time you weighed in (many months ago). You're at 573."

 Well, on the positive side, I am NOT 600 pounds. Also, I'm down eight pounds from what I weighed at the Biggest Loser taping in OKC! So, I've technically LOST weight. I'm no longer 580 pounds, and that's good news. It sucks that I'm up 12 pounds from May, but I choose to take the positive perspective on today's weigh in.

This past week, I think the big lesson that I need to put into action is planning ahead. I only have the gym for three more weeks before Christmas break. There will be days when getting to the gym will be impossible because of the weather. I need to have backup exercises. I need to plan my meals because if I don't, I will eat late at night, or just choose to eat the processed crap that my parents buy regularly rather than make my own healthy meals.

When I started this blog, my friend Julia suggested that I call it 'Becoming Batman.' He's my favorite super hero. As much as I love Batman, I chose 'Boundless' because to me, it means breaking free of my limitations. Most of them are self imposed. My weight has kept me from going out and having fun and socializing. It's kept me from getting my driver's license and finishing my education. It's kept me out of clothes. I remember when the first season of Biggest Loser came out. Nobody on the show was as fat as I was at the time. I think I was around 400. I told myself they wouldn't pick me because I was obviously too fat. My weight has kept me waiting in a constant state of, "Not until..." That ended the day I chose to take this blog seriously.

My weight as of today was 573. I set my goal for next week at 562!