Extended sugar detox Week 5 (with pictures!)

   There was only a minor loss between last week and this week but a win is win:

191.4 lbs.

                                          

   One thing that I noticed is that even though the numbers didn't change very much, there is a big change in my body when I have a major sugar intake. There was a lot more bloating in my abdominal area compared to last week.

 

The menu for this week is baked chicken thighs and my usual array of veggies. The grocery store was having a sale on them so I stocked up. Snack is omelette muffins and cottage cheese sweetened with xylitol and flavored with extracts. I think I'm going to cut back on the almonds. I tend to OD on them when I put them in my cottage cheese. Exercise is walking/running to work and running group. My goal this week is to have absolutely NO SUGAR, NO CHEATING! I CAN DO THIS! It's only a few more weeks until Halloween and I want to look my best. I did it before and I can do it again.

Week 5 observations

1) Not taking my wallet on break is working out. Less impulse buying on all fronts.

2) Woke up this morning (Wednesday) at 189.8. The goal for next Tuesday is a solid 188.

3) I found new inspiration to keep going with this cleanse: my blue romper. It looks fantastic on me but I can't get it to zip up all the way in the back. So that's my goal.

4) Got refitted for a brassiere today. Went from a 36D to a 38C. I didn't have that much to begin with, how y'all just gonna melt away on me?

5) Didn't realize it until 2:30 this afternoon but I left my wallet at home. I was going to run with the group tonight but I guess I'll just be running home. It'll get done either way.

6) Thursday starts at 189.4. It's not recommended to weigh yourself everyday but I need to do it because it keeps me on track.

7) Friday starts off at 189.2. Woohoo! Steady decline.

8) Not to get too personal but I'm not pooping enough. It used to be like clockwork but something's up. I spent this past weekend drinking more aloe water than I could stand and it barely helped. I ran most of the way to work this morning and that usually does the trick but...nada.

 

Week 5 results

This week wasn't very successful. Ending at 191.8. I'm feeling really down about my results lately. I was really good this week. But I can't give up which is what i wanted to do this morning. I just have to trust the process.

Extended sugar detox Week 4 (with pictures!)

   Last week was pretty good in terms of will power. I wasn't perfect but I wasn't terrible. I had a few big meals. My biggest transgression was a late night slice of pizza when I went to the art festival but there was a lot of walking done that night. And the results prove it. I start this week off at 191.6 lbs.

   I decided to just put the most recent picture with the oldest one to because it was taking up too much room to put all of the pictures up. And look at that; I stepped my editing game up y'all! To be honest, I'm even surprised at the difference from Week 1 to now. Yay me!

 

 I had a busy weekend and didn't have a chance to cook the way I wanted to so we're back to rotisserie chicken and vegetables with omelette muffins for snacks. I'm still keeping my broccoli and cauliflower but I switched out roasted brussel sprouts for sauteed cabbage. I'm also taking the skin off of the chicken.


Week 4 observations
1) Apparently I burn more calories at a brisk walk than on my bike. I went to work on foot this morning and burned twice as many calories than when I bike. It only added an extra 15 minutes to my commute time.
2) My desire to workout is really waning. The bulk of my exercise is coming from my commute (biking). I need to find a way to motivate myself.
3) I tried on my Halloween costume and I look pretty good in it but I could still look better. This calls for more strength workouts.
4) I'm losing weight in my boobs. I bought a bikini top in my usual size 12 and I look like I'm wearing my nana's bra.
5) I had a beef patty with coco bread on Tuesday for dinner. I regret nothing.
6) Free food is my weakness :-(
7) I traveled a total of 8.6 miles on Wednesday. Walked to work in the AM and ran with the group that evening. Thursday morning I was crawling out of bed. Woke up this morning at 190.6. I'm thinking of taking Friday off because mama is TIRED.
8) This weekend I made pancake batter cupcakes with maple frosting topped with candied bacon. Why? I saw it on Instagram and wanted to be fancy. The plan was to eat one and give the rest away...didn't pan out that way. I texted and informed people about said cupcakes, I tried! lol I ended up eating 5 of them between Saturday and Sunday.
9) I got a 2 mile run in on Saturday morning thanks to some local errands I had to run.
10) Aside from the cupcakes the bulk of my eating wasn't bad for the weekend. I had food left over from the week and I also made sweet potato sliders.
11) I was going out this weekend and I tried on a blazer and a corset that are usually snug. The blazer is baggy now. Yay me! Down side is the boob part of the corset is going to need some...padding.

Week 4 results
12) Finishing this week off at 191.4. Not a dramatic loss but a loss nonetheless. See ya next week!

Free Fitness Friday: App based challenges

    Accountability can be a real motivating factor in maintaining a fitness schedule. I meet up with groups and friends several times a week for different types of exercise and the fact that I have an appointment (even if it's only in my head) makes me schedule my workout into my day. But accountability doesn't necessarily have to be face to face. A few weeks ago I did a 10 mile running challenge through the Nike+ app started by @deactivatedfatgirl (check her out on IG and her blog on tumblr) that showed my progress with 100+ runners across the country.



I didn't finish first...but I finished!

   Seeing everyone's mileage go up kept me on task so I could finish the challenge. Since then I've added a few friends on the app and the competitor in me has kept up with running because I want to be at the top of the mileage list, or as close as possible.
   There are many free apps that will let you recruit your friends to muster up some motivation. Check some of them out here and here . If you know of any more please send them my way!


Free Fitness Friday

   I gave up my gym membership to Washington Sports Club a few months ago. While I loved it there, I've been trying to cut costs. I don't care what these market experts say; the recession is real, alive, and kicking and I'm trying to keep as many coins in my pocket as I can. Plus I need to chip in to bail out my boo Felon Bae.

   I've been working out long enough to know that I'm going to keep it up with a membership or not. Since breaking up with the gym I've discovered so many ways to maintain this fit life without breaking the bank. So once a week I'll share my findings with you and please send me your ideas too. I'll try to make my suggestions universal but there will also be a focus specific to the DC area.

   So on this first Free Fitness Friday, my advice to you to get your exercise on on a minimal budget is: check out your local recreation centers. There are 2 recreation centers in my neighborhood: one that is 2 blocks from my house and another that is only 2 bus stops away. Both of these facilities have workout rooms complete with weights and cardio machines (treadmills, ellipticals). One of them has free fitness classes multiple days a week. So even if I don't have the motivation to get through a workout on my own, I can drop into a class and burn those calories. For those in the DC area you can check out where all facilities are located here and the schedule of classes here. For those outside of the DC area, send me links to recreation centers in your city. I'll compile a list so we can have a one stop shop to point our friends to.

   If you like what you're reading, please feel free to share with friends. I'm new to this blogging thing so if you have suggestions, send those too. I'm not an expert at this; I'm just a woman with some time on her hands and some things to share. Hopefully some of it helps.