Today I finished my first Biggest Loser Challenge.
Tally stands at 1150 minutes exercised and 3. 8 lbs lost.
Not great, poundage wise, but at least I'm moving and my general attitude and energy level is improved. I'm eating less compulsively. My portion sizes and food choices are pretty much back under control.
Except that almost entire bag of Salt and Vinegar kettle chips and bottle of coke I had on the way home from taking Elsie to work yesterday.
Next week Friday starts the next challenge. I'm going to keep the same weight chart, because I like it. I'm even going to keep the same weight loss goal.
I'm going be making a new exercise minutes ticker. I really don't know what I was thinking with the 1500 minute goal last time. I thought I had done four days a week at 60 minutes a day for eight weeks. And I suspected that was too optimistic. But, when I do the calculations, ... 4x60x8=1920. So I'm really not sure where I got that 1500 figure. Maybe I didn't do my tickers right away the first week. I'd have to go back and read my old blog posts. I remember I wasn't quite ready to start at the "start date" so maybe that's where the discrepancy lies. Either way, turns out the figure was indeed optimistic. After I figured last Thursday that I needed to exercise 60 minutes for eight days in a row, ... I kind of gave up. I know. That's bad of me. But so it is.
So, this next challenge, called the Ready, Set, Summer BL Challenge starts next Friday. It is an open group on facebook until it starts. Take a look at it. It's always fun to have a buddy. Someone to compare notes, rejoice in successes, and to sigh and give ((virtual hugs)) during the bad days, or weeks.
Showing posts with label Spring Biggest Loser 2014. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spring Biggest Loser 2014. Show all posts
Friday, May 9, 2014
Friday, May 2, 2014
My "y" coordinate axis is lower!
Please note the improvement on the above chart ... Yippee!
It shows a total of five pounds lost in seven weeks. Truth be told, it doesn't seem very much. But the direction is right and the exercise ticker is moving forward. I'm up and moving. My eating is less compulsive. And my general outlook is improved. All good things.
It shows a total of five pounds lost in seven weeks. Truth be told, it doesn't seem very much. But the direction is right and the exercise ticker is moving forward. I'm up and moving. My eating is less compulsive. And my general outlook is improved. All good things.
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Too many minutes, too little time!
I like that title. Makes very little sense, but it fits.
I rejoiced today to see that I'd passed the one third of the way done mark on my exercise minutes ticker. But alas! I then realized that it was already May. My goal was to have been met by next Friday. That means I have eight days to exercise 480 minutes. That's, ... let's see, ... well, ... eight days of sixty minutes a day, or six days or eighty minutes a day.
I have been pretty good to do my "usual" three days a week of sixty minute per day. My original goal was for four days a week at sixty minutes each. But since I hadn't even been about doing my "usual" three days a week for many months, even that "usual" was hard at first. By about halfway through the goal, my necessary daily average had gone up to five days a week at sixty minutes a day.
Still manageable, but tougher. I've managed a couple of weeks with five days, but not always a full hour each time. I've done a couple of weeks of four day weeks, being very diligent to get in my minutes. But now here we are, a week before the deadline, and many minutes left to go.
Hence, "Too many minutes, too little time."
If you notice the other goal app I have on my blog, the chart that is supposed to be showing my weight loss, that one is not going too well, either. And it's really not nearly as fun a title were I to have written, "Too many pounds, too little time."
I weight in tomorrow morning, and I'll have a new coordinate on the chart. Hopefully I move it down a little bit. And then just one more week of the Spring Biggest Loser Challenge. As much as the "minutes of exercise" I need to do for that ticker seems unlikely, I'm thinking that the weight goal is pretty much not going to happen.
But the bigger goal is better health and better habits. And simply getting up and moving again. Having something tangible on which to focus, to help boost me out of the slump of depression into which I was gradually sliding.
And all those things are moving in the right direction.
Some of the members of the Spring BL Challenge are asking about interest in starting a summer one. I may just do that. So far I've not won any weekly prizes and it's pretty doubtful I'll win anything at all. But it was fun. Fun to get to know some new people who are all working toward a common goal. Fun to have my own quantified goals, and others to share them with.
We'll see.
We'll also see how tomorrow goes on the scale.
I rejoiced today to see that I'd passed the one third of the way done mark on my exercise minutes ticker. But alas! I then realized that it was already May. My goal was to have been met by next Friday. That means I have eight days to exercise 480 minutes. That's, ... let's see, ... well, ... eight days of sixty minutes a day, or six days or eighty minutes a day.
I have been pretty good to do my "usual" three days a week of sixty minute per day. My original goal was for four days a week at sixty minutes each. But since I hadn't even been about doing my "usual" three days a week for many months, even that "usual" was hard at first. By about halfway through the goal, my necessary daily average had gone up to five days a week at sixty minutes a day.
Still manageable, but tougher. I've managed a couple of weeks with five days, but not always a full hour each time. I've done a couple of weeks of four day weeks, being very diligent to get in my minutes. But now here we are, a week before the deadline, and many minutes left to go.
Hence, "Too many minutes, too little time."
If you notice the other goal app I have on my blog, the chart that is supposed to be showing my weight loss, that one is not going too well, either. And it's really not nearly as fun a title were I to have written, "Too many pounds, too little time."
I weight in tomorrow morning, and I'll have a new coordinate on the chart. Hopefully I move it down a little bit. And then just one more week of the Spring Biggest Loser Challenge. As much as the "minutes of exercise" I need to do for that ticker seems unlikely, I'm thinking that the weight goal is pretty much not going to happen.
But the bigger goal is better health and better habits. And simply getting up and moving again. Having something tangible on which to focus, to help boost me out of the slump of depression into which I was gradually sliding.
And all those things are moving in the right direction.
Some of the members of the Spring BL Challenge are asking about interest in starting a summer one. I may just do that. So far I've not won any weekly prizes and it's pretty doubtful I'll win anything at all. But it was fun. Fun to get to know some new people who are all working toward a common goal. Fun to have my own quantified goals, and others to share them with.
We'll see.
We'll also see how tomorrow goes on the scale.
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
A little Lorna Doone with my workout
Just to update a little bit here, on my goals for the Biggest Loser contest.
If tickerfactory itself cooperates. I've had to make a new ticker two days in a row now, because it won't recognize my password. I have a feeling it's something to do with the cookies on my computer, so I'm having Joe clear them for me. Either way, I will plug along with my exercise as faithfully as I can.
Some days it's been nice enough to walk outside, and that's always a treat. The wind is still brisk, and Lana's yard is still soft, so it varies from day to day where and if we can be outside.
When it's too windy outside, we use the inside equipment. Today, I walked inside. Lana is ill today, so I knew I'd be alone. I took along my mp3 player and Lorna Doone, a Romance of Old Exmoor. While I listened to John Ridd telling about the atrocities of Doones, I walked and ran for 1/2 hour. I did ten minutes of warm-up at 3.5 mph and after that, I alternated 2 minutes of jogging at 4 mph, with 3 minutes of walking at 3.5 mph.
I felt nearly done in at that point, but I was determined to get my sixty minutes. After a pretty slow first couple of chapters, John Ridd's tale was finally getting interesting, so that helped, too. I did five minutes on the Cardio-Glide, just a slow and steady clip, with a few brief pauses here and there.
Then on to the Gazelle. I did five minute just plain gazelling, and continued on with ten minutes of doing the special positions: squatting, tip-toes, leaning forward, leaning backward and giant steps. I did 30 seconds of each position, alternating with thirty seconds in the normal fashion.
I finished up with a last ten minute segment on the tread mill, mostly walking at 3.5 mph, but with one two minutes interval of jogging at 4.0 mph.
That was sixty minutes of exercise. And as I walked to the car, the narrator in my ear finished up chapter five of Lorna Doone, "An Illegal Settlement," which explains how it came to be that the Doones were allowed to terrorize the countryside around Exmoor.
- As of last Friday, I had lost almost five pounds.
- As of Monday, I started my free two week sample of GNC's Body Fit from their Femme Factor line. I'm a bit skeptical, but it was free. We'll see. If I understand it correctly, it's supposed to boost energy and aid one's body in metabolizing fat. (Insert eyeroll). Active ingredients, aka, the miracle combo: green coffee bean extract,raspberry ketones, saffron extract, and garcinia combogia extract.
- As far as energy levels and mood for other things around the house, meh, not so great. I'm still a slug. We did have a busy weekend, starting Thursday night with hauling everything out of the living room for new carpet on Friday morning; kids' school program Friday afternoon; and prom on Saturday, including having a group of the girls' friends gather here for beauty parlor, pictures, and snacks before they went into town. So, really, I've done much, just not the regular getting a handle on everything around the house. I did, however, have a really good day Saturday. I had lists for chores for the kids and kept everyone moving. I had the snacks ready for the older kids on time, and even got out the punch bowl for them, to "fancy things up." It was a great day, about which I hope to write more one day this week.
- Exercise, at least on that front, I'm pretty much successful. But only thanks to the ticker. Some days I feel like that's what gets me out of bed, just knowing I want to move my little person.
If tickerfactory itself cooperates. I've had to make a new ticker two days in a row now, because it won't recognize my password. I have a feeling it's something to do with the cookies on my computer, so I'm having Joe clear them for me. Either way, I will plug along with my exercise as faithfully as I can.
Some days it's been nice enough to walk outside, and that's always a treat. The wind is still brisk, and Lana's yard is still soft, so it varies from day to day where and if we can be outside.
When it's too windy outside, we use the inside equipment. Today, I walked inside. Lana is ill today, so I knew I'd be alone. I took along my mp3 player and Lorna Doone, a Romance of Old Exmoor. While I listened to John Ridd telling about the atrocities of Doones, I walked and ran for 1/2 hour. I did ten minutes of warm-up at 3.5 mph and after that, I alternated 2 minutes of jogging at 4 mph, with 3 minutes of walking at 3.5 mph.
I felt nearly done in at that point, but I was determined to get my sixty minutes. After a pretty slow first couple of chapters, John Ridd's tale was finally getting interesting, so that helped, too. I did five minutes on the Cardio-Glide, just a slow and steady clip, with a few brief pauses here and there.
Then on to the Gazelle. I did five minute just plain gazelling, and continued on with ten minutes of doing the special positions: squatting, tip-toes, leaning forward, leaning backward and giant steps. I did 30 seconds of each position, alternating with thirty seconds in the normal fashion.
I finished up with a last ten minute segment on the tread mill, mostly walking at 3.5 mph, but with one two minutes interval of jogging at 4.0 mph.
That was sixty minutes of exercise. And as I walked to the car, the narrator in my ear finished up chapter five of Lorna Doone, "An Illegal Settlement," which explains how it came to be that the Doones were allowed to terrorize the countryside around Exmoor.
Friday, April 4, 2014
Yay, Me!
Was it London Tipton on the Suite Life of Zack and Cody who used to say that?
Well, I'm going to say it, too, today. I lost four pounds this week. I was really, really hesitant to step on the scale this week, after two weeks of gaining. Plus, well, that bag of Terra Chips that I ate almost by myself yesterday at lunch, ... Oh, my I love those! This one was the Mediterranean flavor. But I love them all.
Anyway, I was very, very relieved to see the scale showing a lost instead of a further gain.
And I'm feeling a little more ambitious about my exercise, too, these days. That little minute ticker, ... yes, I know, I've said it before, ... but I love those things. Such a dumb little thing to get me motivated. But I like to see my little marker move past the tally marks each day.
Today I even ran for a few minutes. I've been trying to set the tread mill a little faster, so I did a five minute warm-up at 3 mph, and then walked five minutes at 3.5 mph. Then I bumped it up to 4 mph for a two minute run, and then back down to 3.5 mph for 3 minutes, then another 2 min run at 4.0. I finished up the last 3 minutes at 3.5, for a total of 20 minutes. Then I did some work on the Gazelle and CardioGlide, and then back to the treadmill.
It felt good to actually work up a sweat. I remember several years ago when I really had my heart into my workout. I'd work my hardest and be sweating the entire time. Now we ladies do a slower pace, and visit more, maybe. Which is also good and necessary. But I realized that I have to put more effort into my workouts.
Yay, me!
Well, I'm going to say it, too, today. I lost four pounds this week. I was really, really hesitant to step on the scale this week, after two weeks of gaining. Plus, well, that bag of Terra Chips that I ate almost by myself yesterday at lunch, ... Oh, my I love those! This one was the Mediterranean flavor. But I love them all.
Anyway, I was very, very relieved to see the scale showing a lost instead of a further gain.
And I'm feeling a little more ambitious about my exercise, too, these days. That little minute ticker, ... yes, I know, I've said it before, ... but I love those things. Such a dumb little thing to get me motivated. But I like to see my little marker move past the tally marks each day.
Today I even ran for a few minutes. I've been trying to set the tread mill a little faster, so I did a five minute warm-up at 3 mph, and then walked five minutes at 3.5 mph. Then I bumped it up to 4 mph for a two minute run, and then back down to 3.5 mph for 3 minutes, then another 2 min run at 4.0. I finished up the last 3 minutes at 3.5, for a total of 20 minutes. Then I did some work on the Gazelle and CardioGlide, and then back to the treadmill.
It felt good to actually work up a sweat. I remember several years ago when I really had my heart into my workout. I'd work my hardest and be sweating the entire time. Now we ladies do a slower pace, and visit more, maybe. Which is also good and necessary. But I realized that I have to put more effort into my workouts.
Yay, me!
Monday, March 31, 2014
Another ticker
This one moves at my choice. Each day, or not. Totally according to my own volition. The purpose of this ticker is to record my minutes of exercise between now and the end of the BL challenge in May. May 9. This represents 1 hour of exercise three four days a week. That's more than I've done in a number of years. But it's a goal over which I have control. Wish me well.
Friday, March 28, 2014
Slow two weeks' start on my weight goals
Here I was, all excited (or almost excited) about this biggest loser thing I joined. I confess it's a bit frustrating to have two weeks of higher numbers on the scale. I don't really diet. Or at least I"m not so far. But I have been watching my portion sizes, doing without dessert
at all the church dinners, and exercising. Yes, it's a bit
frustrating. It makes me want to take desserts next time. "Hey, I'm going to gain anyway, I may as well at least have dessert."
It's a good thing I don't pay much attention to the pounds. Last week I was angry that I had gained. I didn't even update my Lilyslim chart. But after two weeks, I figured I better 'fess up. And hope for smaller numbers next week.
I don't care about the number of pounds, but I was frustrated and tired of my inactivity. My compulsive eating. My sitting around and napping, and barely being able to drag myself to fix meals for the kids. Don't even ask about my laundry these days. And I could count on one hand the number of days since fall that my walking ladies and I have managed to squeeze in a walk.
I'm very glad to at least be caring now. I'm not fully engaged in the whole "life" thing yet. I'm not fully engaged in the Biggest Loser thing yet. But I'm getting there.
I'm glad to be paying attention to what I eat, and to be noticing that one adequately sized portion is enough.
I'm glad to be up and moving. To be pecking away at all the chores and projects that built up during the winter.
I'm glad to be getting together to walk with others. And to get fresh air and sunshine.
Hopefully this new goal, the coming spring, and my increased activity will all snowball into an altogether better place of mind and body.
It's a good thing I don't pay much attention to the pounds. Last week I was angry that I had gained. I didn't even update my Lilyslim chart. But after two weeks, I figured I better 'fess up. And hope for smaller numbers next week.
I don't care about the number of pounds, but I was frustrated and tired of my inactivity. My compulsive eating. My sitting around and napping, and barely being able to drag myself to fix meals for the kids. Don't even ask about my laundry these days. And I could count on one hand the number of days since fall that my walking ladies and I have managed to squeeze in a walk.
I'm very glad to at least be caring now. I'm not fully engaged in the whole "life" thing yet. I'm not fully engaged in the Biggest Loser thing yet. But I'm getting there.
I'm glad to be paying attention to what I eat, and to be noticing that one adequately sized portion is enough.
I'm glad to be up and moving. To be pecking away at all the chores and projects that built up during the winter.
I'm glad to be getting together to walk with others. And to get fresh air and sunshine.
Hopefully this new goal, the coming spring, and my increased activity will all snowball into an altogether better place of mind and body.
Saturday, March 15, 2014
New ticker, ... new kind of ticker, even. ...
I wish Lilyslim would let me use their cute little charts without putting the weights. But I decided to just do it. I don't really care if anyone knows how much I weigh anyway. I mean, if you asked, I'd tell you. It's just that propriety thing.
So at risk of being improper, and because I think these little charts are just so cute, here goes!
The challenge starts yesterday and runs through May 9.
So at risk of being improper, and because I think these little charts are just so cute, here goes!
The challenge starts yesterday and runs through May 9.
- Starting weight 187.4 pounds.
- Goal 170 pounds
My well concealed "Before" shots
The front doesn't look bad. And the side view only looks half bad. I only look maybe three or four months pregnant in this shot. When I catch a glimpse of myself in a mirror or window, I feel like I look more like six or seven months along. I certainly weigh as much as I did at full term for many of my pregnancies.
And after spending fully 18 years pregnant or nursing babies, ... I really, really don't need to look that way now. Right?
New goals for a new season
The kids recently celebrated Dr. Suess's birthday at school. So they've been reciting various parts of the different books. One of them said yestereday, "No ups, I'm sleeping in today."
I've been needing a boost this winter. I feel like every day is No Ups with me.
But thanks to my friend, Dana, I'm taking on something new. Dana is also a Lutheran pastor's wife. She and her husband are much younger than Joe and I, but they have a growing family with very busy and imaginative children. Very often her stories remind me of where Joe and I were ten or fifteen years ago. Dana's posted various times about a Biggest Loser contest she participates in through a facebook group. Different times I've been tempted.
This time, too. I was tempted. But the way I frantically search my cupboards lately, and buy pop, and sweets, and whatever I can get my hands on, ... The way I sit around and can hardly make myself get off my chair, ... I just wasn't sure I wanted to commit.
But something has to be done. That fat little rabbit has been sitting on my ticker for way to long without moving. And in fact, truth be told, he'd have to move backwards about ten or fifteen pounds if I wanted to still use that ticker.
So I've decided. I've decided to join the Spring Biggest Loser challenge with my friend, Dana. She was so excited for me last night when I was chatting with her about it. She almost even got me excited for it, too. See, that's how bad it is around here, even a new plan and an excited supporter, ... even that barely gets my energy going. ... "She almost even got me excited." Pathetic, Mary.
In the next few days, maybe even today, I'll be changing my ticker. A new ticker for a new goal. My goals don't have so much to do with a specific amount of weight loss. Just a little bit more control. Of my eating. Of my sitting around. Of the procrastination. And other less than constructive habits. I don't think I can quantify those things for a ticker, so the ticker will represent weight loss.
For the Biggest Loser Challenge, I have to send in before and after pictures. Some of the others posting their pictures are so brave, ... doing the clingy, exercise clothing shots. I'm just not able to do this. The first photos I had Joe take, ... Well, at least I know I'm disguising somewhat the rolls and droops and sags. I look pretty good actually. But I think for the sake of integrity, ... I need to find something a little more form fitting to send in.
If I could capture the fat roll I see when I'm sitting here at my laptop. I'm slouched down in my chair with my feet up on the piano bench. I look down and see that roll. It just rolls, ... We're not talking muffin top here, we're talking ... mushroom top. Or weeping willow even.
I think I'll post the ones Joe took, just to have a public reference. But trust me and rest at ease, you'll not be subject to photos with anything clingy. And you're also not getting the one with my feet on the scale. ...
But yes, I'll try to post here periodically. My readers here are another source of support and knowing that you'll see my progress or lack thereof, ... It might help.
My walking ladies and I have not walked much since last summer. But two of us are committed to starting again regularly on Monday. Connie been suffering with chronic tendonitis in her Achilles tendon. Jan has had hip/ knee pain. So it's just Lana and I. But we ARE going to start in again, right Lana?
It's time. Time for a change.
I've been needing a boost this winter. I feel like every day is No Ups with me.
But thanks to my friend, Dana, I'm taking on something new. Dana is also a Lutheran pastor's wife. She and her husband are much younger than Joe and I, but they have a growing family with very busy and imaginative children. Very often her stories remind me of where Joe and I were ten or fifteen years ago. Dana's posted various times about a Biggest Loser contest she participates in through a facebook group. Different times I've been tempted.
This time, too. I was tempted. But the way I frantically search my cupboards lately, and buy pop, and sweets, and whatever I can get my hands on, ... The way I sit around and can hardly make myself get off my chair, ... I just wasn't sure I wanted to commit.
But something has to be done. That fat little rabbit has been sitting on my ticker for way to long without moving. And in fact, truth be told, he'd have to move backwards about ten or fifteen pounds if I wanted to still use that ticker.
So I've decided. I've decided to join the Spring Biggest Loser challenge with my friend, Dana. She was so excited for me last night when I was chatting with her about it. She almost even got me excited for it, too. See, that's how bad it is around here, even a new plan and an excited supporter, ... even that barely gets my energy going. ... "She almost even got me excited." Pathetic, Mary.
In the next few days, maybe even today, I'll be changing my ticker. A new ticker for a new goal. My goals don't have so much to do with a specific amount of weight loss. Just a little bit more control. Of my eating. Of my sitting around. Of the procrastination. And other less than constructive habits. I don't think I can quantify those things for a ticker, so the ticker will represent weight loss.
For the Biggest Loser Challenge, I have to send in before and after pictures. Some of the others posting their pictures are so brave, ... doing the clingy, exercise clothing shots. I'm just not able to do this. The first photos I had Joe take, ... Well, at least I know I'm disguising somewhat the rolls and droops and sags. I look pretty good actually. But I think for the sake of integrity, ... I need to find something a little more form fitting to send in.
If I could capture the fat roll I see when I'm sitting here at my laptop. I'm slouched down in my chair with my feet up on the piano bench. I look down and see that roll. It just rolls, ... We're not talking muffin top here, we're talking ... mushroom top. Or weeping willow even.
I think I'll post the ones Joe took, just to have a public reference. But trust me and rest at ease, you'll not be subject to photos with anything clingy. And you're also not getting the one with my feet on the scale. ...
But yes, I'll try to post here periodically. My readers here are another source of support and knowing that you'll see my progress or lack thereof, ... It might help.
My walking ladies and I have not walked much since last summer. But two of us are committed to starting again regularly on Monday. Connie been suffering with chronic tendonitis in her Achilles tendon. Jan has had hip/ knee pain. So it's just Lana and I. But we ARE going to start in again, right Lana?
It's time. Time for a change.
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