Yet another long overdue update.

Great quote from the book “Skinny Bitch”:

"If you can't take one more day of self-loathing, you're ready to hear the truth: You cannot keep shoveling the same crap into your mouth every day and expect to lose weight."

Current weight:  148 
Total loss:  4.8 lbs (from high of 152.8 in Jan 2011)
Gain from last weigh-in:  6.2 lbs -- in the past three weeks.
(previous weigh-in was April 13, at 141.8)

And... I'm back, blogging again!   Really need to make this a regular thing.

Yep, you read correctly -- I've gained 6.2 lbs in the past three weeks.   Not happy about that at all - a big part of that has to do with an Italy trip between now and then -- to Emilia-Romagna, which is known for its food.   Now I know firsthand why!  

Once I got past the shock of that weight gain, I realized all I could do was get back on program, and make this work -- yet again.

At my meeting on Friday (my first in weeks) my leader mistakenly thought I had reached Lifetime -- alas, no.   Just the opposite, right now.   She then said:  "well -- are you going to reach Lifetime?".   And I decided at that moment: yes, yes I am!

The plan:  to reach WW goal weight* of 135 by July 14 -- which is a year since I've been back on program this time around.   And just about 10 weeks away, fitting with the original blog theme of losing 10 lbs in 10 weeks.   This time around, it's actually 13 lbs, but I'll shoot for that anyway.

*(I'll probably want to go even lower than that, hopefully 130 -- but I'm first going to try 135 on for size)

So, how did the weight creep back on?   (again)  Simply:  it's been a busy year of work travel.  January in Finland.   February in Australia.   March in France.   April in Italy.    Each trip, about a week to ten days.   During that time, I'm pretty much eating amazing food without abandon.    I try to get out to run, but the pattern is usually that I'll run for the first day or two, then get too busy (or tired) to run after that.

I need to figure out how to resist things like endless pasta tasting courses, or the cheese platter that comes just before the dessert course.   Not to mention endlessly flowing wine.

Next trip is in about 3 weeks -- will diligently track til then, and hope those good habits continue.

If you have any tips for staying on plan while on the road, I'd love to hear them!  

Long overdue update!

Current weight: 140
Total lost: 12.8 lbs
Loss since last blog post, two months ago: 2.6 lbs

Wow! I haven't posted here in over two months! Starting TODAY, I need to make a more conscious effort to really, really do this. Part of this is getting my thoughts down, really assessing my actions, and thinking about the best way to really tackle this weight loss.

September was challenging. Work was really starting to heat up, and I just lost my momentum. Had small gains two weeks in a row.

Then in October, I went to Croatia for work. I knew I wouldn't be tracking points there, but really wanted to enjoy the local cheese, olive oil, lamb and wine -- without overdoing it.

A funny thing happened there: I just didn't have much of an appetite - and I ALWAYS have an appetite! There would be times I'd be around this gorgeous pasta, these fantastic anchovies... and I'd only be able to muster a few bites. Maybe it was stress, who knows -- but I was actually pretty thrilled about it!

** I did go running three times while in Croatia -- and even got my iPhone Cycle Meter to work on one run, even though I didn't have a local cell signal. That meant that one evening in Zadar, I was finishing my run and was approaching the hotel, when I checked my distance: 4.75 miles. Well, I couldn't do that, and not do 5 miles! I wound up getting a bit lost, and ended up doing 5.56 miles -- I was so proud of myself!

As a result of the lack of appetite and occasional running, my next weigh-in (Oct 21) showed a loss of 3.6 lbs over 3 weeks, down to 139.4 -- nice! What a fabulous feeling! Not only did I lose weight ... but I finally moved down into the next weight bracket, the 130s! Finally!

Then there was last week. I didn't track 100%, went out to eat too much... and was up .6, up to 140. Huge harrumph.

Next weigh-in is tomorrow morning. I'd love to be back in the 130s, but need to accept that if it's not this week, it'll be soon after. I had really hoped to be down to 135 by my birthday later this month -- even if that doesn't happen, I'll be happy if it happens by my birthday "observed" -- I'm having a big birthday party on December 3rd, one month from today.

Just one potential challenge: I'm going to Japan a week from today, and will be there for 10 days. Japanese food tends to be on the healthy side, but I already know I'm going to be really busy, and won't have much time to work out. Will just have to do my best.

And I'll absolutely have to get more consistent about blogging here!

The challenges of eating out. And dealing with hurricanes.

First -- last Friday's weigh-in:

Starting weight: 152.8
Friday WI: 142.6
This week's gain: .4
Total loss: 10.2

Not terrible -- I realize that I can't always expect to see a loss. And I suspected that last week's awesome 2.8 lb loss may have partially been a "false loss" -- that is, especially low because I had, well, spent a lot of time in the bathroom the day before (not induced! It was merely something I ate...).

Then came the mad rush to stock up on provisions in light of the incoming Hurricane Irene. Lots of people were posting their shopping pictures of Facebook -- lots of beer, wine, Doritos. I was determined to NOT make this an excuse to overeat. I bought lots of salad stuff, fruit, and other healthy ingredients. I worked out -- an indoor "Insanity" workout. That night, I had a few local friends over for dinner -- made a healthy dinner. Drank too much wine, but didn't overeat (much).

Then last night, on a date, I drank too much wine -- again. Today I vowed that I wasn't going to drink again til the weekend, even though I have after-work plans every night this week.

Then tonight -- out to dinner with a work contact. She wanted to check out a new restaurant that specializes in dim sum. The problem with ordering lots of small plates is that, when you have those small portions and a lot of variety, it's too easy to overeat. I didn't realize how stuffed I was til I got home. (but... I stuck to my vow, and didn't drink!)

It's only Tuesday night... if I really watch my points, I can still see a loss by this Friday -- that is, if I also work out tomorrow and Thursday.

This weekend I'm off to Fire Island for the long weekend. Then next week, I have two days of shoots, in four restaurants. Long days -- it's NOT easy to keep healthy eating habits in this situation. Will have to do my best!

Friday WI, then challenging weekend.

Good news from this past Friday!

Starting weight: 152.8
Friday WI: 142.2!
This week's loss: 2.8 lbs!!
Total loss: 10.6 lbs! Yes!

What an amazing, amazing feeling! I'm actually starting to see a difference when I look in the mirror -- I feel like I'm getting my old self back -- it's been a while since I've seen her!

Well -- then I had a rather challenging weekend. I belong to a Fire Island share house -- one that happens to be very foodie-centric. Lots of good cooks abound... and lots of great food. (as well as junk food always lying around -- but there's also always fresh fruit on hand...)

Looking back on the weekend, I made some good and some not-so-good choices:

NOT-SO-GOOD:
* not tracking
* giving into chocolate French toast this morning, when I had planned to make egg whites
* not going for my usual morning runs there
* eating *some* chips, M&Ms and chocolate-covered blueberries

GOOD:
* occasionally making smart choices: both days for lunch, I opted for a flaxseed wrap with hummus, feta and lots of veggies -- this was while someone was grilling up hot dogs and hamburgers (trust me, I was tempted!)
* they weren't vigorous workouts, but I walked on the beach for about a half-hour yesterday, swam for a bit, then biked about 40 minutes today
* I didn't eat as much junk as I would have in the past... and I kept a bowl of cherries nearby, and noshed on those in between chips
* I didn't drink all that much -- that, I find easy to cut down.
* got very excited over a few AMAZING, perfect plums -- they were heaven! A thousand times better than chips or candy could ever be.

I need to remind myself: it's a new day, and there's still time for me to register a loss (or, stay the same) in time for this Friday's meeting.

This week's goal: to work out before work for the next four days, Mon - Thurs. (Any combo of running, biking, yoga or Insanity.) Track everything. Plan. Deal with the imminent challenges: a few nights out with friends, dinner with my parents.

Especially: get to bed early so I can actually do those early-morning workouts!

My REAL max weight!

Holy cow!

I was cleaning my apartment tonight, and came across a WW book from earlier this year. I had re-joined for about five minutes back in January -- stuck to it for a week -- then just dropped out. Don't remember why -- work trip, or something lame like that.

Anyway -- this shows my REAL max weight of 152.8! Wow! I previously posted that it was 150.8. I conveniently blocked that higher number from memory.

Anyway, I just like having it out there since it shows that I've come even further than I had thought. AND -- that also means that I'm down 5%! As long as I maintain or lose by this Friday's meeting -- preferably the latter -- that will be "official".

Wow!

Excited.

I'm still feeling really excited and giddy overall about Friday's 2 lb loss, and about WW in general! It's only been 5.8 lbs so far, but I feel like I'm already seeing a little bit of a change in my body -- which is getting me excited about seeing even more of a change. I feel like I really CAN do this... and I AM doing this!

In recent years, I've gotten really into biking. Not fancy / sleek / roadbiking / racing kind of biking -- more like biking on a hybrid / tooling around the city / let's get tacos in the Rockaways kind of biking. I love it -- it's a fabulous way to explore the city.

I did a really fun ride yesterday with the Five Borough Bike Club - my mileage came out to 58.67 miles -- not bad! Starting at Columbus Circle, we biked up to and around the Bronx, meandering through some fabulous parks (I especially loved Soundview Park) over to City Island for lunch (I chose the sauteed shrimp -- a better choice than the fried shrimp I had there a month ago!), then back through the hills of Riverdale.

Good incentive to get in shape over the next few weeks -- there's a few long-distance rides that I'm planning to do:
* Sun, Sept 18: TA Century Ride – shooting for 75 miles. Aiming to be 140 by that time.

* Sun, Sept 25: Twin Lights Bike ride – 55 or 75. Goal weight for that week: 139

* Sun, Oct 2: MS Bike Ride – 50 miles. Goal weight for that week: 138

The goal weights are based on losing an average of a pound a week between now and then. I have some challenging work projects coming up in September -- I'm hoping this will really be seared into my brain by that time, and I'll make it through without gaining.

Speaking of work -- this is the inspirational blog of Jen, the woman from work who first told me about WW back in 1999. She has not only lost an impressive amount of weight -- she's also a marathon runner! Go, Jen!

Oh - I said I'd post pictures. Here we go. I'm nervous about this.

Bought this as an incentive bikini recently - it hasn't been out in public yet.

*Starting* to see some waist definition.... but still back rolls.

If the pics seem a bit dark, it's because I took them with my iPhone -- I lost my camera to a glass of sangria on July 4th weekend (don't ask!), and I have yet to buy a new one.

The bulk of my weight is in my midsection. It's been a very very VERY long time since I've had a flat stomach, and I'm psyched to get back there!

Friday weigh-in -- good news!

Quick, happy update!

Starting weight: 150.8
Today's weight: 145
This week's loss: 2 lbs
Total loss: 5.8 lbs

Yes!!! Got my 5 lb sticker, and gold star on the app!

BACK to the drawing board!

It's kind of crazy that I haven't even peeked at this blog in nearly two years! It was meant to be a countdown to age 40 -- I was going to get in kick-ass shape in the two months before that happened.

I'm now 41 -- and will be 42 in November. That's about 3 months / 14 weeks away. I recently hit my highest weight EVER of 150.8, and am doing my damnedest to nip that in the bud! (or butt, as the case may be).

NEW goal: to lose 17 lbs by then, and hit 130. I've already started with 3.8 lbs -- hopefully a bit more, after tomorrow's weigh-in! I'm newly inspired and I'm really really really doing it this time -- for good.

A little history on me: I was a pretty skinny kid, and it was easy to stay that way, since I was a picky eater. I became much more open to trying new foods once I went to college -- so much so that the freshman 15 was more like 20. I hit my highest weight at the time of 138. (ha - and to think, 138 is almost thin for me these days!)

The summer after my freshman year, I went on a crash diet -- I lived on nothing but a bran muffin a day (I made it last allll day), and did up to two hours of hard-core aerobics per day. I know -- crazy. I went from 138 to 117 that summer, and was thrilled with the way I looked.

Throughout the rest of my college years, my weight stayed in the 120s. Normal, but I was never really happy with it -- I never really felt "thin".

In my 20s, my weight gradually crept up -- I did Weight Watchers for the first time in 1999 at age 29, inspired by a co-worker's weight loss. It had never occurred to me to try Weight Watchers before. I remember my sister trying it as a teenager, and it seemed like a program for very obese people.

Well -- I went to my first WW meeting in Jan 1999 at 141 lbs -- by that April, I had reached 128, and was thrilled with the program, results, everything. I know 13 lbs may not seem like a lot of weight, but at 5'4", it can make a huge difference.

Throughout my 30s, I did WW on and off, as my weight yo-yo'd. I got my dream job at age 32, working for a food / travel TV series. (I'm still working for this show -- I'd rather not say the name here, since I don't want searches bringing people here -- but if you'd really like to know, email me privately).

Long work days + being surrounded by lots of amazing food + not a lot of time to work out = a formula for weight gain. Or - that's the excuse. I'm on the road *maybe* a week out of every six weeks or so -- which leaves 5 weeks in between to work on healthy eating habits, exercise, etc. And even when I'm traveling -- sure, I can try the amazing meatballs, but I have to remember that ONE taste will suffice, as opposed to 10 tastes. Or 20.

As I mentioned -- I hit 150.8 this winter. I can't even recall what my "aha!" moment was -- I just knew that being in the 150s was unacceptable to me. I went back to WW back in May -- only half-stuck with it throughout the early part of the summer -- and have been fully on board since July 14. And I'm loving it, and loving the way I'm feeling.

Every time I've done WW and did well, it was always something specific:
* the first time, it was just the novelty of it all, and the fun of counting points -- it was like a game.
* another time, it was having the support of the community boards on the WW website
* this time: I got an iPhone for the first time a few weeks ago -- and am SO in love with the WW app! It's almost like a buddy to me! (and -- I just found a new group on the WW website -- will get to know them a bit more, and will maybe "introduce" them here!)

Thanks for reading -- and thanks in advance for any words of support you may have, advice, stories, etc!

Next time: pictures! And details on tomorrow's weigh-in!

ChaLean day 10... and 40 days til 40!

Day 10 already! Now THIS is a sign that I'm into this workout: I got to bed on the late side last night, and thought I'd maybe allow myself to sleep a little later today, and exercise after work (not really an easy feat -- I generally work til about 7 pm).

Well -- I shocked myself by waking up with the alarm this morning, and found that I wanted to work out! Crazy -- but I'll take it!

In the past, I've found that I get excited by the novelty of a program (be it Weight Watchers, or a new trainer)... but once the newness wears off, I start tapering off, until I suddenly wake up one day and find that I've stopped following the program. I'm really, really hoping that doesn't happen here. I'm feeling stronger already, and I just want to keep that ball rolling. It definitely helps that I've come across so many success stories -- I want to be one too!

Also: this is turning out to be quite an investment -- not only was the Deluxe ChaLean Extreme program rather pricey -- but buying new weights can add up as well. Saying that: I caught a sale at Sports Authority this weekend: a pair of 8 lb and a pair of 10 lb weights was just $32.

I was also in dire need of new sneakers... got this snazzy pair. They'll make their debut tomorrow morning, with the Burn Intervals workout.

Updates since the last time I posted:

Monday -- day 7 -- my one rest day this week, and boy did I need it! My glutes were still burning from the previous day's workout -- definitely a good burn.

Tuesday -- day 8 -- Burn Circuit 1. My first day with my new weights (last week, I just used the workout bands) -- I liked the weights SO much better than the bands! Though I must admit, I think I went a bit lighter than I could have -- I was being overly cautious. I used 5 and 8 lbs, where on some exercises I probably could have gone up to 10.

Wednesday -- day 9 -- it was supposed to be my other rest day this week, but I wanted to add more cardio, so I did the Fat Burn Challenge that came on the bonus disc, along with "I've Got Abs". Very, very challenging! My abs muscles probably need the most work out of anything on my body (arms are a close second)... and boy, was I feeling it.

Thursday (today) -- day 10 -- Burn Circuit 2. Did slightly heavier weights today -- those 10-pounders even got some play.

I've been telling lots of friends about this program, and it's very motivating when, for example, my friend Debra emailed me, saying she didn't feel like going to the gym today, but she thought about me and this program, and it motivated her to go. Nice! In return -- that pushes ME to keep going!

Would love to hear from you... what motivates YOU?

ChaLean day 6... and 44 days til 40!

Day 6 of ChaLean Extreme -- I've found that each day, I actually look forward to these workouts! This is really unusual for me -- I generally work out, but begrudgingly. I know I need to do it, but I'm not really happy about it. Even in the past, when I worked out with a trainer, my heart just wasn't that into it.

I promise, I'm not a salesperson for ChaLean! I paid full price for my workout, and have no affiliation with them whatsoever. I'm just pleasantly surprised how great this workout is, and how revved up I am!

So: today's scheduled workout was Burn It Off (30 minutes of intense, kick-ass cardio) and Recharge (some stretching, some yoga). I started with Burn it Off, and oh my -- did it kick my butt. Some seriously challeging cardio moves that had me gasping for air -- and I previously thought I was in decent cardio shape! Just goes to show that there's plenty of room for improvement.

I wanted to add even more cardio, so I did one of the bonus workouts that came with the packet: Turbo Jam Fat Blaster. I've never done any of her Turbo Jam workouts before -- this is fun, with a good amount of punching, jumping, etc. I was on a lower impact than she was... I think I'm also due for new sneakers!

I then did the Ab Burner workout -- 10 minutes of solid, challenging abs exercises. My middle is my problem area -- I look a bit like a TeleTubby -- so I'm going to start adding additional abs workouts every other day.

I started to do the Recharge workout, and got about halfway through -- but then the moves became more yoga-like. I already did Dynamic Flow Yoga yesterday, and decided that I didn't need that two days in a row (and the 80 minutes of hard exercise I'd already done was sufficient for today).

I don't know if it's psychological, but I feel like I'm seeing a difference in my body already! My shoulders seem to have a bit more definition, and I feel a little smaller around the middle. Overall, my muscles feel great -- I feel like I'm starting to wake them up. It's a great feeling, but I also think I need to work harder this week.

Tomorrow is a rest day -- I was really tempted to do more cardio (I'm on a roll!) but after researching a bit on line, I found that you really should give your body a day of rest after this kind of intense exercise.

One last thing! Whoo hoo, my weight was down slightly this morning! For the past few weeks, I've been fluctuating between about 141- 143 lbs -- today I weighed in at 139.8, my first time below 140 in quite a while. Yee-hah!

Time to go out and buy new sneakers, as well as additional dumbbells. If you're doing ChaLean (or any of the other workouts: Insanity, P90X) -- be sure to comment below!

I've started! 46 days til the big 4-0!

I'm very happy to announce that I finally started the fabulous CHALEAN EXTREME workout program -- today is already day four! (I was dying to blog earlier in the week, just didn't have time).

When I first decided to do this workout program, my first thought was, how will I find the time for this? My work hours can be crazy at times (I work in TV production), and I go out after work a few days a week. I'm absolutely NOT a morning person, but -- surprise, surprise! -- I discovered that if I put my mind to it, I can indeed wake up an hour earlier each day to do this. AND it's getting easier -- one day I even shocked myself by waking up before my alarm.

Days 1 and 3 were with weights -- or in my case, the workout bands that came with the program. (I bought the "deluxe" version) I've never worked out with bands before -- I'm going to try to give it more time, but I'm not loving them so far. It feels like there's just too much room for error (eg, it's too easy to have too much slack on the bands, which means you're getting a too-easy workout). My wonderful friend Debra gave me a pair of 5 lbs weights, and I'm going to look into buying others -- maybe make an investment into some cool adjustable weights. Any suggestions are most welcome!

Day 2 was supposed to be a rest day (already??) -- but I was raring to go, so I did a hip-hop cardio workout that I had DVRd from Fit TV -- the TV show All Star Workouts. Holy cow! I've taken dance classes in the past, but this was some seriously intricate choreography! You'd have to be a former Fly Girl to keep up with the steps -- but it was fun, and I still broke a sweat.

Today -- day 4 -- hard-core cardio with some light weights in the Burn Intervals workout (followed by 10 minutes of abs in Ab Burner). WOW! This was some challenging cardio! Towards the end, I had to stay on the lower impact side -- but I stuck to it.

This was an interesting eye-opener: the program comes with a fitness test to help you estimate your level of aerobic fitness, strength, flexibility and endurance -- it's a good way to track your improvement over time. I did it with my friend Debra last night -- she's very slim, and is very much into weights and boxing classes. It was interesting to see that we had very different strengths and weaknesses: I was able to do more pushups, but she was able to do the seated wall squat for quite a bit longer than I could. I'm more flexible, but she could do more arm curls.

This was most humbling -- Debra took some "before" pictures from me. Looking at these pics, I realize I have almost NO muscle tone. I'm pretty active in biking and rollerblading, but I haven't been consistent lately -- and it doesn't help that I'm carrying about 10 - 15 extra pounds.

Can't wait to see how these pics will change in the coming months!



STATS:
Age: 39 (not for much longer!)
Height: 5'4"
Weight: this week -- fluctuating between 140 - 142
Waist: 33"
Hips: 38"
Abductors (just below the butt -- saddlebags): 37.25
Chest: 35.5
Right arm: 11"
Left arm: 10.75
Right thigh: 20.5
Left thigh: 20
Body fat percentage: 22.2*
* using the calipers for the first time -- no idea if I was doing this correctly.

If you're doing ChaLean Extreme (or have done it in the past), would love to hear your stories, tips, etc!

56 days away!

There's no excuse -- I'm disappointed in myself. I've barely worked out this past month, partially because work was absolutely, completely insane -- Hudson Valley shoot, with many scout days leading up to the shoot. I let myself be swallowed up in it, without looking at the big picture, especially the promise that I made to myself to look as kick-ass as I can by 40.

Well -- it's a new day!

I think I lost part of my momentum because when the ChaLean Extreme finally arrived, it wasn't complete -- I had ordered the deluxe version, which comes with the exercise bands (to be used in lieu of weights), and was sent the standard version (DVDs only, no bands). I called to complain, and was told that an entirely new set would be sent to me.

It never arrived, and in the weeks that followed, I got sucked into work, and never bothered calling to follow up. Finally, this weekend, as work lifted somewhat, I emailed the customer service department -- so, hopefully it'll come soon.

In the past, any time I've been successful with losing weight and / or getting in shape, it was because I had something new to excite me, be it Weight Watchers (and later, the online community boards with their challenges), or just a matter of having time off from work to bike and rollerblade every day.

This time, I was excited about the CHX program -- but til that comes, I just discovered something new tonight! I was a couch potato most of the day, meaning to do a yoga workout (the iTrain yoga that I've done many times before, and was rather bored with) -- as I was scrolling through the channels, I came across the Fit TV channel. Holy cow -- one workout program after the other! I immediately starting DVR-ing a few.

I actually motivated myself to do a rather high-impact half-hour cardio workout at 9:30 pm, followed by a more mellow bellydance workout. I got so excited by this that I'm actually writing this even before I hop in the shower. I'm going to try to motivate myself to get up early tomorrow and do one of the Gilad workouts -- now that would be impressive!

So - I "lost" the last month of workouts, but I still have just under two months until I turn 40 -- I can still make an impressive difference in that time! 56 days to go. This morning I was about 141, have been averaging about 140 lately. Will do an "official" weigh-in for the week tomorrow.

I'm back!!

85 days and counting...

85 days til I turn 40. That's 85 chances to do something great for my body to look as kick-ass and confident as I can! (actually, the number of chances are infinite, but this is more lyrical).

Time for a run. I made the mistake of overeating like crazy not once, but TWICE, this weekend:
1. dinner party on Friday night -- crabs (healthy), but I went back for *thirds* on the fabulous mac & cheese. Oy.
2. bday dinner for a friend at Pipa last night. It's way too easy to go overboard on the tapas. Let's just say that my stomach protested in a big way -- rather than hanging out for pool and ping pong after, I had to dash home to be near a bathroom. Annoying.

My ChaLEAN workout still hasn't arrived in the mail, but I'm trying to prep myself for it. Did 40 minutes of iTrain yoga yesterday (my muscles are feeling it a bit today), and getting ready to go out for a one-hour run now.

Go go go!!!

p90x? CHX huh? Wha...?

A few days ago, on Aug 24, it hit me: I'm going be 40 years old in exactly three months, on November 24. I certainly don't feel 40 -- and I don't think I look it -- but I could certainly look better. I'm a little squishy around the middle... my arms remind me a bit of my Grandma Millie's with the flappiness... and my butt could be tighter. This, despite semi-regular time spent on rollerblades or my bike. Emphasis on the "semi".

I thought in passing, "hm, I should really amp up my workouts NOW -- that would be the best birthday present I could give to myself, to look and feel the best I possibly can at 40!" Then that night I met co-workers for karaoke, beer, pizza and french fries.

The next day, I was having a drink with a friend, and he mentioned the P90X workout, an intense workout program that has challenged him into getting into some of the best shape he's ever been in (and yes, he looked good). Apparently, this program works on a premise called muscle confusion, "which accelerates the results process by constantly introducing new moves and routines so your body never plateaus, and you never get bored!"

Sounds like just the kickstart I needed -- something with a finite timeline. And I took it as a sign that I had just about 90 days until my birthday, and suddenly, here's this 90-day program, fallen into my lap!

After doing a bit of research online and asking other friends, I opted for the ChaLEAN Extreme workout -- it's in the same family as the P90X, but sounds a bit more manageable. (read about the comparisons here) A friend told me that his boyfriend (who was already in good shape) started the P90X and found it to be way too intense.

So -- I placed the order yesterday, and am very impatiently waiting for it to arrive! I hope it gets here sooner than the 5 - 7 business days that was promised to me. After all, only 89 more days until I turn 40! Will wake up early tomorrow to do an hour of iTrain yoga to get started, and will do some biking, rollerblading and / or running this weekend to keep it going.

My biggest question to myself: how will I find the time for this?? Once I wrapped my head around it, I realized I had no excuse NOT to do this. I don't have to be at work until about 10 am -- I can easily wake up at about 7:30 or 8 am, get in a great workout and still get to work on time. All I need to do is make sure I get to bed by midnight or so -- that could be a challenge, as I'm fond of my late-night internet faffing -- but what's more valuable to me: yet another adorable bunny on CuteOverload.com, or fabulous abs and increased self-confidence? It's a no-brainer.

********
This blog started as my Weight Watchers page, and while WW remains a fabulous program, I needed something new to renew my excitement in getting in shape. I'm hoping the ChaLEAN Extreme program (which I'll refer to as CHX from this point on) will do just that.

When I last blogged here in March, my weight was 138 -- these days, it's been fluctuating anywhere between 136 and 140. My birthday goal is going to be 125 lbs, or about a pound a week. Totally do-able.

Slipping...

I've done WW many times in the past, and I feel that I'm falling into one of these old patterns that I've repeated many times before: after being excited about this for 6 or 7 weeks, I start to get bored with it. I slack with tracking... I don't work out quite as much... I rationalize that just this *one* cheeseburger won't hurt... and I just don't plan my meals as well.

Time to turn around that attitude! I gained .6 this week, but know it could have been worse. And as of today, I'm down 8.2 lbs -- I'm feeling great about that, but I have at least another 10 to go. I just need to convince myself that I CAN do this, and this IS worth fighting for.

This point is rather difficult -- I feel that I do look "okay" right now. I'm not fat... but I'm not exactly slim either. It's too easy at times to think, "well, *okay* is good enough... isn't it?". But it's really not... I don't want to just feel "okay" with the way I look -- I want to be excited when I look in the mirror, and feel confident and sexy and slim. That's why I need to keep going with this -- need to make that my new mantra.

This week's goals!
* work out at *least* five times this week -- the weeks when I've done a few kick-ass treadmill runs have always been my most successful.
* track EVERYTHING.
* I'm a foodie, and if I'm someplace known for its, say, fried chicken -- I tend to feel that I *have* to try that specialty. I need to convince myself: does the fried chicken really taste *that* good? Doesn't the feeling of dropping that extra pound, and feeling my jeans get looser, outweigh (ha) the momentary taste of something good?

Will try to keep these in mind. Seriously.

Another thing -- I'm very social -- I tend to go out several nights a week with friends or on a date. It's hard NOT to revolve that around food and / or drinking. But I'm trying. A few recent non-food / drink alternatives:
* A and I thought about going out to dinner a few weeks ago (she's also on WW) -- instead, we decided to do a power walk from the west village to the lower east side for steamed dumplings. (8 dumplings each @ 1 pt a piece). And a total of at least two hours of walking.

* Dancing! I recently planned a night out with a big group of friends at Mehanata -- we had a blast, and danced up a sweaty storm. Must do that more often.

* Ping pong! Surprisingly, I find that I can work up quite a sweat with a vigorous game of ping pong. Love this place in the west village, the Fat Cat. (warning: it's crazy crowded on weekends)

Any suggestions, pep talks, etc you have are always welcome!

Mixed feelings

I was just about to blog about how I was thrilled that I was down 1.4 at yesterday's WI (total of 8.8)... when I just stumbled across my progress pictures. I took those over a month ago at 139.8... and I was just disappointed to realize that I've only lost 2 lbs since then.

I know, I know... be happy with ANY loss. And I know that some weeks there won't even BE a loss -- like those two weeks when I gained one week, then stayed the same the next. And I KNOW I need to be happy about being down 8.8 lbs... that first 10 lb mark is just around the corner!

I do already feel slimmer and more confident.... why can't I just be happy with that, and use that as incentive to keep going?

With that in mind -- I'm going to grab this kooky spring-like day, and do the longest bike ride I can possibly do. It's already 61 degrees out! Actually... my muscles might need to take it easy today -- yesterday I did a really tough one-hour iTrain run outside, and my quads are singing the blues today. It makes perfect sense, but just didn't occur to me, that running outside is much harder than running on the treadmill -- harder impact, and you don't have the motion of the treadmill pushing you along.

Have a great day! Would love to hear your stories... what keeps you excited about your weight loss journey when things are moving slowly?

Whoo hoo! Down 2 lbs this week.

Just a quick one -- running so behind with my day. Must get to gym v. soon, then meeting a friend for a late afternoon movie.

Yay... down 2 lbs this week! I wasn't tracking / eating *perfectly*, but I think I made a few good decisions that made a difference:
* one night, I did a two-hour power walk with a friend from the West Village to the Lower East Side -- we got 8 steamed dumplings each (1 pt each), and walked back. Earlier in the week, we had considered going out to dinner on this night, chose the walk instead. (she's also on WW)

* I have a gym membership, but there's also a small gym in my office building -- really NO excuse not to exercise! I had dinner plans last night, but felt that if I had a chance of showing a loss this week, I HAD to do some time on the treadmill (otherwise, it was a pretty light week of exercise).

I managed to do 42 min on the treadmill (ran 3.75 miles), took a quick shower, and still made it to my dinner plans roughly on time. It was proof that I have to do that more often!

More later...

Ok, seriously...

Once again... another week where my mind really wasn't into this. I did a half-assed job of tracking points... but even then, only if they were "good" points. The day my office ordered in a boatload of creamy Indian food for lunch? I didn't bother.

I'm actually lucky that I didn't gain this week -- my weight stayed exactly the same, at 141. I have to try to get back that same enthusiasm that I had the first two weeks, when I lost 6.6 lbs. I think for the two weeks after that, there was a delusional part of me that thought that if I SAY to myself that I'm on WW, and I write *some* of the points, then I'll have the same success. Duh, it doesn't work that way!

I am going to have a kick-ass week -- I am going to make sure of it! I already know that I'm facing a few challenges (a shoot day... dinner out with family) -- I just need to deal with those challenges in an appropriate manner.

One thing I'm slightly happy about -- my goal was to lose 10 lbs in 10 weeks, and so far I'm on track. But time is catching up with me very quickly, and I need to jump-start this thing!

Time for the gym... as always, any suggestions / words of advice are most welcome!

ps. I almost forgot to add! I spotted one of my favorite WW bloggers at my meeting yesterday -- the very stylin' Sheryl, of the Bitch Cakes blog (mmm, cake...). Sheryl, so nice to meet you ... you're an inspiration!

Fell off the wagon -- back up to 141

Oh harrumph... I was going to blog a few days ago about feeling lazy about WW this week, but was too lazy to even do that much. As a result of this week's wagon-falling: I gained 1.2 lbs.

I knew it would be a tough week, as I had two shoot days that would involve eating at a Korean restaurant, some Chinese food stalls, and a locavore-type place in Williamsburg. But then again... I had two shoot days last week as well, and still managed to lose weight. The difference: last week I got in 5 workouts, and this week, only one.

There were even two nights this week when I was fully set to go to the gym -- on one night, I even had my gym clothes on! -- but still flaked out. Was very angry with myself... last week, I had that same feeling of wanting to flake out on the gym, but went anyway.

A friend just joined WW today, and we'll be going to meetings together, so hopefully that will be encouraging. And it turns out that a guy acquaintance also goes to the same Sat 11:30 am meeting. We all went for a healthy brunch after the meeting today, and helped calculate each others points.

Wish me luck! Would love your tips... what do you do when you don't feel like tracking, or going to the gym? What keeps you motivated?

Progress pics: 139.8

Pics taken today, Saturday, Feb 7, 2009. I feel like I look just a *little* less fleshy, maybe a little smaller than my pics from two weeks / 6.6 lbs ago. But I still have a way to go -- looking forward to getting rid of that back fat and getting some muscle definition.

Probably the only good thing about having a few extra pounds was the fact that my breasts were fuller -- I'm disappointed that they're starting to get smaller! I'm a small-to-average B-cup -- with those few extra pounds, I was happy with the cleavage I was sporting.

Will try to update the pics every 5 lbs or so.