1Year4Days: 2011 Recap

Hey Folks!!!  I know you thought I had given up on the whole 50 pound weight loss journey.  But I am still here and will continue to work toward reaching my goal of losing 50 pounds.

+20lbs Dec2010

-20lbs Dec 2011

Well lets recap all the different diets and exercise programs I attempted to incorporate into my lifestyle.

1. The How to Lose 20 lbs. of Fat in 30 Days from the book "The 4 Hour Body"
• Lost 8lbs and didn't seem like something I would consider doing continuously
2. Counting Calories
• Lost additional 4 pounds for the couple of months I focused on calorie counting.  I think this works for me, but you have to stay focused and make sure you track everything
3. Roller Skating
• I really enjoyed roller skating and think if I did this at least twice a week it would make a huge difference with losing weight and keeping the weight off.  This is something I think I could continue to do and add to my lifestyle
4. Salsa Dancing
• Salsa dancing was fun, but it requires you to have a partner.  Currently I am single, so it really doesn't fit into my lifestyle as something I can depend on doing throughout the week.  But who knows, maybe in 2012 I might find that special someone who is game for going out and doing the latin 2step!
5. Going to the Gym
• SMH...I think I went to Golds Gym maybe 3 times this year.  I know not working out is the major reason why I haven't dropped as much weight as I have hoped for.  I recognize that I am just lazy and trying to find the easy answer to losing weight and keeping it off.  
6. P90 X
• P90 X is made for someone who is already dedicated to working out on a regular basis.  For someone like me, I think it is a little to much to soon.  It is difficult to go from no exercise to 6 days a week worth of exercise(avg 60 mins per workout).  I believe I would have had better luck with 30 minute workouts 3 times a week.
• After the first month of P90X I was burn out and think I averaged 1 workout per week during second month.  The last month I didn't even do 1 workout.
7. Phentermine (appetite suppressant)
• Phentermine is appetite suppressant that can be prescribe by your doctor.  It is great if you need a little jump start to help kick those food cravings that occur when you decrease your food intake.  When I take phentermine I am to get through the day without feeling like I am starving, which usually leads to over eating.  
• I am currently only taking phentermine when I feel I need it.  This month I actually have not taken it because I no longer feel like I am starving between meals.  I rarely crave unhealthy food now and noticed that I crave healthier foods (fruit and veggies)
8. Weight Watchers(WW)
• WW worked really well for me and I am still participating in the program.  When I finally joined WW in June I had put on weight about 6 pounds and felt myself slipping back into old habits.  I lost close to 18 pounds while on WW, bringing me very close to 25 pounds total.  Unfortunately November 2011 I fell of track and let the holiday dinners and desserts get the best of me.  By the time December rolled around I had gained about 6 pounds.
• WW is great for the support and if you attend the weekly meetings will encourage you to be more accountable for what you eat.

I didn't reach my 50lb weight loss goal, but I am happy to say that this time last year I was 20lbs heavier.  When I look at my weight loss compared to my starting weight in Jan 2011 I feel pleased with the progress I have made.  

I will continue to share my weight loss journey with all of you until I reach my goal.  For my next post I will share some of the new exciting things I will be doing to help me reach my goal.  

Looking forward to a happy and healthy 2012!!!

+20lbs Dec2010

-20lbs Dec 2011

DAY 276: P90X IS NO JOKE!!!!

Hey Folks,

This past week I did really well and lost 4.4 pounds brining me to a total of 22.8 Pounds!!!  I decided to only eat my meals and not snack at all during the day.  I guess it paid off because this week has been one of my best weigh-ins at WW.

Since I only have 3 more months until the new year I have decided to buckle down and exercise.  I am going to do 90 days of the P90X "Lean" program.  You all know how much I have been avoiding doing a regular exercise routine throughout the year.  So this is a really huge challenge for me and for extra support I have recruited several friends to also do P90X for 90 days.

This was my 2nd day of P90X and I just finished the Cardio X workout. The Cardio X wasn't that bad, but I don't care for all that Yoga mess at the beginning of the Cardio workout. Yesterday I did the Core Synergistics workout, which was definitely NO Joke. All I can say is that when I was doing the Superman/Banana I felt like I was just rolling around on the floor looking like a beached whale.

If anyone would like to join the group for 90 days of P90X, please let me know and I will send you an invite to the group page I have created for us all to share our experience.

DAY 152: I Am Still Here and So Is The Extra Weight

Well Folks I am still here and will be staying here until I reach my goal of 50 pounds.  I know I have been absent for pretty much the whole month of may.  It was a tough month to get through.  Let's see I turned 34 on the 14th of May and celebrated memorial day this past weekend.  I think I had like one good week during may where I actually lost weight, but the rest of the month I just totally blew it.  so this month I actually gained weight :-/  So you will notice that my weight loss tracker has gone back up.

Well I am not going to waste time making excuses, basically I did more eating and sitting on my behind than eating healthy and staying active.  But I do want to add that I have continued to roller skate almost every sunday at the rink and a couple a times during the week around my neighborhood with my min pin running along side :-)

This month I am going to try something totally different.  Since it appears that I can't seem to stay on track on my own, I think I am going to join Weight Watchers. 

So just imagine me standing in front of you singing "It's a NEW DAY".   LOL...SMH if you only knew how I really felt about that commercial :-P

DAY 123: Losing Weight at 30 Years and Older

Yeah Mon!!  I got back from Jamaica last week and I maintained my weight.  Well I gained about 2 pounds but I was able to knock those pounds off by the end of the week.

For some reason I feel like it has been a lot harder to loose weight since I started in January compared to when I lost weight several years ago.  Is it true that when you get older it is harder to lose weight?  I am not sure, but I do know that I will be turning 34 next week and I am still very far away from my goals.

I am starting to get a little frustrated from the lack of results.  I just feel like if I am making an effort then I should see better results than what I am seeing on the scale.  At a minimum 5 pounds a month would be nice but instead the scale just sits there at the same number.

Taking a look at what I have and have not been doing I have considered the following:
1.)  I might not be eating enough.  There are some days that I don't have 1000 calories or more.   Losing weight by eating a reduced amount of food contributes to a decrease in your metabolism, the rate at which your body burns calories.  A lower metabolism results in a decrease in the amount of calories burned.  I think I might need to ensure that I eat at least 1500-1600 calories a week, which should result in 1.5 pounds weight loss per week.  I also need to look into other ways to increase my metabolism.  Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/290277-not-eating-enough-calories-weight-loss/#ixzz1LLNqg9Hy
2.)  I need to get active.  I have been basically BS'ing around with doing some real exercise consistently through the week.  The roller skating is great...but I didn't go the past 3 weekends (vacation, other plans).  The last time I went skating was on April 13th and didn't do anything since then.  If I did exercise I most likely would have lost 5 pounds or more for the month of April.  This month I have decided not to drive to my job in the city and instead take public transportation (bus and metro), which requires me to do a lot more walking during the day.  It will also save me $200 or more each month :-D  I have also got some of my coworkers to agree to walking during lunch.  A lot of folks have been taking Zumba classes and I have got a couple invites out.  The funny thing is that I have filled my schedule with so many other activities like guitar and vocal lessons, that they always fall on the days that I am invited to the exercise classes :-/  I do know that weight loss is at the top of my list, so I will make an effort to fit exercise into my week.

The bottom line is that I need to exercise and I DON'T like to Exercise!  I like to have FUN!!!!

DAY 91: I Am SOOO HAPPY!!!

Happy Friday Folks!!!

Besides the fact that it is Friday, there is a lot more for me to be happy about.

I am Happy because I can now groove and glide on roller skates, instead of "groove/scoot/glide a little/wobble".  When I went roller skating on Sunday I decided to rent skates instead of using my old skates.  Well who would have guessed that my old skates were "Jacked UP".  All this time I was working overtime trying to get around the rink because my wheels on my skates didn't spin as fast or as long as other skates.  When I put on the rented skates I couldn't believe how great I was skating...I think I am actually close to skating on beat for most of the song!!!!!!

I am Happy because my Alma mater VCU is in the NCAA Final Four basketball tournament.  GO RAMS!!!

I am SOOOO HAPPY because I lost TWO pounds !!! 
The dancing, roller skating and staying more active is paying off!!!!  I have added several other activities into my schedule, which keep me busy and my mind focused on other things besides EATING.  This is my current weekly schedule: 

Monday...Group guitar lessons

Wednesday...Vocal lessons

Thursday...Salsa dancing at clubs and restaurants that give lessons

Sunday...Roller Skating

Now if I can just maintain that level of activity and stay around 1200 - 1400 calories a day, then I believe I will continue to lose weight.  I will admit that my appetite has increased with the added activity.  I am strongly considering getting a prescription for Phentermine, which is an appetite suppressant.  In the past I have used Phentermine for about 4 months and it helped me lose around 30 pounds.  It just made it easier to not focus on being hungry and concentrate on eating healthy and exercise.  I know that for me being "Hungry" is at least 75% mental.  When I took phentermine I felt like it turned my hunger thoughts OFF.  This time around I wanted to try to lose the weight without taking any type of medication.  Even though it is taken for a short time, I just didn't want to feel dependant on something.  But when I look at the scale and it isn't moving for months because I keep falling victim to my overwhelming cravings more often than not, well it makes me reconsider my options.  I would rather get a little help from meds now instead of having my weight get out of control and end up needing to have surgery in the future. 

Several weeks ago I wrote about how I would be performing at Blues Alley on 3/22/2011.  I was very excited to be performing, but felt a little discouraged because I had nothing to wear.  I couldn’t find anything in the stores and all the dresses in my closet no longer fit, so I was having a really bad FAT moment.  But I decided to say “F   IT” and threw on a pair of black pants, shirt and called it a day.  I was so surprised at how many of my friends and family came out to see me.  It felt great to have so much love and support, which made my wardrobe drama a distant memory.  In fact, I decided to make my attire a little more comfy by I kicking off my shoes before taking the stage for my debut as a Jazz Singer!  I wanted to share with all of you one of the jazz tunes I performed at the show. 

Enjoy Folks!!!

DAY 80: Roller Skating for Weight Loss

Hey Folks!!!

So guess what?  I have discovered how to maintain my current weight...WOOO HOOO!!!!  Yeah I know that isn't something I really want to cheer about since I have like 40 more pounds to lose.  But I felt like celebrating something so WOO HOO for me because I didn't gain any weight this month.  Ok, so I need to really step my game up.

This past week I have added salsa dancing and roller skating into my weekly exercise routine.  I took Salsa lessons on Thursday, which lasted for about 2 hours.  After the lessons I continued to dance for about another 2 hours.  The next day I was moving around like I needed a walker.  I couldn't believe how sore my legs were.  I plan on going every Thursday, so I will update you on my dancing skills as I get better :-)

I found a roller skating rink close to my home and they host an adult skating night on Sundays.  So I called up my Aunt who was known for living on roller skates in her youth and asked if she wanted to try her luck at skating again.  We both decided that we would start roller skating for fun and for the weight loss.  You can burn 500-800 calories skating for 60 mins and the time goes by so fast when you are laughing at yourself and having fun.  The last time I went roller skating was at this rink in Maryland and these folks were No Joke.  I mean they were moving, grooving and gliding on wheels.  Take a look at what I am talking about!

(skip ahead to about 00.50 seconds in)

Me on the other hand, I was just skating...no grooving or gliding on my wheels.  I was happy if I could skate on the beat of the song 70% of the time. 

Well this past Sunday I pulled out my old roller skates I got back when I was in high school and headed out to the rink in hopes of Uping my game to skating on beat at least 75% of the time :-)  I am hoping to look a little more like the folks above in the next couple of months.  As you can see from the video below, I have a long long way to go :-D
Enjoy!!!!