McFatty Monday - Week 16

Is it Monday already???  In that case, this week's McFM post will be short and sweet.

My 5K is this Sunday.  It coincides with final run of my C25K program.  I. am. pumped.  I also need to make a tutu.  Anyone know of a good tutu tutorial?  (Say that 10 times fast!!)

I've been posting the same weights and BMIs for weeks.  Boring.  How's this - I'll let you know when the scale actually moves.

McFatty Monday - Week 15

Week 15.  Fifteen weeks and I'm down four pounds.  Not terribly impressive.  I definitely haven't been working as hard as I could be.


I've hit a major motivation road block with running.  Monday I didn't feel like doing the scheduled C25K run, so I did intervals.  I winged it and just tried to go as fast as I could for a little bit, then walked a little bit, over and over.  I have no idea if this is a technically valid training method but it seemed pretty cool at the time.  I took 3 days off then tried to do a 25 minute run on Thursday.  I didn't make it :(  For the first time in the program I had to short a run and stop to walk.  Tonight's run didn't go much better.


My 5K is in two weeks and I'm nervous.  I thought I would be on pace for about a 30-32 min finish but now I have no idea.


I did clean out the fridge last week, though, so that's something.  The only problem is now there's no food in there.  Tonight I decided to run instead of grocery shop.  If anybody knows of a way to be in two places at once, let me know.


Here's where I'm at:
Today's weight - 139.0
Today's BMI - 22.4
Goal weight - 130
Goal BMI - 21.0
Total weight lost - 4.0 of 13

McFatty Monday - Week 14

I had Jury Duty today.  Out of the routine and running late, I rushed out the door and drove through McDonald's for breakfast.  I looked up what I ate.  It was 380 calories and 21 grams of fat.  Blech.  Then I sat in a room for five hours, sat in the car, then sat in a meeting for two hours at work, then more sitting in the car.  I felt like crap after putting Conor to bed.  BUT, I wanted to exercise.  I knew it would make me feel better.  It worked!  


This week I'm going to work on organizing the kitchen pantry and fridge.  There's plenty of food around, healthy food at that, but we're so disorganized that in a pinch I get so frustrated I'd rather eat out than sort through the mess. 


Here's where I'm at:
Today's weight - 138.8
Today's BMI - 22.4
Goal weight - 130
Goal BMI - 21.0
Total weight lost - 4.2 of 13

McFatty Monday - Week 13

"The food that you put in your body should make you feel your best."
~Kath Younger

That quote is from an interview with dietician, blogger and oatmeal artist Kath of Kath Eats Real Food.  It just makes so much sense. I know the days that I eat well, I have more energy, drive, creativity, positivity... One of the downfalls of sticking to a regular exercise routine has been that it gives me the illusion of a pass at eating right.  I worked out last night, so I can totally have that warm, gooey chocolate chip cookie from the caf.  No!  The 3pm food coma is killer.  By the same token, eating boring, bland, one-dimensional "healthy" foods that leave me lacking energy doesn't work either.  I need to commit to eating right, but I hate following diets.  If I eat foods that I enjoy that also make me feel good, all day, I think that's the winning combination.

I'm still rocking the Couch to 5K.  I haven't shorted any of the runs yet!  Don't get me wrong, I'm really struggling to get through these longer runs.  What's exciting, though, is that in just seven weeks, I've gone from struggling to make it through 60 seconds of running to being able to go for 25 minutes.  I actually had a conversation with Tim tonight about the possibility of doing a half marathon, some day.  He's already suggesting races.

Here's where I'm (still) at:

Today's weight - 140.0
Today's BMI - 22.6
Goal weight - 130
Goal BMI - 21.0
Total weight lost - 3.0 of 13

McFatty Monday - Week 12

I did my first "long run" of the C25K program.  20 minutes, no walking.  (Distance runners, please restrain your laughter.)  It was slow - about 10 minute mile pace - but I didn't stop, which I am proud of.  This week I'm supposed to do 25, then 28 the next, then finish up with 30 (which should be just about a 5K for me.)


In spite of the running success, my weight still isn't really moving.  I hover around 140, give or take a pound, and I'm not terribly bothered by this.  I feel great, and my current BMI is well within the healthy range, but it would be nice to see some positive feedback from the scale.  I really believe if I can make running a part of my life, in time I will eventually make it down to my goal weight.  Even if I don't, I still think the rewards of fitness are more than just weight loss.        


Here's where I'm at:

Today's weight - 140.0
Today's BMI - 22.6
Goal weight - 130
Goal BMI - 21.0
Total weight lost - 3.0 of 13

McFatty Monday - Week 11

Couch to 5K, I love you.  I am surprising myself with this program, but I'm actually doing it.  Not just saying I'm going to do it, buying a bunch of stuff to do it, thinking about doing it, starting to do it, but actually following through with doing it.  Every week, I look ahead to what the next week's intervals are and think, "How the heck am I going to do that???"  Somehow, I make it.  Day 1 is really hard, and days 2 and 3 get a little easier.

"When I first started running, I was so embarrassed I'd walk when cars passed me. I'd pretend I was looking at the flowers." 

– Joan Benoit Samuelson, First Women's Olympic Marathon Champion

I laughed when I read this quote because I do the same thing.  Well, I used to.  I'd turn down a side street if I saw a "real runner" coming towards me because I was embarrassed to run slowly, worried I might have to stop as I passed them, or worse.  Now, I couldn't care less what anybody thinks.  It feels good to run, even if my gait is far less than ideal or I'm slow or whatever.  It's the endorphins, maaaaan.  I'm hooked.


Here's where I'm at:

Today's weight - 139.0
Today's BMI - 22.4
Goal weight - 130
Goal BMI - 21.0
Total weight lost - 4.0 of 13

McFatty Monday - Week 10

I'm back on track with my C25K program.  I was nervous about week Four - the intervals are really picking up and I worried that if I couldn't hack it, it would get me down.  It was tough but I made it!  I can tell I'm getting stronger and have more endurance every week.

My diet was better this week - I watched portions, drank lots of water, and made (mostly) good food choices.

It's a bit disappointing that the scale isn't moving much yet, but my weight loss/gain tends to lag a few weeks. 

Here's where I'm at:

Today's weight - 140.0
Today's BMI - 22.6
Goal weight - 130
Goal BMI - 21.0
Total weight lost - 3.0 of 13

McFatty Monday - Week 9

A pretty good week.  Week three of the Couch to 5K started off well.  I hit the road Monday and it felt great to get away from the track!  Wednesday rolled around and I made excuses - no clean running clothes, too tired, too much to do before bed....  I planned to run Thursday but heavy rain prevented that.  Friday brought more plans to run, but I had errands to prepare for the baby association meeting we hosted Saturday and didn't make it back before dark.  I finally did Week 3 Run 2 on Saturday and my body wasn't happy about taking four days off.  I made it through the run, barely - I'm sure during the last interval I was quite a sight as I was really dragging.  The neighbors were probably wondering if they should call the paramedics.

I gained a little this week, which isn't surprising as my diet hasn't been good.  My goals for this week are to get back on track with C25K and complete Week 4, drink more water, and eat better. 

Here's where I'm at:

Today's weight - 140.0
Today's BMI - 22.6
Goal weight - 130
Goal BMI - 21.0
Total weight lost - 3.0 of 13

McFatty Monday - Week 8

Grrrrrrrreat week!  I finished Week 2 of Couch to 5K.  I love this program.  It's challenging enough but I'm succeeding at each workout, which feels really good.  The iPod app is working great, and I actually look forward to hearing the voice say, "Run now."  I've been sticking to the security of the track so far, but am venturing out for a road run today for the start of Week 3.  I used MapMyRun.com to figure out a route - a little tricky because the C25K progam goes by time instead of distance, but I estimate I'm going about 2 miles at this point.  I installed a little widget over on the sidebar that tracks my workouts.

I LOVE my new shoes!  The Mizunos are a stability shoe and I think that's what I was missing with my old (neutral) Brooks.  They also match my new running skirt (priorities, people!)

The new kicks on their maiden voyage.

My weight has been down as low as 136.4 earlier in the week, but this morning was holding steady at the same as last week.  I'm not so concerned with the number on the scale because my clothes are fitting better than they have in a long time.  I even found a box of pre-pregnancy clothes I had forgotten about and fit into lots of them.  (It was like going thrifting, for free, without having to worry about the hygiene of the previous owner - score!)

Here's where I'm at:

Today's weight - 139.0
Today's BMI - 22.4
Goal weight - 130
Goal BMI - 21.0
Total weight lost - 4.0

McFatty Monday - Week 8

Even though today is supposed to be a McFM holiday, I wanted to post anyway because last week was a breakthrough week.  I ended up gaining a bit, but more importantly I started my Couch to 5K program and did all three runs!  The iPod app makes it very simple to keep track of the time and the workout so far is great.  I'm looking forward to week 2. 

I also bought a new pair of running shoes - check out these bad boys:

I needed a new pair because my old ones were one of the only pairs of shoes that fit the last few months of pregnancy so they are quite worn.

Here's where I'm at:

Today's weight - 139.0
Today's BMI - 22.4
Goal weight - 130
Goal BMI - 21.0
Total weight lost - 4.0

McFatty Monday - Week 7

Not too bad of a week, considering there were late nights of birthday planning with lots of snacking, and a party complete with a cookout, birthday cake, and a candy buffet. Nobody should lose weight when there's a candy buffet involved, but somehow I did.

Tonight I did the first workout of my Couch to 5K program. The race is on September 12th. Day 1 wasn't too bad, but I am very out of shape and I hope it doesn't get too hard too fast.

I also signed on for Tutus for Tanner, which means I'll be running the race in a tutu! Tanner is a boy battling Muscular Dystrophy and Kristen and Kari from Shredheads.com came up with the idea to ask people to run in a tutu to honor Tanner. You can read more about it at Shredheads.

Here's where I'm at:

Today's weight - 138.4
Today's BMI - 22.3
Goal weight - 130
Goal BMI - 21.0
Total weight lost - 4.6

McFatty Monday - Week 6

The week before last, I was bad.  I slacked off and was up over 140 again, and felt like crap.  It's amazing how just a few little pounds can make my clothes fit differently and leave me feeling like a tub of pudding.  But I'm back down and going to try to be good this week with birthday party food, and cake, and candy, and stress, and eating my feelings because OH MY GOD MY BABY IS A TODDLER AND I WANT TO GO BACK AND HOLD THAT LITTLE NEWBORN AGAIN.  Breathe....

This week's goal is to not eat like a 250lb. man.  There's a lot to do this week in preparation for Conor's birthday party on Saturday - last night I made a list of my to-do lists.  Which is to say, exercise probably isn't going to happen.      

Here's where I'm at:

Today's weight - 139.2
Today's BMI - 22.5
Goal weight - 130
Goal BMI - 21.0
Total weight lost - 3.8

McFatty Monday - Week 5

I'm taking a mulligan this week for McFM.  See you next week!

McFatty Monday - Week 4

It was a good week! I finally cracked 140 (again.) Conor is also 100% weaned as of this week, so I lost some in the dairy department.

Food - Did pretty well with fresh fruits and veggies (loving the Door to Door Organics.) Did not so pretty well with 2 Chocomize bars.

Exercise - Did 20 minutes on the elliptical last night, which felt great! Have a date with the boys this week for jogwalking. Shopped for new running shoes.

Here's where I'm at:

Today's weight - 138.4
Today's BMI - 22.3
Goal weight - 130
Goal BMI - 21.0
Total weight lost - 4.6

McFatty Monday - Week 3

This week flew by!  Between the car drama and vacation I never got around to starting the C25K.  I did download the iPod app and Tim gave me a nice iPod armband for our anniversary.  He also bought me a ladies running mag and has been very encouraging, so I'm looking forward to getting going this week.  I did manage to do some intense gardening (stop laughing!) that actually left me really sweaty and sore, so not all was lost.

I didn't do too horribly with food.  Even though we were on vacation all weekend, I managed to eat reasonably well (except for that cherry shake from Don's Drive-In, it was Traverse City after all...)  I've also developed a bit of a problem with granola (thanks for the Crapola, Amy!) so I'm in need of a lower fat recipe to make.  We've started getting Door To Door Organics delivered each week, which makes it easier to have fresh fruits and veggies around. 

Today's weight was basically unchanged from last week.  I'm both pleased and disappointed at this - it's better than gaining, but if I had done better with exercise it probably could be lower. 

Here's where I'm at:


Today's weight - 141.1
Today's BMI - 22.8
Goal weight - 130
Goal BMI - 21.0
Total weight lost - 1.9

McFatty Monday - Week 2

Week 1 didn't go so bad. I'm down almost 2 pounds - could be normal fluctuation but at least it didn't go in the other direction, right?

I really tried to make healthier food choices. High points were lots of salads and veggies, low points were a bag of coconut M&Ms and a dessert hamburger and fries made out of cake and brownie.

Turns out I do need more structure to my exercise plan. My new goal is to run the Plymouth Fall Festival 5k September 12th, a little less than 16 weeks away. I'll be starting the Couch-to-5k program (there's an app for that!) It's a 9 week program so I think I'll just put the first week on repeat for a while and see what happens, then July 11th it's go time. I hope by then to have shed several pounds and to be able to fit into my old exercise clothes. The beauty of this plan is it's only 20-30 min, 3 days a week - I think I can handle that.

Here's where I'm at:

Today's weight - 141.3
Today's BMI - 22.8
Goal weight - 130
Goal BMI - 21.0
Total weight lost - 1.7

McFatty Monday - Week 1

Even though this blog is usually dedicated to all things Conor, I am making an exception to start a weekly weight loss post. I am joining McFatty Monday, a community of (mostly) new moms who blog about weight loss.

I gained 50 lbs. while pregnant with Conor. Within 2 months after delivering, I had shed 35 of that (it was a lot of water weight, probably at least 10 lbs. in each ankle) and slowly over the next 7 months lost every. last. pound of my pregnancy weight. WOOT! 9 months on/9 months off was exactly right for me, but I was doing absolutely nothing to lose weight except breastfeeding. 30 ounces a day x 20 Calories per ounce = 600 Calories burned each day sitting on my butt doing nothing. (Wow, after typing that out I can totally see the benefits of extended breastfeeding!) We have been slowly weaning since 9 months and I'm down to producing about half of his intake with the goal of totally weaning over the next 6 weeks.

As I'm breastfeeding less, I've noticed the number on the scale slowly creeping up. At first I thought it was a fluke and would go back down, but 8 lbs. later I'm pretty sure that weight is firmly planted on my gut. Swimming lessons start July 3rd and I don't want Conor to be embarrassed of me. I need to nip this in the bud so here's the plan:

1. Diet - I don't do well with restrictive diets. I need to work on being more sensible with portion sizes and food choices. Last night for dinner I had a bag of popcorn (Orville Redenbacher Natural Lime & Salt, mmmmm) and part of the leftover dessert assortment from Brian's graduation lunch (chocolate cake, Tiramisu, and cheesecake.) Completely unacceptable. Consider that my rock bottom, like the time Tim consumed an entire case of Big Mo chocolate bars in less than a week (which spurred him to start running and he subsequently lost 25 lbs. and became a marathoner.) Emotional eating is also something I need to work on.

2. Exercise - I know if I set some lofty goal of working out X days a week I will let myself down. I have never once been able to stick to a workout routine for more than a few weeks (or days.) (Case in point - I signed up for an exercise program this year at work logged a grand total of 1 workout.) Let's face it - with a full time job and a baby I only have so much energy left at the end of the day. My goal here is to just get moving every day. Go for brisk walks or even a light jog with Conor after work and on weekends, take the stairs at work, stuff like that. I just need to be less sedentary and see where it goes. My eventual goal is to train for and run that 5K I was working towards when pregnancy sidetracked me, but I'm not ready for that just yet.

3. Reward - I need a tangible goal other than warm fuzzies and increased self esteem (and, oh yeah, better health.) If and when I make it to my goal weight I'm going to buy myself a pair of really nice designer jeans to show off my less fatty self.

4. Motivation - Hopefully this McFatty Monday post and community will hold me accountable and motivate me to stick to it. I'm also counting on Tim for encouragement. Seeing him lose weight and become a marathoner over the past 2 years has been inspirational. I really don't want to embarrass him as the fat wife cheering on the sidelines - I want to be the skinny wife cheering on the sidelines (in hot jeans ;) )

We'll see where this goes. I may find that this open wishy washy plan isn't working and I need more structure, only time will tell. I'd like to lose these 8 lbs, plus another 5. I'm not setting any time restrictions on this because the ultimate goal of this is about developing a more healthy lifestyle and setting a good example for my son. I think if I work on building better habits the weight will eventually come off and stay off this time.

Here's where I'm at:

Today's weight - 143
Today's BMI - 23.1
Goal weight - 130
Goal BMI - 21.0
Total weight lost - (0)