Well, it’s now May and my April experiment was a success!!!  I went 30 days with NO BREAD, NO POTATOES, NO RICE, NO PASTA, NO CHOCOLATE CANDY, NO DONUTS,  and WEIGHING ONLY ONCE A WEEK!!!  It was hard at times, and at other times, it was like second nature! LoL  My biggest complaint was not being able to weigh when I wanted to.  I think I lucked out with my WI days because I lost atleast 1lb per week and never had an “up day”.  I had initially decided to do this to “kickstart” my WL again, but that was not the case.  However, I did figure out I can live without those things!  AND I can say NO to those things when tempted!  I’ve decided to continue on with the NO CHOCOLATE CANDY since it seems to be readily available at the office.  I’m going to see how long I can go without it…33 days now, what’s a few more?!?!?! 

I also started Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred last Sunday and LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!!  It is such a great WO!  I thought I was gonna wimp out and have to take rest days every other day, but that is not the case.  I’m sore following the WO, but not sore enough the following day to have to take a day off.  I did 4 days straight, then took a day off because my calves of all things were sore!  I probably could have did it anyways, but I also wanted to have a “rest day” before WI on Friday.  Sooo, today I did my 7th WO for Level 1 and will hopefully be able to do it every day until Level 2.  I’m getting scared about Level 2, but will fight that demon when I get there! LoL  I’ve worked out regularly for the past 7 months and 30DS is the best I’ve found.  Once I’m complete with 10 workouts at each level, I plan to continue doing 30 DS atleast 3x per week.

And as of today, I’m officially at my first real goal I had set for myself.  170.6   When I began this journey to a healthier me, I set my eyes on 170.  The lowest I had ever been was 188-89 and thought 170 was going to be a good weight.  I also thought I’d be in a size 12.  While I am a 12 in some brands, not all size 12 pants I try on fit.  Since joining 3FC and learning more about being healthy, I changed my final goal so that I would be at a healthy BMI.  I now plan to continue losing to reach 150-154.  This will put me in the high end of the healthy range, but at least it’s healthy! :)  I still can’t believe the scale says 170!!!  It has taken forever, but I’m here now and don’t plan to stay long!!!  My goal was to be 170 by June for when I go to the beach…Goal Achieved Early! YAY!

Next goal: 167.0 by Memorial Day (5/31)

May 3: 171.4 ?!?!?  TOM should be here any day

May 10: 171.8 TOM STILL ISN’T HERE!!!

May 17: 176.0 TOM arrived AND I ate off plan…Probably mostly Water Weight

May 24: 171.8 Water Wt gone, TOM still here…MIGHT get to claim a loss for May, but won’t meet goal!

May 31: 170.4 Didn’t meet goal, but I’m thinking 30DS has me building some muscle!!

GOAL: 167.0

May 1: 30 Day Shred Level 1-Day 6

May 2: 30DS L1-D7

May 3: 30DS L1-D8

May 4: 30DS L1-D9

May 5: 30DS L1-D10

May 6: REST DAY

May 7: 30DS L2-D1

May 8: 30DS L2-D2

May 9: Treadmill Inclined Walk (3-4% @ 3.3-3.5mph for 40min/2.19mi)

May 10: 30DS L2-D3

May 11: 30DS L2-D4

May 12: 30DS L2-D5

May 13: REST DAY (traveling home to WV)

May 14: 30DS L2-D6

May 15: 30DS L2-D7

May 16: REST DAY (traveling back to TN)

May 17: LAZY DAY - NO EXERCISE

May 18: 30DS L2-D8

May 19: 30DS L2-D9

May 20: 30DS L2-D10

May 21: 30DS L3-D1

May 22: LAZY DAY

May 23: 30DS L3-D2

May 24: 30DS L3-D3

May 25: 30DS L3-D4, Recumbent Bike (22min=5mi)

May 26: LAZY

May 27: 30DS L3-D5

May 28:30DS L3-D6

May 29: WATP Walk Strong (30min), Yard Work (trimming = 1.5hr)

May 30: 30DS L3-D7

May 31: OFF DAY

Well, I’m half-way done….with my April Experiment that is!  It’s actually not as hard as I thought it would be…I’ve been very very tempted for some of the chocolate around the office, but I’ve held strong!!!  One of the ladies in the front office made this snack mix that was puffed corn covered in white chocolate and I had 2 pieces…I thought I better try it because who knew if they’d ever make it again! lol  So I guess you can say I cheated, just a little :)  But Dunkin Donuts were in the break room for 3 days AND I did not cave!!!

I’m really excited about my weigh-in tomorrow…C’mon another 2.6lbs lost!!!  I’ll be happy with 1lb, but 2 or more would be AWESOME!!!

ALSO…if you didn’t notice, I put some updated pics on here…click on Progression Pics at the top to see me at 195 and now at 175. 

Well, I’m doing it!  This “new plan” or “experiment” or whatever you want to call this “thing” I’m doing for the month of April…I’m doing it!  The hardest part is NOT WEIGHING EVERY DAY!!  Especially since I “FEEL” like I’m at a new low, but I won’t know until Friday (if then).  It’s really gonna suck if I step on that scale and it’s not 176.somthin! (or lower)  If Friday is an “up” day, I’m gonna scream!!!  TOM is still here, but I’ve been between 1200 and 1500 calories every day since LAST Tuesday!!!  The scale better be down! HAHA  I didn’t even eat Candy on Easter!!  But I’ll be honest, it was only easy because I was home alone with no kiddies’ Easter baskets around!!! LoL

As I posted on the CC Arbor Day Challenge forum, I had a “sort-of slip-up” on Monday.  When I thought up this new “idea” to try for the month of April, and when I said “No Chocolate”, I was meaning chocolate candy and cake…soooo, Monday, I went to Wendy’s and ordered a 4pc nugget and small Frosty for lunch.  I was half way through with the Frosty when I realized, “Hey, this is Chocolate!!!” HAHA  But I finished the frosty because in my head I was giving up candy & cake for this “experiment”…but, I won’t let it happen again!  Even with that as my lunch, my calories were 1365 at the end of the day…well below my projected 1500/day!!!  This “No Carb” thing at dinner is really saving me a TON of calories!  And I feel like I’m eating a TON of food! 

**Hoping for a good number on Friday**

Sooo, I recently read an article in Fitness Magazine regarding yogurt.  A study has proven that if you eat 3 servings of yogurt a day (18oz), alongside your reduced calorie diet, you can increase your fat loss…up to 61% more fat loss than those who don’t add the yogurt!!  A HUGE DIFFERENCE!!! 

KNOXVILLE — Adding three daily servings of yogurt to a reduced calorie diet can greatly increase fat loss, a University of Tennessee nutrition professor said Monday.

Dr. Michael Zemel presented findings from a recent study at the Experimental Biology Meeting today in San Diego. Zemel-s research over the past decade has established a clear link between calcium intake and the ability of the body to burn fat. He has documented that increased calcium levels in the diet signal fat cells to stop storing fat and to start burning it.

“When we put people on diets that include three servings of yogurt a day, we-re able to nearly double the amount of fat that-s lost, compared to people on a low-dairy diet,” Zemel said.

Zemel and his colleagues at the University of Tennessee studied 34 healthy obese adults who were divided into two groups and placed on 12-week diet plans that provided 500 fewer calories per day than their usual intake.

One group ate 1,100 milligrams of calcium each day, including three servings of light yogurt. The low calcium control group ate only 500 milligrams of calcium per day.

Participants on the increased calcium diet lost 22 percent more weight and 61 percent more body fat than others who merely reduced their caloric intake.

The study was funded by General Mills, and subjects ate the company-s Yoplait Light yogurt.

“We have one more tool to combat the obesity epidemic,” Zemel said. “People shoot themselves in the foot by jettisoning dairy when they go on diets. What they need to do is maintain or increase the dairy intake for a host of health-related reasons, and here-s one more: it-s going to help you burn fat.”

From: http://www.utk.edu/tntoday/2003/04/14/yogurt-increases-fat-loss-ut-study-shows/

Sooo, I’ve added increased yogurt intake to my “New & Updated Plan” (see previous post).  Since I found this out at the end of my 1st day of the “experiement”, I only got 12oz that day, but every day since, I’ve had 18oz!  It helps that I recently (about 2months ago) fell in love with Dannon Light & Fit yogurt!  At Wal-Mart, you can get a 4pk of the 6oz containers for less than $2….so this habit will not be an expensive habit to form!  They have a Wal-Mart Great Value brand that I MIGHT try, but I’m scared it won’t be as good!  I could live on the Peach Flavored Light & Fit!!!! 

***4 days down, 26 to go!  This isn’t as bad as I thought…just going crazy not having my daily weigh-in!!!

April 1-4: See Weekly Stat: March 29 to April 4

April 5: Treadmill - Inclined Walk (40min=2.2mi)

April 6: Recumbent Bike (40min=10.4mi)

April 7: OFF DAY

April 8: OFF DAY

April 9: WATP High Energy Burn (30min), extra upper body free weights

April 10: Exercise TV Cardio (20min), WATP Power Mile (20min)

April 11: OFF DAY

April 12: WATP (on my own while watching TV) 30min

April 13: WATP (on my own while watching TV) 30min, Recumbent Bike (25min=5.4mi)

April 14: WATP (on my own while watching TV) 30min, Upper Body free weights

April 15: Yard Work (2hrs)

April 16: Recumbent Bike (40min=9.6mi), upper body weights, ab work

April 17: Upper Body Free weights, Lunges

April 18: 10Minute Trainer Core Cardio, WATP High Energy Burn (30min), ab work

April 19: WATP (on my own while watching TV) 30min, Upper Body free weights, ab work

April 20: Recumbent Bike (25min=5.9mi), Upper Body Free weights, ab work

April 21: Treadmill (Run & Inclined Walk) 45min=2.45mi

April 22: Treadmill (Inclined Walk 3-5% @ 3.3-3.7mph) 40min=2.13mi

April 23: Walk At Home 3mile Power Walk (45min)

April 24: Treadmill (Inclined Walk 3-5% # 3.3-3.5mph w/4min Jog @3%) 40min=2.23mi

April 25: 30 Day Shred Level 1-Day 1 (starting wt: 172.6lbs from my WI 4/23)

April 26: 30DS L1-D2

April 27: 30DS L1-D3, WAH 2mi Power Walk (30min)

April 28: 30DS L1-D4

April 29: REST DAY BEFORE FINAL WEIGH IN FOR ARBOR DAY CHALLENGE!!!

April 30: 30DS L1-D5

WOW!!!  I haven’t had a real “OFF DAY” since 4/11!!!  If you count the yard work as exercise :)  If not, then I’ve exercised for 15 days in a row!!  A FIRST FOR ME!!!!!

April 2: 177.4

April 9: 174.8

April 16: 173.6

April 23: 172.6

April 30: 171.0

 GOAL WEIGHT: 172.4lbs

I MADE IT!!!  I MADE MY GOAL AND THEN SOME!!!!   And to think, I’ll be in a new “decade” in just 1more pound!!!  My long term goal USED to be 170, but I also wanted to be a size 12…Well, after I started losing weight, I realized I might not be a sz. 12 at 170lbs, and I was right.  I’m there in some things, but not all things.  So I’m going to keep going!  PLUS, I’d like to have a “HEALTHY” BMI, so my next goal is 154.5, but would really like to go on down to 150!!!  SOOOO EXCITED!!!!

I’ve come up with just a few changes to my current calorie counting lifestyle :D  I’m hoping this will kickstart my weight loss again AND help me in the long run!!!

Starting Thursday, April 1st, the following changes will take place for atleast 30 days:

1. No More Daily Weigh-Ins - I will only weigh on Fridays.  I used to have Mondays as my official WI, buuut, since I’m in the CC Arbor Day Challenge (April 30) and that falls on a Friday, I decided to change my official days…atleast for the month of April.  This may be good or bad.  Good, being that I’m not running to the scale every day and freaking out because it’s only going up and not down for no apparent reason.  Bad, being that on my official WI days, my weight could be up and discourage me…making me think I’m not losing, when in actuality, I am but it’s just an “up day”.  As you can see from my Weekly Stat postings, my weight is all over the place, all the time!  It seems that I’ll reach a new low and then it’ll slowly creep up for a few days, maybe plateau 2-3 lbs above that low, and then slowly creep back down a few days and usually reach another new low.  This happens not only around my TOM, but throughout the month even if I had an OP day with calories and exercise the previous day.  SOOO, I’m gonna give Weekly Weigh-Ins a try!!!  Wish me luck!
2. No More Carbs - Refined Carbs that is!  I can’t give them all up because I’m such a picky eater…however, I can make a small difference by saying NO potatoes (reg. or sweet), NO rice (white, brown, yellow, or mexican), NO pasta (reg. or whole grain), and NO bread (white, wheat, or whole grain).  This is going to be hard for me considering I maybe eat 3-4 different types of veggies!  However, I LOVE FRUIT and will start incorporating fruit into my dinner.  I know fruit is filled with sugar, but it’s better than a baked potato or cup of rcie or side of pasta!!! This is only for the month of April to give me a “KickStart” to my weight loss again.  Come May 1st, I’d like to incorporate these “white carbs” back into my diet, but at a very limited amount.  Maybe allow myself carbs every other day or something…I haven’t though that far ahead.  PLUS, along side the “weight loss kickstart”, hopefully will be some belly fat disappearance!!!
3. No More Chocolate or Donuts - Excluding my FiberOne Bars! This is mainly a challenge when I’m at work…which is 40+ hours a week, so it’s a big challenge! LoL  There are several candy bowls at work and if chocolate is present in any of them, I may grab up to 5-6 pieces throughout my 8.5hr shift.  It wouldn’t be such a problem if I could limit myself to 1 piece, but it’s always more!!!  AND, I never count those calories!!  Could be the culprit of why I’m only losing 1lb/week on average with restricted calories & increased exercise.  Another demon at work arrives every Friday morning and that would be Dunkin Donuts!  I can pass up the glazed, but the crullers, chocolate filled or covered, or even the spiced cake ones are a soft spot with me!  The donuts arrive by 8am, so by the time I arrive at 3, most of the good ones are gone.  But if I make the mistake of opening that box and seeing one of the good ones, I can’t resist!!!  However, the difference here is I actually count these calories in my daily tracking!   I guess I think, “Well, the donut is ALOT of calories, so I better track it” or “This little piece of chocolate is only 30-60 calories, so I don’t need to track it”.  Buuuut, 5-6 pieces equals 150-360 calories!  BIG DIFFERENCE!

So there you have it…My new and improved plan!  It’s only for 30 days and then we’ll go from there!  My goal for the CC Arbor Day Challenge is to be at 172.4, which is only 5lbs below my lowest.  Since the start of the challenge, 3/18, my weight has been up…the highest reaching I think 180.4…but today I was at 178.6.  This is surprising considering the week I just had (Cheesesteak, Mexican, Fried Food), but maybe the exercise I did helped counter those extra calories just a little. :D  I also plan to exercise atleast 5x per week, not repeating the same routine 2 days in a row.   I will also post updated pics at 175 in the same outfit and same poses as I did at 195lbs.  If anyone has any other ideas or suggestions as to how I could tweak my plan, please, PLEASE, comment or private message me on 3FC (username: kdm322)!!!

Monday Weigh-In: 179.4  Surprised again considering I had Mexican on Saturday and Fried Food yesterday!

Monday Exercise: 40min on TM (1mile of 3.5mi @ varying inclines, 1mile of 5mph, 10min CD)

Tuesday Weigh-In:  178.6

Tuesday Exercise: Kick Butt Kickboxing & Weights (45min), Body Focus Cardio (45min)

Wednesday Weigh-In:  178.4

Wednesday Exercise: WATP High Calorie Burn

Thursday Weigh-In: 178.8

Thursday Exercise:  Off Day

Friday Weigh-In: 177.4  FINALLY! Oh! How I’ve missed this number! LoL

Friday Exercise:   Recumbent Bike 45min=10.6mi, Hand Weights while riding

Saturday Weigh-In: NO WEIGH–switching to only weighin on Fridays

Saturday Exercise: YARD WORK (3hrs)

Sunday Weigh-In: NO WEIGH

Sunday Exercise: Exercise TV Complete Basic Cardio(20min), Exercise TV Full Cardio Body Burn(10min)