Trying to keep pounds off & lose more

I’ve had my up and downs this week. I have been a lot better with eating well during the work day, but nights are tough.  Whenever we eat out it’s hard to make good choices It’s something I need to work on.

Current weight 175-ish

About a year ago at about 160 (bikini pic and clothing one)

It’s so hard to get the weight off my belly and chest.  I wish I could get it off my chest because I have back/neck pain! Partially from some sports injuries but also from chest size.

I was doing about 300-400 crunches a day in the 160 pictures.  I am currently back up to about 100, but I need to increase it.

I do a decent amount of pushups and light weights for my shoulders/arms/upper back.  I do this to decrease pain/stiffness but I have to say the tone in these areas is a plus!

I will have to take some new bikini pictures…..

I am down to 176.5 from last Sundays 180.  YAY!

• I watched my caloric intake more this week.

• I ate less junk food at night. 

• I did not get as much exercise as I would have liked.

My weight loss for the Memorial Day Challenge:

Started at 178 last Saturday (4/11/09)

At 176.5 this Saturday (4/18/09)

My goal weight (ticker)

WL Goals:

Goal #1- 3fatchicks Memorial Day challenge- 166 pounds

Goal #2- My personal 30^th birthday challenge (8/1/09)- 149 pounds

Goal #3- “Ideal weight- TBD- 142 pounds

Exercise on day #1-

Crunches

Pushups

Upper body/bicep/shoulder free weights (I have a lot of neck/shoulder pain)

No cardio

Eating on day #1-

Didn’t make the best food choices, but stayed at about 1500 calories.

29 (but getting close to thirty)

Height 5′7-5′8-ish

Current weight: 180

Mini goal (Memorial day challenge): 166

Goal for my 30th birthday (8/1/09): 149

I’ve had weight issues my whole life. During the teen years I bounced between sizes 8-14, around age 19 I started really packing on the pounds.

By age 24 I had put 272 pounds on my 5′8 frame!!! I was (still am) an emotional eater. I was sick of looking that way and feeling lethargic.  I put myself on a low cal diet basically *trying* to follow the food pyramid and eating healthier stuff. I also started walking 3-6 miles a day, which is something I have always loved. I bought a $1 notebook and kept track of my calories on that. It’s AMAZING how the cheapest weight loss tool ever is one of the BEST! I highly advocate this to anyone because you really don’t realize how many calories are in what you are eating!!!!

In the span of 6 months I took off about 50 pounds, by February of 2004 I was down to about 220. My significant other of 6 years and I separated and I was a wreck!! I lost more weight from not eating due to being so upset!! I was also going to the gym a lot to help cope with the stress.

Around June of 2004 I got down to about 180 (a healthy size 12) and stayed there for a bit.

From June 2004 to December 2007 I did yo-yo between 180 and about 205.

At the beginning of 2008 I started losing more, I think a lot of it had to do with getting more exercise. My fiancee and I are very active, we were doing a lot of vigorous hiking and snowboarding.

By May of 2008 I was down to 158!!! I could fit in most size 8’s and even a few big 6’s!!! I was ecstatic!! I was doing 400 crunches a day and even got back into the bikini!! I maintained that weight for a few months, but than the pounds started creeping back on!! Long story short…. Here I am at 180 and wearing some tight size 8’s!

My short term goal is to get back to 160. That’s the highest weight I’m supposed to be at for my height and I feel that I look very good right around there. I would like to *try* to get to 150, but I’m not stressing that right now.

I know what I need to do to get there:
A.) Break out the notebook again & starting holding myself accountable

B.) When I go out to eat I need to eat more Salad and less Pasta!! I love CARBS!!! I’m quasi-vegetarian so it’s hard to find stuff to eat. I’m not a salad dressing fan so if I can eat salads I’ll have success.

C.) Starting going for my lunch time walks again! I’ve been slacking lately and only doing 3 days a week.

D.) Not eat so much junk on the weekends!!! I look at weekends as pig out time and it’s NOT ok! I need to control this!!

E.) Get exercise at night! I need to go for more walks at night.  I might start running again if it doesn’t bug me knees too much.