Health Buddy + walking

The VA has a program to help with weight loss. Well, 2 actually. The first is called the MOVE program. You meet with a counselor once a month to talk about weight loss, eating right, exercise, etc. They also have group meetings, but I'm not into singing Kumbayah or holding hands with strangers, so I opted not to do that.

The 2nd program is called TeleMOVE. You still meet with the couselor, but you also have more contact with them than in the MOVE program. See that thing to the left? It's called a Health Buddy. Some doctors use it to monitor their diabetes or heart patients, but it can also be used for weight loss. It comes with a pedometer (that I accidentally washed in the laundry the other day - crap) and a scale that's been calibrated to the one they have at their office. You plug the scale into the Health Buddy and once a week you report your weight to the counselor at the VA.

The Health Buddy also monitors your feelings and your pain. It asks you a series of questions each day, and you answer honestly. When I answered that pain sometimes gets in the way of exercising, my counselor called me to make sure I was ok. I am, I'm just having some back pain that's getting pretty bad. I'm going to the doctor about it, don't worry.

So, all of this has got me thinking about how much exercise I actually do. When I still had my pedometer (I'm getting a new one at my next appointment), I became acutely more aware of how many steps I was taking. I started out at around 3000+ steps a day, but managed to work up to 6000+ steps a day (thank God I have good walking tennis shoes). While that's a lot of steps, it's not enough. I need to do MORE.

On my drive home from work, I saw a park with some trails that looked fairly promising (especially since so many other people were walking/running them). So, I'm going to take my track pants to work and change into them before I leave for the day so I can take a brisk walk before I get home. This will only work on days I get off early enough to do so - Monday and Wednesday are out, since I don't get off until 5, but Tuesday, Thursday, & Friday are good. As much as I'm not excited for the heat (I live in Texas and it's the beginning of summer for us... 80-90 degree weather every day, joy), I am excited for the feeling I'm going to get at the exercise endorphins and I can't wait for my jeans to start falling off again. I've been entirely too lazy and that stops NOW!

What steps are you taking towards your weight loss goal?

My Not a Post...

Sorry...I should post but I am too tired and can't focus. I'll catch ya'll next week.

Will I ever stop coughing?

I've been sick for the past 3 weeks. At first, it was a sinus infection but then it turned into an upper respiratory infection that wouldn't go away. I can breathe again thankfully, but I'm still coughing and my chest hurts.

Of course with that wonderful stuff, I'm unable to do any exercise. I've been trying to walk more, and my pedometer has me at 6,000+ steps for the past couple days (I usually have around 3,000 at the end of the day) so at least there's that.

I have a doctor's appointment today, and I'm nervous to see the number on the scale when I get there. If I gained more weight, the doc is more than likely going to change my meds again and that's the last thing I want.

I can't wait for this ick to be completely gone. I want to get back on the elliptical and drop this stupid weight!

What do you about weight loss when you're sick?

Where's That Wagon? I Know I Left It Somewhere...

I'm back! And it feels so good. :) Where I stand medically is the clot is still there, but not as serious as they thought. Bottom line is we are letting the medicine help my body break it down. In two weeks I am going for a follow up ultrasound to look at my leg and see if the clot is breaking down. In the mean time I have been cleared to start walking! Yay!

Here I am back blogging because now have something to talk about again! I had been intermittently trying to walk at work during lunch, but found my leg was swelling too much. The doctor and I decided that walking at night is better so I ca prop my leg up after the exercise. Now I get to the good part, and the crappy part.

The crappy part is that because of the lack of exercise, and really my decreased mobility for a few months, I am starting over. I have lost all the ground I gained and then some. I am currently weighing in at 203lbs. Gah! Here is the good news. I walked 2 days this week so far and plan to walk tonight too!

Monday 1.58mi = 230 cals
Tuesday 1.8mi = 240 cals

So, I am back in business and am looking forward to working up to more valuable exercise. I miss you Billy Blanks!

I'm back....sort of

Hi everyone! I know I've been away for a couple weeks. Things have been pretty busy around here. A week ago this past Monday I had surgery to remove a phyllodes tumor from my right breast. Thank God it was not cancerous.

I've been out of the gym for 1 1/2 weeks now and have really been off the band wagon. I have pretty much eaten and drank anything I've wanted and I can honestly tell you that I know I have gained weight. Big surprise there huh? *sigh*

I plan on hitting the gym again this next Monday. I'm still a little sore from surgery and want to make sure I don't have any pain before going back. I'm really afraid to step on the scale. I know it's gonna be bad. My trainer is NOT going to be happy with me. Anyhow, that's all that going on with me. I hope all is well with you.

Guest post by Reena Jacobs

Last week, I mentioned to Mama Kitty that I was reading a book called Women Food and God by Geneen Roth. I even went as far to say that I might share it with #twitloss. You can do it as a guest post, she suggested, and offered her Friday.

I thought about it for awhile—I hate making commitments—but then agreed. I did want to share what I’d learned. After all, it was a decent read, and if any of you are like me, you hate dieting. In fact, I’m so bad at keeping to diets that the longest I’ve lasted on one was probably about 48 hours.

Quick side trip.

On the way to church this week, I stopped by Subway for a six inch tuna melt on 9 grain oat—add provolone cheese, tomatoes, onions, lettuces, extra mayo, and honey mustard. Not too bad of a dinner—reasonable calories, low fat meat, and a few antioxidants. Yum! I was even hungry at the time.

I hopped in the car with my meal and was on my way. Ten minutes into the drive, my sandwhich was gone, and I was full. Funny thing though, I didn’t enjoy it like I’d thought I would. In fact, I’d hardly tasted it.

So what does this have to do with Women Food and God?

My relationship with food… my encounter with my sub and driving—was exactly what Ms. Roth speaks out against.

In her book, she doesn’t offer a get thin quick scheme or a miracle diet plan. Her method is simple—awareness. What are you feeling, both emotionally and physically? When you reach to finish that 16 oz bag of potatoe chips, even though you just ate 75% of it 15 minutes ago, what is your body saying to you? Is it even hungry? :) Chances are, no. Then why do you want more? This is not a rhetorical question. Seriously. Why do you want to finish the bag? What does the bag represent to you?

For me it offers pleasure. I anticipate the saltiness. I look forward to licking the greasy crumbs from my fingertips. I imagine the goodness in every bite.

The truth of the matter is I’m in love with a fantasy. Unlike many people, I don’t really like potato chips. I just like the idea of eating them. After the bag’s gone, I’m sorely disappointed with the effects.

You see, potato chips sit in my stomach like a pot of fermenting mush. If I eat more than a serving or two, there’s a good chance I’ll be seeing that mush a second time, coming up the way it went down.

So why would I torture myself? The answer: because I’m great at ignoring what my body tells me, has told me in the past. I don’t like being uncomfortable, yet I’ve been known to eat until my belly aches. I hate what over-indulging in carbs does to my bowels but think nothing of devouring half a cake over the course of an evening.

Women Food and God is about getting back in touch with your body… recognizing, understanding, and listening to the clues your body tells you.

Back to my trip to church. There was nothing wrong with the tuna melt in itself. The problem was how I went about consuming it—without any care. Driving down the road while dodging cats intent on committing suicide did not allow the focus I needed to really appreciate my sub sandwich, much less listen to my body. I don't know when I became full. I just know when I was finished, I'd already reached the point of fullness.

For one who enjoys eating as much as I do, it would have made sense to take the time to enjoy the meal and savor every wholesome bite. Not scarf it down without even tasting it. I can’t possibly go into everything I’ve learned in the book with one blog post (even if I didn’t follow the guidelines on my way to church). Other than recommending this book, I will encourage my fellow twitloss buddies to take time to smell the cheeseburger. Experience the texture of those fries. And above all, listen to your body before you take that first bite, and the next, and the next. Understand your emotions, what’s happening psychologically, and what drives you to eat beyond what your body needs. Your transformation into awareness might not happen overnight. One thing for sure, it doesn't hurt to start practicing now.

While you’re doing that, keep this in mind: Losing weight shouldn’t be about deprivation. What you eat and how you eat should be about love for yourself and the body you inhabit. Women Food and God talks about a life changing way of eating... a guilt-free one which makes sense, feels good, and puts away the idea of starvation.

Thanks for having me, Mama Kitty.

Repeat after me.....It's just a number.

 If you follow me on twitter you know that I have been whining and moaning for the last 3 weeks about being "stuck". The scale isn't moving as fast as I would like it to considering this is the longest and most dedicated I have been in months. My daily burn calendars:

Admittedly, in my frustration this week I haven't been tracking food tho I think I've been pretty close to target each day. I'm burning calories like a crazy person. I've made the gym a regular habit that brings me a brief bit of calm during my day and most days I look forward to it. Or at least I do once I'm in my car and on the way there.

All of that and how much have I lost over the last three weeks? 3 lbs. And I think the last half pound of that is thanks to the fact that I spent Saturday sick and throwing up. Oh and I was peeing like a pregnant woman this woman.

In spite of my annoyingly frustrating whines, my friends have been supportive and keep reminding me ... "be easy on yourself, your body is changing, we can see it even if you can't." I've nodded and gone along with it, secretly analyzing everything I am doing and second guessing myself. Am I eating enough? Am I eating too much? Is my heart rate too high when I work out? Do I need more weights?  Is it my thyroid? Maybe I really need to suck it up and find meds. Or maybe its the birth control? Its been years since I've been on the pill, surely its delaying my progress.

Truth is, none of that should matter because it isn't about the number on the scale. Or it isn't supposed to be. This is supposed to be about my health. This is supposed to be about how I fit in my clothes and how I feel about myself. A number on the scale doesn't define me and I need to stop allowing myself to fall into that trap. Yes, its a visual marker as to where I am in this journey, but it doesn't automatically equate with failure or success. I could stop eating all together and lose 30 pounds but I certainly wouldn't be any healthier. 

Am I getting to the gym regularly? yes. 
Am paying attention to what I consume? yes.
Am I letting emotions dictate what I eat and when? no.
Am I doing my best to make good choices? yes. 

Those are the markers to my success.

All of that said, this post isn't without some good news. My weight may not be changing but my measurements certainly are. I took them just about 2.5 weeks ago and again this morning.

• waist ~ lost 1.5 inches
• hips ~ lost 0.5 inch
• abs ~ lost 1.5 inches

Maybe I just can't use a tape measure, but I think they are pretty accurate. The fact that I lost all my inches in my midsection gives me some hope I will get to keep some of the curves I actually don't mind. ;)

Now, someone remind me of this post if/when I'm complaining about the scale again next week? Thanks.

Created by MyFitnessPal - Free Weight Loss Tools