LHAS Weigh IN: Week 4

I have gone back to my original scale. It was just too much using my new one during a challenge and it seems to be off by around +5 lbs. or more. I am going to get a new digital one that is not some cheap piece of junk. But for now I am going to weigh using the old scale. The only problem is now it is 2 lbs. off instead of just 1. Ughhh, these darn scales are tormenting me! I also confirmed that I really do not like having a scale in the house right now at all. Like I said I am going to get a digital one, eventually, one day, maybe. I just do not like the temptation to get on the darn thing every time I go into the bathroom. I am already fighting temptations with food so I sure do not need another fight with my willpower.

So what happened this week with the scale you ask. Well I ended up weighing in at 222 lbs. So, I did still gain weight last week but this week I am down 3 lbs. I worked out for a total of 250 mins. I have learned quite a bit from all of this. For one I really never thought that I was an emotional eater but now I think maybe I am. I found that when I was sick and not feeling good I ate very poor food. I am thinking that I ate some bad food to try and make myself feel better. That and at the time I just didn't care about much at all. Not a good combination at all. I ended up eating KFC fried chicken (a leg and a wing) along with some potatoes (no gravy) and some of their mac-n-cheese. Then another night I had takeout Chinese food that included 2 eggrolls, fried rice with chicken and shrimp, and some broccoli and beef. Then there was Saturday night when I ate buffalo wings, and lots of chips and dip. All of that, no exercise, and stupidly running out of my Synthroid caused the gain.

I was also eating more "regular" food (what everyone else was eating for dinner, which is not always very healthy) during the past few days. I have not been sick these days and have gotten my exercise in and did lose some weight but I still think that I need a strict diet for now. I am just not to the point where I can eat even somewhat like a regular diet yet. As one of my favorite bloggers Lyn was talking about the other day, I am in the stage where I am losing weight not in the stage where I will be when I am maintaining. I have had many people comment about my low 800-1000 calorie diet but I am finding that my body needs that calorie range to lose weight. Maybe it is partly due to my hypothyroidism but I just can not eat that many calories, period. I think that the week I was sick I really gained more like 8 pounds and not just 5. I am not exactly sure since I was using the *new* scale and not the usual one. I think that is a pretty big gain for one week. Yes I ate some unhealthy choices but the day I ate the KFC I still ate under 1200 calories and the other days besides the Chinese day and Saturday were all right around 1100-1200. Overall I was not totally off the wagon and only missed 3 days of workouts, however I did only workout for around 30 mins. the other days that week.

I am not trying to make excuses. I am trying to figure out what went wrong, why it went wrong, and how to make sure it does not happen again. I know that I have been allowing myself too many small *cheats* as well. Two nights I indulged in a flavored coffee from the machine at the gas station and then yesterday I had a cookie when I was at my mom's. I was still right at or just over 1200 calories but all the cheats do add up, very quickly.

That brings me to my goals for this week.

1. To stick to a diet of no more than 1000 calories.

2. To eat my Lean Cuisine or Healthy Choice meals. (I get the new ones that are not processed)

3. To continue focusing on getting more fiber in my diet.

4. Consume less sodium.

5. Eat more protein.

6. Workout on the elliptical for 45 min. sessions. (And increase the resistance this week)

7. Alternate strength training daily from arms to legs/abs. (Minimum of 15 mins. daily)

8. After workouts drink whey protein and frozen fruit shake

9. Do not drink any chocolate soy milk (I can't afford the 140 calories in a drink, plus too much soy is not good when you have hypothyroidsim)

10. And work in some running again this week.

Here are the pictures of my weigh in. Sorry they are pretty blurry, at least the one of me is, but I just could not get a clear picture for some reason and I did try several times. This was the best so you can just imagine the others.

I can really see the weight in my face in this picture. I am ready to lose the chins.

So with the 2 lbs. that the scale is off my weight is at 222 lbs.

Why is all the scales around me are inaccurate?

I am going to end on a positive note. My brother-in-law and his new wife and her kids were in town on Memorial Day and they did notice how much I have lost. I have not seen them since right around Christmas. My brother-in-law told me that I sure have been shrinking and that I had better not lose too much or I will disappear. This coming from a guy who is I don't know 5"11 maybe and weighs probably 130 if even that much. I told him that I have a very long weigh to go that I want to lose around another 80 lbs. and he was astonished. He said there is no way that I could need to lose that much. I told him yes I do if I want to be in the healthy weight range for my height. Nobody can ever believe how much I weigh.

In fact my mother and I were just talking last night and I was talking about a friend who is wearing a size 24 and that I can not believe I looked like that. I mean I knew that I was big and still am but sometimes I just do not really see it (until I see a picture and even then in some outfits I still don't see it). We then were talking about how everyone's body is different and that she said even when I was my heaviest at 276 I still did not look that big. I guess everyone carries their weight differently. A couple of times on The Biggest Loser I have not believed the size that some of the contestants claimed they were wearing when I knew what their weight was. I have since learned that it was possible. Another friend who is over 300 wears a size 24. That is just crazy to me because at 276 I was in a 26/28 and my clothes were quickly getting too tight. I know that your height has a lot to do with it. Back when I got down to a size 12 I was weighing probably at least 25 pounds more than my mom and she was also in a 12 but was an inch shorter than me.

See how quickly I get onto another subject and just one little story turns into enough material for an entirely new post. What I was really trying to get at earlier with the story about my BIL was that it is very nice to get compliments and to see that others are noticing the changes in me. I know I wanted to end this on a positive note but I just have to vent one frustration with some of the comments I hear. I keep getting told not to lose too much and that boy I am going to disappear or blow away. What the heck is with that? I am still over 220 lbs. and I am obese. Can people not grasp that concept? I am sure they are well meaning and all but it does get on my nerves, especially since I hear it ALOT.

I am still going to end this on a positive note. I was looking at myself in the mirror and one of the places that was just gross to me is finally starting to look firmer. You know on the inside of your thighs, right up at the top of your leg? Well that area has been one of the most despised areas, besides my upper arms and back. It just looks disgusting to me in a kind of perverted way. I can't really explain it exactly, gross is truly the only word. Well, it is getting much much better. The flabbiness has gone way down and I can see my upper thighs in general getting tighter. It really is cool to see how your body changes shape as you get healthy and fit. That is a change that I can live with.

Wait. Come back. As I was loading the pictures I remembered one other point that I forgot to mention as to why I think I had the gain. I have not been reading everyone's blogs and I have not been blogging. I really do think that is one of the keys to my success. I get very motivated by all of you and writing helps me to get a better perspective on my own life. So keep blogging and let's all keep fighting the good fight!

Rock it, live it, own it!

Lisa