Maintenance Weigh-In #4

This one really, truly, pissed me off.

Last month I made my personal goal and was hoping to drop just a few more pounds over November to get a little more wiggle room under that number.

All fall I've been staying dead on plan with eating and exercise, yet seeing random gains for no reason or pattern I can discern.

It's been very frustrating as I feel I've been doing everything "right" and yet gaining 1-2 lbs a week for no reason. I want to get closer to 155 than 160, so if I weigh-in and have some random, BS gain I'm still not over 160.

I thought I had it licked by eating more to offset my high-intensity workouts. This past week I returned to bootcamp and running after tweaking my back on Thanksgiving. I thought the worst was behind me, which is why it was a giant kick in the ovaries to step on the scale at Weight Watchers yesterday and be rewarded with a +2 lb gain over my November official weight.

2 lbs. For real? I have never, ever gained 2 lbs between weigh-ins - and certainly did nothing to earn that. I ate on plan and exercise my ass off and, for what? To gain 2 lbs? Argh.

WW rolled out its Points Plus 2012 program changes this week, the biggest being the fewest number of Points a person can consume a day dropped from 29 to 26. I had been eating 29, plus my Activity Points and some Weeklies.

This week I think I'll try sticking to 26 to see if that shakes anything up. Plus, since I reinjured my back on Monday and am off high-itensity workouts for the short term, I won't be earning any Activity Points for a while.

I left the meeting frustrated, but not upset. I worked hard 4 weeks for a good number and got hosed. But I knew I did absolutely everything I could. I left nothing on the table and I gave it my best effort. It wasn't good enough today and that's OK. I don't like it, sure, but I'm not going to cry over it or anything.

So, where to now?

Well, December is a hell of a month to try and drop pounds, but I want to try. I am launching Operation 5 Freakin' Pounds, which if you sing it in the style of "Fiiiiiiiiiiive Goooooooooooooold Riiiiiiiiiiiings" from "The 12 Days of Christmas", is kinda fun.

I'm going to keep trying. But in the back of my head there is a voice. And it says, "This may be it. Your body may just want to stay where it is, whether you like it or not."

I may have to accept that, but I'm going to give it a little more time first.

November '11: Home Weigh-In 4

Well, this was interesting.

Last week, I lost quite a bit, thank God. I was hoping to follow it up with a smaller loss, given I was still rocking the strategy that seemed to get me a big loss.

Stepped on and saw 159.2, which means I stayed the same.

Well, it's better than gaining, I guess.

This weigh-in covered Thanksgiving, a much-feared holiday within many WW meeting rooms, but one I never sweated too much. I was hosting Thanksgiving, which means I controlled the menu and could ensure I had lots of veg on hand with which to fill myself up.

I also had a plan going in. I knew how many Points I had on hand and what I wanted to eat that was special, namely a cup of my Dad's mashed potatoes, which are so sinful I can smell the butter coming off them from a mile away. But I only have them once a year and I had the Points. I'm not going through life never eating those mashed potatoes again, it's once a year.

Thanksgiving is one day, one meal, really. And if you keep it to one meal, you can't do too much damage in the short run. Unless you have a weigh-in the next day and I don't know anyone brave enough to weigh in the day after Thanksgiving, but kudos if that's you. You're hardcore.

I also ran a race that morning, so I had my Weeklies and a nice stash of Activity Points on which to draw.

Was Thanksgiving the source of the maintain? Highly doubtful.

However, after the race and before Thanksgiving dinner, I tweaked my lower back, which earned my an extra day off from exercise and a lost bootcamp class as well. Instead of working out 5 days this past week, I worked out 4. One bootcamp class, one 5K race and two 60-minute sessions on the elliptical. Was that the reason - less-intense exercise and one fewer day? Again, doubtful.

At this point, I'm thinking I had a big loss last week and my body was taking a time out this week.

That's OK, I have one more week before my December weigh-in at Weight Watchers. I would love to get down closer to 155 than 160. Let's see what I can pull out of my hat.

November '11: Home Weigh-In 3

Man, was I heavily sweating this weigh-in.

I had a plan: In addition to everything I was already doing, eat more, especially an extra carb on workout days, preferably before. So that's what I did.

I stepped on the scale this morning and, thankfully, saw 159.2. Amen, brother. -3.6, phew.

I was terribly concerned it would not work. If eating less and exercising didn't work, and eating more and exercising also didn't work, where would I turn?

But it looks like this worked fine, so I'll follow what I did this past week again and see what happens. I have 2 weeks until my official December WW weigh-in and I would love to be closer to 155 than 160.

In Weight Watchers-ese, here's what I did, if you're curious.

In addition to following the plan to a T, I ate all my Activity Points on the day I earned them. On bootcamp days, I wore my heart-rate monitor, which divides the time spent exercising into three HR zones: low, medium and high.

I took the time spent in each and calculated how many APs I earned. For example, bootcamp is usually 5 APs. Before bootcamp I ate a mini-bagel (3 P+) and a serving of WW cream cheese (2 P+). Voila, there's your 5 APs eaten.

When I ran I didn't need the HRM, I just knew the entire run was spent in the high intensity zone, so I took my total run time and calculated the APs. I ate a bagel and cream cheese before my runs, and if I had leftover APs from the run (anywhere from 2-5), I'd toss them into the day's Point total and eat them as well.

Along the way, I also ate 9 of my weeklies, not exactly sure when, but I did. Previously I would eat about half my APs and usually 0 weeklies, so the adjustment in this area seems to have been the trick.

November 11: Home Weigh-In 2

So. Frustrated.

+2 lbs today, which is a real kick in the ovaries since I am doing everything I can to lose a few more pounds.

So, up 4 lbs over the past two weeks, and I'm still eating to lose, as well as maintaining my regular aggressive exercise schedule.

What the hell?

Seriously, I can't live the program any better than I am.

I work out at high intensity 5 days a week.

I drink 100+ oz of water a day.

I follow all of Weight Watchers' Good Health Guidelines.

I eat a variety of protein, fruit and vegetables and keep it low on carbs. I mix up my foods, I'm not eating the same thing over and over.

The only thing I can think is I need to eat more. And that's a scary concept. Not that I wouldn't enjoy eating more, but common sense tells you, "Eat More = Gain Weight" and I've apparently got the market cornered on that ability, thank you.

Currently I eat about half of my Activity Points and none of my extra Weeklies. I think I need to start eating more APs and maybe even dip into the Weeklies.

When I ran into this problem last month (and, seriously, is this going to be a regular thing?) my trainer said he thought I wasn't eating enough and I needed to eat more carbs. Believe me, I'll be consulting with him tomorrow after bootcamp for his advice.

'Cause what I'm doing isn't working.

November '11: Home Weigh-In 1

Last week was a big week in two ways:

I lost 6.6 lbs, the most I've ever lost in one week.

I sailed under my personal weight goal.

After months of weigh-ins, I know one thing: If you have a big loss, chances are you won't have a substantial loss the following week.

For me, 6.6 lbs in one week represented 4% of my total body weight. That's a ridiculous one-week loss for this stage of the game, so I had low expectations heading into the basement Tuesday morning to weigh in.

Turns out, I should have had even lower expectations. Despite the fact I was still in losing mode (as in, I didn't eat more to try and maintain my current weight), the scale had me up 2.4 lbs.

I can just see it, my body saying, Wait, I gave up how much last week? No, that's crazy. I want some back.

So even though I was still eating as if I was trying to lose weight, and exercising as hard as I always do, I was up 2.4 lbs. Thanks, scale, thanks a ton.

However, I know this is just a case of my body swinging numbers around until we find a good one to settle on.

Which is why I want to drop a few more pounds. Now, I can hear you, Are you insane? Surely, you've got a mental problem. Why do you want to lose more weight?

I can explain: Don't have me committed just yet.

160 lbs is the most I ever want to weigh. I know our weights bump can around up and down 2-3 lbs on any given week, even when we're going everything "right." I want to try and get to 155 as a baseline, so if my weight happens to fluctuate 2-3 lbs, I'm still under 160.

My scale read 160.8 Tuesday morning and I did not like to see that 6. At all.

So I want to lose another 3.8 lbs to get to 155 and then switch to maintenance mode to see how I can maintain in that neighborhood.

It's less than 5 lbs, it's just a number, I know. It's not like I'm trying to drop another 10 to get into smaller clothes. I'm happy with how my body looks (for the most part...) and I'm happy with my clothing sizes. It's just that 158 is still too close to 160 for me to remain under 160 with all the weekly vagaries of water retention, menstrual cycle, etc.

I want to peel these last 3.8 off this month, so I could truly start maintaining in December. That would be great. So there's my November goal, should keep me honest through the eating holiday approaching.

The Day I Made My Personal Goal

To put it mildly, October sucked.

Sure, there were several wonderful highlights (A, B, C & D).

But for the most part, when it went wrong it went very, very wrong:

I got injured.

Had to drop out of my much-ballyhooed 10K.

Gained 1-lb for consecutive weeks for no discernible reason, which landed me back at the weight I was at the beginning of the month, all while I was trying to shed my last 5 lbs to reach my personal goal.

And then there was last weekend, when my part of Massachusetts was hit by a freak Nor'easter that dumped a foot of snow on us - on Oct. 29.

The storm knocked out our power, stranding me and my son at a friend's house Saturday night.

On Sunday, we still didn't have power at my house, so the whole family decamped to my brother's house an hour away, which caused me to (understandably) miss a scheduled race to which I was looking greatly forward. Here's a hint: If there's some freak storm forecast and I have a race on the same weekend, the storm will happen. Book it.

Power returned Monday morning, so we were able to return, settle in and clean up just in time to bring the kids trick-or-treating.

All of this mishegas meant I lost three days of my week to chaos, which is disconcerting when you're a Weight Watcher. We love routine. However, life is not without chaos, so if you're going to be successful, you need to learn to roll with the punches. Doesn't mean we have to like it, though.

I was able to stay on program while I was staying with various people over the weekend. It was not easy and eating whatever I wanted would definitely have taken the edge off. Yet I knew that we would eventually get our power back, but I would not be able to undo any eating damage that easily, especially just before my official Nov. 1 Weight Watchers weigh-in.

Operation 5.1 was still in effect and even though its success looked remote, I was going to try my best to shed as close to 5.1 as I could.

So I white-knuckled myself through our "homeless" days and knew I did absolutely everything I could given the circumstances. Missing the race Sunday meant I missed a workout, so instead of working out 5 days this week, I got in 4, but that's still great.

Given I don't eat or drink before my official 10 am weigh-in, I slept in as late as possible so I would have as short a period as possible between wake-up and weigh-in. I am a flat-out crank without caffeine or breakfast, so I try to keep that short for my sake and my family's.

I rolled pretty well this morning, got on my weigh-in gear and headed to the basement to get a number, so I would know the differential between my home scale and the official scale at the center.

Let me tell you, my summer weigh-in outfit of capris and a T-shirt was not cutting it this morning. I had planned to buy a pair of light-weight wind pants and a light long-sleeved T over the weekend, but the storm nixed that, so summer outfit it was. So. Cold. But it was for a purpose.

I was extremely nervous, I honestly had no idea what I would see. To hit my personal goal I had to lose 5.1 lbs for the month of October. The gains brought me back to where I was at the last official weigh-in, so in order to make my goal I would have to lose that much in one week. That is a lot to ask - 3% of my body weight in one week.

I was not optimistic.

Took a deep breath, stepped on the scale and saw the 1 then a 5. Whoa. It took my brain a bit to register the whole figure: 158.2. You gotta be kidding me. That's -6.6 lbs. In a week.

I usually pull one big loss a month, but I have never had a loss that big. I knew the Weight Watchers scale would not be off by much, so I knew Operation 5.1 would be a success. That took the edge off my caffeine- and breakfast-less morning. Looks like my tactics last week worked, even with that monkey wrench of a weekend tossed in.

Floated over to the Weight Watchers Center at the appropriate time and got on the scale (which is what you see in the picture at the top). -6.6 lbs, 158.4 - 124 lbs lost total.

Unreal. I have no idea when I last weighed one-fifty-anything, had to be junior high.

I made it. My personal goal, here and now. When I started, all I wanted was to eventually weigh 160 lbs and wear a Size 10 comfortably. And, today, all of that is a reality.

It's surreal, to tell you the truth. I've been working on this for 14 months and even as Goal got closer and closer, it was still "out there." But now it's right here.

I am at a healthy weight. I have a Normal BMI (starting: 44.2; current: 24.8). I don't have to lose weight.

Never as an adult have I been able to state that.

My life has changed in so many ways it's hard to sort it all out, other than to say, "It's all good. Very, very good."

So, what now? A lifetime of maintenance.

That sounds daunting, but hell, what's the alternative? Not awesome, I tell you that.

Flo always says:

"It's HARD to be overweight. It's HARD to lose weight. It's HARD to maintain weight loss. You just have to pick your hard!"

True dat. I am picking the latter. Forever.

Stick around, because this is where the hard work really begins...

October '11: Home Weigh-In 3

Yesterday I called my body a dummy and the scale a *^#&!@.

Neither were happy with their characterizations, as I was +1 - for the second week in a row. This is the first time since I started that I had two gains in a row. Not the trend I was looking for.

I am not happy about this development because I've been doing everything "right":

Staying within my Points.

Tracking and following all WW Good Health Guidelines.

Working out 6 out of 7 days (not because I feel like I have to, but because I like to. I know, it surprises me, too).

So with one week to go until my official November Weight Watchers WI, I am right back where I was on Oct. 4. That sucks. Lost 2 lbs the first week, gained one each subsequent week - for a reason I cannot determine. And that is annoying me.

Now, I know my cycle is nigh, so perhaps that's it. Or maybe I've been eating the same-old, same-old foods and I need to shake it up a bit. Or I'm working out too much, leaving my muscles inadequate time to repair, causing water retention.

Whatever, I need to do something different this week. I can't sit here and whine that I'm not losing weight if I don't do something to try and move the scale (even though everything I'm doing is supposed to move it).

I'm going to eat some new meals and try at least one new recipe. And I will drop back to working out 5 days a week (3 run/2 bootcamp).

What does this mean for Operation October 5.1? Damned if I know. I usually have one major loss a month, 3+ lbs. So perhaps that will be next week. Could I pull off 5+? It's possible and has happened before.

How "exciting."

October '11: Home Weigh-In 2

Ack, this post is 6 days overdue. Sorry. Been behind, but I will catch up.

Anyway, last Tuesday (Oct. 18) my husband had to go into Boston, which means he had to leave for work a half-hour earlier than usual. Which means I had to be back from my run a half-hour earlier than usual.

Which meant, all together now, alarm half-hour earlier than usual.

4:30 am.

I just started getting to the point at which 5 am doesn't sound horrific and here comes 4:30 am. Regardless, it was a short-term thing.

Now of all the days of the week I don't mind getting up at said time, Tuesday is #1 because I can find out how I fared weight-loss wise that much earlier than normal.

Rereading that I sound obsessed, but I assure you I am not, just extremely invested.

Anyway, down to the basement and I see 163.8 - +1 lb from the week before.

+1? At 4:40 am? That's insult upon injury, while getting flipped off, to boot. AT 4:40 AM! And I was up so early because I WAS GOING OUT FOR A RUN.

It's famously said, in weight-loss circles, "Your body doesn't know when it's weigh-in day." And that's true. And I want to reply, "Get with the program, dummy!"

Despite the previous shouting, I truly was not - and am not - upset.

The previous week I ran three times - including my fastest 5K yet (of which I owe you a blog post) - and hit bootcamp three times. And I ate within my Points and followed the program like I always do. So, I stepped off with a clean conscience.

Some weeks you do everything "right" and get hosed. Unfortunately, it's part of the deal. It happens and you press on.

Months ago, such a weigh-in would have gutted me, but not now. If you keep giving 100%, the scale will drop. It's hokey, but true: Trust the process.

And If you keep on-keepin' on long enough, that peace of mind develops and it's extremely helpful - and appreciated.

But, let me tell you, that *@&#^$ better drop next WI.

October '11: Home Weigh-In 1

I really, really needed some good news on the scale this morning to combat the absolutely crappy four days that proceeded it.

However, I didn't want to get my hopes up because I haven't been able to work out since last Friday. That's the longest I've gone in between workouts in 5 months.

I've been sticking to my 29 daily Points (come home, Activity Points, I miss you!) and staying within them, but minus the exercise I wasn't sure what my body would give up.

Plus, I've been hopped up on Ibuprofen since Friday and traditionally I retain water when I take those meds.

I hit the scale this morning with no expectations - I couldn't bear any more disappointment because I've had my fill this week.

So you can imagine how very happy I was to see 162.8 on the display, which means I'm down 2 lbs from last week. Excellent. Almost halfway through Operation October 5.1 already.

Maintenance Weigh In #2

It's the first Tuesday of the month, so it was off to the official scale at Weight Watchers this morning.

I weighed in at 165 on the nose, -3.8 for the past month. Not bad given everything that went on in September, but I did want to lose an even 5 lbs.

I noted last week that I was concerned because I had a Sunday evening wedding this past week. I did great. I left the house at 2 pm having consumed 22 of my 29 Points for the day and a lot of water. I wanted to leave full and not arrive at the cocktail hour famished.

Mission accomplished. I ate this for lunch and it is great and crazy filling.

I passed on all appetizers, alcohol (and it was open bar, sob), bread and what looked like an awesome Ceasar salad.

I ate the small baked stuffed lobster entree and half a petite filet mignon, and finished with a small piece of wedding cake. Seriously, life is too short to pass up cake, weigh-in be damned. The key to everything I ate was small (or half) portions.

I went into the evening with 7 remaining daily Points, 19 APs(!) from my 8-mile run that morning and 40 Weeklies left. I had plenty of Points. Just a head's up on that run: That was an already-scheduled training run for the 10K. I wasn't trying to run forever to earn extra APs, just a note.

I left the evening full and, most importantly, not feeling deprived at all. I ate what I considered the food I wanted most and enjoyed it. If I didn't have an official weigh-in two days later, I would have also had a few appetizers, a beer and that Ceasar salad. But all things considered, I was very happy with how I handled it.

So now I am just 5 lbs away from my personal goal. I am kicking off Operation October 5.1. When I weigh in on Nov. 1, I want to be 159.9 and - finally - hit that personal goal.

September '11: Home Weigh-In 3

After last week's gain I was hot to get the scale moving south once more.

I had a good week eating- and exercise-wise and headed for the scale at 5 a.m. today content that I did all I could.

I was happy to see 166.6, which means I lost 3.4 over the past week, and 2.6 since my last official WW weigh-in on Sept. 6. I have one more week to add to my monthly loss total before I hit my official October weigh-in a week from today.

I would love another 2.4 lbs, which would give me -5 for the month. Exercise-wise, I've got it covered. There's bootcamp tomorrow, a 2-mile run on Thursday, bootcamp on Friday, an 8-miler on Sunday and 1 hour on the elliptical on Monday.

Just a quick aside on the exercise:

Do not think you have to work out like I do to lose weight.

You don't. You don't have to run. You don't have to go to bootcamp. All you have to do is move a few times a week in any sweat-inducing-type manner that you enjoy: walking, Zumba, water aerobics, fitness DVDs, whatever floats your boat and makes you breathe heavy.

I happen to like running and bootcamp, that's why I do them. Sometimes I worry people think they have to hit it hard to get results, but you don't. Just hit it consistently. And sweat. And, you know, have fun.

Anyway, the more challenging end of this week will be eating, as I have a wedding. On Sunday. Sunday evening. Ack.

I've joked with friends that since I have to weigh-in the first Tuesday of each month, I'm going to request my friends and family plan no special occasions the last week of every month. Now I think I'm only half-joking.

However, I'm going in with a plan and I will not let one evening tank my monthly weight-loss total. Even if the food is to die for. Which, from what I've seen, it is. Anyway, this is one of those Melissa-has-to-adapt-to-life moments, not Life-has-to-adapt-to-Melissa, so off we go.

September '11: Home Weigh-In 2

Been a demanding week, sorry this update is so late.

I have several blog posts I need to get up. They're written in my head, but getting them from my cranium to my keyboard has been a challenge.

Anyway, I wasn't looking forward to this weigh-in on Tuesday because I ate like a death-row inmate on Saturday. However, I decided to be a big girl and suck it up.

Stepped on the scale and it wasn't that bad - +.8.

Wow, that wasn't bad at all.

And then I remembered, in accordance with my body's usual weight-loss pattern, this should have been a big-loss week, like, upwards of 3-4 lbs. It's very possible I left quite a few pounds on the proverbial table.

However, that's all part of life. Either I learn to enjoy it in moderation and accept and tackle the ensuing gains, or I live like a prisoner denying myself any splurges for the rest of my days. I'll take the former, please.

I am happy to report that since I woke on Sunday I've been right back on my regular, everyday, smart-eating-and-exercise lifestyle, and I like it.

I have 2 weeks until my official October WW weigh-in and I'd love to drop 4 lbs by then. It's possible and I will do my best, as always.

September '11 Home Weigh-In 1

Got a big 'ol M Tuesday, which means I weighed the exact same this week as I did last.

And, frankly, that's a good thing as I wiped out my WPAs last Sunday at my brother's.

All the food I ate was "good", but it was a lot. Plus there was that cheeseburger and pasta I had post-race Sunday. (For non-WWers, every week we get 49 extra Points - Weekly Points Allowance - that we can eat anytime during the week - or not at all.)

For me, 49 Points translates into basically an extra day-and-a-half of food. Some weeks I eat some. Rarely I eat all. However, they're there if I need them. I rarely use them all so late in my WW week because it could affect how much weight I lose, if any. Did it affect my non-existant loss this week? Maybe, maybe not. Who knows?

This all just goes to show that it doesn't matter how much you work out, you still need to eat smart and controlled. I worked out, literally, 7 days this week, including bootcamp and two 5Ks, and stayed the same. If you want to lose weight you have to manage your eating and exercise for success.

Don't want to sound like I'm complaining here, I'm definitely not. Given the opportunity to choose my foods Sunday again, I would do the same thing. As I've written before, I want it all to be about moderation - not deprivation.

Maintenance Weigh-In 1

As I've been trumpeting non-stop, today was my one-year anniversary of rejoining Weight Watchers, as well as my first monthly weigh-in since reclaiming my Lifetime status.

As a Lifetime member, I have to weigh-in once a month to ensure I've stayed within 2 lbs of my Goal weight, 175. As long as I didn't weigh more than 177 lbs, I would be able to continue to attend meetings for free.

A quick aside, I've had people ask, "Why do you still go to the meetings every week?" Valid question. For me, it's a case of "Check yourself before you wreck yourself." Get a little success and it's easy to think you've got in all covered: "Eh, I don't need meetings anymore. I know everything!"

Um, no. At least not for me. The key to continued success for me is weekly meeting attendance. If I'm cruising right along, I need to remember how hard it can be by listening to those who are struggling and trying to offer them help. If I'm having a problem, I need help from my leader and fellow members.

Getting to still attend meetings every week - for free - is truly an honor and a privilege, and it keeps my head on straight. When I made Lifetime in 2003, I stopped going to meetings. And we know how that turned out.

Anyway, I got to the meeting early for a multitude of reasons:

I was dying to know what the official WW scale said. This morning my home scale had me at 169.2. I needed to know the Rosetta Stone differential between the two so I would have a good idea of how I am progressing week to week when I do unofficial Tuesday morning WIs at home.

With summer unofficially over, meeting attendance skyrockets, everyone wants to get back on track, which means longer lines at the scale.

It was the first week of the month, so many Lifetimers would be returning to get their monthly WI out of the way.

I was starving. Since I was weighing in, I didn't eat or drink anything all morning, and by 10 am I am fading and cranky bigtime.

Getting to the meetings early is rarely a good idea because it means that much more time my children have to keep it together in the Center. However, I was willing to endure that because, dammit, I needed an official weight, a Luna bar and a Diet Coke, in that order.

When I walked in, only one person was ahead of me. Literally 2 minutes later, 5 people were behind me, and it was 20 minutes before the meeting start.

My Weight Watchers Center was just refurbished this summer, so new scales and pretty much everything else. I like these new scales because I can read the monitor display and get my number without waiting for the receptionist to tell me, and sometimes it takes them a while to share it.

I stepped on and, seriously, I thought my heart would beat out of my chest. I wish I was wearing a heart-rate monitor because it must have gone through the roof. Even after 52 weigh-ins, I still get nervous.

Trying not to move a muscle I craned my eyes toward the display: 168.8.

Excellent! My August weigh-in was 174.6, which means I lost 5.8 lbs over the month and, even better, met my end-of-summer goal by dropping into the 160s. Now I'm just 8.8 lbs away from my personal goal of 160.

Last week I went through my closet, purging any remaining clothes that no longer fit. Way back in the closet I found an old pair of 3x pants I used to wear last summer. I held onto them and thought it would be fun to play Show and Tell at the meeting.

I checked with Jackie, my leader, (above right in the picture, click to biggify) and she was psyched. She called me up and I got to unfurl (and that is the right verb) the giant pants and fit in one pant leg.

That's the weight-loss equivalent of popping a wheelie. And a pretty fun way to celebrate an anniversary, to boot.

Home Weigh-In: Week 4

The good times continued rolling today.

Home scale had me -1.6 to 171. I'm pleasantly surprised at the number given how much I lost last week, but it goes to show I continue to know nothing.

I also have no idea how that correlates to the official WW scale, but I will next week.

My monthly Lifetime weigh-in is next Tuesday and I can't wait to learn the true differential between the two scales.
On Aug. 2, my last WW weigh-in when I reached Goal, I came in at 174.6.

Over the past four weeks I've lost at least 6.6 lbs, maybe more since I'm still unsure what the real results of my first home weigh-in were.

Hoping that all adds up to a nice, official number in the 160s next week. That would be amazing, putting me somewhere within 10 lbs of my personal goal weight, which was one of my goals for the summer.

And, to make it even more meaningful, next Tuesday is the first anniversary of rejoining Weight Watchers. On Sept. 7, 2010 I walked into the local WW Center weighing 282.6 lbs. Let's see what the new number is next week.

Home Weigh-In: Week 3

Oh, what a beautiful morrrrrrning.

Oh, what a beautiful daaaaaaaay.

I've got this beautiful feeeeeeling.

Everything's going my waaaaaaaaaaay.

Yes, people, it's weigh-in day and it is good.

Tuesday mornings are the only time I practically bound out of bed for the 5 am alarm. Like a bizzaro Christmas morning, I want to go downstairs and see what I got.

Alarm sounds, I get up, change into my regular weigh-in clothes and head for the basement. I was particularly excited for today's weigh-in because due to my body's traditional weight-loss pattern, I was due for something sizable this week.

Deep breath. Inhale. Exhale. Step on.

Holy shit.

172.6.

That's -5 from last week.

I....um...that can't be.

Disbelieving, I repeat the process. Inhale. Exhale. Step.

172.6.

Awe-some.

Now, what would be even better is if I knew exactly how this translates to the official WW scale. I believe my home scale is 3 to 3.5 lbs higher than the WW scale, and if that holds it means I am now somewhere in the 168-169 territory. And that, my friends, is within spitting distance of my personal goal, 160.

I'm still 2 weeks away from my September weigh-in, so I'll have to wait. But, wow, it's looking like I am set up nicely for that day.

Now, I've had friends ask: Why don't you just ask if you can weigh in when you go to the meeting?

I would, absolutely, but my 10K training calls for a Tuesday run and I can't fit it in anywhere else in my schedule during the week. So I have to work out Tuesday morning, which means I need to eat before and then after drink a good 32 ounces to rehydrate myself, ruining any true comparison to my home-no-food-no-drink wake-up weigh in.

It's OK, I can wait.

So, ecstatic from my trip to the basement, I had a little pre-run snack then headed out for a 5.5 miler on a seriously gorgeous fall-like morning. Sunny, dry and cool. I had to wear a long-sleeve shirt, that's how chilly it was. And I loved every minute of it.

7:15 am and already two big victories. That's already a great day.

Home Weigh-In: Week 2

I was not super-hopeful walking toward the scale this morning.

First, I ate way too much ice cream - and a big piece of fried dough - while on vacation last week. While I didn't overdo it or binge, it was simply more calories than I normally eat.

I got in all my regular exercise - even while away - but I was also lacking on the water front while away. It's hard to put away 96 oz every day when you're not at home. Even though I drank my daily 96oz and more since I got home, I had no idea how much damage I had done.

Then I ate chili last night. By mistake. Hey, it happens.

So more calories + less water + sodium-packed chili = potential trouble on the scale.

However, I knew if the number was up, it was only temporary: I'd get it right off.

Last week I was concerned my new scale may not be calibrated correctly, but credit to the Eat Smart folks, I posted my question on their Facebook page and they replied within 2 hours. Last night I double-checked it was calibrated - without actually weighing myself, so I knew I was all set for 5:05 am Tuesday.

Cut to said time, I put on my regular WW weigh-in clothes for consistency's sake (bra included) and headed for the basement. Took a breath, stepped on and saw...177.6.

Wow, the exact same number as last week. I maintained on a vacation week. Nice! Following a vacation, that's as good as a loss, in my opinion.

Then I stepped on once again just to ensure I wasn't seeing things. Nope, 177.6.

Later today my paranoia crept in: What if I had some weird scale that only displayed 177.6? OK, I know that's insane, but I had to check, so I had my 5-year-old step on. She got 42.2, so yes I had a real M.

Goal for next week: A number less than 177.6.

I went to my regular WW meeting today and I gotta say it's weird to go and not weigh in. If I had my druthers, I'd still weigh-in there every week.

Home Weigh-In: Week 1

OK, so I kinda sorta screwed this up.

When I limboed under Goal last week I decided to still weigh in at home on Tuesdays so I would know week-to-week how I'm faring. Then, on the first Tuesday of every month, I would do my official weigh-in at Weight Watchers.

Since my weigh-in last week counted for August, I don't have to weigh-in at WW until Sept. 6, so today it was home weigh-in No. 1.

To celebrate, I bought a new scale. Our old Tanita, while a good scale, is routinely turned on, stepped on and hopped on by our three kids when they invade the upstairs bathroom. I can't have that kind of insanity around a piece of relatively delicate machinery that spits out a number for which I work insanely hard all week.

I've read such good stuff about the Eat Smart Precision Digital Bathroom scale, and it seemed so easy to operate, I made the purchase. It arrived yesterday, and this morning before eating or working out, I put on my regular weigh-in clothes and set up the scale in the basement, away from our three-child circus.

I followed the easy calibration instructions and while I got a number, I didn't see the C on the display I was supposed to see, indicating the scale is now calibrated. Took out the batteries, stepped on again and, still, no C. Hrumpf.

Oh, well, it read 177.6. Then I realized I have no idea how that compares to the WW scale because I forgot to weigh myself on my Tanita before last week's weigh in. Crap.

Therefore, I have no idea how that translates to the official WW scale. Although, I'm hoping to God my new scale weighs 3+ lbs heavier than the WW one.

So, yes, weighed in at home and it's a number with no relevance. Yet. Next Tuesday we'll know more.

Week 47 Weigh-In: The Day I Reached Goal

I reached Goal yesterday, reclaiming my Lifetime No-Pay status with the Watchers of Weight.

And to be truthful, it was a little anti-climactic.

First off, I couldn't stay for the meeting. I had to get my kids to a 10:30 am event, so it was a quick, weigh-and-go. We'll celebrate at the meeting next week.

I knew this week was supposed to be a big weight-loss week, according to the schedule on which my body operates (small loss, small loss, small loss, big loss). After losing just 2 lbs - total - over the past 3 weeks, I was due.

I stepped on the scale and heard the receptionist say, "You continue to rock and roll."

She finally told me a number, -3, which means I just limboed under my Goal weight of 175, coming in at 174.6.

I thanked her and scooted out of the meeting. I saw my leader quickly and didn't even tell her, I didn't have time to really talk, sadly. But, again, I'll make a big deal out of it next week.


So, where to now?

Well, 175 is my goal set by my doctor when I made Lifetime in 2003. According to Weight Watchers, for my height (5'7"), the most I should weigh is 160. They base their goal range on BMI (regardless of whether you agree with the BMI concept), and 160 is the most you can weigh and still have a BMI in the Normal weight range for my height.

However, my doctor argued that for my build, 175 was reasonable. Personally, I think it's high, I could stand to lose more. So for my personal goal I'm going to try and hit 160. I want to see if I can do it and, most importantly, if I can maintain it.

But if I find I can't hit and/or maintain 160, I'm not going to beat myself up about it. I'll just find the lowest healthy weight I can maintain and go for that. But for now I like having another number goal to shoot for.

So it's continued onward and downward, but I want to reflect a bit on this milestone.

I'm pretty surprised I was able to get back to Goal in under a year, which worked out to losing an average of 2.3 lbs a week. But thanks to bootcamp and Points+, I'm losing weight more quickly than I did when I was younger and pre-kids. I'm still astounded by that, I expected the pregnancies and my age to affect my metabolism, but again, what do I know? Apparently little.

In these past 47 weeks I lost a lot of weight and inches, but I greatly gained when it came to self-esteem, self-confidence and pride. I built muscle and good habits.

It's all still a work in progress and for me there truly is no finish line. I have a lifetime of bad habits and bad thoughts to undo and remedy. I don't think they'll ever completely go away, but I will continue to get better at managing them and making good choices.

To be honest, I don't think it's all fully sunk in yet. Driving home, I was mentally planning stuff in my head (unrelated to WW) and suddenly I realized: You don't have a weigh-in next Tuesday.

Sure, I will attend the meeting, but I don't have to weigh in. As a Lifetimer At Goal (I like typing that) I only have to weigh in once a month. With August done, I won't weigh in until September 6.

Sept. 6 is cool for two reasons:

1. It will be my one-year anniversary of the day (Tuesday) I joined (Sept. 7, 2010).

2. I have a 5K on Aug. 28. There's free BBQ after, so I can enjoy in moderation and not worry about sodium bloat and an official WW two days later. Seriously, this is how I think. All the time. Completely mental.

Then that lead me to another train of thought: Weigh-ins. For the past 47 weeks, I've weighed in on Tuesday mornings. I decided I'll continue to do so, once a month for my official WW weigh-in and the other three Tuesdays at home, first thing in the morning, on my scale. That will give me a good indicator of how I'm progressing. I've toyed with the idea of weighing daily, but it still messes with my head too much. I'll continue to report the results every week here, as usual.

So even though I'm a Lifetimer at Goal (woo!) I'm still in the losing mindset to hit my personal goal. So, really, nothing has changed. Except I set a big goal and I made it. And I don't have to pay WW $40 a month anymore.

Next mini-goal: 169. I want to get rid of that 7 middle digit.

Tuesday was a hectic day for a lot of reasons, so I did not get a chance to get a Goal picture. I will remedy that this week and post.

In wrapping up, when people learn of my weight loss, many (strangers and friends) have talked to me about their issues or struggles. Many folks seem overwhelmed by the scale of what they have to do, regardless of how much they have to lose, be it 25 lbs or triple digits.

I agree, it is overwhelming. But the key, for me, was taking it one step at a time. Making one change at a time.

When I started on Sept. 7, 2010 my only goal was to just eat within my Points. That was it. It was all I could handle. Weight Watchers has a host of what they call Good Health Guidelines (eat 5 fruit and veg a day, drink at least 48 oz of water, etc). But I pushed them all aside. I knew that if I wanted to be successful and not burn myself out, I had to go slow.

I just concentrated on eating the number of Points I was supposed to eat. I didn't care if they were all carbs, I didn't care if I ate one vegetable. I just focused on the number and got through as best I could.

About a month in, when I felt that was under control, I focused on adding in exercise a few days a week. After I felt like I could juggle the Points and the exercise, I started to refine my diet to eat more protein and fruits and vegetables and find a better balance. Finally, and this was around December, I felt like I could tackle drinking more water.

Slowly but surely I built up momentum and that is what drives you through. One good decision leads to another good decision and the numbers on the scale continue to drop. One workout leads to another workout and you get lighter, faster and stronger.

It is not easy. If it were, everyone would be fit. But it is doable. You don't have to go on Biggest Loser and spend 6 hours in the gym everyday while a trainer screams in your face. You don't have to eat food you don't like because you "think you should." You can go to a party or a cookout or a restaurant, enjoy and still be in control.

You can change your life with moderation and consistency, one Point, one meal, one day at a time. And pretty soon, you look in the mirror in an Old Navy dressing room and you're wearing loose Size 12s and a Medium shirt (horizontal stripes, no less!) and you realize, "I did it. That's me. It's really me."

That day you waited for, worked for, dreamed about is right here, right now.

If you take anything away from this blog, I hope it is this: You can do it. It is doable and, in the end when you even it all out, it's not really that hard.

Week 46 Weigh-In: Closer, but still no cigar

My body has a very distinct losing pattern: small loss, small loss, small loss, big loss.

Oh, how I wish it were something more consistent in terms of larger numbers (vs tenths), but it is what it is. I cannot change the pattern, which even existed when I made Lifetime in 2003.

Long story short, I should just be thankful they're all losses.

So today would be Week 2 of small losses and it was true to fact, -.4. While I was disappointed I didn't get at least an even pound, I wasn't surprised and at least it's down. And it did move me from 178 to 177.6, so at least the third digit is different. In these desert weeks, I'll take anything.

However, 177.6 is still .6 shy of landing me in No-Pay Land when it comes to Weight Watchers. Maybe next week. Maybe not, regardless I will stay the course.

But, in trying move beyond just those pesky scale numbers, I reflected: What else went right this past week? I ran my fastest 5K yet. I'm enjoying wearing Size 12 capris. That's pretty damn great, so -.4 doesn't seem so bad after all.