It's the little things....

So I just completed week 6 of the Body Bugg. Since I have been on diets since I was about 14 you would think that I know exactly what needs to be done and how to do it. But this body bugg has taught me some new things. And the biggest lesson when it comes to weight loss is that it is the LITTLE THINGS you do that make you loose weight!

I think in all my other attempts before I was always focused on making big changes and seeing DRAMATIC results. Now I am plodding along losing about 2lbs per week and am able to monitor myself to make sure I am on track throughout the week. I can tell when I haven't moved enough and that I need to get up and do some chores around the house or go and take a walk. I love that by making minor adjustments and making sure I am moving that I am losing the weight.

Here are some other little things that I love now that I have lost 12lbs.....

• Wearing pants with a zipper and a button and not a big maternity belly band. I have officially retired all of the Matenity PANTS!!!
• Getting my wedding ring back on (albeit, I need some type of lubricant to get it off at the end of the day)
• Wearing a pretty matching bra and panty set that I have not been able to wear since I got pregnant. I always have a special spring in my step on the days I am wearing matching underwear. Don't know why but I do.....
• You can burn a lot of calories playing the Wii boxing and tennis games. I seriously worked up a sweat. And that I am very bad bowler.
• I don't feel like I have been sacrificing anything over the last six weeks. I love moving and I am getting plenty to eat and having splurges here and there.

I am going to miss you this weekend Bets! I am going to do my 5 mile trek through Duke Forest on Saturday and Sunday morning. Mac is not aware of this plan yet and is going to hate me when I drag him out there tomorrow morning. It is a very hilly walk and I am betting it will burn a good 800 calories!

Wii are Fit!

OK, after three days, I have been using my Wii Fit for exactly the purpose I expected/hoped to use it for ... make up the missing calories that I need to hit my goals for the day. On the first day I was just doing it for fun and got hooked on the step aerobics ... day two introduced me to advanced step and free step. Today though it was a whole new game that helped me leave couch potato status behind, and that was Rhythm Boxing. The punching bag actually coaches you through the steps and patterns ... left, right, left block ... right, right, block ... I think I will actually go to sleep tonight dreaming of the techno muzak and the voice admonishing me for my lack of coordination!
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Mii and You!

TWO a days and TWICE a weekend! Marvelous!!!

We took pictures of the two of us, TEN DOWN a piece, but as so aptly remarked by Lorey, we have a lot of "before" pictures. So instead, I'm sharing a picture from the Sunday jaunt to Viva Vienna with Lily on the C & O trail. Babies make GREAT props. All in all, a lovely day ... homemade breakfast followed up by a stroll down to town and then submersion by cannonballs into the pool for the first official triathalon training session! You can tell we're far away from considering doing a BRICK, but hey, we're motivated!!

Yesterday the whole family came to DC and we walked down to the mall, stopped by a few monuments and then ultimately crossed the Memorial Bridge. The real workout came though when Mac successfully launched my Wii for me. He modeled the program for us, and then after they left I put the Wii Fit to the test ... basic news is that I am obese and old ... and my balance sucks!! But thanks to the Wii trainer, that will all improve. I tried all of the balance games- and its more difficult than it looks!- before shifting to the cardio where I became addicted to the step game. Since I'm too uncoordinated to be able to accomplish Dance Dance Revolution, it was fun to get rated and earn points on this program ... and it got more complicated and faster the longer I played. Soon the Wii was telling me that I needed to take a break (after 45 minutes!) and I had worked up a good sweat. I tried out the Yoga poses and was challenged to keep my balance and core in check ... Overall, a marvelous day!

Week FOUR is more, more, more!!

WOW!!

Lorey is leaving me in the dust. The last two weeks have thrown me way behind plan as I've neglected to reach my minimum steps and/or cardio pretty consistently. Now I'm feeling better though, and am on my way to meet my favorite workout buddy.

RESULTS-

Lorey- Down another 2 lbs !!
Betsy- Down another .5 lb !!

And I almost forgot to tell you about my inspiration, my friend M. She successfully lost 60 pounds more than three years ago by cutting down on sweets and beginning to exercise faithfully by making it a part of her every day life. Since then, she's hiked on two continents- and also successfully completed a triathalon and biked across Iowa. Yet, when you meet her you're not overwhelmed by her endeavors as much as observant that they are simply a part of her. I didn't know this about her until a casual comment by her- meant to inspire me- and then by looking at some pictures in her living room. I didn't recognize her in the photos!!

So, thanks for showing that it can be done!!

Back to Two a Days!!

Before the Body Bugg I would never have known that I actually burn more calories per minute taking a medium pace walk then using the elliptical machine for the same amount of time. I would have always thought I burned more calories on the elliptical and to my suprise I can go for a pleasant walk that seems less stressful on the body. Who knew??

With that being said, I am trying to make up for a slacker weekend by doing a 45 minute Elliptical Work out in the morning and a 50 minute walk in the evening. Hopefully, I can stay on track for a 2lb loss this week.

I have discovered that there is a YWCA around the corner from my house that has a pool. I am trying to find out if they have an open swim. It is literally 1/2 mile from my house- Wahoo!

Bets- I can't wait to hang with you this weekend!

A wee bit disappointed ...

You see, I had a tough day at work yesterday ... first day back after being out sick and a lot to catch up on- plus a client in from London which required going out to dinner and entertaining last night and then logging on this morning at 6:00 am to get ready for the day ... My reward for battling the powers to be at work, two warring factions when in fact we are all supposed to be raising money for the SAME non-profit, was supposed to be a package waiting for me at home.

And what was this brown box supposed to contain? Not a small and mysterious package like the one that landed on my doorstep a month or so ago ... nope, something ordered by me. You see, I figured that on the days when I can't bear going to the gym- or its too hot/cold/wet/perfect outside, I would make myself laugh by plugging in my new Wii FIT game and hula hoop, walk across tightropes, head soccer balls ... or perhaps even enter the zen zone with some yoga. But NO, alas, the fates would have it that my package is stuck in Huntington, PA. How can this be???

Tune in, tomorrow is another day (hopefully minus the brownie I had for a snack this afternoon!) and I hope to be very happy!!

As time goes by, week 4 report ...

SUCCESS!!! Lorey down 1 ob, Betsy down 1 lb...

TOTAL PROGRESS REPORT brings us to a total of Betsy down 9 lbs and Lorey 7.8 ... what does this mean? Well, if you think about food like I do ... the total weight that I lost could look something like this:

And that's probably how firm the fat was too ... but what an unnecessary toll on the old bones and body to carry it around. Hopefully more progress will continue, and with more attention being paid to not just the number of calories that make it pass the lips, but the content as well ... You see, I tend to think in terms of yummy chocolate chip cookie dough, or warm yeasty breads as the best kind of reward. Not the scrumptious taste of a fresh fruit or the ability to squeeze into a better looking outfit.

There is one secret I'll let out though, and that is that with summer comes the return of my absolute favorite fruit ... the PLUOT. Yes folks, thanks to the chefs at the NFL cafeteria, I became addicted. Was even known to have turned down a hershey kiss or two in exchange for a juicy pluot, with my preference being the Dapple Dandy variety. Now that Chloe is in California, where they are from, do you think that they taste even better when freshly picked? The pluot is a hybrid fruit which takes the juicy texture of the plum and combines it with the heft and tart found in an apricot. About the size of an apple, I've yet to meet a pluot I didn't like.

Funny how minds think ... since my achy flu turned out to be bronchitis I have to admit that I was somewhat hopeful (as were several of my friends from various continents) that my weight loss would continue as my appetite was diminished ... but, as I found out that shakes are highly caloric ... and I was very sedentary (can you call sleeping sedentary?), I wasn't burning the calories either needed for weight loss. Oh well ... I'll take a pound.

Maybe tomorrow I'll tell you about my new inspiration, my friend M ...

Smoothie Heaven

OK, I've been achy since Monday with the flu or something like that so I enticed myself to go into work yesterday by promising I could have a smoothy for breakfast. The only place near the office I could think of was Potbelly's. Do YOU know how many calories they have?? 481 calories for a 16 oz strawberry smoothy. I suddenly wasn't feeling any better by this indulgence, even though I was upping my weak calcium intake significantly. AND I asked them to use skim milk ...

Lunch turned out to be a bit bluer ... but only because I stumbled upon Robeks and their "Bansai Blueberry" which is a concoction of fresh squeezed orange juice, blueberries, strawberries and then some raspberry sherbert. Final ingredients are non-fat yogurt and ice. I also opted for a "booster" of "vitabek" which provided me with 25 vitamins and minerals (and in mind, will help me speed to a non-flu status ASAP). All this yumminess- for less than 300 calories. I'm definitely going back!

Needless to say, I didn't quite meet my target # of steps (fell short at 7500) or activity (only 51 minutes). With conservative reporting, though, I did maintain my calorie deficit. I need a good result at the end of this week ...

Organic Diva

OK, this awful weather has me thinking of white water rafting, the beach, anything water oriented because the rain just keeps on coming down in sheets. Three days in a row now. Apparently on NY Ave NW (where I walked on Saturday) a section as large as a football field decided to slide off to the side ... the ground became unstable. Makes you feel safe, eh?


Anyway, two new developments that have me pumped with energy. The first is Planet Organics (www.planetorganics.com) which is basically a grocery delivery service, only the emphasis is on healthy, organic choices from fruits and veggies to meats to grocery aisle items. Since I'm car free, this could be a way to keep me away from bad choices at the grocery store (read: Trader Joes Orange Chicken) and fully stocked with fruits and veggies that I actually like.

And drumroll please ... after the hard workout (which in six months we'll laugh at because it really wasn't all that much) I believe I've convinced Lorey to commit to a sprint triathalon. Its in the Queen City, women only, and especially made for first timers with a flat course and lots of support on the field ... and in the form of family and friends who can come and cheer us on. I'm going to see if I can recruit more gals, namely Anne O and Stephanie M, to join us. September 6 is the date. 250 meter swim, 7 mile bike, 2 mile run Depending on my friend Chloe's schedule, I might commit to another as well, somewhere fun!

So, now back to reality ... new week ... same goals ... brought both my bathing suit and my sneaks for the Y.

Week 3 Report from The Burbs....

So....just completed week 3 of being body bugged. Down an official 6.8lbs!! I have to say this is the best start I have ever had from any diet. Not from total weigh lost but the fact that this seems totally workable. I am not obsessing about food so much, just focusing on my activity levels and trying not to sabotage the efforts with too many calories.

I still have some refinement to go on the reducing the calories but we will get there. I have to say the swimming kicked my butt yesterday, along with the LUNGES! Although I hated every minute of swimming it did allow me to burn almost 3500 calories yesterday, so I have to get it some props.

I did absolutely no dedicated physical workout today but I will still burn 2900 calories, walk 9900 steps, and do 57 minutes of physical activty. All for doing household chores and shopping. You have to love that.

I am eager for week 4 but I have not been great this weekend and I am travelling this week. I will be thrilled to lose 1.5lbs, the key is going to be keeping my activity levels up and watching the restuarant meals!

Wish me luck.

Ups and Downs

OK, another week has come and gone ... progress report:

Lorey- down 2.8 Betsy- up .5

SO, as you can imagine ... elation on one side, dismay on another. Nevertheless, rather than rewarding OR punishing by getting a lovely treat like say a chipotle burrito bowl (chicken of course) or scrumptious oatmeal cookie, we supported each other via instant messenger, email, and of course ... gearing back up again by renewing our walk yesterday AM.

OK, so not necessarily a walk ... Betsy obligated Lorey to go to the Y because she felt she might melt in the rain and drizzle sprinkling over DC. OK, not quite, but the truth is that I wanted to go swimming, yet was hesitant to swim laps for the first time as I hated to pace the halls of the Y clad in only my bathing suit ... and who knew if I would actually sink instead of float??? Over a bowl of oatmeal each at Au Bon Pain (nope, the scones didn't even get a glance from us!) with a teaspoon of brown sugar (11 calories of pure sugar) off we went. It's a little more than a 1/2 mile trek to the Y, where we dropped our stuff and headed up to the track. A bit small, it requires 18-21 laps to complete a mile. (Not sure about DeLorey, but the half track of lunges is being felt by me today!!!) We kept up our pace much more than outside- and even added three laps each with dumb bells so we could work our upper arms.

Swimming burns almost THREE times as many calories as walking according to www.fitday.com (552 vs. 237) with the added benefit of using the whole body. I plan on incorporating swimming into my workout plan each week.

DO you think I actually HAVE a workout plan?

Happy Mother's Day!

Uh-oh

Yep, I've been felled ... by Potbelly no less. Perhaps its because I was in the old stomping grounds of Chicago where the chain started. Last night I had my 1540 grams of sodium in the turkey sub and couldn't resist the oatmeal cookes laying by the cash register. Hey, oatmeal is good for you, right?

Anyway, I'm regretting my choices ... but am wearing a pair of jeans that were uncomfortably snug just a few weeks ago. Let's see what tomorrow will bring ...

Mid-Week Report

So I am in week 3 of the Bodybugg, and I am really enjoying the program. I should be down 6lbs total by the end of the week and as Betsy noted in the last post that is with LIVING too! Saturday I hung out with a bunch of College Girlfriends and had lots of wine, bad food, and great conversation. I did get a walk in but I cut way back on on Calories on Sunday to make up for it.

I got all three of my goals done yesterday (Steps, calories, and activity levels). I am trying to accomplish the samething today.

Betsy I am interested in doing a triathlon but I can't run..... Not good for my weak ankles. Can you walk that portion of the event?

Lorey

Week 3!!!

WOW!

We were triumphant as Week 3 drew to a close- Betsy less so at 1.1 and Lorey more successful with a 1.8- but the fact that we stayed on track while living (meaning: we drank wine, beer and ate birthday cake) is triumphant!

So, what's the overall take now?? For starters, we must continue to measure and have faith in ourselves ... we learned from Tamala, our Body Bugg coach, that packaging can lie. Lorey measured some bread that was supposed to be 45 grams and instead it was 60 grams. No wonder food logs are not correct ... there's the "under reporting" phenomena as well as the fact that packaging data seems to be more about averages instead of reality.

Although I've continued my walking endeavors and workout routine, I'm beginning to contemplate the next challenge ... a sprint triathalon. Do you think I can convince Lorey?? Short swim, followed by short bike ride and ending up with a short jog. Maybe I'll get our friend Annie (a triathalon girl herself) to chime in ... my friend Chloe wants to inspire us and will join in if we go ahead and select one. Preferably somewhere fun ...

Maybe if I offer and entice the triathalon with a lovely spa visit that would do the trick?

Anyway, fodder for conversation on our Saturday walk ... we're back in the groove again!