Poli's Weight Loss Journal

[Poli]

I have wrestled with the idea of just making my own thread for a week or so.

At the end of "my" football season in early November, I knew I was overweight. I knew I needed to start working out again. I had got on the horse just before the summer camps started but fell off quickly when time became crunched.

Even with my new found free-time, I still wasn't hitting the workouts routinely. My free-time instead started going to my fiance or whatever I felt like. Weight loss had not become a serious goal of mine.

Come December I knew I needed to do something. I stepped on the scale and I was 180 pounds. Maybe that's not a big deal, but the last time I weighed anywhere close to that I worked at GNC and was lifting all the time. My body fat was over 25%. I was ashamed.

I started with trying to eat right and doing some P90x routines. Eating right has been hard for me because 1) I'm single and 2) when I'm with my fiance I end up eating out at a restaurant. I also have had that problem trying to get workouts in when I want to spend time with her as well.

I basically just made it a priority. For me, spending money on something is kind of a big deal. I decided to try Weight Watchers. Close friends of mine have relatives that are now featured on WW commercials. They swear by WW. I gave it a shot on December 12th, weighing 180.

As posted elsewhere (I think), I began with 38 points a day and 49 flexible points to be spent over the week. As I lost weight, I lost a point. I'm now down to 36 points a day, 49 flexible, and bonus points if I work out (also good for just that week). Somehow, I made it through Christmas and New Year's without gaining.

Somehow, I'm now down to 169.4. Today's unofficial weight is 169.2. My next official weigh in is Sunday.

[Poli]

Official weigh in results:

Dec-12-10 180 -- --
Dec-19-10 179 -1 (loss for week) -1 (since start)
Dec-26-10 175.2 -3.8, -4.8
Jan-2-11 174.2 -1, -5.8 LOST FIVE POUNDS
Jan-9-11 171.8 -2.4, -8.2
Jan-16-11 171.2 -.6, -8.8
Jan-23-11 169.4 -1.8, -10.6 LOST FIVE PERCENT OF BODY WEIGHT
Jan-30-11 168.8 -.6, -11.2
Feb-6-11 168.2 -.6, -11.8
Feb-13-11 167.4 -.8, -12.6
Feb-20-11 167.8 +.4, -12.2
Feb-27-11 166.8, -1, -13.2
Mar-6-11 164.4, -2.4, -15.6

[Poli]

I'm extremely proud I busted out the day after Christmas. I ate my heart out that Christmas day, I had worked out like a demon all week and had saved my flex points for that day as well. I did a similar strategy for the New Year, but only lost a pound.

I seem to work in cycles...losing a pound or less one week with a breakout the next. It appears I'm due for a small week this Sunday.

[Poli]

I committed myself to working out, one way or another. I decided the day I signed up for WW that I would be committed to working out as well.

I started with P90x's cardio routine. I felt good doing it, but I just didn't feel I had the time to complete the routines. I can generally find 30 minutes to an hour to work out, but much more is hard for me to manage. I decided to drop P90X for EA Sports Fit.

I've had it for a while. I even tried it here and there. I liked it but didn't want to mess with it full time. I decided since I couldn't finish a P90x routine I could surely finish EA. I thought initially I was able to keep up with my social schedule with the fiance and get the workouts in. However, one day when I logged in (earlier this month I believe), it alerted me to the fact I couldn't complete the 30 day challenge (which includes 20 workouts and 10 off days) in the 30 day period.

I restarted the 30 day challenge and I'm about 3/4 through now. It's a personal goal of mine to complete that.

In the process of it all, my fiance gave me an XBOX 360 with Kinect for Christmas. A week or two later, we bought The Biggest Loser Workout game. I decided to scale back the high intensity workouts for EA to low intensity and to implement TBL as well. I just liked that each game focused on different things.

With EA, when they ask me to use a band I instead use free weights. Nothing crazy, just something to give me more of a strain than the ultra light band. I then do the band afterward. It extends the session, but I don't mind.

TBL started me on a hard routine but switched it Monday to a 6 day a week light routine. When they did that I moved my low intensity EA workouts back to high intensity.

I'm very satisfied with the results. Weight is down. Body fat is down. I'm happy.

[Poli]

Typical mornings find me waking up and taking my energy supplement. It contains a banned substance, so I can officially shut down any dream of competing in the Olympics, the MLB, or the NFL. Fortunately, I had already overcome that hurdle. I take it Monday through Friday. One set in the morning, the other set about an hour after lunch. Keeps me jazzed up and energized. Sodas and caffeine in general are a thing of the past to me thanks to the supplement. It recommends I cycle off the supplement every 8 weeks. Instead, I will cycle off every five weeks. That will be...today. I've been very satisfied with my energy level this past five weeks, there's no doubt. I will not have it for the next two weeks which I'm not exactly thrilled about.

Breakfast is light for me. I eat a cereal bar (3 points) in the morning. I drink a sugar free tea (0 points) as well. I recently added a box of raisins (3 points) to that. I eat it on my way to work.

Lunch is typically some sort of salad, I try to keep the total point intake below 12 for that meal. If I'm successful, it puts me at 18 or less. With my current daily point value at 36, that gives me 18 points for when I get home.

I'll do a variety of stuff at home for dinner. It might be a frozen meal, but it's one I've researched. Typically, I'll make my own green salad with no cheese/croutons. Greens and a dab of fat free dressing. I will also throw in some sort of steamed veggie in addition to whatever I'm eating...sandwiches (typically just two and no condiment), frozen meal, whatever.

If I'm with my fiance, I don't sweat it. Should we go out in town, it's somewhere with a salad bar or where I can order a side salad (hold croutons/cheese plz). I'll eat whatever and just take a hit on the flex/workout points.

If we just eat at her house, it's almost a guaranteed salad to start and then I'll eat whatever we're having that night. Again, I don't sweat the points. I'll sweat them if I'm home alone, but I never stress it when I'm with her.

[Poli]

Forgot that after my workouts I take a protein shake of powder (3 points) and 1-2 cups of skim milk (2-4 points).

Lunch was a turkey sandwich (no condiments, marked it 7 points to be safe) and a bowl of fresh fruit (0 points).

Leaves me with wiggle room. No idea what's for dinner before we head off to bowl...and of course, I'm counting bowling to my activity points.

Workout today was 10 min TBL and 36 on EA. 46 total gave me 4 points.

[Poli]

Chicken sandwich with lettuce and tomato at the alley yesterday. No condiments, no cheese. I had seasoned curly fries as a side. Wish they had salad, but it's a bowling alley.

I counted two points of activity to the bowling and 1 to our trip down the mini golf area...where I did my best to hit the ball as hard as possible.

TBL this morning and that's it for the day. Breakfast was a WW double chocolate muffin (5pts) and WW chocolate brownie (3pts). Guess I got to skimp somewhere else today.

168.8 unofficially this morning. Sunday weigh in tomorrow so I got to be good today.

[Poli]

15 minutes of TBL today.

[Poli]

I am staying the night with my fiancé and her family. Forgot my flipping scale!!1!! Guess I will just use this morning's weight as my official weight.

Lunch was a Jack in the Box grilled chicken salad, no cheese or croutons, used the low fat balsamic dressing. Had to ask to keep the cheese off, but it was worth it. No cheese or croutons took the salad from 9 to a much happier 5 point total.

Now I am ready for the baked ziti tonight.

[Poli]

Baked ziti (WW recipe) is in the oven. Looking and smelling good...not enough sauce, I'm afraid. I may have coated the bottom too much. 7 points a serving...yielding 8. We'll feed ourselves and her parents tonight. Two servings each puts me at 13.

Had a small snack bag of Doritos Ranch about 90 minutes back (4 points). Needed something small to snack on and I had the points to spare.

She's roasting some shrimp and we have a good salad ready to go as well. Salad will cost me approximately 2 points for the dressing. Shrimp (no cocktail sauce) will not cost me much at all. 3 points for a quarter pound.

That should do me for the day.


Aside:
I should also note in a typical day I take a multi vitamin, Ester-C. ginko and omega-3 supplement.

[Poli]

No scale for me today. Mixed feelings about that. I feel like I'm below 168.8..but that's what is going into the system. Worst case scenario I guess has me losing "more" weight next week.

Weight watchers didn't take any points from me for the weigh in. I've learned to be fearful of Sundays for that reason alone.

TBL weigh in is tomorrow. It was on Sundays but I apparently screwed that up last week. 15 minute workout or so with that this afternoon and a high intensity EA Sports as well.

Life cereal (3 points) and a cup of low fat milk (3 points) for breakfast. I'll probably go overboard on lunch with my fiance since I'll be leaving her around 2 to take care of an errand, grocery shop, and to work out. Dinner will not be anything special, but I'll keep it light in regards to the heavy lunch. I'll probably be over points at the end of the day...but I don't get to spend every day with my fiance, either.

At least, not yet. I'm moving at the end of February to be closer to her. We'll be married May 7th.

Snow storm coming in. Wish I had done my shopping earlier.

[Poli]

Wasn't able to nab salad making stuff today. Store was a war zone and packed. Did get me some other good stuff, though.

Lunch was a stuff my mouth fest. A local place with no nutritional info out there and nothing I ate really fit any category...so I chose something similar to both items and went with the highest point total I could find for both. 30 points for lunch.

I tell myself not to worry because it'll all work out in the end, but I skimped on dinner anyhow. I ate cherry tomatoes, some fat free turkey (1 point) and a WW brownie (3).

Workout wasn't as tough as usual. No crazy hopping on EA's part. Hopefully TBL changes the routine. I like their harder stuff. I've got to take some video of the weigh in. My fiance enjoys the "weigh in" simulation the game gives. 12 minutes TBL, 33 for EA. 45 overall. 4 points.

[Poli]

Stomach and body wasn't very appreciative of the food I ate yesterday. I've been in a hurt locker today. I weighed in at 169.5 but could easily be lower now due to...well, stuff happening.

Raisins and fiber cereal bar this morning. TBL is just a weekly challenge and the weigh in. EA will be at hard intensity tonight.

[Poli]

The way it's going, I'll be 163 by the time I get home.

[Poli]

Lunch was half a turkey sandwich (3 points), broccoli cheese soup (2 cups, 15 points), and fruit cup.

I ended up sleeping nearly 12 hours yesterday into this morning...and I'm finally feeling better. My roommate brought dinner before the ice storm...a St. Louis Bread Co. tuna salad sandwich (13 points). Put me one point over but with the way I was feeling, I didn't care.

Worked out for 15 minutes (1 point). Didn't want to at all, but I needed to make it happen, even if it was just 15 minutes.

TBL didn't go well. I won the challenge, but finished fourth overall. It tried to keep me on the same routine as well. I bumped it to 30 minutes, 4 days a week and moderate.

I had to vote a player out yesterday as well. I thought that was interesting. Need to get a workout in today, but my roommate and I are iced in and he's monopolizing the television.

Worse things have happened.

This morning's weight, for the record: 168.2

[Poli]

So much better today. I can't believe how much better I feel.

Raisins and my fiber cereal bar this morning for breakfast.

Lunch was 2 slices of fat free turkey (1 point) 1 piece of light string cheese (1 point).

Worked out for 35 minutes on TBL and I could instantly tell I'd rather have 35 minutes with it than with EA. I do like EA, but I just enjoy TBL more (3 points, FTR).

Followed that up with the protein shake and 2 cups skim milk (7 points total). Dinner was bigger than normal...thanks in part to light breakfast and lunch but also to the Healthy Choice Rosemary Chicken and Sweet Potatoes being just 4 points. That allowed me to have two servings of meatballs and barbecue sauce (16 points). I also had a Green Giant cauliflower and cheese for 1 point as well.

Feeling great and super happy I'm back to normal. Ready to start tomorrow so I can get back to moving. Unfortunately, no TBL tomorrow.

[Poli]

Another day of feeling great. Weight was up to 168.8, but I figured I'd absorb more from my illness the day before.

Breakfast was more of the same. Lunch was 2 slices of fat free turkey (1 pt), 2 pieces of light string cheese (2), jello sugar free pudding (2).

Dinner was good. Healthy Choice Lemon Garlic Chicken and Shrimp (6), 5 chicken tenders (6), Green Giant broccoli and cheese (1), and a nice salad with all sorts of veggies and fat free dressing (1).

Workout was great as well. TBL happened. I reset the workouts just so I can use it. I'll likely reset it again Monday so I can weigh again on Sunday like I do with WW. 34 minutes on TBL. 15 on EA. 49 minutes total for 4 points and a bunch of sweat.

Followed it up with muscle milk chocolate (4) and 2 cups skim milk (4).

[Poli]

Going to Arkansas Friday evening through Sunday morning. Should be interesting to see how my workouts don't go.

[Poli]

No change in weight today.

Breakfast was more of the same. Lunch was a package of beef jerky (6) and baked doritos (5, and wish I hadn't had them). Also had a strawberry/guava fuze (5!)...could kick myself for thinking that looked good.

I had forgotten about the Fuze until after dinner and the workout, or that would have went differently. Dinner was lemon herb chicken and a Green Giant peas and corn (7 total). I had a WW brownie as well (3).

With my post workout shake (7), that had maxed out my points...until I remembered that drink...so I went slightly over today. Oh well.

Workout was 30 minutes (2) on EA to try and finish out the 30 day challenge. I'll finish it tomorrow before I go to work. The decision was made to do that in the morning and then take the weekend off from working out.

I'm still taking the scale with me to Arkansas so I can weigh myself Sunday.

[Poli]

168.2 and EAs challenge is complete!

[Poli]

Despite not eating incredibly well over the past two days, I have managed to stay at 168.2.

[Poli]

Haven't been home to workout but I should nail it tonight.

[Ragone]

Grats on your weight loss.. i'm trying to lose 30ish pounds from 239 to 200ish.. started p90x last week and changed my diet to cut out sugars(soda mostly) and eating 2 meals a day with just yogurt and fruit.. already down 13 pounds in a week.. kicking soda was the hardest part by far.. but i feel so much better now

edit: my third meal is a splurge meal everyday so far.. eventually hoping to turn that into something healthier.. but its keeping me from swaying away

[Poli]

I had cramps in both calves the previous night. My right feels fine now but my left is giving me some lingering discomfort.

[Poli]

Cramp discomfort is finally gone so I think I'll hit the workout trail again. I'm down to 167.2.

[Poli]

167.4 yesterday. WW took a point from me. I'm down to 35 per day. Yesterday's intake was compromised by an Italian dinner out in town...hard to figure the point total on it, so I just over shot the estimate at 30 points. We'll be out again tonight to further compromised my points. Essentially I'll be on a strict diet the rest of the week...but with Valentine's Day I figured this was coming. I'll be fine.

[Poli]

167.2 this morning. I've been swamped with work and my fiance as of late...I haven't been online much lately. I'll update as I can.

[Poli]

167 this morning. Not bad that I'm still slowly dropping despite my busy schedule.

[Poli]

It's always enjoyable when someone notices the weight loss. Two ladies in the office yesterday commented on how I was disappearing.

I'm just over two months since I started weight watchers at 180 pounds. It's been a little frustrating this past few weeks with minimal loss. I looked at the history, though, and it makes me feel better. This time last month, I was 171 and change. I didn't bring my scale today, but I'm either at the 167 mark or now just a hair under. That's four pounds lighter. I'll take it.

This week doesn't look promising work out wise. I may get a few in, but I am moving to St. Charles and my roommate is moving as well. Stuff getting boxed up and other type activities will likely take precedence.

I have to taste test desserts today for the wedding. I'm going super light on breakfast this morning and that will essentially be my lunch.

[Poli]

I'm calling it now: I don't see any chance that I lost weight this week after tasting desserts today. I tell you what, though, there will be some delicious food at my wedding.

[Poli]

167.8. I'm officially fat. Salads all week as punishment.

[Poli]

166.2. My salad diet the past two days has been a success. I think I can return to "normal" eating now.

[Poli]

166.2, heavy breakfast (out of my bars and raisins...I don't want to buy more until after I move), light lunch, heavy dinner. I estimated going over my points for that reason. Staying the same weight was good news for me this morning.

I'll have another 'heavy breakfast' (QT chicken biscuit) this morning. I may go two salads today for lunch and dinner.

[Poli]

165.8, details to follow at some point. I'm about to head out to the office to turn in my two week notice. I doubt I'll still with the company in two hours.

[Poli]

164.4. The fat is just falling off this week after last week's disappointing result.

[Poli]

I finished the week at 166.8. Gaining 2.5 pounds back was disappointing, but during the process of moving I ate too much. It was kind of nice to have some good food, and I still ended up a pound under. I was worse off on Saturday. When I woke up, I was 167.6.

This morning, I'm 165.6...so I'm getting rid of the junk I tossed into my body.

I don't move into my new place until tomorrow afternoon. I'm in workout limbo until then.

[Poli]

165.8, not bad considering I had a large Red Lobster meal last night. Otherwise, my day consisted of furniture shopping.

TV shopping this morning. Moving this afternoon into my apartment. Tomorrow I can return to my workout routine!

[Poli]

Finally got my internet up and running! Morning's weight was 164.2. Sprained my ankle last night at a lock in that had a bunch of my former players there. I really need to lay off real sports.

I'm happy about the weight. I had climbed up to 166 during the move in to the apartment.

[Poli]

I've had a few nice things happen over the past few weeks.

I've rediscovered my xiphoid process bone. I fit into my medium sized t-shirts again. My size 34 jeans are nearly unwearable at this point.

These things have really kept me going this past week.

[Poli]

164.4 this morning. Life is grand!