The third post.

I really meant to post here more often.  Ooooops.

Well, today marks one month since I started my weight-loss program.

I weigh myself every weekday morning on the scale at work.  I have a scale at home, but the one at work is digital, and I like to be precise.  I'm sure it's considered borderline obsessive to rejoice over, say, a 0.4# loss, but the older I'm getting, the more I'm finding myself needing concrete proof of things before I believe them.  "I think the needle on the scale is just a smidgeon to the left of where it was last time" doesn't cut it for me anymore.  

I track my daily weights on MyFitnessPal and FitBit.  I've been advised not to weigh daily, but, I still do.  I actually think it helps to see that I can have have minor fluctuations throughout the week, and still have an overall loss over time.  Heck, I even weigh myself more than once a day sometimes, and am kind of shocked to see I can have a 3-4 pound difference from morning to afternoon.  I know I'm not eating 3-4 pounds of food in that time frame! I don't weigh more than once a day very often, and I definitely don't record the subsequent readings. 

It's like they say: the important thing is to weigh yourself at the same time, on the same scale, with the same clothing.  Well, two of out three ain't bad ;)  I don't wear the same clothes every day, but I think I wear similar enough clothing that it's still an accurate comparison.  

Anyway.  One month ago, on that scale, I weighed 242 pounds.  I want to say that's the most I've ever weighed, but it's not.  A few weeks prior to that, I clocked in at 244 on that scale.  I did not record that reading.  Not just out of embarrassment, but also because I was only intermittently recording at that time.  And mostly out of embarrassment and horror.  

Today is Saturday, so I don't have access to the work scale.  So I weighed in yesterday.

224.0.

!!!!!!!!

18 pounds officially lost in the last month.  To say I am surprised and elated is an understatement!!  I don't feel like I've been "dieting".  I feel like all I do is eat, drink water, and log my intake every day.  I know the numbers on the scale don't define who I am, but they do define my status as "overweight" and my BMI as "obese".  In the past, I've had a lot of issues with obsessing over the number on the scale, so now I focus a lot on the NSV (non scale victories) as well.  But clinically speaking, I can't deny that the numbers mean a lot to me.  It's progress; progress I can chart on a nice little graph (which both FitBit and MyFitnessPal have on their apps -- yeah, baby!!) 

I was hoping to lose 15 pounds in the first month.  Maybe 20 by my birthday.  But honestly, as long as the proverbial needle on the scale was not going any higher, I would consider it a win.  I lost 18 pounds in the first month, and am contemplating changing my goal to lose 25 by my birthday (which is just over 2 weeks away).  

But let me also talk about the NSVs over the last month, because there are many!

1.  I'm down to two 16oz bottles of diet Dew per day.  One in the morning, and one after lunch.  It doesn't make sense, but I have found that I sleep better if I have that afternoon Dew.  This is a HUGE improvement over my previous diet Dew intake of three or four 16oz bottle per day.  I don't feel the need to cut out either of my diet Dews anymore.  I do think I'm going to switch to 12oz cans, instead.  But does 4oz really make that much of a difference?  I haven't decided yet.

2. Likewise, my water intake is waaaaaaay up!  I found a really nice and not terribly expensive water bottle that keeps ice water cold for more than 24 hours.  I love me some ice water!  I have my water bottle with me almost everywhere I go.  I track my water intake on FitBit now, and I'm usually at around 80-100oz of water per day.  

3.  Sleeping better!!  I track my sleep on FitBit, and noticed a significant improvement in my REM sleep in the last month.  My sleep is apparently more restful as well; less awake time and fewer "steps" showing on my FitBit when I wake up.  Prior to this, if I woke up and my FitBit had 150 steps or less on it, I considered that a good night's sleep.  In the past couple weeks, it's generally been less than 40.  I've had many nights with 20 or less, and even a few with ZERO!  Of course I don't consider the FitBit sleep tracker to be highly accurate, but it's a good overall view, if you ask me.  I'm obviously  not walking in my sleep, but if I'm moving around less, I must be sleeping better.  

4. Speaking of FitBit tracking... my resting heart rate is down from 81 (pre-program) to 68!!!  Further proof, to me, that I'm sleeping better.  And bonus because my heart isn't working as hard.  I do check my heart rate sporadically throughout the day just for shits and giggles, but haven't noticed a big change.  

5. Fewer headaches! They were becoming quite bothersome.  Besides the fact that I have one right now (which is due to an ear infection), I don't recall having any or many bothersome headaches in the last month.

6.  Less GI upset! It was getting to the point where I would get stomachaches after eating just about anything.  Which was not new for me. I've had "stomach issues" for as long as I can remember.  But no longer do I have to stay close to a bathroom for an undetermined amount of time after eating.  I did have a minor stomachache the other night after eating Mexican food, but it was nothing like in the past, and it didn't involve having to run to the bathroom all night.  HUGE WIN!!!!!
(Side note: I do still make it a point to locate the nearest restroom, and to stop at one just about every chance I get, but now it's because I need to empty my bladder since I'm drinking so much water, and not because I "need" to, if you catch my drift (and please catch my drift because I'm not in the mood to get into details about motility right now).

7.  Money saved by not eating out for lunch every day and dinner most evenings.  :)

8.  More energy/motivation to do things when I get home from work.  Instead of just sitting in my chair, I've actually been doing laundry, dishes, cleaning, crocheting, etc.  I'm becoming more interested in doing things again!

9.  Better-looking selfies!!  I seem to be losing a lot of weight in my face.  Which is good, because I am definitely NOT one of those people who looks good (in my opinion) with face rolls.  A lot of women can pull off looking cute and being overweight, but I can't.  Not where I used to be, anyway.  But I do take a lot of selfies.  I'm not a narcissist, I just trust what I see in "print" more than what I see in the mirror.  And I've noticed a difference already.  In one selfie that I took this week, I barely even recognized my own face.  Seriously!!  And I wasn't holding my phone at a 90 degree angle over my head or anything like that.  I have a jaw line again, and not just when I stick my head out like a turtle.  I have cheekbones again.  My eyes aren't as lost as they were getting to be.  

10. I have ankles again, too!!  And part of a collar bone!  

11. I don't feel like I'm going to die after walking at lunch any more!!  There's a path that my co-workers and I walk during lunch many days, that is about 2.8 miles total.  About halfway, there's an uphill that is about one city block and has to be close to a 30-degree angle.  It is steep.  And horrible.  And last year, when we were doing this walk almost every day, I never felt "good" after reaching the top.  I felt winded (in fact, I took to carrying one of my son's inhalers with me to use, and used it more often than I care to admit. And it helped.), like my lungs were on fire, and for the next 5 blocks or so, I would have to fight the urge to sit down and rest.  Because I didn't want to draw attention to myself, or not be able to keep up with my coworkers.  Even after walking that path almost every work day last summer, it took until mid- to late-fall before I could make it up the hill and not use the inhaler.  I still couldn't hold a conversation for a few blocks, but I could do it.
Now...we've been slack about walking during lunch this year, but did start again a few weeks ago.  Sometimes we take a shorter path if someone doesn't have as much time to be gone, but even the shorter path is a good 1.25mi with three flights of steps right off the bat.  I personally have done the longer path 3 times in the last few weeks.
I can go up the hill without needing an inhaler.  I can hold a conversation while walking up the hill and afterward.  I feel refreshed and accomplished at the top of the hill, not worn out and wanting to pass out.  And, I can keep up with my coworkers the entire walk!!  
Now, instead of carrying my inhaler, I carry my water bottle :)

Alright, that's enough for now.  I just wanted to check in, share my progress and feelings, and document this so I can come back in a few more weeks and see how things have changed.  Just kidding -- I hope to come back sooner than a few more weeks.  

TTFN!