Kate - goodbye JUDDDD

[Kate]

Here we go then, a weight loss diary. I haven't done one of these before, not properly.

My plan is to lose 2 stone this year (I was going for less but I've decided I want to give myself a 'buffer zone' so to speak).

Although I'd like to do it quicker, realistically I have until August 25th, which is my wedding day. This is loads and loads of time and I can't see it being a problem to do, but it's easy to get complacent especially when you've already lost quite a bit (I have lost about 5 stone in the last 2 years, so this last bit is really the icing on the cake).

Anyway, there's nothing like writing down your goals to focus the mind, so that's what I'm doing.

 

[DQ]

Nice one Kate - looking forward to hearing your progress

 

[WannaBeSlim]

Good on ya Kate - will be watching to see you progress to be a slim bride!!

 

[CW Consultant]

You are a very positive and focused woman Kate you will definitely achieve your goals.

Many congratulations of the Wedding news.

 

[Kate]

Thanks ladies!

So here I am, day two, and if I'm going to really make an effort and do this, I should write down what motivates me. So here goes:

- I'm getting married in August. I'd quite like to be a size 12 (which is what I'm estimating I'll be if I lose 2 stone, as I'm a 14 now). Not too fussed about being any smaller than that - I'm 5'9".

- I have somewhere in the region of a grand's worth of brand new fitness gear that is just slightly too small for me. This is because I go through so much gear, so I always make sure I have plenty in my wardrobe. When I shop, I buy some 14s and some 12s, because there's no point having a wardrobe full of 14s if I slim out of them. On the other hand, there is no point having a wardrobe full of 12s unless I slim INTO them! I've not been in any hurry so they've just been sitting there, patiently waiting for me to bother to lose the last bit of weight.

Reasons my inner voice will use to try to convince me that there's no harm in having second helpings (aka achievements to be proud of, not to devalue by using them as excuses!):

- I've already lost most of the weight I planned to lose.
- I'm very fit and healthy.
- My resting HR is 46 (it wasn't bad even at my heaviest, because I was quite fit, but it's still a significant improvement).
- I've gone from a large size 20 (i.e. kidding myself that I was a 20 and not a 22) to a 14.
- I've not only kept off the weight I lost with CD but lost a little more since then.

On a side note, my first ever Tesco.com delivery has just arrived and what a painless way to shop it is! I will definitely be doing it again in future. Plus, I not only got my Tesco reward points for the shop, but also Rewards Online. If you don't know about this amazing rewards scheme, check it out:

http://www.rewardsonline.co.uk/

 

[Kate]

Today is day four, I think. I've actually done a lot less exercise than usual this week so I'm surprised I've done so well (it's looking like three pounds off so far, although obviously not much of that is fat).

This means today is catch-up day - I've already been to Body Combat and Body Balance this morning, and I am going to another Combat class (this one is somebody else's, not my own) in an hour and a half. The biggest issue here is making sure I eat and drink enough. I had a small meal about half an hour ago, which is pushing it a bit as two hours before a class is a bit late to eat, but I'm justifying it to myself because I'm hoping my body is still metabolising like crazy from this morning's classes. I'll know either way by three quarters of the way through the class - if I feel sick, I ate too late!

This is where Cambridge tetras come in very, very handy! I usually have one instead of breakfast if I have a morning class, because it's very easy on the digestive system.

In other news, I have some issues with WLR. I use it from time to time as a general guideline, but the way it deals with exercise just annoys me. It deducts a fixed amount for each exercise, and doesn't seem to adjust it based on your weight. Also, if I'm burning approximately 80 calories per hour at rest, that needs to be deducted from my total. For example, today I've input two hours of Body Combat and one hour of yoga (close enough). It reckons I burn 224.7 calories with the 'yoga' and 939.2 for each hour of Body Combat. Now, for starters, that's an overestimate of the Body Combat calories. Secondly, those three hours need to be adjusted down by 240 calories (80 per hour). My total extra calories works out at 2103.1 according to WLR, but really it should be more like 1500 minus 240 = 1260 (nearly 900 less than WLR reckons). If I was relying on this to tell me how much to eat (I don't - I mostly use it for the nutritional profiles) I could be in real trouble!

 

[Karen1972]

Hi Kate

Good luck on your journey.... And how flipping fit are you?? I really need to exercise but look for any old excuse not to do any!! I work crazy hours monday to friday, I'm a sales manager with a huge territory so early starts and late finishes due to all the driving i have to do! And when it comes to the weekend, the last thing i want to do is exercise when i have so much socialising to do lol.

So what diet plan are you following? just counting calories or something more specific...?

 

[DQ]

Wow, you sound like you're doing incredibly well Kate

 

[Kate]

Hi Karen, I'm not following any specific plan, and I don't count calories...I'm just eating a bit less really, reducing my portions a bit and trying to have fewer puddings!

D_Q, to be honest I've done less exercise than usual this week and last week so I'm amazed. I lost a pound last week (which nobody can believe since it was Christmas and New Year) and three this week, but I've really made an effort to reduce my portions this week which is obviously what's working.

Classes are back to normal next week so I'll have six Body Combat, four aerobics and one Body Balance - losses should be good but I also have to make sure I'm eating enough. It's really tempting not to eat any extra 'exercise calories', because I know I'll lose faster if I don't, but I have to be sensible! No point being slim and knackered

 

[Shazza]

In other news, I have some issues with WLR. I use it from time to time as a general guideline, but the way it deals with exercise just annoys me. It deducts a fixed amount for each exercise, and doesn't seem to adjust it based on your weight.

Hi Kate

Have a browse through caloriesperhour.com - it does take into account your weight but I couldnt see body Combat in the list - think you might have to look up aerobics class. Anyway - may be of use.

Take care

 

[Kate]

Thanks for that link Shazza. I already know roughly how many calories I burn because I sometimes wear an HR monitor, but it's very useful for other activities (and I like all the different tools on the site).

Well, it's day six today and there's nothing really new or special to report - I've got Body Combat tonight, though, which is always good because it gives me so many extra calories to play with.

I didn't weigh myself this morning before I had breakfast so I'll let it go for today. Wednesday should be my weigh in day, actually, so maybe I should stick to that. I'm on and off the scales all the time, particularly when I've been at the gym so that I can work out how much water I need to drink, so I do have a rough idea of how I'm doing on a day to day basis.

 

[FatFairNForty(ish)]

Good luck on your journey Kate - sounds like you have a successful head on your shoulders! and a wedding to look forward to, fabulous! You will shift that last couple of stones easily by late August Be sure to put pics up ! (I'm a soppy mare - love a wedding photo.. lol)

 

[Shazza]

I take it that Armageddon is your wedding day - You are a crazy woman Kate !!!

 

[Kate]

Cheers FFF!

Yeah, I've worked it out - the wedding is 32 weeks away(ish) so even if I only lose at a rate of 1lb a week I'll still manage it. However, I absolutely have to stay focused - I didn't lose much weight last year despite doing loads of exercise because it just wasn't a priority for me. If I don't watch what I eat, I stay the same weight (this was my downfall originally when I put on weight - I never used to watch what I ate, which was no big deal at all until I stopped exercising when I moved house and started my own business - and then of course I wasn't earning those extra calories, and my weight crept up).

If I'm honest, getting great looking arms and losing a bit of back fat is more important than the exact amount of weight lost - I'm wearing a strapless dress for the wedding. I made an amazing difference to my arms last year but there's still work to do. Losing the bit of extra weight will help because hopefully at least a little of it will go from my upper arms and back! You never know, I might need to lose two and a half stone, or I might only need to lose one and a half (not likely but I can dream).

 

[Kate]

I take it that Armageddon is your wedding day - You are a crazy woman Kate !!!

Hee hee, yes it is. I will admit, though, that the planning is getting a lot less stressful now that we've more or less finalised the guest list and I wonder if perhaps I should change my countdown to something a little less aggressive

 

[Debbiemac]

Hee hee, yes it is. I will admit, though, that the planning is getting a lot less stressful now that we've more or less finalised the guest list and I wonder if perhaps I should change my countdown to something a little less aggressive

So.... Can I buy a hat
(or at least a new pair of sandals seeing as my sisters dog ate the ones that go with 'our' red dress hehehe)

 

[Kate]

So.... Can I buy a hat
(or at least a new pair of sandals seeing as my sisters dog ate the ones that go with 'our' red dress hehehe)

Go with the sandals...the wedding isn't until 4pm so you won't need morning dress! Are you at home right now? If you are I'll ring you.

 

[DQ]

Hee hee, yes it is. I will admit, though, that the planning is getting a lot less stressful now that we've more or less finalised the guest list and I wonder if perhaps I should change my countdown to something a little less aggressive

Nah, it'll make you smile every time you see it!!

 

[Kate]

Knackered!

I've just done two Combat classes. My tea is cooking in the oven and I don't think I've looked forward to a meal so much in ages. I've got aerobics first thing in the morning as well, so this is quite a high-GI meal as I need to replenish my carbs as quickly as possible!

For the sake of amusement, I have logged today's activities into WLR as well as what I've eaten. If I wanted to maintain my weight, I'd have to eat another 2000 calories today, even after the carbfest that will be my dinner. This means that in theory I will have lost half a pound of fat just today.

Now, this isn't healthy, so I need to eat more. But, weird though it may sound, it's not always easy to eat enough calories. I can't eat too soon before a class, so my last meal was a late lunch (440 calories). I had breakfast and a mid-morning snack, but I can't catch up now - it's 10pm! It's really a bit late to be eating in the normal run of things, but my class finished at 9 so I have no choice. However, I can't have a huge meal because a) I won't sleep and b) I'll feel sluggish in the morning, when I'll need my energy the most for the aerobics class.

I know it's a bit funny when talking about weight loss to go on about making sure I have ENOUGH calories. I have a feeling that Tuesday nights are going to play a large part in my weight loss (Thursdays too - Combat 10am, aerobics 6pm).

 

[Kate]

Well, I've got a new motivation, and it's all thanks to Diva's What Are You Going To Wear? thread.

We're going skiing in a couple of months and when I'm hiring my skis, I want to be able to tell them my weight in English without embarrassment (at most resorts they ask the question in English, and I tell them the answer in the local language so that the rest of our group doesn't know what I said). It's a silly thing, and my weight isn't particularly horrific, but I'm still not exactly proud to say it out loud