Still loosing... but A LOT SLOWER!

The "rapid weight loss" phase of my diet is over, I think... Overall, I'm still loosing weight on my current nutrition plan but it's to the tune of 1 pound per week. (not 3 pounds like I WAS seeing during the first month!)
I expected this to happen though, and at least I haven't hit a PLATEAU yet! And this is also a really good wake-up call for me... NOw I understand why the daily weigh-ins are so silly! If you are loosing weight like a NORMAL person, seeing a ONE pound change over the week is normal... weighing-in more then that frequency just sets you up for the emotional rollercoaster of gaining and loosing due to so many factors (drinking more water then usual, workout factors, stress, what you ate the night before, etc...) NO MORE OF THAT!

I've also moved into the "vetran" stage of this phase of my diet (according to my colleague!), where I know exactly what to eat and when and am so much more relaxed about it! (However, this past weekend stressed me out, diet wise, because we spent it driving around Alberta and I found it tough to eat at my set times... I couldn't really plan my meals when I don't have my own kitchen at my disposal!) But I made it through, and I feel great!

Finally feeling like the FIT GIRL!

These photos were taken 18 days apart! And the one on the left isn't even where I actually started! (That had already at 5 pounds!)

This shows my progress to date: 10 pounds of weight loss the RIGHT, healthy way, with proper nutrition and exercise... no magic pills, no special packaged foods... just a balanced nutrition plan, and my own WILL POWER!

I feel GREAT about my progress so far!
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Pound 5

My scale has been majorly schytzophrenic the past few days. I usually weigh myself 3 times, and take the average, or if one number comes up twice, I take that number... Well, the last time I weighed myself, the first number was super light, I was like "WHAT??? NO WAY! I didn't loose THAT much!" so I had to get a reading that was more believable to me (and the 2nd two readings were higher, as I expected!) Today, my first reading was actually an unexpected surprise, and I wasn't even going to do the 2nd and 3rd readings... but I figured I had to, just to be consistant... and the last 2 readings were WAY LOWER!!! WHAT???

Do digital scales do this when their batteries are low? Or is this kind of fluctuation in readings normal? (I know if I put the balls of my feet in different areas I can get the reading to go heavier or lighter. I don't think I'll ever be able to trust it.)

So, for today's weight, I actually took the higher reading as the truth, and it was still a 5 pound loss!!!
I'll soon be out of the 150's :) WOOT!!!!
Meeting with my nutritionist tomorrow to get some more pointers too! I'm looking forward to it!
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My Dieting Personality

I don't like to call it "dieting" it's more like "food budgeting", right? (Dieting has such a negative connotation these days!)
I had joined SparkPeople a while back, and decided to use their food journal to help track my daily intake during this initial stage of my nutrition plan.
They also had a quiz to determine what your dietting style is, and it hit the nail on the head for me... and gave me so many great tips on how to make sure I attain my goals. Have a look:

I'm the FAST FUELER:
Convenience is everything - and it's a problem. You tend to be on the go a lot and have a no-nonsense but inconsistent approach to health and fitness. The rational side knows about good nutrition and how it helps you get more done. But eating right all the time is a real hassle, especially when you just want to know what tastes good! Moreover, you prefer to eat when hungry but your busy schedule makes it difficult. Relatively speaking, it is also likely you have less weight to lose compared to most.
Fast Fuelers as a general rule tend to get caught up in what they're doing and sometimes forget to eat. A skipped breakfast or lunch is a recipe for trouble, usually ending up in an evening or late night calorie load-up. Fast Fuelers do not necessarily eat a lot of fast food, but your hectic day can lead to unhealthy food because a trip home or the grocery store just isn't convenient.

What can you do? Retake control of your diet with meal planning, convenience, and more consistency. Spacing out smaller, more frequent meals will keep your energy reserves stable and avoid the highs and lows of "grab and go" meals and late night snacking. You need to structure good nutrition into your day (like other appointments) to avoid the compromising situations that cause you to skip meals or hit the drive thru. You are likely an excellent do-it-yourselfer in other areas of your life. Plan and pack ahead. Use that advantage of discipline and determination to stick to a real plan!

How SparkPeople can help: SparkPeople's structured meal plans match your caloric needs and take the guesswork out of healthy food choices. Our searchable 10,000-food database makes it easy to plan ahead and keep track of calorie levels, overall nutrition and your weight loss progress. Choose from our plans or mix and match your own. Our food planning, tracking and calendar tools help you control your eating habits without using up a lot of valuable time or brainpower.

Great tips for FAST FUELERS:
-Bring stability to your diet, using your rational side to plan ahead and stay consistent.
-Pack your lunch or have someone pack for you so it's there when you need it.
-Have and use plenty of disposable resealable containers of different sizes.
-Batch-cook food on Sunday for the rest of the week
-Make a point to have more fresh fruit and vegetables within arm's reach.
-Try cutting the intake of coffee and soda in half or substituting with green tea.


Doesn't sound like you? Are you more likely an Emotional Eater, a Portion Distortioner, or just Carb and Calorie Crazed! Find out at SPARK!

If you want to join me in my weight loss journey, I would recommend getting started by checking out Spark! It's got so much information and other tools to use to make your goals become a reality! You will be very surprised how much you can accomplish in the right environment and support!!!
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Snowboarding and SNOW!

I had a pretty busy weekend!
Ken (my bother-in-law who will be staying with us for the next few months) arrived on Thursday night and my friend B. was in town and wanted to hang out this weekend. So, on Friday night, B. and I drank some vino (Fetzer Gewürztraminer, it's the BEST!) and had a really good visit. Saturday morning I had to teach my class in the AM (which I took B. to) and in the PM we'd planned to go snowboarding. (It was going to be Collin's first time on a snowboard!) We went to Nakiska, because it's only 30 minutes away from the west side of Calgary. The snow conditions weren't the best for learning to snowboard on though because it was fairly hard packed. (And Collin fell A LOT!) We only managed to get in 3 full runs before Collin threw in the towel and called it a day! (I was really proud that he managed to complete all 3 runs though without much complaining!!) And he will improve, we just need to go out to C.O.P. for a few evenings in February!
Today I went to GNC to pick up some Whey Protein powder, Active Woman's multi-vitamins and some Udo's 3-6-9 Oil. Hopefully, once my body get's used to all this goodness, I will start to loose some of my Christmas fluff. I just want to feel leaner for Maui. (I actually went in to GNC to buy a Fat Burner suppliment, but the lady who helped me, talked me into going this route instead. I do think it's probably the safer way to go, it's just a LOT more work!)
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Mindies

I wore my hair in Mindies today. ("Na-Neu, Na-Neu") ...I feel like a kid again! :) This used to be my FAVORITE hair style when I was younger! I think I'm gonna 'bring Mindies back'! LOL

...And I stepped on the scale at the gym today, and lost 3 pounds. Gotta LOVE water retension! Grrrrrr....