The State of the Union: A Weight Loss Update
If you are just tuning in, I am on a mission to lose 18.8 pounds. If you are sick of hearing about this, you may be dismissed. This post is for the 3 of you interested in following my progress.
To recap: Last year, I went on a 40-day fruit, vegetable, seeds and nuts fast. I did it for spiritual reasons, primarily. But I am a multi-dimensional being, so it’s difficult to separate the spiritual from the physical, you know? One directly affects the other. They are all connected.
I lost only 3 pounds on that fast, which is really just a typical daily weight fluctuation for me.
When I came off that fast, (one year ago TODAY!) I gained 2 pounds a week for 6 weeks straight and then continued to gain about a pound a month for the next 7 months. That all happened while I was doing what I have been doing for the last 25 years: eating healthy and working out 5 to 6 days a week. No other changes in diet or exercise.
That entire time, I was working out with a personal trainer. Most of that time, I was working P90X DVD’s into my normal routine. Not the kind of endorsement these folks are looking for (do this and gain 18 pounds!)
After 4 doctors, a personal trainer and a nutritionist looked at my blood, my pee, my diet and my exercise regime, they concluded the cause of the rapid weight gain was a combination of coming off that fast, being on Lexapro (an anti-depressant) and my age (I’m 42). All of those things combined, completely wrecked my metabolism.
I weaned myself off Lexapro in June (doing GREAT, by the way!) and I started my Fitness Initiative in August. I obviously can’t do anything about the age.
Here are the numbers:
Weeks I’ve been hitting my diet and exercise HARD: 8
Number of days as a vegan: 23
Number of vegan diet splurges: 1 (I ordered French fries with my garden burger last week. I shared the fries with my family)
Number of Days I worked out in September: 25 of 30
Number of days in the month of September I’ve worked out with my trainer: 8
Number of days I could hardly walk down a flight of stairs or lift my arms above my head: 8 (He pushes me really hard, and has me work different muscle groups each visit)
Number of days I did 30 to 60 minutes of cardio: 17 (power walking, running or elliptical)
Pounds lost since August 9th: .6 (yes, there is a decimal point in front of that 6. I have only lost one half pound in 8 weeks, y’all)
Inches lost: 9 (that’s 1 to 2.5 inches in chest, waist, hips, butt and thighs)
Am I disappointed that the weight is not just melting off my body? Sure. Honestly, when I got on the scale this morning, I was shocked to see that it hadn’t moved from last week. Shocked, I tell you.
However, seeing the inches shrinking is encouraging. I know I’m building muscle and losing fat, though it has yet to translate to actual pounds lost.
I feel absolutely great, both physically and mentally. Though I finally had to break down and purchase some new jeans this week (last year’s jeans don’t fit—at ALL), I’m finally seeing muscle tone in my shoulders, arms and abs that’s been hidden by a layer of fat for months. I feel a mental sharpness I haven’t felt in years. My resting heart rate is in the “athlete” range. I feel strong. I feel healthy.
Short of starving myself or working out 2 hours a day, there is nothing else I can do. And I don’t want to do that anyway. I like having a life. Though whether or not being vegan qualifies as “having a life” is debatable.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Inches gone, feeling great, off of anti-depressent medicine, and hilariously funny. As usual,you simply rock it out of the park, Sandy Cooper. So grateful that your body was ready to be off of the meds.
Enjoy your anniversary celebration this weekend.
Fondly,
Glenda
I am so proud you for pushing yourself as hard as you do. You are doing everything right!
I have to agree with you that at some point you have to say "this is not a lifestyle." I've had to have that reality check many times. And funny now when I train for a race and do 2-a-days – I look back and think I'm nuts for ever WANTING to workout that much!
And your splurges were a shock to me. The other day I ordered a salad without chicken and cheese, only to look down when I was half way through the salad and discover I was eating cheese. Uggh!!
I'm so glad you updated…I have been wondering:) (I guess I'm one of the blessed 3!)
I'm so impressed by how you stick to your diet/way of eating. That is by far my biggest struggle consistently. I like to run/work out, so even though I don't always have the time I would love to work out 60-90 minutes a day. But, like you, I have lots of other things/sweet people in my life. I am trying to enjoy the healthy body God has given me and relish the fact that I can run long and far and how I can see muscles in my back and shoulders that were hiding for years. (I don't know if I'll ever see those ab muscles:( sigh.
Question about the scale….I can have a 4-5 pound difference day to day (grr!) and I have a neighbor that goes between 8. How, oh how, FGF are we supposed to gage anything on that?!?! I guess it's back to how clothes fit and what we see in the mirror and energy level…
Thanks for the update!! Sorry to hear about the jeans. The really stinks! But great to hear about the inches. Perhaps the scales you are using are just broken. I think that there must be some gravity thing happening that just doesn't make sense!
What's most important is that you are healthy. You are feeling great! You are enjoying your life. You're getting toned where you haven't seen tonedness. You are getting ripped abs!
But the greatest is that you are anti-depressant free and feeling GREAT!!!
Girl, you are amazing. I think I would be so discouraged by not seeing more, but really, you are making such great progress. Inches lost and no antidepressant? You are definately headed in the right direction.
Saandy this post makes me sick to read it. I still had high hopes I could lose 10 more pounds and one more size. I have been trying for almost 7 months now!!! What the??? Now I'm wondering if it will EVER happen after reading this. I don't understand how you can workout that hard and nothing much is happenening. I know you feel great and are gaining muscle but geez why isn't the scale moving down? I'm so sorry…sigh. Maybe the scale isn't the most important thing at all to judge our progress. Ha! Coming from me who has weighed every single day for well over a year now that makes zero sense.
Good luck sweet friend! Keep us posted. I do enjoy your blog very much.
Warmly, ~Melissa 🙂
Sandy-
I have this really crazy yet exciting idea. I'm always procrastinating about exercising and getting into better shape. I keep telling myself I'll do it tomorrow and tomorrow never comes. So I thought what if I tried to do some type of exercise every day for one year. Besides the normal moment I make throughout the day. Where I consciously make a decision to do some type of exercise for at least 30 minutes each day. How would that change my life? What would it be like? Maybe every Friday I could post on my blog about what I did during the week. Kind of a cray idea but I'm always up for a challenge.
Rebecca
"Though whether or not being vegan qualifies as "having a life" is debatable."
bwhahahahaaaaa!
oh my. seriously funny.