Monday, October 11, 2010

So this is what a new journey looks like...

Well, I am officially on a new path in my weight loss journey.

I've completely stopped weighing myself in the mornings and I feel so good. Liberated, actually. The only weigh-in for me is going to be on Saturday mornings at Weight Watchers and I may or may not look at the results. We'll see.

This past Saturday, I had my first weigh in since vacation. Now, mind you, vacation was Sept 18-26. I weighed in the Friday before I left (17th) and while I was up there, I weighed in on the following Monday (20th), just 2 days into my trip. By then, I'd only gained 1 full pound. I thought that was pretty good considering I'd already eaten a ton of peanut butter fudge and I actually had fried chicken one day. But then it dawned on me that I didn't have to weigh-in for another week and a half (Oct 2nd) and, in fact, I'd have a full week of being back home and back on plan before I had to weigh in to get any extra pounds from vacation off.

Well, that plan backfired.

When I got home, I stepped on the scales at home and I'd gained... gulp... wait for it... 12.6 pounds.

Yikes, is an understatement.

But I still had a full 5 days before weigh in so I figured I could probably get a few of those pounds off, and actually I did. By Saturday morning, I was only up 5 pounds (I'd lost 7 pounds that week) since before vacation.

But you know what I did. I took a no weigh in pass. I figured that would give me one more week to get back down to within a few pounds of where I was before I left.

Well, that didn't work either. I actually gained 3 more pounds last week. So my official weigh in for this past Saturday was a whopping gain of 8.2 pounds (since before vacation).

Ouch!

I know, my new plan is to not think about the pounds, but the thing that stings the most is that I've now fallen down to below my 100 pound loss mark. I'm now down to only having lost 95 pounds. I actually cried a little bit while I was sitting in Weight Watchers looking at that number.

But I dried my tears and put my head up and remembered my new journey. My new journey doesn't care about those numbers any more. My new journey cares about how I feel. So how do I feel?

Well, my jeans are getting a big snug. My beautiful skinny jeans are telling me I'm not skinny. It's only 8 pounds, but evidently 8 pounds does make a difference.

So I'm gonna call the doctor tomorrow and make an appointment (or whatever I have to do) to get the note from him saying that 160 is my healthy weight instead of 155. And my first goal is to not get down to 160 pounds, my first goal is to get my jeans fitting me again. My poochey tummy is sticking over my jeans a little too much for comfort.

I feel so much better about this new plan. I truly feel liberated. I just hope I'm doing the right thing.

.

14 comments:

WWSuzi said...

Hey you haven't given up and you have a good plan of action!
You can do it!!

Sarah said...

Same here,I went on to an all inclusive vacation, came back and was up 14 pounds. By the time I went to WI, I was only up 9 pounds. Tomorrow is my WI, see how much more of this vacation pudge I lost.
It mostly water weight in our bodies. It will go away but it sucks because I feel like I am relosing the same weight over and over again.

We can get this vacation weight off! Let's do it!

InWeighOverMyHead said...

You hang in there! You have come so far and the person who knows you the best is you so do whatever makes you happy. :)

MizFit said...

CHEERING :)
When I stopped weighing except for the doctors once a year was when I FINALLY lost the wt I wanted to and for good.

IMO you have a perfect plan of action.

K. said...

Most of this weight is probably water retention. Don't sit in tears because you still ost 95 lbs, and that is a MAJOR accomplishment! You will be back down in no time. K.
www.it-is-time.com

Unknown said...

I liked reading your post for several reasons. You were honest. You are dealing with the vacation weight as a hurddle in your weight loss journey.

When we vacation, we have 3 choices: 5to loose weight, to stay the same or accept a gain.

I have a Cruise coming up Oct 31. I am accepting a slight gain. I will track on the cruise using my BlackBerry and weight loss books as my guide. I don't care how bizarre I look. I care more about how I much I am willing to gain that week.

I am going to concentrate on quality versus quantity during the food feast. I will get plenty of exercise walking around the ship and on shore excursions.

I will do my best but be forgiving. It's not everyday I go Cruising. I need to enjoy myelf and food is a good component of that enjoyment. I won't become a food Nazi just a food watcher.

I admire you for your spirit to get right back on the horse and deal with the gain. You did it before and you can do it again. This is a minor setback. A couple of weeks. It doesn't ruin your whole vaca... you enjoyed yourself and that is what is important. Keep on the path that you were on before the vacation, it will lead you past this hump in the scale and beyond.

Hugs,

Jesus Living Daily said...

I'm new to your blog and loved your post today, am a follower from now on! I was looking for people who had succeeded with a big loss are trying to get those last pounds off or maintaining... I will need this information for sure!

Unknown said...

95 pounds gone, Cara... that's AWEsome!
i just found your blog while looking for inspiration from those who had lost lots of weight following the WW plan.

You GO girl!

There is no way that everyone fits into the generic weight chart that WW uses.
All bodies of same height range are not the same in weight range!

There are SO many variables to that number on the scale... it is only one tool to use of MANY

It's not the person's problem... it's the chart's problem!

There was a man in my WW group who had lost 70pounds and was 10 pounds from WW goal and looked awesome... he couldnt get off the last 10 pounds after months and months... he thot he was cheating to get a note from his doctor to fix the WW chart problem. how sad!

After another month or so, he quit coming to meetings, but more importantly he quit eating right. And the last I saw him, he was on his way to gaining it all back and he is miserable. what a horrible shame to let the WW chart tell him whether he was a "complete success" or not!!!

It's like tripping on the last step, and throwing yourself all the way back down the stairs because you couldnt get up the stairs perfectly to the end!

Go YOU in being proactive to take care of you ...by getting a personalized weight goal from your doctor so you can begin your next season of maintaining with the support of those encouraging WW meetings.

No need to focus on the pounds that happened while on vacation... lots of carbs will cause major water retaining and you will easily get the last of that off by concentrating on healthy food and ignoring the scale. It comes off the same way it went on... fastly!

Focusing on being healthy... an exercise girl.... a fruits and veggies girl.... being a food snob -- only eating high calorie things that are REALLY worth it.....that is your true lifestyle change that will keep the weight off forever.

I'll be checking in often to be inspired by your success!

Blessings!
Cari

Unknown said...

"It's like tripping on the last step, and throwing yourself all the way back down the stairs because you couldnt get up the stairs perfectly to the end!"

and it's just steps for goodness sakes! who says what "perfectly going up the steps" is, anyway???

just like a journey to lose weight...

every.single.journey is different
no two alike. There is NO perfect way.

and ALL are successes to be turning a lifestyle around to healthy! That is true success...

...not a number on the scale that no one can see... or will ever know unless they are told.

95pounds and holding is an awesome success...

Cheering for you in your lifestyle of healthy living!

Gina J said...

Just found your blog !! Love it !! So impressed AND inspired !!! Thank you for your openness and honesty !! I'm following you now...gotta see how you're doing,and I'll help encourage when I can !!!
Please come visit my blog if you have time...I'm just getting 're-started', and have a long way to go...could use some 'cheers' myself !!!
thanks !!! ;)

http://www.movemyselfnow.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

Cara.... where are you?
i've been coming back daily to check on you... jump in right where you are and lets knock out the rest of weight together!

You have been so successful... you wouldnt slash the other tires on your car just because you got a flat on one!

Cheering for ya.... you can do this!

I'm pressing onward myself after months of treading water and gaining 10 back... let us know how you are doing and we can press onward all together!

Blessings!

Anonymous said...

Miss you, Cara!
Come back to us!!!!

FitnessVanity said...

I threw out my scale looooooong time ago! It's evil ;) inches are far more accurate than pounds

FitnessVanity said...

I threw my scale loooooooooooooong ago! It's evil ;) inches lost are far more accurate than pounds