Goodbye (Finally)

After jumping back and forth about when Jonathan was really leaving for Indianna, we have finally said our true goodbye.  It was more difficult this time for some reason.  There were actually some tears and it was really hard to drive away.  It seems like such a long drive to Macon but it was even longer in the silence (once Caitlyn fell asleep, anyway).  I keep telling myself that this deployment will be over before we know it but it is only just begining!  I miss him so much already.  The first deployment was so much different for us.  We hadn't yet bonded like we have now.  We had yet to even live together for more than two weeks before he came home in 2006.  We've now had almost 3 years of bonding, ups and downs, and time to realize just how much we love one another.  Though much of the time was broken up by Jonathan being sent away for MOS schools and training, we still grew stronger as the months went by.  Each goodbye got easier though, nothing was easy while I was pregnant.  We hit a really rough patch but came through it stronger than ever and we've only been growing closer ever since.  I feel so connected to Jonathan and part of me is afraid that our time apart will cause us to lose this connection.  I know that we can always get it back if we do but I also know that I am going to try with all my might to keep it together.  

The one thing that has brought us together more than anything else is Caitlyn.  I see how Jonathan is with her and I cannot help but be amazed and fall even more in love with him.  Even as he was saying goodbye, he lovingly covered her with a blanket and gave her a toy and a kiss.  He is so sweet with her that sometimes it honestly make me cry.  I know how important my relationship with my Daddy was to me and it makes me so happy to know that Caitlyn is going to have the same from Jon.  She's already melted his heart in the few short months she has been with us so I cannot imagine what a sucker she's going to turn him into when he comes home!  While a part of me is sad for Jonathan to be gone and ready for this deployment to just be over, I am also looking forward to watching Caitlyn grow and change and to see what kind of child she grows to be while he is gone.  I cannot wait for Jonathan to come home to her and see what an amazing kid she is and re-connect with her.  Well, here we are.  Officially on Deployment: Day 1.

Weight Loss Tips

Friday.  Weigh in Day.  What numbers will we see?!

 

I found this on the myfitnessplan website.  A member who has lost 66 pounds posted it and I thought it was incredibly brilliant!

 

Kerri's top 10 reasons why you're not losing weight

"Ok, I'm not a doctor, I'm not even a nurse, all of these are from personal experience and observation. I have read a shocking amount of "I'm so frustrated, I've been here a week [or 3 days, or 2 weeks] and I haven't lost anything!" So I thought instead of replying to all those separate threads I decided to make my own. All you veterans, feel free to add to my list: 

1. The number one reason you haven't lost weight is because you haven't given yourself TIME to lose weight. 3 days? (yes people have actually posted this) It is unlikely that you will see any noticeable changes in just 3 days and even if you do- yep, WATER weight. Be patient. If you are doing everything right (and nothing below applies to you) give it a month. Still nothing? Go see your doctor. 

2. You're eating too much. No, I don't mean you should start striving for numbers BELOW 1200 cals a day. What I really mean is you're not being accurate in what you do eat. "A handful" of grapes does not always equal 1 cup. You should make an effort to weigh and/or measure everything you eat including fruits and vegetables and beverages. Calories add up. 

3. You're not exercising. Yes, you can lose weight without exercise, but you are doing your body a major favor by doing it anyway. Increased muscle mass will speed up the rate at which your body burns calories so... more muscle= more fat loss. 

4. You're not eating enough. It seems to make sense right- eat very little, lose weight. But it's not. The less you eat, the more difficult it becomes for your body to function properly. This causes what is sometimes called "starvation mode"- but here I'll call it a slowing of the metabolism. Basically your body slows all it's functions to a crawl in order to conserve energy. It really fights to hold onto the fat reserves it's got because, in essence, it is starving. If you eat to little over a long period of time you will develop serious health problems, if you continue the behavior anyway you will, simply put, starve to death. Not eating enough can seriously slow weight loss but what's even worse is what it does to your health so please, eat! 

5. You can't put down the salt shaker. Sodium causes water retention, which causes the scale to read higher than what you actually weigh (that's called water weight) eating foods high in sodium is the culprit, and it doesn't HAVE to be salt that you've added. Most foods have sodium in them already, especially pre-packaged foods and sauces so be sure to monitor your sodium. You should be getting no more than 2500 mg in a day. 

6. You're weighing in at the wrong time. For this one I have 2 valid points- the first is- if you are a woman NEVER under ANY circumstances should you weigh during your time of the month. Most women pack on weight then due to water retention. It's just unfair to weigh yourself then. The second point is- don't weigh yourself after a hearty dinner- your tummy is full of food, and fluids from your day. Weigh instead in the morning after you've used the washroom. It's more accurate and please- once a week only. 

7. You're eating the wrong foods. There are a lot of people that seem to have trouble losing weight with Carbs. I am luckily not one of them, but if you are you may look into (and I mean seriously look into, not just "oh ya, I'm gonna stop eating all carbs now") a low-carb lifestyle. There are many users here who can offer you advice on this but please also speak to your doctor about it first. 

8. You don't have much to lose. When you only have say 10-15 lbs to lose, it is going to be a very slow process. You're fooling yourself if you think someone of that size can lose 2 lbs a week, or even 1 lb a week in some cases. Make reasonable goals of .5-1 lb a week and you'll have more success. I've said it before and I stand by it- be prepared for it to take a year to reach your goals. It is not unheard of for people to lose just 1 lb a month when they have very little to lose- but progress is still progress. 

9. You're weighing inaccurately. Are you weighing with clothes on? Are you using different scales? Is your scale on a hard, flat surface? You should make an effort to weigh either nude or, if you're in a public place, in the same or similar clothes every time you weigh-in. Use the same scale every time as each will weigh you differently and make sure the scale is flat. Some scales read differently if you so much as bend over, so stand up straight with your arms at your sides. Make certain your scale is accurate, try weighing a 10lb barbell and adjust it so the scale reads exactly 10lbs. 

10. And finally, the one everyone loves to turn to- muscle mass. Muscle takes up less room that fat, so if you're gaining muscle the scale may show increases or no change in your weight even if you are losing fat. BUT don't fool yourself, you're not putting on 3 lbs of muscle in a week. If it's been a serious plateau however, and not just a week or two, pull out your handy tape-measurer and see if there are any changes where it really counts. 

That is all, thanks for reading "

 

A link to the full post here:  http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/48463-kerri-s-top-10-reasons-why-you-re-not-losing-weight

 

I read a few of the responses but my attention span is really short and I decided to just add onto this a few things. 

 

1)  In regards to food and exercise, be sure you're being honest with yourself!  Did you REALLY work out hard enough to count all those calories burned?  And if so, did you reward yourself with a nice, big cupcake or with something that would help give you more fuel for your body?  I am guilty of the cupcake on a few occasions.  Recently, I went for a walk pre-dinner so I could afford to eat at a pizza place with my husband.  There's nothing wrong with doing it from time to time, just make sure it's not your habit.

 

2)  With number seven, I think it should also be mentioned that your diet should have a variety.  Lots of protein, fruits, veggies, and whole grains.  If you're eating 1000 calories a day in simple carbohydrates, you aren't doing yourself any favors!

 

3)  If you're under any type of stress at all, including illness, give your body a break!  It's speaking to you and it's saying "leave me alone".

 

4)  DRINK YOUR WATER!!!  I notice that water has so many benefits with weight loss and my number one motivation is that the weeks when I drown myself in water, I lose the most weight!  If you aren't used to drinking it, start small.  Give yourself a goal of 2 glasses a day and work your way up.  If you have been eating a lot of sodium, the best way to counter-act the water retention is to flush it out with water.

 

5)  Remember that there are some things out of your control that can cause you to maintain or gain weight.  Medications, illnesses, genetic conditions, etc.  Again, be HONEST with yourself about what you've really tried and never, ever be afraid to talk with your doctor.  They might be able to help switch your medications or put you on a new one that is more weight-friendly!

Jonathan's Visit

Jonathan got home from Macon around 10pm on Thursday.  We were both pretty pooped so we sat on the couch for like an hour and then went on to bed!  Friday we worked on cleaning the house a little and then were pretty lazy.  Seems like we did something else but I don't remember!  We went to Caprese for dinner and then raced back home to beat the storms!  We made it and hid in the bathroom for a good 30 minutes before we felt like it was safe and everything had passed.  Most of it must have fizzled out by the time it made it here because we didn't get hail or anything and I know my parents did!  Saturday we cleaned up the house and had my Aunt and Cousin over for dinner.  Sunday was Caitlyn's first Easter!!!  We stopped by Jonathan's parents' house to pick up Caitlyn's gift and then went on over to my parents' house.  We had a pretty good dinner with my Aunt and cousin still in town.  Caitlyn was pretty cranky the whole time until we forced her to take a nap.  After she finally woke up we were able to give her the gift from Grandma and Grandpa Clarke.  She had a blast!  Jon and I went for a walk in the nieghborhood since she got kind of cranky again and we needed a break!  I don't miss those hills!!!  Yesterday (Monday) we got Jonathan all packed up and worked on cleaning up the house a bit.  We met Joe, Kristina and baby Colin for lunch at Doc Green's (mmmMMMmmm!) and then hit up the Carter's outlet across the street.  Holy cow, I got some GREAT deals!!!  We did Johnny's Pizza for dinner and hit up Wal Mart's Easter clearance for even MORE GREAT DEALS!  I have decided that Caitlyn is NOT going to get giant Easter Bunnies every year.  I picked out a cute little one that will be just her size next year (well, not if she doesn't slow down on growing!).  He left before 5am this morning and I miss him already!

Now, as for food.  I ate what I wanted but did a bit of planning, portion control and a whole lot of honesty.  In the past, I would eat and eat but lie to myself about just how bad it was.  Fearing I'd blown it completely, I would just eat even more crap.  Making myself own up to my food made me be more careful about my "cheating".  I didn't feel like it was cheating, though!  I think it's important not to consider it such because of the guilt associated with the word.  I had a net deficit of 500 calories from Wednesday through Monday.  If I can manage to work out a few more times between now and weigh in day (Friday) and I don't eat back those calories, I should be able to make up for it.  My goal is to be within +/-100 calories for the week.  I started a few days early knowing that this weekend was going to be difficult.  Now, if I can just resist that champagne and cupcake in the fridge...

Today didn't go quite as smoothly as yesterday but it wasn't a complete disaster!  I still managed to weigh and measure everything although, I think I messed up my dinner measurements.  I had my usual waffle and peanut butter breakfast, clementine oranges for snack, a tortilla pizza and 90 calorie pack for lunch and BBQ chicken sandwiches with steamed broccoli/carrots.  I got desperate for some sweets again and had a 100 calorie Cheesecake Bar.  This means I'm completely out of "points" left to eat.  I suppose if I REALLY want something later, I can have some flavored water.  I'm trying to cut food off after 8:30pm anyway.  I'm sure nothing I can possibly eat after that point in time will do me any good.  I'm half way to my water consumption goals and about to go in for a refill.  I didn't get as much activity in today as I would like to but I did manage to get a lot of chores done around the house.  Those should count for SOME calories burned, right?!  I have a bit to finish with the laundry and clean up from dinner dishes... sweep and mop the bathroom floor... and the cat pans/trash and then I can relax and go to bed!!!  Hopefully I can finish this all before Caitlyn wakes up from her nap (HAHAHAHAHA!).  Well, maybe I'll get at least ONE thing done before she wakes up!!!  I'm hoping for much motivation to go for a walk tomorrow.  It's supposed to be pretty and my work out pants are clean!  I think if I get it all ready (add to to do list) before I go to bed, I'll be much more likely to go.  I've learned that planning and being prepared are key to me sticking to my goals.  Well, here's goes nothing...

The Challenge

One of my Facebook friends invited me to do a 10 pound in 6 week challenge on a blog.  At first I thought MAYBE I could lose a few pounds in 6 weeks but the more I thought about it, the more I felt like 10 pounds would be something I SHOULD be striving for.  Since Jon and I met, I am up 50 pounds!!!  I know that I had Caitlyn and a bit of this is baby weight that I still have not lost but that is still a large amount of weight to be carrying around.  I am often depressed, I hate shopping for clothing and I hate anything that requires more than blue jeans for me to attend.  I'm pretty tired of living like this and I really do not want Caitlyn to see me continue to struggle with food and inactivity.  So while I am partly doing this for me, I am also doing it for Caitlyn.  My goal is to lose 50 pounds while Jonathan is away.  This gives me about a year to reach my goal and I think that is completely attainable if I can stay on track!!!  I started with planning my meals for today last night and so far I have stayed on track.  It makes a huge difference at meal time when I have a clear plan of what I will be eating!  I usually grab a snack while I try to figure out what I'm going to eat and then end up full on snacks by the time lunch has come and gone.

I started today out fantastic with food but completely forgot to drink my water until about 5pm.  I'm at about 30 ounces for the current moment (not bad for 2.5 hours!).  I even managed to get in a 30 minute exercise!  I usually try to go for a walk but considering it SNOWED (briefly) today, I didn't really feel like taking Caitlyn out today.  I put her down for a nap and ate dinner, rested on the couch for a little bit and then started my workout.  I started simple with some crunches and basic strength training in the legs/thighs.  I wanted to "get moving" so I switched it up to some squats and basic dance moves with some music.  I did it all in my living room so there was no special equipment aside from a chair and some little hand weights.  I managed to stay moving for a full 30 minutes and actually broke a sweat!  Maybe I'm just really out of shape ... but my muscles sure are sore!  I did a combination of moves learned from various work out videos I have tried over the years and I think it's actually something I could do again on another rainy (or FRIGID) day!  I'm still craving sweets very badly but it's an addiction I really need to break.

Here's to hoping tomorrow goes just as well... or better.

Update:  I ended the day with most of the water I needed to drink down the hatch, accompanied with 1/2 cup of Jonathan's Reese's Ice Cream.  Oops.  Hey, at least I measured!!!