Weighing In - Week Twenty Two

Okay, so I knew in advance that Thanksgiving was going to be a bad week for weight loss.  I actually gained 3 pounds from all the feasting, but by my official weigh-in day it had corrected to 2.2.  My goal is to get that back off quickly and continue making progress.

The good news is that I can consistently get through level 2 of the 30 Day Shred now.  Woo hoo!  It's not easy, but I can do it.  I think I'll stay there for a couple of weeks before taking on level 3.  During Thanksgiving break, my son had to exercise (once) to get credit for his kinesiology class, so he joined me in my workout. I dropped back to level 1 for him, and took great satisfaction in seeing that he found it just as hard as I did at first.  These really are tough workouts!

It's been five months since I posted my "before" picture, so I thought I'd do a new one to show my progress.  I still have a long way to go, but I can already see a difference.


My numbers for the week:

Pounds lost (-) or gained (+) this week:  +2.2

Total weight loss:  13.0

Inches lost (-) or gained (+) this week:  0

Total inches lost:  25.5

Does 25.5 inches sound like a lot?  I think so, too.  Let me break it down for you.  These are the areas I measure and how many inches I've lost in each:  Waist -6, Hips -4, Neck - 1.5, Arm (upper) -2, Thigh -5, Calf -1.5, Bust -3, Chest -2.5

Looking for some company and motivation on your weight loss journey?  Check out the Empty the Junk from the Trunk group on Facebook.

People Watching at RenFest

One of my favorite events every year is the Texas Renaissance Festival. I won't go into a lot of detail about RenFest (you can click the link if you want details), I'll just say that it's an experience worth repeating.  And we do... several times each year. 

There is much to do at RenFest - shopping, games, shows and food - but my favorite activity of all is people watching. All of the actors and vendors dress in costume, as do many of the patrons, and it becomes a feast for the eyes. 

I'd like to share a few of my favorite shots from this season with you.

Beautiful colors and a beautiful girl.

This lady paints pictures on faces. I think her face would make a lovely painting.

This man has the softest hands at the fair. No kidding!

Such a sweet couple.

The lovely Katie.

Tipsy and Traveller... and don't call her a bird, she's a dragon.

A distinguished gentleman.

This intense look turned into a playful laugh when we asked him what he was wearing 'neath his kilt.

A singing pirate.

Meow.

I love all the small music stages scattered around the festival.

A wise-looking mage.

Rhythm that makes you want to shimmy.

Oh my!

Would you trust this pirate?

A handsome rogue... who also happens to be my son. :)

Beautiful Cinder and her thousand watt smile.

A feast for the eyes and the ears.

As I said there is much to see and do at RenFest, and I can't wait to do it all again next year. 

Huzzah!





Thanksgiving Tradition

Another Thanksgiving has come and (almost) gone. My extended family used to get together at my sister's house for Thanksgiving, but we stopped doing that several years ago.  This year, it was just the three of us - me, my husband and our son (who was home from college).

Cooking a Thanksgiving feast for three people is a challenge for me.  You see, when it comes to Thanksgiving, I like to cook BIG.  A large turkey (18 lbs), mounds of mashed potatoes and gravy, and enough dressing to feed at least a dozen people.  Plus green bean casserole, cranberry sauce (made by my son), rolls, and pie for dessert (apple this year).  I know I could  adjust my recipes to make smaller batches, but it just wouldn't feel right. 

The good thing about this little dilemma is that we always have a ton of leftovers.  I'll be feeding my guys various reincarnations of turkey for the next few days.  Thankfully, we all really like turkey.

The bad thing is that we don't have a lot of extra space to store all those leftovers.  However, through a creative game of Refrigerator Tetris after dinner, I was able to squeeze everything into the fridge.  We just have to remember to be careful when we open the door. 

Tomorrow morning we'll be getting up bright and early.  No, we won't be taking part in the traditional chaos of the Black Friday shopping marathon.  Instead, we'll be headed to the Texas Renaissance Festival to enjoy the festivities of the Celtic Christmas.  It will be our last huzzah of the season.  While we're there, we'll probably do a little Christmas shopping.  It's traditional, after all.

I hope you've had a wonderful Thanksgiving and that your weekend is calm and soothing, or exciting and productive... or perhaps a bit of both.

Weighing In - Week Twenty One

Hard work really does pay off.  My numbers are headed back in the right direction again.  Just in time for the food frenzy that is Thanksgiving. 

My numbers for the week:
Pounds lost (-) or gained (+) this week:  -0.4
Total weight loss:  15.2
Inches lost (-) or gained (+) this week:  -0.5
Total inches lost:  26.5

Still on Level 2 of the 30 Day Shred, still can't make it all the way through. 

My goal for the upcoming week is simply to maintain... and if I miss my goal, I will blame it on the Pilgrims. :)

Looking for some company and motivation on your weight loss journey?  Check out the Empty the Junk from the Trunk group on Facebook.

Weighing In - Week Twenty

Grrr!  I'm back on the weight loss roller coaster again.  It is definitely time to put this program back into high gear. 

This week I will work out more than three times.

This week I will make healthier food choices.

This week I will limit my portion sizes.

And next week... I will report a weight loss.

My numbers for the week:
Pounds lost (-) or gained (+) this week:  +0.2
Total weight loss:  14.8
Inches lost (-) or gained (+) this week:  -0
Total inches lost:  26.0

I'm still doing Level 2 of the 30 Day Shred, and it's still kicking my butt.  One day I hope to have enough upper body strength to make it all the way through without stopping.  Then... I will move on to Level 3. 

Looking for some company and motivation on your weight loss journey?  Check out the Empty the Junk from the Trunk group on Facebook.

Weighing In - Week Nineteen

Some days I get home from work and I just don't feel motivated to work out. Especially on those evening when I have Scout meetings.  The last time I felt that way, I thought about how good I feel after a workout... and I got out the weights and started up the video.  I did feel better after the workout and I was proud of myself for sticking with it.

Nineteen weeks.  This is the longest I have ever stuck with any weight loss effort.  Could it be that it's becoming a way of life?  Let's hope so.

Weigh-in this week revealed a small gain.  I had done well the last few weeks, so I was due for a set-back.  No worries.  It keeps me motivated and will just make me work harder to get back on track.  Time to kick it back into high gear.

My numbers for the week:
Pounds lost (-) or gained (+) this week:  +0.6
Total weight loss:  15.0
Inches lost (-) or gained (+) this week:  -0
Total inches lost:  26.0

I tried Level 2 of the 30 Day Shred on Friday... and it totally kicked my butt.  It's more intense and there are a lot of plank-based moves.  After a few weeks at this level, my shoulders are going to look amazing.

Looking for some company and motivation on your weight loss journey?  Check out the Empty the Junk from the Trunk group on Facebook.

Weighing In - Week Eighteen

If you've been paying any attention to my blog, you may have noticed that there was no week seventeen post. What happened?  Wood Badge happened.

Wood Badge is adult leader training offered by the Boy Scouts. It's held over two 3-day weekends, and last weekend (actually 2 weekends ago) was the second weekend of the course - my second Wood Badge staff experience.  It was busy, intense and, when it was over, I was exhausted.  And I'm looking forward to doing it again. 

I think I may have had a small weight gain from all that great food at Wood Badge, but I didn't do my weigh in, so the world may never know. So... we'll just skip ahead.

The first part of my week was spent trying to catch up on errands that I normally do on the weekend.  Fortunately, I did manage to do my workouts during the week.  Those 20 minute sessions (30 Day Shred) are easy to fit into my schedule, which means I can do them even on those nights when I have Scout meetings. 

My numbers for the week:
Pounds lost (-) or gained (+) this week:  -1.6
Total weight loss:  15.6
Inches lost (-) or gained (+) this week:  -1.0
Total inches lost:  26.0

I'm still on Level 1 of the 30 Day Shred, but it's getting easier. I think I may be ready to move up to Level 2 soon.  Yay!

Looking for some company and motivation on your weight loss journey?  Check out the Empty the Junk from the Trunk group on Facebook.