Week one for Jen H.

I am so glad this challenge is back on. I had a great week. I got a total of 74 points (68 + 5 $ + 1 wl). Last time my biggest challenge was exercising every day. That is where I would lose the bulk of my points is only exercising 3 times a week or whatever. This time I challenged myself to exercise every day. And this week, I did it! I've realized that 30 minutes really isn't that much--despite the mental moaning and groaning I surround it with. Though I love to swim and to bike on a real bike (I made it to the pool just twice this week and on my real bike not at all), when that doesn't happen in a day, even when I get home late or whatever, if I quit putting it off and jump on my stationary bike with a good book, 30 minutes flies by. Seriously, I'd probably lay in bed and read for 30 anyway, why not exercise? I've also upped the resistance on my exer-bike, so I'm pushing myself--I'm really actually sweating on the stupid thing now. Last time part of my issue with the exer-bike is that it didn't feel like that much of a work out. It's all in the settings. And I've stepped up my lap swim too. Last time I really felt like I only got a true work out when I did water aerobics, as lapping and the exer-bike had become ho-hum. Well now I typically do 500 meters of laps as sort of a 20 minute warm up, then spend the next 20 minutes doing my own water aerobics. Yes, I look like an idiot hopping around by myself in the pool, but I've stopped caring. I'm a fat lady in a swim suit, I don't look great to begin with. Might as well make the best of it.

My biggest problem point this time? Overeating. I would have had a perfect score this week if it weren't for a couple of episodes of overeating. I really need to stop and wait, because both times I thought I was fine until about a half an hour later, I had to admit to myself I'd overdone it. But, having gone to two restaurants this week, I took half my meal home in a box, even though I didn't feel "full" at the table (I felt just fine 30 minutes later). That is a big step for me--I almost always finish my plate, and then some. I'm so glad to have motivation to not eat after 8. I once heard someone on tv say that what you eat or don't eat after dinner is your weight loss. It is sooooo true. I think if I did nothing else but not eat after 8, I would lose weight, if slowly. As it is, with working hard when I exercise, overeating soooo much less and not eating after 8 at all, I weighed in at 276.5--a whopping 7.5 pounds of loss this week!! Granted, some of that was probably water, as I really didn't think I'd gotten back up to 284, but I'll take water loss! My goal for this challenge, was a bit lofty--2.5 pounds a week, but week one put me 2 weeks ahead! Yay! Week 2 here I come!!