Carie's Weight Loss Journey - Week 30

I closed last month's post with a picture that said, "It's December. Finish strong." Well, December hasn't been my friend. I started the month off strong, only to have a terrible flu-like cold hit me very hard. My throat started feeling a little scratchy within the first few days, but by Thursday's Power Hour, I knew I was in for more than I wanted. I toughed it out for Zumba on Friday, and actually started to feel better. I woke up to go swimming on Saturday and couldn't even talk.

I had no idea what the next week had in store for me! I had the worst sore throat that I can even remember. It. Was. Awful. I was congested, I had a runny nose, coughing was torture, and I couldn't breathe very well. I was so tired all the time, but I hated sleeping because I couldn't find a comfortable way to sleep and breathe at the same time. I felt beyond dehydrated even though I was getting WAY more than 8 glasses of water a day. It was awful. I did no physical activity at all and vegged out every day. Not to mention the fact that I had a five pound gain on the scale at the end of the week. I was crushed.

I finally felt well enough to go back to Zumba on the 17th. I struggled a little bit and felt extremely fatigued half-way through, but I finished my workout and gave it everything I had! Each day it got easier to workout and not feel like I was about to fall over. It's been a crazy few weeks, but I think I'm just about back to 100% again!

I started Jillian's 30 Day Shred again, but stopped when I got sick. So, once again, I haven't completed it. I fully intend on having January being the month I complete it, if I don't get sick again! Or lazy like the time before... I just hope that I am able to actually complete it this time!

Aside from the sickness, my workouts have remained the same. Zumba on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday each week. Power Hour on Tuesday and Thursday each week. Swimming laps at the Y when I can, about 2 times a week. I haven't been on a run this month, which makes me sad, but it's been difficult with being sick and the snow outside. I am going to run this coming Monday so that I can say that I ran once during the month of December!

Even though I have a gain this month, my size is still going down, so I know that my body is still shrinking! I never thought I'd see the day where a size medium anything would fit me! I'm still in shock. I'm comfortably wearing a size 12 jean now, but they are getting bigger as well! I am very much looking forward to being able to shop for a completely new wardrobe when I reach my goal weight!

Start to Week 1, Week 2, Week 9, Week 17, Week 26, and Week 30 progression photo:

Start to Week 30 photos:

Week 26 and Week 30:

Starting Weight: 202 lbs

Week 1 Weight: 193 lbs

Week 2 Weight: 190 lbs

Week 3 Weight: 190 lbs

Week 4 Weight: 189 lbs

Week 5 Weight: 188 lbs

Week 6 Weight: 184 lbs

Week 7 Weight: 182 lbs

Week 8 Weight: 179 lbs

Week 9 Weight: 177 lbs

Week 10 Weight: 175 lbs

Week 11 Weight: 174 lbs

Week 12 Weight: 173 lbs

Week 13 Weight: 171 lbs

Week 14 Weight: 172 lbs

Week 15 Weight: 173 lbs

Week 16 Weight: 169 lbs

Week 17 Weight: 168 lbs

Week 18 Weight: 167 lbs

Week 19 Weight: 166 lbs

Week 20 Weight: 164 lbs

Week 21 Weight: 162 lbs

Week 22 Weight: 161 lbs

Week 23 Weight: 160 lbs

Week 24 Weight: 157 lbs

Week 25 Weight: 159 lbs

Week 26 Weight: 155 lbs
Week 27 Weight: 151 lbs
Week 28 Weight: 156 lbs
Week 29 Weight: 155 lbs
Week 30 Weight: 154 lbs

Weight Lost Since Week 26: 1 lb

Total Weight Lost: 48 lbs

Weight To Go: 19 lbs

So with the loss that put me at 51 pounds down, it really sucked to see the scale jump up five pounds. It takes a lot of hard work to lose weight, yet it is SO easy to put back on. Looking at the bright side of it, I'm still in the 150's! Which makes me super happy! I'm SO close to the 140's, but I've worked really hard to be in the 150's! The 140's will happen! I decided to focus on my measurements since I haven't updated anyone on those in a while! You can really see my hard work paying off in those numbers!

Waist

Start: 40 1/2"

Week 30: 31"

Inches Lost: 9 1/2"

Hips

Start: 47"

Week 30: 38 1/2"

Inches Lost: 8 1/2"

Bust

Start: 45"

Week 30: 37 1/2"

Inches Lost: 7 1/2"

Belly (Widest part of my "pooch")

Start: 45 1/2"

Week 30: 38"

Inches Lost: 7 1/2"

Right Thigh

Start: 27"

Week 30: 23 1/2"

Inches Lost: 3 1/2"

Left Thigh

Start: 27 3/4"

Week 30: 23 1/2"

Inches Lost: 4 1/4"

Total Inches Lost: 40 3/4"

It's crazy to me that I even had those 40+ inches on my body! I am still unaware of just how many inches I've lost. I see cute clothes at the store and can actually try them on. Which is huge for me. I have been shopping in the plus size section for a while, so now I always have to redirect myself towards the smaller section. I can actually find clothes online that are in my size and in stock! One of my goals when I started this journey was that I wouldn't be afraid to try on clothes... and I am almost there!

Since I hit my 50 pound goal earlier in the month, I decided to wear the shoes I won from a giveaway on Cherie Runs This. I had been praying to win that giveaway! My old shoes were in serious need of replacing and good shoes aren't something my husband and I can afford right now. I got the shoes in the mail a few days before I actually reached my goal. So the day I hit my 50 pounds lost goal, I decided to break out the new shoes! I even took some photos of my old and new shoes! You can see the holes in my grey shoes!

Seems crazy that I am almost to my goal weight! 30 weeks is a long time! It seems like yesterday that I started this journey... and then there are days where I feel like I've been counting calories for YEARS! Those days are especially hard because I just want to eat everything in sight and not care... but that's why it's so hard. I DO care. I WANT results. It takes almost everything that I have to stay away from unhealthy food on those days. Food still has a hold on me... especially when it comes to Dairy Queen. Thank goodness they are closed for the winter! (In my town, that is. I know there are DQ's that are open everywhere else.)

With the year coming to an end, I have put a lot of thought into my fitness goals for 2013. Most of my goals are actually races! I want to do a lot of 5K's, a 20K, a half-marathon, and a full marathon. Here is my list of races and goals (so far) for the year 2013:

• Start Hal Higdon's Half Marathon and Full Marathon Training Schedules
• Reach my goal weight of 135 lbs
• Start lifting weights regularly 
• DAM to DAM (20K) - June 1, 2013 (on my 1 year weight loss anniversary!)
• Fourth of July 5K - July 4, 2013
• Warrior Dash (5K with obstacles) - July 27, 2013
• Balloon Chase (5K) - September 2013
• Band of Brotherhood 5K Run/Walk - November 2013
• Half Marathon - TBA
• Full Marathon - TBA

It has been difficult to find a half marathon and a full marathon that aren't held on a Sunday. I don't run on Sunday's because it is the Sabbath day. There are a few Saturday races in my state, but there hasn't been a 2013 date set yet, so I'm keeping my list open! But I will get my 13.1 and my 26.2 stickers in 2013!

I have had so many people comment about my weight loss and how good I am looking. It has been a wonderful experience. I still feel shy about myself and, at times, a little awkward. But it is a wonderful feeling to wear clothes and not worry about if I'm hanging over my jeans or hanging out of my top! So many people have been inspired my me. I am humbled by that. My main goal when I started this journey was to inspire others. To show you all that YOU CAN DO IT! If you want to lose weight, you can do it. If you want to run a 5K (or any other distance), you can do it. I am here to show you that the road is not easy, but if you stay on it, you can do anything you set your mind to. I didn't believe it at first... but I believe it now!

Carie's Weight Loss Journey - Week 26

I waited an extra week to do my monthly update because last weekend was Thanksgiving and I was visiting family on the other side of the state. And because it was the holiday! In the past 5 months, I haven't had a cheat day. I've had a few cheat meals here and there, but never a full day of no calorie counting. I let myself have three days of freedom. They were nice... but they were also hard.

The entire first day, I was terrified of the food. I decided to make a plate with a little bit of everything on it. I had the gravy drizzled all over my turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and roll. I ate the candied yams with marshmallows. I ate my Mom's pineapple fluff. I enjoyed every single bite! I was full, but not stuffed. After the meal, I didn't think about the calories in the food, I thought about the conversations I had with my family and how much I enjoyed relaxing with them! It helped me to relax the rest of the weekend. We went to a bakery one morning, and I ate a huge apple fritter. I made a comment about how many calories were in it, but that didn't stop me from enjoying it!

By the time Sunday came, I was ready to get back on track. I stayed under my calories for the day and felt the side effects of the food I ate over the first few days of the holiday. I was in the bathroom most of the day and I had some major headaches. But all in all, it was worth it! I very much enjoyed my cheat days!

My workouts have remained the same this month. Zumba on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday each week. Power Hour on Tuesday and Thursday each week. I've been getting a 6 mile run in each Saturday (except for the holiday weekend). And I've been swimming laps at the Y when I can, about 2 times a week.

I started doing Jillian Michaels' 30 day shred and stopped about 12 days in. I have no real reason, I have no good excuses. I was tired. I was exhausted. I'm human. I started noticing a difference in the way my jeans were fitting and that I could easily wear a size 13 jean! I didn't need to wiggle or hop to get them on. It was very exciting for me, and even though I was getting results, I still stopped. I'm sad about it... but there isn't a lot I can do about that now.

I have been doing the plank-a-day challenge! I am up to a two minute plank! This is huge for me! It took me up until now to make it the entire two minutes. Doing them each day (except for my rest days) has been interesting. Some days I feel very strong when doing a plank, and other days I can't even hold a plank for over a minute. Some planks I feel like I'm going to die. My back starts hurting, my legs start shaking uncontrollably... but through it all, I can feel my core getting stronger. I don't have to concentrate as much during the first minute of my plank like I did when I first started them. It's only after the first minute that I have to start breathing and focusing on not falling! It feels great to be getting stronger!

I have also noticed that the more weight I lose, the faster my running time is. Seems simple enough to understand, but I guess I really didn't realize it until I ran two weeks ago. I mapped out a 10K run and wanted to run it in under 60 minutes. I have been so close to breaking an hour, but I've been over by about 3 to 4 minutes. When I was on the home stretch, I pushed as hard as I could. When I got to the finish, I looked at my time. It was 1 hour and 1 minute. 61 minutes. SOOOO close! I think that if I ran the same route right now, I'd break under an hour! But I won't run my 10K again until next weekend! I went swimming this morning to get my calorie burn in  for the day!

I changed my photo outfit for this week! I know! It'll probably throw you off for a second, but the pink top that I've been wearing is too big now! It's a size XL and you can't really see my progress as well when I wear it. I changed the bottoms as well. The black ones that I have been wearing are a large, but they've been  stretched out and don't show my progress. So the top and bottoms are mediums. A little tight, yes, but that's the point. I want to fit them nicely at the end of my journey.

Start to Week 3, Week 8, Week 13, Week 21, and Week 26 progression photos:

Start to Week 26 photos:

Week 21 and Week 26 photo:

Starting Weight: 202 lbs

Week 1 Weight: 193 lbs

Week 2 Weight: 190 lbs

Week 3 Weight: 190 lbs

Week 4 Weight: 189 lbs

Week 5 Weight: 188 lbs

Week 6 Weight: 184 lbs

Week 7 Weight: 182 lbs

Week 8 Weight: 179 lbs

Week 9 Weight: 177 lbs

Week 10 Weight: 175 lbs

Week 11 Weight: 174 lbs

Week 12 Weight: 173 lbs

Week 13 Weight: 171 lbs

Week 14 Weight: 172 lbs

Week 15 Weight: 173 lbs

Week 16 Weight: 169 lbs

Week 17 Weight: 168 lbs

Week 18 Weight: 167 lbs

Week 19 Weight: 166 lbs

Week 20 Weight: 164 lbs

Week 21 Weight: 162 lbs

Week 22 Weight: 161 lbs

Week 23 Weight: 160 lbs

Week 24 Weight: 157 lbs

Week 25 Weight: 159 lbs

Week 26 Weight: 155 lbs

Weight Lost Since Week 21: 7 lbs

Total Weight Lost: 47 lbs

Weight To Go: 20 lbs

I cried the day I weighed myself and the scale showed me that I was in the 150's! There were a lot of emotions going on. But the one that stood out the most was the feeling of "I am proud of myself". Through this entire journey, I have been proud of myself. But I never really let it sink in. The day I saw the scale hit 157 lbs, it sank in. And I cried. No one helped me lose the weight. No one can help me... it is something that only I can do. I feed off of other people's motivation, but in the end, it's me. I'm the one who has to do one more burpee, one more push-up, etc. But I know I couldn't do those things mentally without the love and support I get from my family and friends.

I took a picture of the scale this morning to prove that these numbers are legit. I've been accused of lying about my weight because of how my body "looks". I was upset at first, but I just ignored the person for the most part. But I also wanted to prove to that person that I am not lying about this stuff. This is my current weight. My husband was standing right behind me when I got on and off the scale. Every gain is noted above. Just like every loss. This is honest weight loss and hard work.

I still can't believe that I'm SO close to the 50 pound mark! Three more pounds to go! I also can't believe that all I have left to lose is 20 pounds! That's 10+10! Or 5+5+5+5! I am so close to being done! But it is getting harder and harder to lose this weight. I know that people don't go by the whole BMI thing, but my scale shows me what it is and if it's within range or not. Right now, I am 0.1 lbs away from a healthy BMI. I calculate it on Myfitnesspal every so often, and these were my results this morning:

I am restarting Jillian's 30 day shred this month, starting today. The only exception is that I don't work out on Sunday. I know that it goes against the whole "30 day" thing, but it's my rest day! I need my rest days for physical, mental, and spiritual reasons! But I will be completing the 30 days, it will just take me longer than 30 calendar days. I am not going to stop this time! I'm going to stick with it! I want an amazing before and after photo!

I am also going to continue doing the plank a day challenge. I really enjoy it so far! I'm still working for my goal of a 10-minute plank. And yes, I know that I am crazy!

I also won a new pair of running shoes on a giveaway this week! Check it out here: Cherie Runs This! I am very happy to have won because my shoes are suffering terribly right now! I need new ones bad!

This is the last month of the year! December is here! Seems crazy that I started this journey on the first of June. I am 6 months into my journey today. I am 47 pounds lighter. 2012 is almost over! I have a lot of goals and races planned for 2013! I just need to remember this: