Big changes ahead....

It's been a great week! I decided to hit it again and as a result I feel so much better and the numbers show that. The elliptical is becoming less challenging. This week I was listening to music and working out on the elliptical when my trainer came up along side and said hello.   This I learned later because according to him, I didn't even notice that he was there and just kept on moving it! Now that is focused :)

The big change this week is saying adios to my trainer. Good-bye and a big THANK YOU for supporting me this far in my new leaf journey.  Here is a two-up photo with side-by-side of our first week working out and the last one. Note - smiling faces, we were a good team.  I'm going to assume that he's not happy to be leaving me - but proud of the success. Also note - Goodbye Double Chin! Five Seasons and my trainers have helped me drop 53 pounds so far this year - and it shows. 

Teresa's New Leaf - 5 Month Progress

In my last blogs I mentioned having a reduced weight loss and less exercise. Thought I would show that in graphics.  I track any cardio exercise - be that in the club, walking outside, a day of cleaning or working in the garden.  At the start of the year I was working out every day, then took one day a  week off. Then in April and early May, you can see in the chart below - the days I was working out were fewer than the days of rest. Boo - my weight loss really slowed. The past 10 days or so I recommitted to get moving 6 days week. 

Teresa Marie - Exercise Summary

Onto the details for the week 

• Food - 1200 cal/day! I hit my food and nutrition goals for the week. Picture perfect. Thanks to the power of tofu. For a food that I never bought or ate before - I now have it for breakfast every single day, and often lunch too! One thing I'm becoming increasingly aware of if sugar levels. In the chart on the side the red line denotes my target sugar level - see all those blue lines above it? Boo! Note that I am not regularly eating anything sugary per se - no candy, cake, bread, cookies, or sodas. My sources of sugar are:

• Yogurt - this accounts for 30% of my daily sugar. The one I have is fat-free, but maybe too much sugar. I need to read some labels to see if there is a better alternative for me.
• Fruit - wow, sugar from fruit can be 60% of my sugar intake and push me way above my goal. I used to have a piece of fruit each day for breakfast which I've stopped doing. I need to limit to one piece of fruit a day or maybe every other day. Fruit used to be a treat in victorian times. No refrigeration, no local production meant having a banana or an orange was RARE and a real treasure. Maybe I need to adopt that thinking.
• Bread - the days with spikes in sugar are the days I had a few crackers or a slice of bread. That's OK for me I'm not having these carbs too often and I'll keep it that way.
• Veggies & Salad Dressing - I use a fat free dressing line but they do have sugars. There are some veggies that also have high sugar - carrots, tomatoes, squash. None of these is going to push me over for a day so not worried about these.
• Exercise - after getting proper shoes and supports, I hit the gym and exercised like I did at the start of the year. I was able to get in an average of 100 minutes of exercise every day. Gardening has been helpful to - getting outside and working it. This never feels like a chore or work. 

So the result - I lost 2 pounds this week! 

This makes my total loss 64 pounds - of which 53# has been since January 2015. I am at least half-way to my target weight loss of 128 pounds. Why do I say at least? Well, I picked that goal based on BMI charts. I don't recall being that weight since maybe high school. Is it silly to have a goal weight dating back 40 years? Yes! As I get closer to a normal range, a reassessment of the goal is in order. Maybe 135# or so might be better for me. Time will tell. 

Have a great weekend!

Teresa Marie