Wrong? Right? I don't know

I'm pretty sure that now that all is said and (sorta) done I didn't lose any weight. I mean, I did. I got really close to my secondary goal. The one that was acceptable. 

I didn't end up having to give up cookies. I think I have had more alcohol to drink in the last 6 months than I have consumed in a lifetime. Even counting those nights I don't remember. ahem. I can thank skating for helping me out there. 

Then I got hurt. And quit skating for a month. But still drank and ate cookies and such as if I WAS skating. And put myself back at the beginning (I think. I can't remember where I began) However, my size stayed down. Today I saw a picture of myself in a bikini and thought, damn, I really do look good. Maybe it was the angle, maybe not, but how often do we get to say that?

Now that I'm back on wheels, I'm sure I will drop the poundage again. It helps that I haven't had time to go grocery shopping. Sort of. All I have to eat are klondike bars and carrots.

It was good though, to weigh in every monday. To know that other people were there to support and encourage. I'd do it again. I would have to be better about getting my emails in, but I think this was worth the little bit of time I put into it. Plus, it was fun to see what new piggy picture was posted every week!

A Journey . . .

Quest

Plan

Fruit anyone?

Challenge

B o M thanks to M o M

Variety?

D I D

Ew…thanks but, no.

C E L E B R A T E

Skinny this

Realization

The end?

No, this is not THE end. This leg of the journey however, has come to an end. The measure of success in this journey was via the scale, for the goal was to lose weight. Achieving less poundage was but part of the attack to lower blood pressure, improve cholesterol numbers, and ease pains in my knees. The better eating habits, coupled with consistent exercise resulting in decreased poundage has had a positive effect on blood pressure readings, and I am experiencing less knee pain. In a few months I’m scheduled for a full lipid panel and the hope is the cholesterol number is good enough to avoid medications. Further, the blood pressure meds can be ceased at that point as well…if I stay this course, so says the doc.

So no, this is not the end, not by a long, long shot. There is more work to do, more weight to lose, more worlds to conquer.

Ok, maybe that’s too much. What about a healthier self? Yeah, that’s the ticket. The journey continues. It's not a diet, it's a lifestyle.

. . . well, a slammin’ bod wouldn’t be bad either. hehehehe

This has been an amazing journey, and thanks to this group I've sustained much longer, and with better results than any previous effort. Awesome!

Cheers to all, and the very best to you in your own quest.

It's the beginning...

While I didn't make it to my goal I found the simple process of chiming in every Monday with my 'progress' incredibly helpful. Being held accountable is a powerful thing.

I found in the first five months I wasn't being particularly good at consistency. That's really the key to losing weight, you have to be consistent. By the end of May I was just fed up with not making much progress so I decided if I was going to be consistent with anything it would have to be exercise. Thus began my fevered determination to go to the gym every day or do some similar exercise-ish activity if I couldn't go to the gym. I marked my first day on the calendar - May 21.

Since May 21 I have been going to the gym pretty much every day. I decided not to bother too much with food right now. I would eat and drink in moderation but if I wanted cake, I had me a piece of cake. I haven't lost any weight but, lo and behold, I have lost a size. I have lost inches. And I am getting stronger. It's amazing what being consistent can do. I leave The Piggies with a new goal - constant movement.

I have enjoyed this little communal shrinkage immensely and I wish y'all health and happiness in your battle of the bulge.

Cheers,
eb

The End

I can't believe that it's been six months since this started. Or that I'm only down 6 pounds. I've learned that I've got to be consistent. When we started off, I was very careful about packing food to take to work and watching what I ate. About April, all hell broke loose at work and I basically threw in the towel and started eating through my shift.

One good thing? I have pretty much quit eating junk food and my blood pressure is almost normal (without medication) despite my weight right now. I've become addicted to brown rice with baked brussel sprouts on top and then sprinkled with a little Parmesan cheese. A bit better for me than going to McDonald's and having cheeseburgers when wanting comfort food.


I did get back on the diet wagon on Monday and I'm going to be less strict about it and give myself more variety. My problem is I'll get in a rut of eating like a bird and then go crazy after awhile and eat too much of everything. My plan now is to just keep my eating in check with no snacking and see where I end up in a few months!

Finish Line

We've made it, however tentatively! Six months together, with ups, downs, sidewayses, and even some diagonals. Here be the final results. Let's each post a post-race roundup of how this went for us, and talk about what's next.

Shrinklet	Change this week		Total Change		Distance to Goal		% of Goal
Chickie	0		-6		34		15.0%
db grin	-1		-10		20		33.3%
Deborah	0		-24		16		60.0%
eb	0		-18		22		45.0%
Ginamonster	3		-7		13		35.0%
LJS	0		-1		9		10.0%
Renn	0		-14		5		73.7%
Tiff	-1		-12		13		48.0%
Utenzi	-2		4		17		-30.8%
Group Totals	-1		-88				37.1%

Home Stretch!

One week to go!

It's been 6 months of mountainous terrain, and the finish line is looming ahead like a contented water buffalo.

We're getting dangerously near the 90 pound mark - I wonder if we'll cross that line before the end?

This week we're only missing one little piggie, who gets an automatic nuttin' on the chart.

Deborah has some mojo, and should teach us her ways. Renn is closest to goal - only 5 to go!

Let's have a wrap party next week! I'll bring the cake.

Shrinklet	Change this week		Total Change		Distance to Goal		% of Goal
Chickie	0		-6		34		15.0%
db grin	-1		-10		20		33.3%
Deborah	-1		-24		16		60.0%
eb	0		-18		22		45.0%
Ginamonster	-1		-7		13		35.0%
LJS	0		-1		9		10.0%
Renn	-1		-14		5		73.7%
Tiff	0		-12		13		48.0%
Utenzi	1		4		17		-30.8%
Group Totals	-3		-88				37.1%

One Bad Pig

Folks, I've dropped the ball right into the pigsty, and for 2 consecutive weeks have failed to post an update.

I have no excuse, and I apologize for my gross piggishness and failure to keep the ball rolling. I updated the spreadsheet and charts, but stalled in the posting department.

Here are the numbers for week 23:

Shrinklet	Change this week		Total Change		Distance to Goal		% of Goal
Chickie	-1		-6		34		15.0%
db grin	2		-8		22		26.7%
Deborah	-1		-22		18		55.0%
eb	-1		-19		21		47.5%
Ginamonster	0		-6		14		30.0%
LJS	1		-1		9		10.0%
Renn	1		-13		6		68.4%
Tiff	0		-11		14		44.0%
Utenzi	0		5		18		-38.5%
Group Totals	1		-81				34.2%

And, the results for week 24, our most recent week. Some piggies are understandably missing - it's hard to tell if it's making a difference if the results aren't posted. I've put zero change in for missing results.

Shrinklet	Change this week		Total Change		Distance to Goal		% of Goal
Chickie	0		-6		34		15.0%
db grin	-1		-9		21		30.0%
Deborah	-1		-23		17		57.5%
eb	1		-18		22		45.0%
Ginamonster	0		-6		14		30.0%
LJS	0		-1		9		10.0%
Renn	0		-13		6		68.4%
Tiff	-1		-12		13		48.0%
Utenzi	-2		3		16		-23.1%
Group Totals	-4		-85				35.9%

It's Still Tuesday

Week 22 is in the can, and I have numbers to prove it.

As for me, to continue the train theme, it feels like I'm right on track.

Yesterday upon waking I found that I'd gained 6 pounds (SIX!!) since my trip to Michigan, which featured lots of road food and 2100 miles of seat time. I was right depressed, especially since I'd brought my fancy new (real!) running shoes and did a full workout at the riverside park. All that wogging was for naught, it seemed.

I weighed myself again at day's end, hoping for a different result. This time, against all experience, my hopes came true. Turns out I only gained one pound (confirmed this morning), which still sucks to my thinking, but it ain't 6.

As for the rest of us, Deborah is our rock star. Consistently shedding, she's lost the most weight and is the first in her goal category to break the 50% barrier. Way to go!

Also of note, Renn may or may not have dropped 4 this week, but whether one week or two that's pretty awesome. And Lady Jane Scarlett clocked in with a rare change - woot!

Regardless of the fluctuations that plague me, I'm sticking with it. I like this group and the purpose. Plus, I can get a little competitive with myself (usually my couch-potato self wins, but my motivated self is proving to be a fighter).

Shrinklet	Change this week		Total Change		Distance to Goal		% of Goal
Chickie	3		-5		35		12.5%
db grin	1		-10		20		33.3%
Deborah	-1		-21		19		52.5%
eb	0		-18		22		45.0%
Ginamonster	5		-6		14		30.0%
LJS	-1		-2		8		20.0%
Renn	-4		-14		5		73.7%
Tiff	0		-11		14		44.0%
Utenzi	-1		5		18		-38.5%
Group Totals	2		-82				34.6%

Back On the Rails

When your backup plan works just as well as your initial plan, that's a good thing... Right?

In this case, it means we went 2 weeks updateless (which is very similar to how I spent most of my high school years).

Catching up is now happening:
We are currently ending Week 21.
Week 22 results are due Monday morning.
There are only 5 updates remaining (including the next one).
Two piggies are missing from this update. They get a zero for this week.

Aright, let's see how we fared. We're down a theoretical 5 this week, which is pretty cool. Good joerb fellow shrinkers! We've broken the 80 lb barrier, and on our way to 40% of goal. Here be the charts.

Shrinklet	Change this week		Total Change		Distance to Goal		% of Goal
Chickie	0		-8		32		20.0%
db grin	0		-11		19		36.7%
Deborah	0		-20		20		50.0%
eb	-3		-18		22		45.0%
Ginamonster	0		-11		9		55.0%
LJS	-1		-1		9		10.0%
Renn	0		-10		9		52.6%
Tiff	-1		-11		14		44.0%
Utenzi	0		6		19		-46.2%
Group Totals	-5		-84				35.4%

The Skinny

….on being skinny.

I’ve decided that the term skinny is relative. I’ve decided that I am relatively skinny.

So there!

That said,

I won’t reach my weight loss goal by July 1st. I am actually and relatively sure of this fact. I’m not far but I am too far to achieve it in the time remaining. I’m not devastated by the short-fall. The goal was optimistic to say the least. The high bar served up personal motivational brio. It moved me to move even more for far longer than I would have otherwise. Being part of this group, spurring me to join other groups provided extra cheese impetus.

I’ve learned some things along this journey. I’ve learned that I can’t lose without moving. I’ve learned that I can’t lose unless a move much. I’ve learned that the rah-rahs, atta girls, and positive reinforcements are important to and for me. I’ve learned that I can. I’ve grown to learn that I will.

Thus, the regime will continue long after July 1st, for not only do I intend to reach my goal, I intend to go further and then to maintain my newer relatively skinny status.

So there.

Week 19

I could reuse last week's picture, because we're still in bouncy-bouncy mode! So, just scroll down to see it.

We've dropped 3 little pounds collectively, for a new total of 79 since January. The 80 lb/ 30% range has us in a tractor beam and won't let us go - all power to the thrusters!

In that spirit, I'm off to run. Time to move my still-too-pudgy posterior.

Shrinklet	Change this week		Total Change		Distance to Goal		% of Goal
Chickie	0		-7		33		17.5%
db grin	-4		-12		18		40.0%
Deborah	-2		-18		22		45.0%
eb	-1		-17		23		42.5%
Ginamonster	6		-5		15		25.0%
LJS	0		-1		9		10.0%
Renn	2		-10		9		52.6%
Tiff	-1		-10		15		40.0%
Utenzi	-3		1		14		-7.7%
Group Totals	-3		-79				33.3%

Week 18

We have only 8 weeks and 9 shrinkers left in the current challenge. This week's progress is as varied as the Piggies themselves! We're bouncing all over the place like Tigger hisself.

I'll let the numbers tell the story.

Shrinklet	Change this week		Total Change		Distance to Goal		% of Goal
Chickie	3		-7		33		17.5%
db grin	3		-8		22		26.7%
Deborah	2		-16		24		40.0%
eb	-2		-16		24		40.0%
Ginamonster	-3		-11		9		55.0%
LJS	0		-1		9		10.0%
Renn	0		-12		7		63.2%
Tiff	0		-9		16		36.0%
Utenzi	2		4		17		-30.8%
Group Totals	5		-76				32.1%

17 Weeks and Goodbye

Halloo Shrinkers!

We have exciting news for this week's round up. We've lost 7 pounds as a team this week, and only one gainer (who said it was totally worth it, spending some quality time with a baker friend).

The rest of us are getting closer to our goal over last week, with one exception. The inimitable No Celery Please has adopted Lady Jane Scarlett's former robot abilities, and has remained at 100% of her goal for 4 weeks in a row. With that, she's graduating from the Shrinking Piggies with yet another success (but less weight) under her belt. Let's all give our hearty congratulations, mmkay?

Stand by for numbers.

Shrinklet	Change this week		Total Change		Distance to Goal		% of Goal
Chickie	0		-10		30		25.0%
db grin	-1		-11		19		36.7%
Deborah	0		-18		22		45.0%
eb	-1		-14		26		35.0%
Ginamonster	-2		-8		12		40.0%
LJS	-2		-1		9		10.0%
NCP	0		-4		0		100.0%
Renn	2		-12		7		63.2%
Tiff	-1		-9		16		36.0%
Utenzi	-2		2		15		-15.4%
Group Totals	-7		-85				35.3%

Calories Slaughtered

One thing I lurve so much about Buckeye Outdoors is that you can generate reports. To check progress, to see average speed etc. This feature is oh so very appealing for a Virgo such as myself, although I am disappointed that there are only two numbers after the decimal place. {sigh} I guess I will *make due* with their imprecise records...for now.

In April, I killed/slaughter/burned-at-the-stake over 12,000 calories. (If there ever were a calorie hell, maybe I'd be in the 8th circle along with leg warmers and those "abs of steel" videos).

Dude, that's like 5-6 days worth of eating...just...undone. Hopefully those were the cake days.

Yet I haven't lost a single pound. But, I'm getting *there*. I feel good about my body with strong legs and my abs of not-even-close-to-steel. And my pants feel...bigger. Not by alot, but enough...
...and this makes me smile, despite the fact I haven't reached my weight goal.

May promises to be another massive month of metabolic murder. I think I'm going to exceed, for the first time ever, 90 running miles. Heck...if I'm really consistent, I'll hit 100. Then those little boogers won't stand a chance. Muahahahaha!

I hope that spring finds everyone refreshed, renewed and raring to go!

:) LJS

I'm Late

No, I'm not pregnant...* and unfortunately, I can't use that as an excuse for extra pounds.

The results are in, and we are not currently Shrinking Piggies. This post is both late and abbreviated, will return to our regularly scheduled program Tuesday morning. It'll be my last week in my current decade, and I hope to have less of me by my birthday.

The spreadsheet is new and improved, can you spot the difference?

Shrinklet	Change this week		Total Change		Distance to Goal		% of Goal
Chickie	0		-10		30		25.0%
db grin	0		-10		20		33.3%
Deborah	0		-18		22		45.0%
eb	2		-13		27		32.5%
Ginamonster	3		-6		14		30.0%
LJS	0		1		11		-10.0%
NCP	0		-4		0		100.0%
Renn	0		-14		5		73.7%
Tiff	0		-8		17		32.0%
Utenzi	1		4		17		-30.8%
Group Totals	6		-78				32.4%

*On April 1, I told the Facebook world I was pregnant. Based on that, one of my best friends started telling everyone we were having a baby (he didn't ask me about it, and also failed to remember I'm a boy - or look at the calendar).

15 Weeks

We're all eating our roughage and getting back to regular.

Every piggy has been counted on schedule and I can tell you we're down 7 as a group this week! In total, that's 84 lbs. We've lost Stephen Hawking's wheelchair! Boy, he'll be mad.

Anyway, 6 of us are losers, 2 gainers, and 2 holding steady. Congrats go to me for gaining only 1 pound over the last 2 weeks and really messing up the chart... No change in the winners of overall loss (Deborah!) and percentage of goal (Renn!).

What say we hit the afterburners and see if more of us can reach 50% of our goal before May?

Here comes the science:

Shrinklet	Change this week		Total Change		% of Goal
Chickie	1		-10		25.0%
db grin	-4		-10		33.3%
Deborah	-1		-18		45.0%
eb	-1		-15		37.5%
Ginamonster	-1		-9		45.0%
LJS	1		1		-10.0%
NCP	0		-4		100.0%
Renn	-1		-14		73.7%
Tiff	-1		-8		32.0%
Utenzi	0		3		-23.1%
Group Totals	-7		-84		34.9%

Drive By Update

Easter defeated me in a big way too... Not to mention 10 hours in a car munching on crunchy foods, a weekend of great country cooking by some country friends, and a lack of exercise. Nevermind we were visiting with friends and the weather was crappy, I suppose really dedicated people would find a way - which I am not, evidenced by my Biggest Gainer status.

This week we gained 3 lbs as a group, thanks mostly to me.

Time to get back on the proverbial treadmill, I promise a full update next week.

Shrinklet	Change this week		Total Change		% of Goal
Chickie	-1		-11		27.5%
db grin	5		-6		20.0%
Deborah	-1		-17		42.5%
eb	-2		-14		35.0%
Ginamonster	0		-8		40.0%
LJS	0		0		0.0%
NCP	0		-4		100.0%
Renn	2		-13		68.4%
Tiff	-1		-7		28.0%
Utenzi	1		3		-23.1%
Group Totals	3		-77		32.0%

Oh Easter, you have defeated me!

It all seemed perfectly fine until after dinner.

I did so well. Only a single Easter egg.

Tons of salad to fill up the dinner plate so only a tiny bit of the unhealthy stuff could fit in on the side.

But... then the desserts came out.

Pecan "wedding" cookies. yes - I ate four.

Sponge cake with lemon curd and pasty cream filling - are pieces of cake supposed to be smaller than your head?

I may weigh myself with my eyes closed in the morning.

Halfway There

Week 13 is upon us like a squirrel on a bird feeder. It gnaws at our very souls, for it marks the halfway point in our journey. We're not halfway there in results, but time marches on and we'll be all the way to the end quicker than some of us might like - only two of us have reached 50% of our goals.

Collectively, we lost 1 meager pound this week. Hey, it's progress...

Renn is continuing to shred all obstacles and kick our pigbutts in total loss for the week & overall percentage, and Deborah has lost the most weight so far. Way to go!

They say, depending on which They you listen to, that a habit is formed after 10 or 21 days of repetition. So, if you do something for 2-3 weeks in a row, it becomes part of your routine and no longer something that requires you to move heaven and earth to get done. Same goes for breaking habits.

If you could pick one habit to adopt and one to quit toward your healthy living goal, what would they be? Post about it this week, and if you're willing, take it from hypothetical to reality. How will you make it part of your daily life? I've heard it said, "You can't wish your way out of something you've behaved your way into."

Here's the scoop:

Shrinklet	Change this week		Total Change		% of Goal
Chickie	4		-10		25.0%
db grin	-2		-11		36.7%
Deborah	-2		-16		40.0%
eb	2		-12		30.0%
Ginamonster	0		-8		40.0%
LJS	1		0		0.0%
NCP	1		-4		100.0%
Renn	-4		-15		78.9%
Tiff	-1		-6		24.0%
Utenzi	0		2		-15.4%
Group Totals	-1		-80		33.2%

I Give.

I must exercise.

I'm never going to go anywhere with this whole weight loss if I don't get to moving.

I've started walking. Just a mile a day but that is better than nothing. I will work my way up from there.

Exercise makes me angry. I'm pissed off the whole time I'm on the treadmill. Do you know what I think of while I'm there? Food. What kind of tasty, not bad for me food am I going to eat when I get off?

Tonight it was brown rice (brown rice?! I can't believe I'm eating BROWN RICE!) and some popcorn. Washed down with lots of water.

I hope to report a loss next week!