This post was written by Crystal.
It’s only been a couple of weeks since I gave you a general rundown of my weight loss journey so far, but they were a bad two weeks. I didn’t keep up with my Weight Watchers points for most of July, so I did gain back a few pounds. When I weighed in at 150.6 on Sunday, July 31, I shocked myself back into the program. I never wanted to weigh above 150 again, so that was an eye opener. My new goal is to hit 140 pounds by September 25, 2011.
Getting Back into the Program
The first step was for me to log into Weight Watchers Online and start tracking my points again. I am assigned 29 points a day with an additional 49 points to use freely each week. For the first half of August, I will be using those 29 points a day and will try to ignore the weekly extra. I want to get back below 150 as soon as safely possible. Hopefully my next post here will contain great news.
Exercise
When I had a day job, I walked around the parking lot two or three times a week to get the blood flowing, but I hardly exercised at all in July. Now that I am self-employed, I have no excuse for not scheduling in some exercise. I will start slowly since I do not want to burn out. I am going to attempt to walk around the neighborhood at least three times a week. Hopefully that will lead me to hit my 90 minute weekly goal that I set for myself in my Crystal Light Challenge. Again, I hope I have good news for you during my next update.
Snacks and Desserts
My downfall this past month was definitely the snacks I chose and desserts I indulged in. While I was working the plan, I learned how to eat smaller portions and ate mainly fruit and vegetables as snacks so I could use the majority of my points on my main meals and my evening dessert. In July, I started snacking on baked chips and Oreos again. For dessert, I also started getting 6-8 ounces of frozen yogurt instead of my normal 4-5 ounces. There was also a bunch of leftover birthday cake in the house that I helped polish off. In short, I killed my plan with empty calories. I am going back to fruit and vegetables again.
New Start
In order to follow through on my new plan to hit 140 pounds by September 25, I made a quick grocery store run. I made sure to buy bananas, apples, grapes, frozen green beans, and the main proteins for our dinners this week. We’ll also be using up some red potatoes and a few bags of mixed vegetables.
There are no more Oreos or cake in the house and I put away the sealed bags of chips for future potlucks. When I do go out to get some frozen yogurt, I will only take $3 in cash, so I will be limited to 5 ounces or less of my favorite flavors. I know that giving it up completely would help even more, but my cravings get worse if I tell myself I can’t have something. The trick for me is to get back into the balanced gear I was in before the super crazy month of July.
How have you been doing over the past couple of weeks? Feel free to set goals for yourself in the comments and check in every couple of weeks to update us all! It would be nice to have some more company.
Crystal Stemberger has written 7 articles on this blog.
This post was written by Crystal Stemberger of Budgeting in the Fun Stuff where she writes about finding the balance between paying your bills, saving for your future, and budgeting in the fun stuff along the way. If you'd like to see more, feel free to follow her via RSS, Email, Twitter, and Facebook. Thanks for reading!
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Keep up the good work. I am a body builder and I eat only green veggies and protein. It is the way to go! Also, I recommend lifting before cardio–you burn more calories that way. AND up your intake of water. You can do it!
Jon – Free Money Wisdom recently posted..A Programmable Thermostat is a Must
@Jon. I have found circuit training to be really successful. I get strength, cardio, and abs in the same workout and my heart is pumping. I think it has been more effective than anything else I have tried- even running marathons.
I am not even into the cardio vs strength training debate area yet, lol. I’ll be doing good to drink more water and exercise in any way at all…
Crystal recently posted..Sign Up for the New BFS Newsletter!!!
I wish you every success with your goals here Crystal. I am fully aware of how tough it can be to lose some weight. I yo-yo all the time. Currently at the heavier end of the scale (pun intended). I bike ride almost every day. It’s a great cardio workout but unless I ride 2 hours a day, it just doesn’t take off the weight. I need to supplement, oh and eating less would also help me.
Hunter @ Financially Consumed recently posted..How Bad Have You Got It?
LOL at “oh and eating less would also help me.”
Yeah, me too.
Crystal recently posted..Sign Up for the New BFS Newsletter!!!
Since school ended (6/24), I have been bicycling everyday and working out at least a few times a week. I make it a priority because I do my best thinking while exercising. It also makes me feel good. It gives me a better outlook and perspective. If you make it a priority, you will make sure you do it.
krantcents recently posted..Lean In
That’s my main problem. I have not been prioritizing exercise at all…that is changing though…
Crystal recently posted..Sign Up for the New BFS Newsletter!!!
I recently got back into a regular work out & exercise schedule and I feel much better.
My wife and I recently had a new addition to the family
and I deviated from keeping myself active for a while.
Now, even though I allocate a chunk of my day for exercise, I still feel as though I’m more productive!
Nice post.
The Wealthy Canadian recently posted..Opening An RESP Account: The RESP Book (Part 2 of 2)
@Wealthy Canadian. We too got out of our routine a little while ago and it does play a toll. Now that we are more regular with our exercise we feel much better. Life does get in the way sometimes, but I find if you can still manage a bit of activity you are much better off. And like you said, you are more productive too.
I hear you! I find the most gratifying experiences are when you can barely manage to squeeze exercise into a busy day, but after getting it in, you feel so much better. I find it’s almost as if I’ve gotten a new, fresh start to the day.
The Wealthy Canadian recently posted..Best of the Blogs: Blitzed Edition
I’m hoping exercise will make me feel more productive too. Congrats on the new addition!
Crystal recently posted..Sign Up for the New BFS Newsletter!!!
I succumbed and bought a hiking pass (it get me down the mountain), and I think that has been a good motivator for me to exercise, to get my money’s worth!
Otherwise, I’m sure I wouldn’t bother exercising.
Great post Crystal!
youngandthrifty recently posted..Weekend Ramblings & PF Blog Love: Outdoor Stairmaster Edition
@YandT. Sometimes, monetary motivation is what we need. I had a friend once whose brother paid her to lose weight. The more she lost, the more money she got. She hit her ideal weight and got the money. It kept her motivated.
There aren’t many hiking areas in my area of Houston, but I am reaching out to find a walking partner to head out with in the nearby park…
Crystal recently posted..Sign Up for the New BFS Newsletter!!!
I think getting a pass or membership can force you into a routine. I paid for my second month of my gym membership recently, and I can’t stand the idea of not benefiting from it.
The Wealthy Canadian recently posted..Best of the Blogs: Blitzed Edition
I thought that a gym membership would force me into action a few years ago, but I went religiously for 2 months and then blew it off for the rest of the 12 months I signed up for. Good luck!!!
Crystal recently posted..Do You Have Enough Insurance?
I put on weight blogging…I found that I was able to blog more at night and then became hungrier. However, I was in “spurt” mode to complete a bunch of tasks to be admitted to Yakezie. I hover around 150 so I would love to be 140 by Sept. 25. However, I lift and muscle mass can be heavy so I have to go by pants size…
Super Frugalette recently posted..Babes, Bling, and Bang for your buck!
Based on pants size, I want size 10′s to fit perfectly, so I still have 5 pounds to go at least…
Crystal recently posted..Do You Have Enough Insurance?
As a former fat teen and early 20, here’s some advice; don’t beat yourself up! Weight loss and maintenance is a long term endeavor, you are definitely doing it right. Like everything else, there are ups and downs.
Barb Friedberg recently posted..HOW WELL ARE MY INVESTMENTS PERFORMING?
That is good advice. I was trying to be honest that I was falling off the wagon and not caring too much, lol.
Crystal recently posted..Venting about Craigslist Flaggers and Spammers
The key is balance! I’ve been doing pretty good myself by upping my exercise in the past year and a half, I’m now to the point where it’s just part of my daily routine, so is drinking water.
I’m now working on the food-part, I get hungry/dizzy/faint fast and i let myself get out of balance SO so fast, I don’t like sweets but cheese and all things salty… YUmM *sigh* gotta find balance!
Good luck hitting 140, good post
Andrea recently posted..Week 2 – NBN Fitness Challenge, did you behave?
Balance is what I am shooting for too. We’ll see if I can find it without slipping too far over 150 again…
Crystal recently posted..Venting about Craigslist Flaggers and Spammers
I feel you. I’m getting dangerously close to the highest weight that I’ve ever been, so I’m trying to get back on the dieting train a little bit more hardcore. My wife and I are going on a cruise in a couple months, so I’m trying not to be *as* fat.
Bryan at Pinch that Penny! recently posted..Extreme Mortgage Idea
@Bryan. Don’t get too down on yourself. We all have our slip ups. Just take baby steps and work on creating new good habits and you will get there. Don’t try to do something you can’t maintain.