4 Month Progress Report!

Guess what my scale said today.....

Source: weheartit.com via Cindy on Pinterest

I know.  We all need a scale like that, eh?

Well, as far as what it REALLY said, and what the measuring tape told me, I'm down 3 more pounds, but my body fat stayed the same as last month (32.5%) and 2 pounds of the 3 were lean body mass loss. :(

Even after cutting down on my aerobic exercise and increasing my protein all month.

Although my clothes continue to fit better and get looser, I've still not gone down another full size for 2 months.  I'm discouraged, but got some great advice from THE Robert Ferguson (creator of the food plan I've been using) on the Diet Free Lifestyle facebook page. 

Unfortunately, there will be no more carb snacks before bed.  

I'm to try to eat a hi protein/lo carb snack in the evenings.

I'm gonna try lo fat cottage cheese, a vanilla whey protein smoothie, beef jerky, hard boiled eggs....

  

It was a hard morning, and I've fought hard to keep my spirits up.  

I know I can do this, and I need to stay focused on ALL the benefits of being healthy....not just smaller sizes.

Anyway, here's my beauty shot:

6 Month Progress Report.

Totally didn't want to write this post.  I had in my brain that I'd do this big awesome 6 month celebration to mark how far I'd come with my T-Tapp and eating for health journey.

Instead, I must report that not only did I not lose any inches, I gained back 2.50. Measuring is such a weird thing.  I measured my parts 3 and sometimes 4 different times and got different numbers each time.  I tried to stand in T-Tapp stance and keep my muscles tight, (this is how my hubby measured me 6 months ago), but gave up and just stood straight and kept muscles tight.  I don't know if I'm measuring in the same spot each time.  I can't remember if I measured over workout clothes or not.  It's just so hard to know if I'm REALLY losing or gaining.  Comparing measurements, I lost in my pecs, ribs and my right upper thigh...how random is that?  My waist, abs and hips all gained at least an inch each.  Everything else stayed the same.

Also, I gained 8 pounds since last month.  Sure, it was on a different scale (digital doctor's office scale)  than I'd used last month at the diabetes doc (old fashioned balance-type), but even if 5 pounds of that was water/weirdness, I'm not losing anything.

My eating was off this month.  Didn't eat within hunger, ate out a lot and over did it on nuts.  BUT I also doubled the amount of minutes each week I worked out.  Needless-to-say I'm discouraged.  It's ruined my day, obviously, and makes me want to throw in the towel.  My body simply will not go smaller than a women's 18, and folks, that's just unacceptable to me.  I've Tapped for 6 months STRAIGHT, and lost a couple sizes the first 6 weeks, then nada.  It's too hard a workout to continue without seeing some measurable results.

I'm also tumbling thru thoughts like "I'll just stop eating",  "I'll exercise even more", "I'll learn to purge".  Not proud of these thoughts, but damn I'm feeling so hopeless.  It's all well and good to say you'll exercise and eat right to be healthy, but when you're working harder than you ever have with exercise and eating and seeing NO measureable results in an entire month.....well, it sucks.  Just sayin'.

I suppose I'll just stop measuring/weighing and just take monthly pictures.  The stress and apprehension of "picture/measure day" takes a huge toll on my emotions.  I hate that.

Anyway,  here's my pictures this month, for what they're worth.

Collages:

Honestly don't know where to go from here.  To continue doing the same thing and expecting different results is, I've hear, the definition of stupidity.  I just don't know what else to do.  Sorry to whine.  I'll talk about something fun like mineral makeup later this week and ignore my growing mid-section.

Month 5 Progress Pics.

Down another 6.50 inches this month :)  That brings my total to 44.75 inches in five months.  And 25 pounds gone.  Not too shabby.  Here's some really horrible pictures.  I'm totally frustrated with my camera.  I think I'll switch back to my old canon.  Don't tell hubs.

I'm thinkin' my thighs look a lot more muscular....

I kinda don't like that I'm still the same shape with the same pudges...but I suppose that's just how the fat works.  It melts from the inside out.  The rolls will be the last to disappear. Also, interesting to note I'm still a size 18.  I've not lost any more sizes since January even though I've dropped many inches and pounds.  What's up with that?

And some comparison shots...again, HORRIBLE current pics, but there ya go.  I hope one day this outfit will be falling off me! (click to enlarge pics)

Next month will be SIX WHOLE MONTHS.  Can't believe I've stuck with it this long. I'm pretty proud of myself.  It helps having doctors breathing down your neck too. :) Diabetes doc wants me to lose another 20.  Did I tell you this already?

Anyway,  I'll have hubs take the pics in the same perspective as he did in December to get really good comparison shots next month.

Onward.....

Progress Report Month 4

So we've arrived at the end of month 4 with T-Tapp, and I'm excited to report that I'm down another 9 inches!  If you remember, I was a bit disappointed with my small loss after working so hard last month, then this month I hardly did anything due to being sick the first part, and on vacation last week.  I did do a MORE bootcamp (4 days), but that's about it.  I've stopped trying to figure it out :)  So my grand total since December 22 is:

38.25in

Pics for this month (click to enlarge):

Comaprison collages from December til now CLICK to enlarge:

Pretty neat, eh?

I also had my blood work redone, and my yearly exam.  Back in December, there were several things out of kilter besides my weight and energy levels.  I was very low in vit D, borderline anemic, and my blood sugars were elevated.  Thankfully I've lost 15 pounds so far.  In T-Tapp, that translates to 2 sizes with an average gain of 7-10 pounds of muscle weight....meaning DON'T worry about the scales!!!  Last time I wore an easy size 18, I weighed about 15-20 pounds less than I do now! 

I have no more anemia, and vit D is now normal.
EDITED:  found out my iron is still too low.  Moving in the right direction though.  Vit D is within normal range, but still too low for my liking.  Keeping up supplimentation.

Unfortunately, my sugars are still elevated, though they've come down from 6.1 to 6.0.  Normal is below 5.7, so I've been referred to a diabetes doc.  I'll keep ya posted.

Also, my gyno believes I have a uterine fibroid, which would explain why I'm feeling bloated and having some not-so-fun symptoms with my periods.  It would also explain why I can't hold my tummy in :)  I have a sonogram scheduled for a week from now to check it out.  If it is a fibroid, they are almost always benign and only need attention if it causes pain and so forth.  Minor surgery to remove them is a possibility.  I've done some reading online that mentions estrogen dominance can cause them.

So.....what this all means is that I may need to make some more dietary changes, and I'll be exploring how to do that via Geneen Roth's way of zero deprivation balanced with caring for my body.  Should be interesting!

Progress Report Month 3

Lost 2.75 inches total for the month.  Bummer.  I feel like I worked way harder this month on form and did  more difficult and longer workouts.  Granted, I didn't eat as clean as I would've liked, and I feel like I'm retaining water.  Anyway, that brings my total inches lost thus far to 29.25.  Here's some pics.

And some side-by-sides from December to now:  You can click to enlarge.

Here's where the inches have melted away:
Arms: .75 in each
Pecs: 2 in
Bust: 2 in
Ribs: 2 in
Waist: 2 in
Abs: 1.75 in
Hips: 3.25 in
Upper Thighs: 1.50 in ea
Lower Thighs: 1.50 in ea
Calves: .25 in ea

Discouraged, but not giving up.  I'd love to see more loss in my abs, thighs and arms at this point.  Most of the loss is in my upper body, and that doesn't translate to smaller pant sizes.  In three months I've only gone down about a size and a half in pants.  Tops are looser, except in my arms.  So I haven't really bought any smaller clothes yet.  I still feel tired a lot even with the inch loss and increased stamina during workouts.  My doctor's appointment is scheduled for mid-April, and I'll be interested to know what the numbers say.

Thanks for your support.  A hard day.  Maybe I'll go to measuring and taking pics every two months....

or three?

This month's report!

Well I finished the 30 day Challenge over on the T-Tapp forums.  I had Hubs measure again, which is an extremely frustrating experience....we never remember where we measured or how tight we pulled the tape.  So it's not an exact science.  Which is prolly perfect for a T1 like me.  Not so much for my T4 secondary, but I told her to sit down and chill out.  So anyway, this month I lost 'round about:

12.75 inches!

That puts me at a total of 26.50 total loss so far.  I lost a bit everywhere except my pecs and calves.  Same way I gain weight....kinda all over :)  My clothes are fitting better, I've gotten rid of all size 20 tops.  Some 18 tops are getting baggy.  Hurray!  

Now for some grainy pictures (ugh):

And here's a new comparison shot from the start to now. (Click the pics to make them bigger) I realize it's hard to see a big difference at this point, but I trust as time goes on, it will be more noticeable :)

I really worked on my form this month.  I also tried some new workouts like Hit the Floor.  Um, yeah.  That one will have to wait a bit.  *snicker*  The other big change was adding in the CRT Brushing sequence with the alfalfa and fibertox.  Other than that, I tried to drink at least 8 glasses of water (with a couple drops of grapefruit essential oil.  

No dieting.  None.  Nadda.  Zip.  In fact, the first week of the Challenge was our week at Disney!  Again, I'm amazed at how the short, mindful movements of T-Tapp can change my body :)  There were many days I simply did PBS and some HD's.  I'm learning to better understand when to back off from workouts and when to push myself a bit.  Again, not a perfect science.  I'm soooo grateful for T-Tapp!

*Thanks Teresa*

Can I get a Whoop Whoop?!

In 5 weeks I've lost 13.75 inches! 

My hubs measured me the first time, but I did it myself this time, so not sure we used the same tension and placement.....I'll have him measure me again tonight to compare. THEN I'm gonna buy that Myo Tape thingy.

I sorta can't believe it.....I kept measuring and remeasuring, then calculating and recalculating, and I'm just blown away. I decided at the get-go to only measure every month or so because I really want to focus on getting healthy and the numbers distract me. 

I'll be at the doc's office in 10 days to see what my weight did.


My workouts, in case you're interested, have been:

2 week Boot Camp using MORE
Then every other day...adding MORE Chair at the end.
Did *Primary Back Stretch, Organs in Place/Half Frogs at least once a day, twice on workout days
Did a set of Hoe Downs during the day once in awhile.

During this time I also had 5 days of not doing a complete workout due to being in the hospital with my mom....but I always tried to focus on proper posture, did lots of deep breathing, and PBS*. Did some modified plies one night at 3 am. :)

I added lots of veggies and fruits, but didn't cut out treats now and then. I'm not dieting, just trying to add in healthy stuff to crowd out the bad stuff, and eating very purposefully ala Geneen Roth. Ate when I was hungry, tried to stop before I was totally stuffed (most of the time) Increased my water intake too.

Here's this month's pics:

Here's some comparison shots.  I see the most difference in my waist and tummy so far.

So there ya have it:  T-Tapp works!

I'll be entering the 30 Day January Jump Start Challenge over on the forums in the More to Lose Category.  Winners get a trip to Teresa's Beauty Boot Camp in Safety Harbour, FL.  

How awesome would that be?  
Wicked awesome, I can tell ya.

Off to slurp a green smoothie.....then tomorrow we leave for Disney World!!!!  

Taking a Chance on Change.

Welcome to a realist's attempt to make honest, sustaining (and sustainable) change).  Having embarked on this kind of thing several times in the past, I enter with trepidation, cyncism, intellectual honesty, and a tiny dollop of hope on top.  It takes guts to get up off the floor, walk away from the fridge, and start caring about yourself again.  Especially if you've had awesome successes and brilliant failures in this life.  It's the path of least resistence to say "Why do it again?  I'll just end up fatter and more unhealthy than I am now."

Well, I'm gonna chance it.  Again.  I have choices in life, and I'm choosing to chance changing my physical health and appearance instead of ignoring it.  Even if I do end up fatter and more unhealthy.  For now, I'm chancing change.

Here's where the journey starts, in full color, assuming the "T-Tapp Stance":

If those weren't a wake-up call for change, other more serious issues have helped schooch me towards wanting something different for this stage of my life.  Things like having energy to enjoy my children, joints that don't hurt, b'bye to migraines, chest pains, acid reflux, and general maliase.  

I want to do this because I'm on the cusp of 44, and knowing I don't want to spend the next 40 years feeling physically, emotionally, and spiritually out of sync....if I've even got that long.  And I'm seriously thinking about how my habits are cutting my timeline short everyday.  I'm not scared of death, though I don't relish the idea of suffering a long illness that leads to it, but I want to see my kids' kids' kids.  My gramma is still kickin' at 93, and I want to see that birthday cake too.....

Please note I will not be weighing or measuring myself constantly.  Rather I will post pictures once a month in the same fashion as above.  I really don't want this to be a weightloss blog...although I believe change in attitude and outlook are often reflected in the physical, so I'd rather chronicle thru pictures, and not just numbers.  My plan at this point is to make a trip over to the doc's office once a month to weigh, and have hubs re-do my measurements at that time. I'll post those numbers and any other statistical info that might help paint the 'change' picture as well, such as blood work results. Speaking of which, here's my current results:
 Vit D is 25 (should be 60-80)...beginning supplimentation with this
Glucose 6.1 (should be under 5.7)
Iron 11 (should be 12-15)...beginning supplimentation with a script from the doc.

Because of that middle number, I'm officially "increased risk for diabetes".  THAT is a wakeup call.
The other two numbers explain why I'm so ding dang tired all the time.

Today hubs and I started our exercise with T-Tapp MORE instructional.  Kicked our booties.  Yay.

It's really important for me to dig below my food addiction.  To learn to be kind to myself, because afterall, you can't love your neighbor worth a flip if you're not loving yourself, eh?  I've spent years caring for myself with food, and I need to learn new, healthier ways to do that.  I believe that our addictions are never fully conquered, but that choices and habits we make can help us tame them, cope with our humanity, and practice humility. I don't want to feel punished or shamed.  I also go into this with the understanding that my personality leans towards compulsion....and lifestyle changes could easily become my religion du jour.  I'm ok with that.  At least for now.  I plan to delve into some very personal, not-so-pretty aspects of my life on here, as I try again to deal with what makes me tick.  One of those things, be it good or bad, is being candid and real.  My style of candid and real is considered offensive and pretty raw to some.  If you're bothered by that, I'll try to place warning signs before those kind of posts.....you can just skip to the pictures or what-have-you.

I have lots more to say, but I'll save it for another post.  

wishing and working for peace in all things,