meatless monday springing into fitness: week eleven results

A few ups, a few downs....all in eleven week's work.

Yes!  Eleven weeks it has been.  Except for that time when I'm sweating in the sweltering Texas sun, it's gone by rapidly. And the weight loss, though never as rapid as anyone likes, has steadily held.  A little over a pound a week, on average.

That average might be a little higher if Austin and its surrounds wasn't full to the brim with exciting restaurant openings, and festivals, and entertainment districts.  For instance, I celebrated a 5 pound weight loss week while attending the Austin Food and Wine Festival.  And gaining 4 pounds back.  All in a day's work.

If you've just joined this conversation, get an idea what all this Springing Into Fitness stuff is all about, here.  In a nutshell, I'm planning to lose fifty pounds by my fiftieth birthday, and I'm begging your help. 'Cause, like I said, 

It's gonna take a village, y'all.

So, first, an update. Results from last week, and new goals for this week. And afterwards, a few new tools for you, and me, for education and motivation.

Week Eleven: Springing Into Fitness

Results!

I did get moving!
I hiked and hiked and hiked for many weeks.  Some days, rain or life got in the way of my daily 30, and I just tacked that time onto the weekend hike, my catch-up day(s).  I continued gradually, along, but just last week, my ankles and lower back hit the wall.  So I'll rest the back a few days, unearth those ankle braces, lace up my boots a bit more snugly, and get back on the trail. I'm incorporating gym time into my routine this week, too-- three days to add some variety for this ADD-exerciser to keep the boredom from derailing me.  I'll be joining the early morning joggers for 'city hiking' two days a week, and finding the 'off the beaten path' spots on the weekend. Incidentally, the days are becoming warmer which means early rising for me (ugh.) and lots of sunblock.  Be safe out there, y'all!

I did work on a habit!
To heck with that food diary.  I've failed miserably.  Instead of another week of failing that goal, going to skip it.  Oh, I know I'll be back to it, especially as the weight loss stalls and I'll be hungering for a nudge of the needle on the scale.  
So this week?  WATER.  I'm adding the water discipline to my diet.  Sixty-four ounces of liquid.  Can't count coffee.  That's a diuretic.  But other beverages may be added to the day's tally.  How much water are you drinking? 

I did fuel the machine!
I am a rabbit.  I eat what rabbits eat.
A lot of it.
And still working to not deny myself the foods I love, but have them in moderation.  Sometimes, a well-enjoyed bite is just about all I need to satisfy the urges.  That, and a big glass of water.

And the scales proved it a good plan--

Slowly, oh so slowly, I'm down 17 pounds since this spring clean began, and a total of 32 pounds since my last birthday, in December, which means I'm a little over halfway HOME to my goal.  Fifty by Fifty is beginning to look achievable.  I added a little widget to the side bar on the right of the page that tracks my progress.  It displays my weight loss from my last birthday.  (And I still can't believe I was bold enough to tell everyone how old I am!)

And now is the hard part.  Keeping it up, and keeping it off.  Six months, plus a few days, to assure victory. And as I lose, the more slowly the pounds come off.  That's just the way this thing is.  I'll need all the help I can to get, and keep moving.  And don't be surprised at all when that food log comes back out.  I better get smarter with these tools.

I'm pretty okay with these results so far.  I have to remind myself that it didn't creep on overnight, and it's not going away overnight either.  The widget on the side bar to the right tracks my progress, and keeps me accountable to ...YOU GUYS, and it's helpful in keeping me motivated.  It displays my weight loss from my last birthday.  (If you have a blog, and would like to use a similar tool, you can find the one I'm using, here.  I'm a bit of a Luddite where these things are concerned, and I found this to have a very user-friendly interface. I said interface.  teeheehee.  I'm learning.)

This week, I'll start each day with a small bite of protein prior to, and a vegetable smoothie after, the morning workout.  I'll continue to eat a diet high in fiber, based on plants, primarily, around 1200 calories a day.  Unless I'm watching the NBA championship.  There might be beer involved.  And I'll save a few calories for nervous munchies!  

And now, new tools for the second half of this project--

• Get Moving:  How to Not Suck at Working Out, Nerd Fitness
• Habits: Why Drinking Water is Important for Weight Loss, CaloriesPerHour
• Fuel the Machine: Eat Yourself Skinny-- 15 Superfoods for Metabolism, Dr. Oz.

And stop back by tomorrow, on Tips for Tuesday, where we'll being our series on Superfoods for Fitness with the nutritional powerhouse, Kale, share a recipe for Kale And Grape Salad, which we'll be munching on all week,  and offer scads of links to fellow blogger kale goodness.

Kale.  It does a body good.  (yep.  I stole that.)

What were the high, and maybe the low, points of your week, fitness-speaking?