Week 8: On Comparison

"Comparison is the thief of joy." -Theodore Roosevelt

This week was a little awful for me, at least health-wise.  I am not sure what exactly happened, but I sort of lost my vision for a bit and ate all sorts of things I really should not have eaten.  Now, I didn't go crazy in the way some of you might be thinking--there were no hamburgers, fries, or ice cream involved! But there might have been half a donut, half a brownie, several cookies, and a couple of falafel sandwiches among other things. 

I more or less kept up with my exercise, but that kind of diet after you have been eating well makes you feel quite sluggish.  And a bit lazy. It does not make you feel like going to the gym, running, or lifting weights. I think that's one of the main reasons fat people stay fat--if you don't eat well, you don't feel well enough to exercise.  If you don't exercise, you don't burn enough calories to lose weight. 

So long story short (actually short story short: I ate too much), I gained weight this week.  I was up 4 pounds earlier this week, but my weigh in only showed a merciful .4 pound increase.  I was grateful it wasn't more, but sad to see regression.

Needless to say, all this bad eating and less enthusiastic exercising and weight gaining made me feel a little down.  I love reading weight loss stories and seeing how many people have totally changed their lives, but sometimes you end up comparing your journey to theirs and you don't feel as good about what you have accomplished.

It was in this mood that I put on an outfit to take a walk on Friday afternoon.  I looked in the mirror and thought to myself, "You've worn this outfit before, and last time, this shirt was TIGHT!" It was a BYU t-shirt, one that I have had for about 7 years (don't ask why I keep t-shirts so long).  I specifically remember a day in high school that I wore it, knowing it was too small, but it was a day that all of my friends were wearing our college shirts so we could take pictures.  Not sure I really wanted to see it, I decided to dig through the deep crevices of Facebook and find the picture.  And when I did, even I was shocked at the difference I saw!

I knew right away that I needed to take a comparison picture, not just for myself, but for all of you.  Many of you who know me now did not know me then, and many who knew me then do not see me often now.  So, here you have it, my very first comparison picture! Same shirt, 6 years later and 50 pounds lighter!

I am really proud of how far I have come! That being said, I still have quite a ways to go before I reach my goal.  But this picture gives me a lot of hope!

The bottom line about comparison is this: comparing yourself to others most often leads to unhappiness, jealously, and  a desire to give up. Comparing yourself to yourself often leads to joy, recognition of your awesome achievements, and desire to keep improving!

Happy healthy week!

Pounds lost: 12

Pounds left to lose: 18

Love,

Candace

Week 7: A Real Reason to Celebrate

"The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate." -Oprah Winfrey

This week was Valentine's Day. I imagined I would watch a nice chick flick and eat some popcorn and generally enjoy the day of love.  Instead, I ate lentil soup and watched Dr. Oz.  Terribly romantic, I know. So Valentine's Day this year wasn't much to celebrate, but luckily, I had some other things to celebrate!

I'm really excited to announce that I lost 4.6 pounds this week! I know a lot of that was carry-over momentum from boot camp, but I am nevertheless very happy about it.  That means that I hit (and then surpassed) 10 pounds of weight loss since January 1.  In other words, I'm more than a third of the way to my goal! I definitely did some happy dancing around my room for that one!

I also got to celebrate a new, fitter version of myself! I came back from boot camp determined not to slide back into my old ways, and so far, so good! I even got up 3 times this past week at 4:45 am to run before work.  I can't even believe I just said that.  Who the heck is this girl?! I also added a lot more strength training via circuits to my workouts and bumped up my exercise to about 1.5 hours a day for 6 days this week.  I am proud of myself for not going back to my "45 minutes on the elliptical with a few weights" routine and pushing myself harder.

I thought I would start including a little note about what I ate each week.  On the menu this week was barley and white bean pilaf, lentil soup, green smoothies, and lots of nuts, fruits, and veggies.  The best thing I ate this week? Baked oatmeal topped with kiwi, yogurt, and chia seeds (I used this recipe, no oil, and added vanilla, cinnamon, and sunflower seeds: http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/03/22/banana-bread-baked-oatmeal/)--YUM.  

And just so you realize I'm not perfect, I also had several chocolates, some crackers, some chips, and a few assorted other things that aren't considered "diet foods".  It's all about moderation people!

Anyways, I am happy that my journey continues to be positive. I know that if I keep this up, nothing will stop me from achieving my fitness goals!

Pounds lost: 12.4

Pounds left to lose: 17.6

Love,

Candace

Week 6: New Eyes

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes." Marcel Proust

Well everyone, I made it through boot camp! I can't really express exactly how significant that statement is, but let me try. I made it through 59 hours of exercise (including circuits, games, boxercise, ab work, strength training, biking, walking, and a whole lot of running) over 6 days. I did all that exercise on approximately 1300 calories per day.  I was pushed to my absolute limit both physically and mentally.  I gave everything I had and then some.  I made it!

The entire week, I found myself thinking, "What am I doing here? Why didn't I go on a real vacation?! How am I going to make it?", but as I was traveling home afterward, I was filled with gratitude. I thought this trip was just about losing (weight and inches), but it ended up being about gaining much more than that.

Before I get too carried away, I will tell you what I lost. Let's be real, it's much less than I hoped for. Over the course of the week, I lost 3 pounds.  3 measley little pounds.  More impressively, I lost 2 inches around my waist, an inch around the hips, and a few inches in total around my thighs, bust, and arms.  My body fat also went down by 3 percent.

More importantly is what I gained, and I'm not just talking about the 4 pounds in muscle, although that is really awesome too.  I gained a new perspective.  I went in caring only about numbers on a scale and I came out realizing that fitness is much more than that.  I went in thinking I knew my capabilities and I came out realizing I was underestimating my strength.  I went in expecting to work out and eat right for a week and I came out with more tools to help me exercise and eat right for life.

Boot camp was life-changing.  It was one of the best things I have ever done for myself.  Don't get me wrong, it was by far the hardest thing I have ever done, but I am better for it.  People have asked me if I would recommend going to a boot camp.  I can't recommend just any boot camp, because I'm sure some are awful, but I can recommend this one--Revival Boot Camp, with camps in England and Spain.  The trainer, Marty, is amazing: tough, but also compassionate.  The manager, Zoe, was always there with a smile and a listening ear. The chef/nutritionist, Diana, is one of the best around.  I loved every meal she prepared for us!

Was boot camp what I expected? Not at all.  In fact, it was much much better! I have made lasting friends, learned some great recipes, and best of all, pushed my body to a new level of fitness! Nothing can stop me from reaching my goal because after boot camp, nothing is too hard!

I am a bit sad to report that my own scale didn't even show a three pound loss.  This morning's weight in was just .8 of a pound lower than my pre-boot camp weight.  But thanks to boot camp, I am totally over it! 

Here's to another healthy week!

Pounds lost: 7.8

Pounds left to lose: 22.2

Love,

Candace