Excuses - But Doing Great on My Calorie Intake

Thursday, June 10, 2010

It's been super hot lately here in our area. The kids have horseback riding lessons today and it's getting almost unbearable since they are required to wear jeans and can't wear shorts. I'll leave it up to them on how long they want to continue since they both seem to love it and I want them to have this to look forward to each week if possible.

We're trying to finish up the school year (although we home school year round) so we can take a few weeks off in June and take a break. They need it and I know I do too.

I'm doing a horrible job getting enough exercise in and I know it's my weakness. I was gung-ho about doing it yesterday, but after dealing with the laundromat and having to dry countless loads of clothes in our dryer (which takes hours), doing school, preparing for tests for the kids, cooking dinner, cooking lunch, taking pictures and writing descriptions of items I was listing for sale, etc. it was just too late in the day.

I know I am making excuses and I know I have to take the time to do it, but my son who has memory issues and a learning disability takes so much time doing his school work that I really have most of my day taken up by that.

I do so well with my calorie intake that I'm hoping I'm okay at least for these busy weeks that have taken over my time lately although frequent exercise hasn't been a priority. I'm trying so hard to not break down and cry with the stress of everything, but I feel a little calmer and I'm working hard on not panicking that I can't get it all done.

My husband is super stressed byhis job (although we are thankful he has one) and told me he was taking some days off next week to get away from his stress. I'm hoping that the kids will be done with school by then and we can all do something as a family that helps my husband and I deal with all the stress in our lives.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

60SIXTY 6/10/2010 1:23PM

A family day or two would be great. It is easy to add some kind of exercise for all of you to do together. Report Inappropriate Comment

EATOMANY 6/10/2010 9:53AM

I'm so sorry that you seem so overloaded right now but I really hope you will all have a chance to get away in June. Maybe you could aim to try and do one SparkPeople 10 minute exercise video a day so that you could get a bit of movement into your day without needing a lot of time? Depending on the age of your kids, it may be something that you could all do together as a break in your school day. Even ten minutes can refresh your body and give you a mental jump start! I know I have found that my stress level has dropped quite drastically now that I am exercising regularly and I started with only 10 minutes a day at the start of this journey. Or if not a video, you could have mini challenges to see how long each of you can jump rope, or run in place, that sort of thing.... even the little moments do add up! I'm very proud of you for keeping your eating in check even under such enormous strain- I'm not sure I would be as strong as you are being :) Hope things get a bit better and keep us posted on how you are! Report Inappropriate Comment

Plateau

Wednesday, June 09, 2010

It's laundromat time again today. I've been listing some books online that we no longer use, hoping to get a little bit of cash trickling in.

I'm still on a plateau right now which is driving me nuts, but I'm hoping things will change in the next few days. I'm eating varied amounts of calories each day (low one day and a little higher the next) to see if that makes a difference.

I haven't cheated (hate that word, but the only way I know how to explain eating something that has a lot of calories) and have not gone over 1350 or so calories. My range is 1200-1550 and I'm not sure what's going on, but hope things change soon.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

KISSFAN1 6/10/2010 8:22AM

Thanks guys, I will check out the articles! I knew I would eventually hit one on this journey, but was hoping it wouldn't happen this soon after starting this program. Report Inappropriate Comment

LAURAFRISCH 6/9/2010 12:45PM

Agree with Perfectvelvet. GIve that a try, but hang in there. You are not gaining either!!!! Report Inappropriate Comment

1CRAZYDOG 6/9/2010 12:23PM

Look @ the Spark Points page. There is a section called EXPLORE SECRETS. In that area is a plateau suggestions. Might be helpful. Report Inappropriate Comment

PERFECTVELVET 6/9/2010 12:22PM

Here's a plateau buster article for you: http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource /fitness_articles.asp?id=534> Maybe you aren't eating enough calories? Try eating at the high end for a while and see if that helps. I try to have at least one day a week where I eat over my calories (not a lot -- my range is similar to yours and I usually don't go over 1850) to keep my body guessing. But if you're doing a lot of exercise along with eating 1350 calories, you might be sending your body into starvation mode. Good luck beating the plateau! Report Inappropriate Comment

Weighing Myself - Changing Calories Eaten

Tuesday, June 08, 2010

I'm really frustrated right now with my Wii Fitness board because I got on yesterday (right after weighing myself on my digital scales) and it has me at 153. My digital scales say 150 and I've really noticed that the Wii Fitness board can be crazy sometimes in the weights that register on there.

My daughter (who is in the normal range for her age/height) will sometimes register 1 1/2 pounds different from the day before and the same thing happens to me. I know your body weight fluctuates all day so I'm sure that is part of the reason for that, but the digital scales don't have those type of fluctuations unless of course I am on my period or have eaten a lot of salt.

I still am afraid to go with the lower weight that shows up on my digital scales (why I don't know, but I guess I don't want to show a lower weight on here if I'm really not that weight), but I think I will start going by my digital scales instead.

They are showing a weight loss, while the Wii Fit is not.

Ever since I've noticed no weight loss on the Wii Fit I've been trying to increase my calorie intake a little bit to see if that is the issue. I normally eat around 1200-1250 and sometimes around 1300 calories a day (Spark People put my calorie range from 1200-1550) to see if that changes anything, but so far nothing.

Of course I panic sometimes because I search the internet (and I realize you can't believe everything you read online) and saw somewhere that if you ate only 1200 calories a day and then later changed it to 1300, you would start to gain weight!!!!

I talked with my doctor a month or so ago about my calorie intake (1200) and he told that was fine and that I could even go down to 1000 calories a day and not go into starvation mode. I have no desire to go that low, but now I'm worried that if I continue eating around the 1350 range (which actually is too much food for me sometimes due to my being used to eating around 1200-1250) I will gain.

Realistically I don't see how that could be since it's still way under what I used to eat in calories a day, but I guess I will have to experiment to find out for sure. I've worked too hard though to start gaining weight back so not sure what to do.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

KISSFAN1 6/9/2010 12:01PM

Yeah, I think I'll change my mind and not use the Wii board as my gauge so much for my weight. Maybe I'll take a number (weight) between my digital scales and my Wii board and at least I'll be halfway accurate, LOL. Report Inappropriate Comment

SUZYMARC 6/8/2010 11:13AM

Don't go by the Wii board for your weight use the digital scale. Make sure you are only weighing once a week, 1st thing in the morning before any food or drink, and the same day each week or bi-weekly. The Wii board asks about clothing issues and if you aren't getting it on it the same time each day (which your body weight does fluctuate constantly during even 1 day)wearing the same exact outfit it will be different. Plus you have to take into consideration what surface you are putting the board on. I have the Wii set up in our family room which is carpeted and truly don't freak a lot over what its reading is, but YES I do yell at it some days! Don't forget to mix up whatever you are doing for fitness so your body gets confused and works harder. Maybe start going for outdoor walks in the mornings or evenings or whenever your husband is home and can watch the kids. Start doing some exercise dvds, videos, or if you've got the fitness channels try doing one of the 30 minute shows-those will all mix up your cardio sessions. If you are being more active consistently for weeks we are suppose to note that in our fitness settings so it will adjust our calories needed. I know its a SCARY thought and I've been resistant to it myself. BUT I just took the chance after looking at my calories burned weekly reports since I've started SparkPeople and saw I've truly increased my burn. So for the scale numbers to go down a little more each time I am going with the adjusted calorie count which is 1300 to 1700. Yes, I am wary but I've been trying to stay in the range you have too and its moving down but not much. As for the doctor I don't think you should consider going lower EVER than the 1200 like SparkPeople recommends. If you still feel wary do the Ask The Experts part of SparkPeople or visit one of the coach's sparkpage to SparkMail them for some knowledge and advice. Keep moving and stay consistent it will show. Report Inappropriate Comment

LOPEYP 6/8/2010 8:11AM

I think it's the Wii board. Maybe because it gets moved. I notice a difference between mine and my digital scale. I always go by the digital scale. Just seems more stable. Report Inappropriate Comment

Almost Finished with Wii Work It Out & Plateau?

Monday, June 07, 2010

Well I've finished my building on Wii Walk It Out. The only thing left to get are my Zodiac signs and one song. I did over an hour of that today but it's getting harder to get excited about it since I'm almost finished. I'm going to have to find something else that I like doing for exercise and actually can do at home.

It's another scorcher today in N.C., hot and humid. I hate to see what July and August bring. I'm sort of stalling on my Wii Fitness when I weigh myself. I'm not sure what's going on but maybe I've hit a plateau? I haven't had one yet so I guess I'm due for one. I want to get to 150 so badly and I'm being consistent with my food intake and haven't gone over once.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

PETUNIABETH 6/8/2010 12:07AM

wii fitness sounds like fun, i want to try it..i don't have a wii but my mom does, so maybe i'll talk her into getting some of the activities..i don't know a lot about it. well keep up the hard work, i know a plateau can be discouraging, don't let it get you down!!maybe try changing up your routine or doing calorie cycling to set yourself on a spin again?i've found when i am really, really good i lose less, where if i thrown in extra calories a couple times per week it revvs me up to a bigger loss..doesn't work for everyone though..I hope you find the missing link soon! have a good week maam, by the way, you have some gorgeous hair..ever since i accidentally dyed mine hot pink back in highschool, it doesn't quite curl the same :( Report Inappropriate Comment

SARASMILING 6/7/2010 2:55PM

It is a hot one today! I just did 34 minutes today on my Wii Fit Plus. I haven't heard of Walk it out before. I'll have to google it. You'll get there! :) Report Inappropriate Comment

It's Another Hot Day Here in North Carolina

Sunday, June 06, 2010

I just got back from the laundromat and boy was it hot and sweaty for my son and I. The money is adding up so quickly too, it was $10 just to wash clothes, but you gotta have clean clothes, LOL.

It's been so hot here lately that you really don't want to do anything outside. I felt like I could have passed out when I was yard saling yesterday. Everyone was so eager to just get rid of everything so they could inside and get cool so I guess that was at least the positive thing about going when it's about 90 degrees and humid on top of that. I had to force myself out of the car each time I stopped because it was crazy hot, but luckily some of the yard sales were neighborhood sales so you could walk around from house to house (so I did get some exercise in, LOL).

I'm going to finish drying the tons of clothes we have today, cut out coupons and read the paper, and hopefully finally get my exercise in.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

CAROLFAITHWALKR 6/7/2010 12:17AM

I'm a couponer, too, and just posted a site in the "Cool Websites" thread, on the Dave Ramsey team, that tells which Sundays in 2010 that there will be no inserts, and how many inserts per each Sunday, etc. I am very blessed to have a small apt-sized washer and dryer inside my present apt, it came with! Prior to this I always used laundromats, also, so I can relate to the hassle. Report Inappropriate Comment

TAILORSMOM 6/6/2010 8:35PM

girl it is sooo hot in south georgia too.... we hate to even go outside..but all the kids want to do is pool Report Inappropriate Comment

KISSFAN1 6/6/2010 4:10PM

BNSPIRD - I live near Charlotte! I wish I was closer than I am but we were new to the area when we moved here so didn't know much about the area. I'm about 2 hours from the mountains (closer to mountains than that but to get to Asheville or somewhere like that is about 2 hours away) but unfortunately 5 hours or more away from the ocean. Comment edited on: 6/6/2010 4:27:43 PM Report Inappropriate Comment

BNSPIRD 6/6/2010 3:48PM

Where are you in NC? I have been to Charlotte and area. We have some friends who live there! I absolutely love it there!! Well, I think I have only been there in the fall time, and it was really nice then! I love driving along the roads... I have never seen vines like that! Report Inappropriate Comment

KISSFAN1 6/6/2010 3:47PM

Isn't that the truth? We had a drought last year (I think it was last year or maybe it was the year before) and we couldn't water the lawns, fill the pools (not that we have one) etc., but this year it seems to rain all the time and just be plain miserable and sticky. Report Inappropriate Comment

DBELLE39 6/6/2010 3:35PM

Yes, have to agree the heat is starting out extreme --and it's not even summer yet! Report Inappropriate Comment