Week four results!!

Drum roll please.....
So my goal for this Monday's Week Four weigh-in was 142.....and I stepped on the scale this morning and I'm 140!!!! Wowza, even with Thanksgiving in there I managed to lose 3.5 pounds last week!! I'm feeling pretty damn awesome about that. I think the nutrition plan is really helping...at first when I started I think I wasn't used to eating that much and I felt like I was eating a LOT...but it's totally the combination of eating the right things throughout the day depending on time of day/activity, and eating small amounts every 2-3 hours that really does the trick. At some point over the week it all seemed to kick in and start working for me...maybe my metabolism was jump-started back to life or something!! Anyway, I was really good this week on both accounts, and it shows.
This also means that after four weeks, I am down ten pounds! Which is halfway to my goal already!! I know the next ten are not going to come off as easy. My goal for this week then, since I have already met the end of week five weigh-in goal, is to maintain that loss and maybe lose an extra pound or so. I would LOVE to be at 138 by next week but I'm not sure how long I'll be in this phase before I plateau..I'm going to just keep working my butt off and being steadfast to my eating plan and hopefully that won't happen for another ten pounds :) If I keep going at the two pound a week rate over the rest of the 9 weeks, I will be at 126 which is actually I think my optimum weight. I would be delighted with 130 (my original goal) but thrilled with 126!! Or maybe I can get the rest of my goal weight off over the next four weeks and work the last four on maintenance and building muscle/stamina and toning up certain areas. I will just see as I go I suppose.
If I continue to lose at the rate I am (avg. 2.25 lbs. per week) I could theoretically be down to 123 even at the end of week 12. But I think that will probably average out to two lbs. per week as I get leaner and am building more muscle. We shall see!
It is kind of funny how much this little project is providing a lot of focus for me in this 13 week period without Eben. It is really teaching me the value of taking things one day at a time...because if I set out at the beginning thinking that I can never eat carbs or sweets again, or that I have to lose twenty pounds, and have to go to the gym EVERY day, it would get really discouraging. Just like the best way to cope with not having him here is to just take it one day at a time, and do the best I can with each day in front of me. It has also been wonderful to devote this time to myself, because I really needed that I think. Not only am I getting in better shape physically and starting good habits (and weeding out the bad ones) for my future, but I'm thinking a lot about what I can do today to improve myself in lots of different areas, for example, looking hard at how I spend my money and figuring out little, everyday ways to alter my spending habits to save for our future. Making little changes each day, in lots of different areas, that add up to something much bigger. Just like those measly two pounds a week will add up to 24 pounds before I know it!

I think from here on out I am going to abandon the grading thing and just keep a running tally of my workouts in three categories for the week; cardio, weights, and yoga/pilates. My goal is to do 3 each of weights and yoga/pilates and 4 cardio. If I start to stray with the eating thing I will just 'fess up here and that will be punishment enough :) Though maybe I will keep grading my eating. Total transparency is my thing here....and so far I have been real honest and that holds me more accountable! For old times' sake though, here were my GPA's for the week!

Exercise: A-
Nutrition: A-
(funny how the best ever averages correlate with this week's loss though, huh?)

Oh, and if you are reading this (I only have three followers, sad, but lots of people have mentioned to me in person that they have been reading it) please leave a comment! The whole idea is that you can cheer me on and motivate me here :) Just click on the blog title and it will take you to a separate page where you can comment. Or just say hi so I know you're out there! And thanks to Joey, Krista, and Jennifer for following :) If you want you can all do that too!