Wednesday Weigh In Jan. 28, 2009

When does a routine become a rut?

We find comfort in routines. Comfort in doing things the same way, eating the same things, going to the same places and being with the same people. Routines can be a good. However, when you get sick of doing the same things and getting the same results, you’re not in a routine – you’re in a rut. How do you intend to get out?

Recently, I read a story which got me thinking about my own routines. It’s not the first time I’ve thought about such things, of course, but sometimes we need a gentle nudge  – a reminder of what we ought to be doing.

For me, getting healthy is about more than eating better and exercising. It involves a change of nearly everything.

So, I’m making an effort towards changing the routines which have led to my unhealthy lifestyle. I’ll detail some of the changes in my Monday update next week. Meanwhile, a question – are you in a rut?

Well, it’s that time again, for the weekly Wednesday Weigh-in. Let’s see how our BlogToFitters did.

Tara Cain

Gah. No loss for me this week.
I have found myself in a bit of a rut. I’m in the middle of trying to start up a business from home (so I can keep taking my babies to school every morning) and it’s a long, hard slog.
I don’t mind the long, had slog it’s just I get so immersed into whatever I am doing I end up rushing to eat lunch and it’s usually something I can put together in minutes. And that isn’t always a healthy option.

On top of that my exercise has reduced. I have been walking every day (some days with a pushchair. Up hills). But this week I have made every excuse possible not to go.

Still, no gain, so I suppose that’s a good thing considering I’ve been sat on my ass all the live long day!

The stats: Tara Cain

• Starting weight Wed. Nov.19: 168 lbs.
• Goal weight: 140 lbs.
• Weight last week: 163 lbs.
• Weight today: 163lbs
• Amount lost this week: 0 lb

David Fowler

What a great week! I’ve lost 3lbs.

I’ve also climbed back on the exercise wagon. My cold is still lingering but I got tired of waiting for a full recovery. I’ve still got a sore throat but I put on my running shoes and hit the road Jack.

I’ve managed to get in two 1.5 mile runs. The first was tough, but the second was much easier.

Yesterday I started the 100 Push Up Challenge and I think I’m going to enjoy it!!

It’s odd that my measurements haven’t changed though. Ah, who cares! I’m back on the wagon!

The stats: David Fowler

Starting weight Wed. Nov.19: 200 lbs.
Goal weight 173 lbs.

Format: Start / Last Week / This Week

• Weight: 200 / 198 / 195
• Amount lost this week: 3 lbs
• Hips: 40 / 39.75 / 39.75
• Waist: 38.5 / 38.25 / 38.25
• Belly: 40.25 / 40 / 40
• Chest: 41.5 / 41 / 41

(Weight is in lbs and measurements in inches)

David Wright

Woohoo! I’m on a roll, baby! Second week in a row with a significant weight loss. Last week was six pounds, this week, five. Some of it is thanks to the cold I had (and the medicine I was on) but some of it was from eating better.

None of it, I’m afraid was from exercise this week.

The stats: David Wright

• Starting weight Wed. Nov.19: 350 lbs.
• Goal weight: 250 lbs.
• Weight last week: 339 lbs.
• Weight today: 334 lbs.
• Amount lost this week: 5 lbs.
• Total lost since Nov. 19: 16 pounds

Now it’s your turn. Share your success (or setback) story with us.

If you’d like to post a Wednesday Weigh-In post on your blog and help spread the word of our goals, please do so. Get all the info on how you can participate right here.

See you downstairs in the comments – and let’s all show our support and visit anyone taking part.

Update

As always, thank you to everyone who takes part in the Wednesday Weigh-In.

The following participants have written about their fitness and diet activities and linked back to BlogToFit. If you have a moment, please drop in and leave a message of support.

Mike Goad
Avlor
Urban Panther
Jen

Thank you!

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Copyright 2009 BlogToFit.com. If you are reading this on any site other than BlogToFit.com or your personal feedreader or email, you may be viewing it on a site which steals content. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t trust any site which steals content.

Wednesday Weigh In Jan. 21, 2009

It’s okay ladies, science says it’s not your fault.

According to this article in the Washington Post, women have a harder time than men in saying no to their favorite foods.

An excerpt from the article:

Then, after they fasted for 20 hours, the researchers presented them with their favorite foods; the dishes were even warmed up, if appropriate, to make them more tempting. The men and women were allowed to smell and taste the food but not eat it. Then, in an experiment, they were told to try to inhibit their desire to eat the food.

And that was the last time anyone saw the researchers alive.

Seriously though, according to the research, women have a more difficult time controlling their hunger.

The researchers found that certain areas of the brain became more active in both the men and women when they were tempted with food. The brain areas that lit up control emotions such as motivation.

Also, both men and women succeeded in making themselves feel less hungry by inhibiting their desire to eat the food. But the brain scans suggested that the women’s brains were still acting as if they were hungry.

In other words, the women may have thought they were less hungry, but their brains didn’t seem to be entirely on board.

What’s going on? Hormones could play a factor in women, Wang said, because they need to eat more when they’re pregnant.

The research could help scientists understand why some people can’t resist certain kinds of high-calorie food, Wang said. “Some people cannot inhibit themselves, and we need to help those people.”

So how do we develop self control?

While we can’t control our brains completely, we have to learn to inhibit ourselves. Easier said than done, I know.

For those of you who have established a strong sense of self control when it comes to your diet, we’d love to hear what works for you.

Well, it’s that time again, for the weekly Wednesday Weigh-in. Let’s see how our BlogToFitters did.

Tara Cain

I have no self control! I seriously don’t. I have this raging argument in my head every time I want something I know I shouldn’t have. I wish I could just walk away and leave it and stop trying to convince myself that I deserve it/can get away with it/must have it or I will curl up and die.

The exercise side of things has been great this week. I have walked every other day (sometimes pushing daughter in her pushchair which is bloody tough up those hills!) and I have managed to hit or exceed 10,000 steps on the pedometer.

But, just like Dave F has said previously, now I’ve stepped up the exercise I find my hunger steps up too and i need to bring it into check.

Still, 1lb off is 1lb off, so I must be doing something right.

The stats: Tara Cain

• Starting weight Wed. Nov.19: 168 lbs.
• Goal weight: 140 lbs.
• Weight last week: 164 lbs.
• Weight today: 163lbs
• Amount lost this week: 1 lb

David Fowler

This has been a much better week for me and for my efforts to shed the excess. Although I haven’t done any kind of exercise other than walking, I’ve been active and very busy. I’ve done much more dog walking in the last week and that really helps. It’s proper walking – none of this mincing about with a stick in my ass malarkey. Proper full on marching stuff! Invigorating!

I’ve struggled to get my eating under control recently but I’ve turned the corner and I feel back in control. A one pound loss might not seem too amazing but it’s a massive breakthrough for me after the last month of failing. I’m reveling in my mini success!!

The stats: David Fowler

Starting weight Wed. Nov.19: 200 lbs.
Goal weight 173 lbs.

Format: Start / Last Week / This Week

• Weight: 200 / 199 / 198
• Amount lost this week: 1 lb
• Hips: 40 / 39.75 / 39.75
• Waist: 38.5 / 38.5 / 38.25
• Belly: 40.25 / 40.25 / 40
• Chest: 41.5 / 41 / 41

(Weight is in lbs and measurements in inches)

David Wright

This is my best week since starting.

I lost six pounds!

Some of it is because I’ve been sick as a dog on and off the past few weeks. But some of it is because I’ve been eating less. And also eating better.

I’ve cut down on snacking and am eating more frequent, but smaller meals throughout the day. I find when I do this, even if I’m not hungry, it prevents the late night binges which have been a staple of my routine. Once my cold subsides, I’m going to get back on the road and add to this success.

The stats: David Wright

• Starting weight Wed. Nov.19: 350 lbs.
• Goal weight: 250 lbs.
• Weight last week: 345 lbs.
• Weight today: 339 lbs.
• Amount lost this week: 6 lbs.
• Total lost since Nov. 19: 11 pounds

Now it’s your turn. Share your success (or setback) story with us.

If you’d like to post a Wednesday Weigh-In post on your blog and help spread the word of our goals, please do so. Get all the info on how you can participate right here.

See you downstairs in the comments – and let’s all show our support and visit anyone taking part.

Want a bit of humor and motivation delivered via email every weekday? Subscribe to get each BlogToFit post delivered for free! Email not your thing? That’s okay, you can also subscribe via RSS – like all the cool kids do. It’s also free. Unless you really WANT to pay us.

Copyright 2009 BlogToFit.com. If you are reading this on any site other than BlogToFit.com or your personal feedreader or email, you may be viewing it on a site which steals content. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t trust any site which steals content.

Wednesday Weigh In Number 7

Happy New Year!!

Here we are, standing at the precipice of the day which more than eight zillion people will make a resolution to lose weight (the number eight zillion based on crack Wikipedia research). We will make promises to ourselves, to our families and our friends – this year will be different!

Yes, this year will be different for those of us here at Blog To Fit!

We won’t be among the 7.99 zillion who retract our vows. We’ve got a plan in place. We’ve got a head start on our brethren.  We’ve got a support network, our in some cases, several in place. There are no more excuses.

This is the year!

Here’s an update on our Blog To Fitters and how they did in the last week of 2008, with at least one of them (we won’t call anyone out, cough – David Wright - cough, slipping off the wagon big time last week) and at least two of them posting weight gains!

Tara Cain

I am not weighing myself today. Ok, Ok, top throwing cabbages and rotten tomatoes at me. I KNOW!

I need to start 2009 on a positive note and I know that if I weigh myself I will get all depressed and curl up in a ball and rock myself gently in a corner. Then I’ll eat. And that’s a slipperly slope I don’t want to get on.
I’m having one of those days where I am hating myself and feel all bleugh and need to regroup. I feel that I have failed myself and my self esteem is through the floor.

I know I’m copping out, but I am determined to succeed in the New Year and this is my way of doing it.
I need a couple of days to recover and then I promise I will weigh in and stop being such a wuss.

And you may even get some photos of me in the 2009 (although they will NEVER be in a similar vein to Dave F’s).

Let’s all make 2009 our year. Let’s all really get behind each other and hold hands across that finish line.
Let’s not make empty fitness/weight loss resolutions. Let’s just promise to change our lives for the better and resolve to take those baby steps and suceed.

David Fowler

What a blast! I’ve spent the whole week entertaining family and friends – in a social setting, rather than with a bright orange wig a red nose and a button hole flower that sprays water.

With good company, great food and cheep booze I took a relaxed approach to my diet and fitness…. and it paid off! I’ve been handsomely rewarded with a gain of nearly 2lbs and a quarter inch gain round my middle.Woo Hoooo!

I’m not the slightest bit concerned though. That’s right… I’m going to brazen it out.

The increase in weight was wholly expected. I mean, I ate more and exercised less. What the hell, it was Christmas after all!

With the New Year bearing down upon me in a semi-oppressive kind of way, I’m getting back to the eating plan and I’ll resume running just as soon as I can get rid of this damned lingering cold.

I survived with minimal damage. Yay!

The stats: David Fowler

Starting weight Wed. Nov.19: 200 lbs.
Goal weight 173 lbs.

Format: Start / Last Week / This Week

• Weight: 200 / 196.3 / 198
• Amount lost this week: GAINED 1.7 lbs
• Hips: 40 / 39.75 / 39.75
• Waist: 38.5 / 38.25 / 38.25
• Belly: 40.25 / 39.75 / 40
• Chest: 41.5 / 41 / 41

(Weight is in lbs and measurements in inches)

David Wright

Well, since I missed last week’s weigh-in, I stumbled, pigged out and am paying the consequences. I gained weight! What a way to end the year, eh?

Fortunately, my health-related mindset is better as we go into 2009 and I’ve got some new foods to try in the month of January (yeah, I pushed it to January what with all the pigging out). So, here’s to a fitter 2009!

The stats: David Wright

• Starting weight Wed. Nov.19: 350 lbs.
• Goal weight: 250 lbs.
• Weight two weeks ago: 345 lbs.
• Weight today: 347 lbs.
• Amount GAINED this week: 2 lbs.

So, how will this year be different for your fitness goals? What will you do differently than last year?

Now it’s your turn.

If you’d like to post a Wednesday Weigh-In post on your blog and help spread the word of our goals, please do so. Get all the info on how you can participate right here.

See you downstairs in the comments – and let’s all show our support and visit anyone taking part.

Want a bit of humor and motivation delivered via email every weekday? Subscribe to get each BlogToFit post delivered for free! Email not your thing? That’s okay, you can also subscribe via RSS – like all the cool kids do. It’s also free. Unless you really WANT to pay us.