Two weeks later

 no I have not left the blog world again!

I have been busy with one thing and another.  Which includes the treadmill and walking.  I did slip and fall last week on the ice, so have been cautious with my walking.  Luckily I didn't really hurt myself.  My knee is all bruised up, but really my ego/pride was more bruised.  So because of that I only logged in 25 miles last week, I normally log in around 30 miles.

I have decided to try the treadmill again and have figured out a way of walking, burning calories on it, without it trying to kill me...LOL  I start off at incline 5, working my way up to incline 7 then working my way down to incline 5 again.  I can burn 400 calories in 40 minutes and walk 2 miles doing that.

Anyway, it means I have managed to lose 24lbs in 11 weeks, so I have 1lb to lose before I have my telephone appointment with the doctor on December 21st.  Hubby has also lost 21lbs which is a bonus.  This 25lb goal is of my own setting, not the doctors.

Could I murder a chocolate bar.....of course!!  We both have Lindt chocolate advent calendars to help with my sweet tooth.  I look forward to eating my one chocolate every day.

(image credit)

I will say there are more mini chocolate balls in it, than anything else.  It's a bit of a disappointment when you open the day's door and all you get is a mini chocolate ball.  I had hoped they were all full sized truffles.....

So there you go, a bit of an update.  I have blood work done this week, so it will be interesting to see if my numbers have come down for my diabetes.  I am guessing so due to the weight loss.  You can tell now that we have both lost weight, so it is encouraging.  We just have to keep on with it.

10/5-3-30 Challenge Day 7 Weigh in day!!!

Change of pace today as I didn't get up until after 7am.  So I didn't do my 30 minutes on the treadmill before breakfast like I normally do; thought I would do it later in the day, but didn't.  So I have failed the challenge...not sure how I feel about that.  Maybe it should be a Monday through Friday thing going on the treadmill?

I did go for a walk in the morning.  It was cold and slippery but I was careful.  We then went for a walk after lunch, by then it wasn't as slippery.  We also had a walk after supper, so three walks all in all.

So the all important news for today, did I lose weight this week?  Yes I did, I lost 3lbs, so I have lost 20lbs in 9 weeks.

I have set a mini goal of losing another 5lbs by December 18th, which is a month away.  I have a telephone appointment with our family doctor on the 21st, so would love to tell him I have lost 25 lbs in the past 13 weeks.

Fitbit Stats for today:

11 k steps

4.7 miles

78 minutes exercise.

Kicking and screaming all the way....

 

(image credit)

Saturday is my weigh in day.  I have lost 12 lbs in 5 weeks.  I would have loved it to be more but despite doing everything I can it feels as though each pound lost has had to be dragged from me kicking and screaming all the way.

I am not sure what is different this time round.  I have walked over 100 miles since October 3rd.  It is getting easier doing the walking.  I walk up and down hills, to elevate my heart rate.  My food intake is pretty good; it's not perfect but it's a whole lot better than it was.

My diabetes numbers are improving greatly, I guess I just have to be patient.  At the end of the day it's getting those diabetes numbers under control which is the number one concern.  I have blood work done the middle of December so that gives me another six weeks to try and lose another 12 lbs.  That should make a big difference to those diabetes numbers I am hoping.

I am having my physical at the end of November, so my goal there is to have another 8 lbs off by then.  That's with the nurse in the doctor's office.  I will then have a telephone appointment with the doctor just before Christmas to go over the blood work and the physical's results.  

So until then I just have to keep on doing what I am doing. At the end of the day I have lost over a bag of potatoes, plus a bag of sugar.  My clothes don't feel as tight and I don't feel as though I will die trying to walk up the hills anymore😊

Slow and steady wins the race as they say!

Walking month end check in........

The month of March just flew by didn't it?  Still cold here and no sign of it getting much warmer any time soon.  So still wrapped up in my winter layers when walking.

I walked 122.65 miles in March to bring my yearly total to 339.18 miles.  I am hoping the warmer it gets the more miles I will walk each month.  However today (April 1st) we have snow forecast, so not sure how many miles I will be walking today?  Did my usual 40 minute walk this morning, but that may be it.

Now for my weight loss, it has been and up and down month.  With having the colonoscopy and then the stomach flu, I had a weight loss of 5 lbs at one point, but everything has evened out and I ended the month with a 2 1/2 lb weight loss to bring my total up to 42 lbs or 3 stones for the British crew.

Bit disappointed in myself, but onwards and upwards as they say.

How did you do this month?

Walking month end check in..........

How did you do during the month of February?

I managed to walk 102.78 miles this past month.  I walked like a crazy person over the past few days to get me past my 100 mile goal.  I have to be more consistent with this walking, rather than cramming it in during the last few days of the month.

I was lucky though, as we have had some lovely weather which has made walking a joy.  My year to date total is 216.53 miles.

Now for my weight loss for the month.  The other day I mentioned it was non existent for February.  Well in my peri-menopause brain fog that I seem to be permanently in I thought I had lost more than I had last month.  When I checked back to see how much I had lost overall, it turns out I have lost another 4 lbs this month, to bring my total weight loss to 39 1/2 lbs.  Drat, half a pound off the 40 lb mark.  

I have been at this weight loss, exercise thing for eight months now.  So as you can see I am in the slow and steady lane, rather than the quick and fast lane.  Which I personally think is a better way, as my body is adapting better to all the changes I have been making.  Which is giving me positive results.

One of the down sides though of losing weight is my clothes are all getting too big, but I am between sizes so want to wait before I buy anything else new. 

So my goals for March are to walk the 100 miles (hoping for more) and lose 5 1/2 lbs.

I am excited to hear how everyone else did?

Just a little nudge.....

we only have 9 days left in the month of January so if you are doing the walking challenge and have set a goal, and need to reach it you have only 9 days left to do that walking.

However I can't talk, as I haven't even got 70 miles in yet.  Between the rain, freezing rain, sleet, snow and bitter cold temperatures I have missed a lot of walking this month.  Mind you I can't only blame the weather as we have had some nice days in amongst those days where I just couldn't be bothered to go walking.  I did manage to get seven miles walked today as it wasn't as cold.  I walked twice once for 60 minutes and once for 51 minutes.

I am hoping to move a couple more pounds of weight also by the end of the month, but I am not holding my breath with that 😊 I have lost four pounds so far this month, so I am happy with that.

I have more or less cut out milk from my diet, just have it in coffee when I am out.  I did make cauliflower with cheese sauce the other night for supper and blew up like a balloon afterwards, However it won't stop me eating it every now and then.  I have switched to lactose free yogurts, and almond milk if I have cereal that needs milk.  Not loving that almond milk, but it's only half a cup with a cup of cereal, so it won't kill me.  I don't eat too many eggs and they don't seem to bother me.  Cheese I don't eat too much off but did have the most gorgeous chicken and goat cheese panini at a restaurant the other week, gosh it was good.

Stopped having hummus and then had some the other day and again got a bad stomach from that; its the garlic in it.  So I am trying to avoid garlic and for the most part onions, but do have onions in recipes every now and then.  Changing the my diet is a work in progress, but I am incorporating some of the suggestions from the FODMAP plan.

I have developed an aversion to the treadmill???  No idea why, so I need to get back into the habit of hopping on it.  Even if its for just 30 minutes while the news is on.  I set the speed at 3 mph, so I can walk a mile and a half in 30 minutes, which over 9 days will be another 13 and a half miles to my total.  So I may just make my 100 mile goal for the month yet!!

By the way I am more than capable of walking at least 120 miles a month, I just need that nudge!!!  So please nudge away.............

New Fitbit Friend...........

I have a new Fitbit friend.  She is actually one of dd's ex-bosses.  They are still very good friends, and I knew she did a lot of walking; and as she is on a years sabbatical from work she is doing even more walking. 

The rest of my Fitbit friends all work so don't do as much walking as I.  So dd hooked us both up and now we are Fitbit friends and have started a Workweek Hustle challenge.

You have to see how many steps you can do from 12:01 am Monday to 11:59 pm Friday.  This will motivate me to up my game I am sure.

I did have a good week this past week.  I walked 41.5 miles, and had over 97,000 steps.  It did help that the weather was pretty good all week as well.  I managed to so nearly 22,000 steps yesterday and earned another badge, my High Top one for walking 20,000 steps in one day.  So I was happy about that.

I have lost 31 lbs, so I am still slow and steady in that but at least I am not putting it back on.  I will have been walking six months on December 24th.

Oh and if I can do it, anyone can...........remember how I use to say I was allergic to exercise all the time?  Well it still applies, walking is about as much as I am willing to do but I like it so that's all that matters!!

Any other people using a Fitbit out there that would like to join in with future challenges?

(image credit)

Walking the Serengeti

I am not walking the actual Serengeti, but I did just get the Fit Bit badge for walking a total of 500 miles since I started walking.  Not bad since the end of June.  

"You may not have seen wildebeasts, giraffes or zebras on this trek, but you have walked 500 miles—the same distance as the Serengeti, one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World."

I am still enjoying my walking, especially as it is a lot cooler now, which to my mind is perfect walking weather.  I am not happy walking when it's stinking hot, pouring with rain and I guess I'll not be happy when it's snowing like crazy and is icy.

I am down between 26 to 28lbs, I seem to fluctuate with those two pounds, but I am still holding steady with my weight, which is good.  If I made more of an effort I would lose more, but I am enjoying this slow and steady weight loss as it doesn't feel like hard work.

My next badge I am working towards is Italy which is 736 miles walked.  Hoping to get that by the end of January/beginning of February.  I would also like to earn the High Tops badge which is 20,000 steps in one day......but I don't think that will be happening any time soon.  If I get over 10,000 steps per day I am a happy camper.

This Fit Bit is keeping me motivated and I would highly recommend getting one.