Losing It 9 Week Update: Progress and Setbacks

Every weight loss challenge/effort is going to experience some progress and some setbacks. The motivation to work out and eat better has not really been a problem. Progress. The execution at times has been lacking. Setback. And some times that darned scale just doesn’t tell you what you want to hear!

Over the last two weeks since my family has been out of town, I have really kicked it into high gear (which for most in shape people is probably what they do for a cool down). I’ve found myself a walking regiment and route that seems to work for me. It gets me about 2.5 miles a day and has two separate legs of it which are up hill (one at the beginning and one at the end) which presents a nice challenge.

9 weeks into this challenge I’ve lost 9 pounds. I firmly believe that had I pushed myself more and been more dedicated to my diet and exercise routine that the number could easily be around 20, but life sometimes gets in the way and there’s nothing you can do about it but push through. Truthfully, I needed that doctor’s visit and a little nudging from a good friend in the health and wellness industry to really get my act together...but it worked, and I have.

Over the last two weeks I have made two major dietary changes. First, I’ve been eating spinach salads for lunch every day. I usually add carrots, mushrooms, cucumbers, and green peppers to the mix with a healthy crouton and light ranch dressing for flavor. I’ve also added grilled chicken at times as well. The other thing I’ve done is started “snacking” on fruit leather (Archer Farms from Target). These are about 45 calories each and equal ½ of a daily fruit serving…which is more than the zero I was getting before.

So the efforts are certainly there, and I believe that if I keep doing what I’m doing, the weight should continue to drop. As it stands, 9 lbs in 9 weeks is pretty good, I mean, that’s 1 pound a week so that’s not bad. I’m sure I’ll need to increase my output in the coming weeks and look forward to the challenges that presents, but for now, I’m still hanging right in there.