Stops, Stalls, & False Starts

Howdy friends!
As you know, I've been reluctantly getting used to my new title of "power walker", as opposed to "runner". This has been an interesting transition for me, to realize that my body (after gaining 60 pounds from birth control) simply cannot run anymore.

But I've been power walking since December, and I've lost 10 pounds of fat so far. But I've also been gaining loads of muscle and toning up, even though the number on the scale has not dropped in several weeks. How do I know I've been toning up and gaining muscle? There's lots of ways: I'm able to fit into a few articles of clothing that I've not been able to wear for about a year, and my wedding band fits once again! Now my husband can no longer joke about me not looking "married" when I'm out in public. And my watch fits again, too!

My watch doesn't just fit, it's actually loose on my wrist now! I attribute my wrists, hands, and fingers being smaller now to the Depo birth control shot finally leaving my system after 2.5 terrible, long, torturous years of trying to lose weight but the Depo wreaking havoc on my hormones. But I believe the Depo to be TOTALLY and officially gone from my system!

How do I know the Depo is totally gone from my system? Well for starters, I lost 10 pounds in a little less than 2 weeks, that's how. And the last couple of menstrual cycles had been very heavy, like they had been before I began taking Depo. So, while I'm not thrilled to be having heavy periods again, it's a good sign!

That 10 pounds was most likely water weight or something that the Depo had been causing my body to store, and now it's gone. My body was so swollen from the chronic inflammation caused by the Depo. I don't really even know what exactly my body was storing inside itself, but whatever it was weighed 10 pounds that I'd been carrying around for the past 3 years. Yikes! It's a very scary thought that a supposedly "safe" prescription drug could negatively react with my body in such a severe, long-lasting way.

So, I'm thrilled to say that weight loss is happening, albeit not exactly in the way I imagined it. It took me power walking everyday from December to May to begin to actually lose weight. Then I lost those 10 pounds incredibly quickly. It's been almost 2 months since then, and the number on the scale has not moved since, but all my clothes are fitting looser, so I know that I'm still making progress.

The number on the scale is not everything. It is one indicator of health and weight, yes, but it's not the complete and accurate picture of a person's health. I know this. But, I still have 50 pounds to lose, so that number definitely needs to decrease. And I believe it will. It just seems like my body is losing weight and getting toned, but it's doing it in it's own way. So while it's difficult to remain positive sometimes when my weight isn't dropping, I have so many small victories that keep me on the right path.

So stay strong all of you, and never give up, and you'll get there! My new mantra is "slow and steady wins the race"

Can It Really Be True???

Hello faithful readers,

Guess what???? I've lost 10 pounds since I began power walking for 40 minutes most every day in January! You heard that right, folks!

Ten. Glorious. Pounds. Lost. By me.

I'm beyond thrilled. I'm ecstatic! You know how fitness experts always say that once you begin working out hardcore, don't be surprised when your weight number on the scale stays the same, or even increases? They say not to freak out if the number on the scale doesn't decrease right away, because you're building muscle, and muscle weighs more than fat. So I suppose it makes sense if the number on the scale doesn't decrease right away. But it had been between 4 and 5 months for me.

I've been power walking most days of the week for 40 mins each time since at least January, possibly earlier, and I'm JUST NOW seeing legitimate weight loss.

I had been noticing for awhile that the muscles in my legs seemed to be getting stronger and more defined, and that's because I was building muscle by all that power walking. And strong muscles are a GREAT thing, but what can I say? Perhaps I'm a bit vain, but what I'm most thrilled about is that number on the bathroom scale going down.

I'm losing REAL fat, for the first time in almost 5 years!!!!

My goal weight: 155 pounds
My current weight: 198.5
Starting weight: 208
Pounds Lost: 9.5

I've been aiming to eat around 1,750 calories a day, limiting my sugar and increasing fruits & veggies, and power walking 40 mins at an intense pace.

I've been losing around 1.5 pounds per week, and I hope it continues! Praise The Lord for FINALLY experiencing healthy weight loss!