Shannon’s BodyBlog

These 30 days were more about discipline than anything else.  In the past, I’d take 2 steps forward in eating healthy and losing weight, but then a weekend binge would take me 4 steps back and I’d be worse off than I was before.  Doing that over and over was pathetic and just plain idiotic.  It got me absolutely no where but frustrated, guilt ridden, and hateful toward my stupid decisions.  It was poison to my system in all ways.  I kept thinking about Einstein’s definition of insanity:  Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.  I guess I was certifiably insane.
I was fed up with my sorry ways, so I got mad and made myself go on a strictly clean, no cheating diet for 30 days.  I figured 30 days would be enough to help correct the bad habits I developed over the past 5 years since I’d had my last baby and give me time to see some results.

I focused on one thing only.  I concentrated on eating clean, well balanced meals first and foremost.  And then I was curious to see where that would get me.  The best I thought I’d do would be to lose 6 pounds.

I didn’t do weight training as religiously as I hoped, but for the most part, it was done on a weekly basis.  Although the past week and a half sucked in that department.

As for cardio, I did it 3-6 days a week.  It varied during these 4 weeks.  In the past, I lost all 60+ pounds I gained with each of my first two pregnancies within 8 and 5 months respectively when I was breastfeeding my first two children.  Knowing that breastfeeding ALONE burns 500 calories a day, and that it allowed me to lose 2 pounds a week in addition to me eating small, healthy meals everyday, I figured that burning 500 calories during my cardio sessions would help achieve the same results.

Today, I have a full day of continuing to eat strictly clean with no cheats, but here is where the past month has gotten me:

I’ve lost 13 pounds.  My weight this morning is still 138.

My measurements taken a couple of days into the diet:

Waist:  30.8"

Hips:  38

Chest:  35

Thigh:  23

Calf:  14.8

Arms:  12

Measurements as of this morning:

Waist:  28.75"

Hips:  35"

Chest:  33"

Thigh:  22.25"

Calf:  14"

Arm:  11.25"

Last night after we finished taking the progress pictures, my husband asked me how I was going to eat after the 30 days are over.  I told I’d eat the same way I am now, but if we have pizza for dinner, then I’ll have a slice.  We order it around twice a month, so it’s not going to cut into my progress too much.  If we go out to dinner on the rare occasion that we do, I will order a healthy meal, but I won’t agonize over how clean it is.  I’ll allow a cheat meal or a cheat day, but I’m not going to binge away.  I will eat like a civilized human being, haha.
And when we go out to a movie that we get out to a few times a year, I am definitely ordering my popcorn and Milkduds.

Breakfast:  1 whole egg, 3 egg whites

whole wheat toast

2 cups coffee w/ skim

Snack:  almonds

This entry was posted on Friday, September 26th, 2008 at 3:33 am and is filed under Training. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.