Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Weight loss Wednesday - Losing the pounds, finding the speed

So, my last triathlon of the year is done.  I completed my "a" race and transformed myself into a triathlete.  Now comes the time where I'm in danger of falling into the post race dumps.  Hmm, what does that mean?  I guess it means it's time for a new goal.

Or perhaps, it's time to refocus on an old goal.

It's time to drop the rest of the pounds so that I can get healthy and more importantly get fast.

Okay, so maybe my priorities are a bit mixed up?  Maybe...

Truthfully, my doctor is thrilled with my new level of health.  I saw her one year and I was a mostly sedentary obese woman, and the next year I had dropped 40 pounds and was training for a half marathon.  Still, the fact of the matter is, I'm not there yet.  I am still carrying 20 pounds more then I should be in order to be at the top end of the healthy weight range for my height.  I am in the best shape of my life, but lugging around that extra fat isn't helping any of my internal organs.

Then comes the speed side of it.  I am convinced that the extra weight I am carrying slows me way down.  It may not make a big difference on the swim, but it definitely does on the run.  Then, when it comes to the bike, there are people that spend thousands of dollars to upgrade their bikes to make them lighter.  I can lighten my load for free, and then I can climb those hills a heck of a lot better.

So, in a way my blog has come full circle and is going to return a bit to it's start.  Now, don't fear, I'm still training for a half marathon, and I'm signing up for a half ironman next season.  Most of my blog posts will still be training related, but I've decided Wednesday is the day I'll focus on the weight loss.

Since hitting onederland back in January, my weight hasn't changed much.  I'm the queen of maintaining my weight after all.  I've basically stayed between 198 and 201 pounds.  I did buy a new scale recently, which caused me to gain a pound.  Regardless, I'll still be using the new one.  My current weight (as of this morning) is 198.4.  My initial goal is to get that down to 179, which is the top end of healthy for my height.  I'm quite certain I'll be shooting for a lower weight once I'm there, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

And since no weight loss post is complete without pictures, here are mine.

Before, 244 pounds
Today, 198 pounds

(One of these pictures is taken by my husband, the other by Spud, my four year old.  I'll let you guess which is which.)


As far as I'm concerned, weight loss is about food.  I usually spend more then 10 hours a week swimming, biking, or running, and I maintain my weight.  For me, it seems the combination of a high level of training and mainly clean eating is the perfect formula to maintain my weight.  By adding in tracking and counting my food, I plan to lose some of it instead.

4 comments:

  1. I am going to throw out there that I believe with my heart that isagenix will get u there! In 40 days! Please email me JPearson@talisman-energy.com
    I have been the extreme workout person and for 5 years have carried 25+lbs even running marathons. This year I knocked off 20min from my half marathon! And I dropped over 25lbs since Nov '10 thanks 100% to Isagenix. There are few people I truly believe will gain more than they expected from Isagenix. Its changed my life, I want it to change your life!
    PS you have helped push me to want to do an ironman, thanks to your amazing blog (and drive).
    So inspiring and motivational - thank you Deb!
    Jodi

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  2. I look forward to following your journey. I was 213 lb Jan 1 and couldn't swim 25 yds without stopping to catch my breath, couldn't walk next to my husband (he went too fast) and barely could ride 5 miles on the bike at a super slow pace (plus walking it up a big hill on my route). As of today, I'm 186 lbs and yesterday swam 1500 meters (give or take) without resorting to backstroke to get through it. I have ridden 10-15 miles much more regularly than I could've ever imagined and am now trying to teach myself to run. I've completed two sprint tri's and am shooting for my first Oly next year. I agree that dropping some more weight is way cheaper than worrying about how to afford a lighter bike.

    I'm a big believer that if we are just honest about what food, how much of it and how often we are eating (ie. food journal), it is much easier to remain accountable. This mixed with training should help peel off at least some of the weight. I've kind of slacked in this area lately and I am going to use this post to get myself back on track. Looking forward to more Wednesdays!

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  3. I need to start tracking food too - so easy to make excuses when you're training hard! Now that I'm on the couch for a few weeks it's getting really noticeable!

    Let's keep each other accountable!

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