Editor’s Note: Susan McCreath has been selected to participate in the Year of You, a fitness challenge hosted by The Manteca Bulletin and CORE Athletic Performance. McCreath is keeping a weekly journal, highlighting the strides and struggles of her fitness journey. These are her thoughts and feelings shared with you.
Day 195
Tonight Robert had me weigh in pre and post workout to see how much I lost during a workout. Grand total – four-tenths of a pound! I honestly thought it would be more than that, but I’m blaming my sweat-soaked shirt for weighing me down. It became an interesting topic, though, when my son texted me from Oregon and started talking about how they do pre and post practice weigh-ins. I’m not sure if it was disbelief, anger, amazement or what when he told me that he lost 7 pounds at practice that day. Seven pounds?! I haven’t been able to lose seven pounds in the past month and he flippin’ just lost it in a practice session?!?!
Day 196
Boy it feels good to put on a new skirt and a new blouse that are a size smaller! The scale may not be going in a downward direction, but my body has and is changing. I no longer look seven months pregnant. I’d say I’m down to looking about three months. Or, as my husband so eloquently pointed out the other day, my boobs are now bigger than my waist! Whatever. I’ll take that as a compliment!
Day 197
Today I wore an old skirt to work and spent most of the day trying to keep it from falling off of me. The ladies in the office wanted me to put a safety pin in the skirt, but I told them that I wanted to enjoy the feeling of a super loose skirt. That night when I got home I was trying to decide what to do with the skirt. I could either give it to Goodwill or find someone to alter it so it fit. I decided to put it in my donate pile because in my mind it is a fat girl skirt and I am trying to rid myself of that past.
Day 198
One thing about working at French Camp is that there are not any nearby fast food restaurants, so I basically have no option than to pack my lunch and snacks every day. This really requires me to be prepared for the day and think about what I am going to eat. I have become much better about having the “right” types of food in my house so that pretty much anything I pack is a good choice.
Day 199
It is Friday night, the end of the first week of school and neither my husband or I feel like cooking. We end up in a local Mexican restaurant and agree ahead of time that we are going to split a meal. This is really the way to go because the portions are way too big for a single serving and splitting not only saves me calories, but cash as well!
Day 200
Wow, hard to believe that it is day 200. Kind of a bittersweet day as I reflect on my positives and negatives over the course of this journey. My weight is not where I had hoped or planned for it to be, but at least the scale is moving in the correct direction. I have lost many inches although I would like to lose another dress size or two and not look like I am perpetually three months pregnant. I have definitely gotten stronger in the weight room, but know that is an area that can always improve. My cardio is much better even though I am still avoiding impact exercise because of my knees. The next 100 days will hopefully be filled with progress as well.
Day 201
Sunday. The day to prep. The day to catch up on sleep. The day to be lazy. The day to find something that will satisfy some major cravings!!! I try taking a nap to avoid eating. I try drinking tons of water and iced tea. I chew gum, but whew this craving is killing me today. I don’t give in though and finally work myself out of it! The funny thing is that I wasn’t even sure what I was craving; it was more like I was bored with my choices in the house. I think maybe I have become too routine in my food choices and perhaps that is impeding my weight loss and leading to this boredom, but am scared to stray too far as I have seen success with what I am doing.
Connect with Susan McCreath and CORE Athletic Performance trainer Robert Iniguez on the Year of You Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/theyearofyouchallenge.
