However, at the check-in appointment, he also measured body fat %.  When he did that and ran his little calculations, he announced that I had lost 3.5lbs in body fat!!  So I went from 30.1 to 28.7%, which is like, totally rad if you ask me.

I just thought it was really cool that the body fat % was an objective, measurable way to show what I suspected - the extra weight that the scale was showing was really due to water only - and I HAD accomplished my goal of losing around a pound a week, and I lost it all in lame-o fat!  Woohoo!

The coach guy was really encouraging, and just his little “Great job!” really gave me a boost.  I started out today feeling a little down about the number on the scale, but I left our meeting feeling energized and great about my progress!  I am so thankful that my company offers these health-coaching sessions.  It’s like my own personal 1-on-1 weight watchers, with periodic check-ins, feedback, etc…and it’s free!  I will definitely be taking advantage of this while I work towards my goal.  My next appointment is February 12th….I hope to be down 5lbs by then, to show him that I’m really kicking it in to gear!

Hubby & I are prioritizing our financial health this year as well.  We’ve got it all planned out - 16% hitting retirement, all savings accounted for, and $200/each per month to spend however we want.  Trust me when I tell you that I won’t be wasting any of my $200 in fun money on diet-busting eating-out!  I’ll take a good manicure over a burger & fries any day of the week!    I think that’s going to help me stay focused on eating better too - I’m more likely to buy healthy food at the grocery store, and since I know I wont’ be spending the money on eating out, I’ll have to stock up on better foods for lunches, dinners, etc.   It’s a win-win, yo.

 Hubby & I went to the grocery store today and I stocked up on healthy lunch items to start off next week!  My goal is to work more veggies into my diet, even if I have to ’sneak’ them to myself.  So I bought baby spinach and I’ll shred it up and mix it in with my tuna for sandwiches, etc.  That way I don’t notice it but still get the nutrients.  Silly, but it works. 

We made plans for New Year’s Eve…since I’m afraid I’ll still be sick and not feel like going out on the town, we bought Season 3 of “Lost”, and are inviting friends over for a 16-hour viewing marathon.  We’ll start at 7 and finish around Noon on New Year’s Day.  :)  Happy New Year, buddies!

I don’t like posting numbers because really they’re only meaningful person by person, but for full-disclosure, here’s where I am at as of today’s check-in:

Weight:  150 (clothed)
BMI:  25.7 (s/b between 18-25)
Body fat %:  30.4 (s/b below 32%, so that’s decent)

I know that the weight where I feel great about my body and my fitness is right around 130-135.  If I could get to 135 before my trips next year (so, by March 9), that would be so fantastic I can’t even describe it.  OK, I just counted on my calendar and that is TWELVE weeks from now.  Losing 15 pounds in twelve weeks is so completely doable. 

Normally I set smaller goals for myself, to account for those days when I know there will be slip ups.  But you know what?  I NEED an aggressive goal.  If I can go on my three big trips next spring feeling fantastic about how I look, that will make them so much more enjoyable.

GOAL:  I will lose 15 lbs by March 9, 2008. 

That’s an average loss of 1.25 lbs per week.  The health coach is willing to have twice monthly check-ins where he’ll weigh me and do my body fat analysis, so I will have that to keep me on track.  He highlighted for me what I know is the case - I need to be CONSISTENT with my exercise.  I try to hit three times a week, and some weeks I do it, and some weeks I get zero.  That’s not doing me any long-term good.  Guess when it changes?  Right NOW!  I have already worked out today and have a plan to do the same tomorrow.  I’m already on my way to accomplishing my goal!

My main struggle right now has been getting back into regular exercise.  I get out & about often enough - walking to & from the store, walking the dog for 20 minutes every morning (hubby takes the evenings!)  and longer on the weekends….mini-hikes around the city with friends, etc.  But sustained cardio exercise has been out of the picture for several weeks.

I think I’m going to go back to what worked for me at the beginning of this year - dragging my butt out of bed 90 minutes early and going to the gym before I even get showered & dressed.  This takes a little pre-planning - putting my clothes for the day in a backpack the night before, with my hairdryer, makeup, etc.  But when I was doing it before, I always felt so great knowing that I had the exercise done for the day, and I was less likely to sabotage myself with snacks throughout the day because I didn’t want to undo all the good I’d done with my hard early morning work!

So hear this:  Tomorrow I will work out for 45 minutes before work!  I am going to plan to hit the treadmill, I will probably have to do some combination of walking & running while I build my endurance back up, but at least I will be burning calories!!

Short summary:  I got married in July (yay!  I’ll add a couple pics later), honeymooned, changed jobs, got accepted into an international study program, and well it’s been a blur to say the least. 

Our wedding was wonderful, everything was very “us” and we had a relaxed, beautiful garden dinner with our friends afterward.  The VERY next day - I had an interview for a study exchange program next Spring.  I think they were impressed with my dedication for showing up the day after the wedding, and I was accepted!  So, I am going to South Korea in March & April for a four week business study exchange.

Actually, I’m going to be traveling a LOT next year.  As of right now, I have on my schedule:

Early March - 1 week in Costa Rica for work
Late March through Late April - 4 weeks in South Korea
Mid-May - Vacation in Playa del Carmen, Mexico

 Which is basically the reason I’m back here.  I gained back 7-8 pounds after the wedding, and all autumn I kept thinking Oh, 7-8 pounds, that’s so EASY to lose, I’ll do it without even thinking about it.  But…I didn’t.  In fact, I gained 5 more!!  So now I need to lose at least 10 pounds before my trips if I am going to feel comfortable meeting people for the first time and feeling confident about my look in general.  I need the “check-in” mechanism of this site again.  I hope some of my great buddies are still out there (and not TOO disappointed in my for my long hiatus!) and that with their help, I can stay on track and knock these pounds off by February!

So my concrete goals are:
 - Exercise minimum 3 times a week through end of December
 - Exercise mimimum 4 times a week starting in January
- 1200-1500 calories per day, tracked on Sparkpeople.com

That’s what worked for me before, and I know it’ll work again if I just stick to it.  So here I go!

I’ve just been working night & day for quarter close at work.  Four times a year, life shuts down for 2-3 weeks so we can get the financials together for investors.  It ain’t easy at a company the size of the one I work at.  We released earnings to the street yesterday afternoon, so now I can finally breath again and get back into the BuddySlim swing of things!

Those of you who know how obsessive I am about the scale - here’s proof of how much I’ve been working lately:  I haven’t even stepped on it in two weeks!!!  I was honestly just working all the time and coming home to sleep.  Miserable.  Glad it’s over!

Also, I’m in pre-TOM week so I’m going to skip stepping on that scale until that’s past.  Otherwise I’ll freak out that I gained weight during my workfest and be down on myself.  My clothes still fit fine and even though my schedule was wacky, I was eating mindfully so I think I should be ok.

I’ve already been to the gym this morning - I’m not missing my workouts for a single day longer than necessary!!  I did 45 minutes on the elliptical and about 20 minutes of upper-body strength training - arms, chest, back.  And of course my ab-crunches.  I’m planning to hit the gym tomorrow & Friday too, and hopefully get some sunshine this weekend that will let me go for some nice runs again.  I miss the fresh air!!

I promise I will catch up on blogs soon….and not be MIA like this again until next quarter-close.

I only have an hour for lunch & I want to use it to workout, so here’s a quick update of my past few days and my plan for the rest of the week!

Monday - 20 min cardio, upper-body & core strength training - DONE
Tuesday - 4.5 mile run w/dog - DONE
Wednesday - 30 min cardio, lower-body & core strength train - on my way!
Thursday - 60 minute cardio, intense stretch/yoga
Friday - rest - stretching only
Saturday - a.m: upper body & core     p.m. 60 minute cardio
Sunday - 60 minute cardio

I’ve been on track with my eating - even found healthy alternatives at a great Ethiopian cafe I tried for lunch yesterday, yum!  So I think as long as things go to plan, I will have good news come Sunday weigh-in!

My wedding dress is supposed to arrive by April 15th, and my first fitting for alterations is at the end of April.  If that’s not motivation, I don’t know what is!!!

I hope everyone is having a great week!

I’m still here!  My job is in a very busy period with quarter-close underway and earnings release coming up in a couple of weeks. (I work at a big Fortune 100 company so earnings are a huge deal here….).  So I’ll be working night & day for the next two weeks and will probably have not as much time as normal to come check in on my buddies & update you with my goings on.  I will do my best to keep in the loop, but just know - I’m not ignoring you by choice if I don’t have time to comment for a bit!

I had a 1lb loss this week; I’ll definitely take it, but I was hoping for a bigger one, since I waved good-by to TOM at the end of the week and he usually takes some pounds with him.  But like I say - a loss is a loss, so no complaints from me!

I have a very detailed plan for my diet & workouts this week.  I feel like I need to have everything spelled out in detail so that I will fit it into my hectic schedule and stay on track for another loss next week!  I will try to figure out how to paste it out of my Excel file & into a blog tomorrow so I’ll have it out in public where I need to be accountable to it!

Have a great week!

Seriously, who does this “TOM” guy think he is, ruining an otherwise perfectly beautiful day??!  Ugh.

That’s the story of my day right now…..cramps, cramps, bloating, aching….etc.   The good thing is that even when I feel all lumpy like this it actually does help to get out & exercise!  So I brought my workout clothes to the office, and I’m going to go for a run here before leaving today.  It’s sunny again so that will hopefully improve my outlook on life, and makes me forget the presence of that annoying TOM for a little while.

Despite all the TOM-ness, I am still on track with my plan - I’m having a rice & beans lunch, and my new favorite, Kashi Pesto Primavera for dinner.  Yum.  I have given in ONCE today to a small piece of chocolate at a co-worker’s desk, but TOM had to be appeased somehow.  He demanded a candy sacrifice!  That poor little cadbury chocolate didn’t stand a chance.