Week 3 In Review

This week was a challenge to say the least when we found out the groom was called out of town on a two-week business trip. Between preparing his bags and getting groceries in the house, our well thought out plan has become a survival challenge.

We have been tracking our food intake using the mobile application for iPhone by WeightWatchers. Keeping track of everything that goes into your mouth is eye opening. Often times we say, “oh I don’t really eat that much when I am at work” but then one quick glance at my food diary reveals that I consume the majority of my calories for the day during one meal – lunch.

Trying to create a plan for while away on a trip (business or pleasure) is like trying to figure out why e=mc2. Good luck. But as luck would have it, the groom watched a fascinating series by the BBC on the flight over on 10 Things You Need to Know to Lose Weight.

Here they are:

1. Be more active. Yes the more you move the more calories you will burn. The more you burn, the less that stay on your body. Think you don’t have time? Why not do squats while talking on the phone at home? Take the stairs from the parking lot to your office – twice a day! Park in the furthest stall from the shopping store/center.
2. Take advantage if the “after burn” of exercise. Do you know that you only burn 1/4 of the fat during exercise and the remaining 3/4 during the next 18 hours? This is a great reason to feel good not only during your aerobic workout but know that even while you sleep your body is still working to lose weight.
3. High calcium dairy product helps to excrete fat.  This was new to me but with low-fat dairy products in your diet you will actually lose more weight then the same calorie diet that does not include these items. How does it work? Science has found that calcium intake increases the excretion of fat in feces. Nice, huh? But basically the calcium makes sure that less fat will be absorbed during digestion and instead you send it on it’s way. Better out of my body than residing on my hips.
4. Variety may be good for diversity but not good for our diet.You will most likely overeat at buffet restaurants by 30% just simply because you have more choices. It seems that our minds are hardwired to like choices and will try to sample it all, just because it is there. So say “no” to buffets or menus with sample choices, and instead opt. for a healthy full meal instead.
5. Eat healthy soup. Soup diets work and it is because the stomach feels fuller longer. We aren’t suggesting to eat only soup, but the study has shown that it will stay with you as much as one and a half hours longer and reduce your feeling of hunger.
6. More lean protein. It has been shown that lean proteins causes more PPY (digestive hormone that tells our brain we are full) to be produced therefore feeling more satisfied and hunger pains are controlled. Adding protein to your breakfast gives you a longer full feeling for the day.
7. Count your calorie intake.Using any method that is easy for you, record every piece of food that you eat during the day. The information you will gain is power over controlling your weight. Once you know how many calories you are consuming you will know how many you must burn to lose weight.
8. Don’t blame your metabolism. Most people do have a normal metabolism, it is just our excuses that are out of whack. We all like to blame something for why we can’t shed that 5 pounds, but expending energy blaming something chemical is just a waste of time that could be better spent being active, counting calories and losing weight.
9. Use smaller plates.We have been super sized in every way possible. Time to take some control back, and a very easy solution to controlling portions is to just use smaller plates. It is a visual thing and yes if you piled your food 6 inches high it would accomplish nothing, but the idea is to get fuller on a portion that is size appropriate for your body. Studies found that Americans eat typically 50% more than Europeans simply because our plates are 11-inches and the average European plate is 9-inches.
10. Don’t skip meals. You have heard it before and you know you should eat breakfast, but our brains are actually wired to alert us to EAT if we think we are hungry. So, don’t fool yourself into thinking you can save a few calories by skipping a meal. Eat regular meals to keep those basic instincts under control.

Bride to be says:

• Weight loss this week was 0 lbs (gained 0.3 lbs)
• Statistically most people gain on average 7 lbs on the mid-section per year from the time between Halloween to Christmas. I want to lose weight – which will be difficult. I am not taking this small gain as a set-back, but rather motivation to get focused for the upcoming holidays and lose that 1-2 lbs. per week that is my goal.

Groom to be says:

• Weight loss this week .5 lbs
• Traveling and eating out in a foreign place is going to be difficult. I have to try and walk as much as possible, and select healthy options while I am here.

Mother of the bride to be says:

• I am recording what I eat, and it is a great start for losing weight.

Week 2 in review

Hello, gym. It has been so long since we last spent time together. Oh look at how you have redecorated, and I like the energy you have going here. I guess I should get going.  It has been nice talking to you.

Does this remind you of a recent conversation between you and exercise? Are you like us that at one time you used to be intimately familiar with the gym, or an aerobic schedule, and now it seems like a long lost friend that you have just reconnected with on Facebook?  Well we did, and yet there stands that looming 52 week body makeover goal of ours.

I did the math, and apparently the calories I consume in a day do not just magically work themselves off my body by sheer will. So I dusted off the old gym bag, and packed it with my get moving clothes and headed to the gym. Oh but the best part is that the groom was with me.  We are on this journey together through sweat, and yea gross sweat – we are in love.

In the past we have both had gym memberships to Gold’s Gym here in Salt Lake City. We mostly enjoyed the spin classes and he played raquet ball during lunch breaks with friends. However, we recently adjusted our budget and found that we could join our community recreation center for a fraction of the price and still enjoy all the same classes and machines of our gym. Many communities are building really nice rec centers that may surprise you on what they offer at an affordable price.

We went the first week or so and just did machines with the usual rotation between cardio and weight lifting. After a few sore days we figured out two things:

1. It really hurts to move your body when it is used to sitting all day
2. It takes a lot of said movement to burn off one little bite size candy bar

To make it a bit more easy for us to get the most out of our time at the gym, we once again went to our good pal the iPhone and searched for a trainer application that would track our efforts and give us workouts that would get the most calories burned during our 1 hour session.  We have been using THI Personal Trainer. It has over 120 exercises it comes loaded with pre-made work outs and the ability to create your own custom workouts and exercises. Plus the logging, graphing and videos make this app a steal for 99 cents.

WOW, what a difference a small application can make in your workout. With just an exercise ball, dumb bell weights and a cardio workout we were really working out. Sweat dripping, and cardio moving activities burned more calories in our short 45 minutes than we had done all week on our own. Working with the WeightWatchers system we earned ACTIVITY points that we could exchange for a bonus glass of wine to celebrate.

I highly suggest some structured workout program that keeps you moving even when you are ready to be done. Something about being able to “complete” the workout is not only mentally satisfying but gets you closer to toned and sexy for the big wedding day.

The results are in, and we are reporting out.

Bride to be says:

• Weight loss this week was .5 lbs
• I have figured out how to have the 1-2 glasses of wine I enjoy with my dinner by working out for at least 30 minutes and then it all feels like a true ‘reward’ for my hard work.

Groom to be says:

• Weight loss this week 2 lbs
• I feel like my appetite is decreasing a bit and seems to be more manageable than when we first started

Mother of the bride to be says:

• I got on the recombinant bike this week, and it was a good introduction back into regular exercise for me.

Last week was a crazy week to start a diet, or lifestyle change with the schedule we had.  I, the bride-to-be, was launching a new product at my job and working a 16-hour shift some days (and nights) during the week. The groom-to-be was trying to taxi the children to all the weekly scheduled activities while working long hours at his job. The Mother of the bride-to-be was just re-assigned job duties at her work and dealing with additional responsibilities and schedules.

Busy? Indeed.  But we committed to getting healthy and so on Monday we received an announcement that WeightWatchers had launched a mobile application and was now available for the iPhone.

We are all iPhone owners and this seemed like the perfect solution for those of us on a busy schedule. You can easily add your food to the tracker and see the points you have consumed at the touch of a button. This is great!

The groom was able to sign up on the plan (you need the online plan to use the full application for tracking) and within 5 minutes he had set his target goal, got his recommended point allotment and was already using the calculator to find point values for his favorite meals. I had an existing online account with WeightWatchers so I was able to quickly download the free application, sign into my account and add my current information.  My Mother is a lifetime member and therefore receives the benefits of the WeightWatchers plan for free by attending local meetings.

By having the WeightWatchers application easily available on our phones we got instant feedback on our food choices and the results of our existing eating habits. Old math never fails; you must burn more calories then you consume. The simplicity in that formula seems to leave me when I see a treat on the counter, or need a quick fast food dinner while I am on the go.  However, my “chubby” body tells me that no matter how I try to re-think it, the simple truth is:

Nothing taste as good as thin (or healthy) feels

So we have the new WW application on our iPhone and off to Moab, Utah we go.  This weekend is approximately 1 year to the date we get married. So we traveled to our destination wedding location to reserve the ceremony and reception venues. We also stayed in the hotel we want to reserve for our wedding group.

Challenge: To stay within points during a weekend vacation.

Solution:

• Research resturants and menus PRIOR to eating out.
• Record everything you eat (easy to do with WW mobile app), even if it breaks your balance for the day
• Reflect on how to make better choices the next day, and do it.

The results are in, and we are reporting out.

Bride to be says:

• Weight loss this week was .5 lbs
• Energy was UP and I even climbed to Delicate Arch in Moab
• Overall I found that I consume A LOT more calories than I thought.  Recording everything that goes into my mouth was a real eye opener. I feel good that even though this was a crazy busy week for me and a vacation I still saw the scale inch downwards. LOVE the iPhone app, it makes it easy for me to follow the plan.

Groom to be says:

• Weight loss this week 4 lbs
• Overall more energy and I got a workout application on my iPhone for days at the gym
• Thoughts on this last week: Low point: 2 pop tars = 8 points
  High point: Groggs Big-Ass Cajun mushroom burger was worth every dripping lick of 20 points.

Mother of the bride to be says:

• The biggest ah-ha was: Write down points.  I just did thanks to this reminder.  I MUST exercise!  Gotta do that.  I need to have more of a menu plan.

Next: Week 2 in Review – A Wedding Workout

Photo credit: www.veer.com

Here is how it starts. You have said “I will” to a future wedding date, you have decided that you want to look your best and so you set in motion a plan to get in shape, lose a few pounds or do a body makeover by the time you say, “I do”. So have we!  Our wedding date is just a few days over a year away, and our wedding party wants to look our best for the big event. 

Follow us on this journey as we go from average people to wedding party that wows. We will post all the things we try, what works, what doesn’t and our progress each week.

The Wedding Party

• Bride-to-be: 32 yr. old working Mom with a 10 yr. old and busy life schedule. This is the first time of getting to wear the dress and look her best although not her first marriage.  Being older, metabolism isn’t what it use to be and really honestly never was. Always on the “thick” side but athletic and active. Now days, just finding an extra 30 minutes in her day to focus any energy on healthy lifestyle is a challange!
• Groom-to-be: 36 yr. old computer engineer Dad with a 9 yr. old and 8 yr. old. After spending the last year focused on his career it has taken a toll on what once was a regular visit to the gym to play racquet ball or mountain bike in Utah. He wants to build back up to his fitness level he once use to have and get back some muscles.
• Mother-of-the-Bride: An elegant lady who works full time and just recently was diagnosed with some health issues concerning her lungs. Even though her health has kept her down often over the last year, she still wants to find ways within her condition to exercise and eat healthy to tone up in time for the wedding.

The Plan

Healthy weight loss is 1-2 lbs per week. Everyone would like to lose at least 5% of their current body weight.  We will share our progress towards that goal each week with a weigh-in and measurements. We also want to tone and look a bit more sexy for the big event, so that requires some exercise. We will share with you our work-out schedule and accomplishments.  Lastly, the group will test the latest in technology and philosophy and give reviews of products we believe helps support getting us to the goal.

Join in the journey and leave comments on thoughts and any questions you have below. We will respond and give honest answers to the tough questions.

Next: Week 1 in Review – WeightWatchers Launches a Mobile Application

Explore Moab, Utah for your destination wedding