August 19, 2015

Wednesday weigh-in (and weight loss anniversary)

Today marks six years since I started losing weight. I cannot believe that it's been that long! I was trying to think of a good "anniversary" post, and when I read what I wrote last year, it still rings very true today. Last year at this time, I was really struggling with the weight I'd gained between March and August. I had stopped doing my Wednesday Weigh-in posts, because I got tired of seeing either a gain or the same weight I'd seen the week before. I wasn't getting anywhere as far as getting back down to goal, and posting the gain(s) week after week just felt sort of demoralizing.

I really like the post that I wrote last year about it. I had gotten a comment on my blog that made me feel kind of bad, and writing that post made me feel a million times better about what I've accomplished. Quitting the Wednesday Weigh-in posts was the right thing for me at the time. I've thought of starting them up again, but always chickened out. Until today.

Since I started counting calories a week ago, I thought it would be interesting to document how well it works for me--including the weight/body fat/waist measurement numbers. So, while I do this six-week calorie counting trial, I'll include my Wednesday Weigh-ins (good or bad). I hadn't done the body fat or waist measurements in a very long time, so I did those, too.

(Not a mole or melanoma on my toe... just an old ladybug tattoo)
My weight today was 155, which is down from 156 last week. Not a huge loss, but more than I was losing each week doing Weight Watchers, so I'll take it! (I wish I'd thought to take the body fat and waist measurements last week; but alas, I did not).

I am hoping to see these improve each week as I continue to count calories. Speaking of calorie counting, I've really liked the change from Weight Watchers! This week, my daily average calories consumed was 1,604. I'm going to stick with that number for another week, because I'm happy with the one pound loss on the scale.

I was using My Fitness Pal and SparkPeople apps this week, to see which I liked better. I can write a whole post about the differences, so I'll save that for later. But ultimately, I like SparkPeople for the social/motivation stuff, and and My Fitness Pal for the actual food logging. (I know some people have friend requested me on My Fitness Pal, but I haven't added any friends there--I'd like to keep my food log private, and since I don't use MFP socially, the food log is the only part I utilize).

I took Joey for a walk at the State Park today, and while we were walking, I thought about how it's been SIX YEARS since that fateful day I started losing weight. I realized that each year brings different successes and struggles, but if I compare where I am today versus where I was six years ago, I am in a MUCH better place. Here is a breakdown of the last six years (each year starting on Aug. 19):

Year 1: I counted every single bite of food that entered my mouth, and I was 100% on board with the weight loss. I lost weight every single week for 52 weeks in a row. I was extremely focused and felt like nothing could stop me!

Year 2: I broke my jaw, and spent a couple of months healing from that. I reached a low weight of 127.5 (thanks to the broken jaw; it was very short-lived). I ran my first half-marathon. I started researching skin removal surgery.

Year 3: I had a lower body lift, removing the excess skin around my midsection. I'm so so so grateful that I was able to have that surgery! I started marathon training, and my weight started to creep up. I ran my first marathon.

Year 4: My weight reached a post-weight-loss high of 156, and I joined Weight Watchers. I was very committed to the program and reached my goal weight of 133 in December 2012. I was really focused on my running, and got pretty fast. I ran a 10K in 49:23 and a half-marathon in 1:52:07. Maintained my weight for a year.

Year 5: Mark was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer, which was one of the hardest blows I've ever taken in my life. I spent the next four months visiting him several times a week and doing everything I could to make him happy before the cancer took his life. He died in March of 2014, and I took it very hard. I gained about 20 pounds really quickly, likely due to emotional eating. My running took a backseat, and I stopped racing hard (if I did a race, it was just for fun).

Year 6: The toughest year so far, in weight management. I got a stress fracture in December, and took about six months off of running (except for a couple of weeks in the middle, where I refractured it). Not running was really hard on me mentally. Running helps with depression and anxiety (as well as weight control), so I had to learn to make do without it--it was tough!

Going into Year 7: I've gotten to the point where I'm not as interested in racing as I used to be, and I'd like to use running for fitness. My injury has flared up again, so I will continue to look for other ways to stay active. I just started calorie counting (instead of Weight Watchers) to see if changing that up will help me to stay motivated in getting back to my goal weight. I've accepted that I'm far from goal, and while I think I look okay now, I'd still like to get back to where I felt my best. (I'm going to reflect back on this in a year, so it will be interesting to see how Year 7 plays out!)

I came across this photo of Noah and me at the Mall of America in probably 2006(?) and I found a recent picture to compare it to:


When we were at the MoA, I remember getting on a ride with Noah that had a lap bar that locked in place. My stomach was so big that I couldn't get it to lock. The girl operating the ride came around to check it, and I was too embarrassed to get off the ride, so I asked her to push it down really hard, and I prayed it would lock. It did (but barely). The comparison picture on bottom is Noah and me at Cedar Point a few weeks ago. I may not be at my thinnest now, but I fit very comfortably in the rides!

When I first made that decision to lose the weight, it was because I felt like a horrible mom. Noah wanted to learn how to ride his bike without training wheels, and I was too out of shape to run alongside his bike and help. In that sense, I am already at my goal--I am an active mom (even more active than my kids are, haha) and I know I don't have any real physical limitations due to my weight. The fact that I've maintained such a large weight loss for five years now is somewhat of a miracle ;)

When I started losing weight six years ago, I never imagined I would reach my goal one day, or that six years down the road I'd be maintaining such a large weight loss. I had attempted to lose weight so many times before, and nothing really felt "different" about this time. Comparing where I am today with where I was six years ago makes me feel proud of what I've accomplished, and hopeful that I can continue to look back each year with more accomplishments to add to the list!

36 comments:

  1. Congratulations, Katie! You're such an inspiration!

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  2. Might want to look into IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros) for weight loss and maintenance. There is a women's group on Facebook with LOTS of great info! You're doing a great job...keep up the good work!

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  3. Congratulations - you are such an inspiration to me as a fellow maintainer both in terms of your weight maintenance and how you approach your life. I'm sure the ups and downs of your maintenance have been a pain in the arse for you but it's inspirational for the rest of us to see how you deal with these things and how it's possible not to be necessarily at your 'ideal' weight and still be living a good and healthy life. K

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  4. Congrats Katie, the weight loss is definitely an inspiration, but your continued effort through all of your struggles is what is most impressive. Thanks so much for sharing this part of your world with us :)

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  5. Katie, you are obviously an awesome mom regardless of your weight. I am sure that your boys love to spend time with you on their bikes and hikes because it is such quality time. They are so lucky to have you healthy and happy! Thanks for continuing to blog--- we met at Ragnar OC two years ago and I am an avid reader😉

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  6. As always, you continue to serve as a constant source of inspirations--through all the ups and downs and everything in between. :-)

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  7. You look fantastic! And you're a huge inspiration!

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  8. Hi!

    Just FYI, you can keep your foodlog private from anyone, including your friends, on mpf. You can choose to share other things if you want (like the exercise you logged that day, or that you completed your diary), but you don have to.

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    1. Thanks for letting me know! I didn't realize that :)

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  9. This post made me smile! You have every right to be proud of your accomplishments--you've worked so hard. My kids are also one of the main reasons I exercise and try to maintain a healthy weight; I both want to be a good example for them, and I want to do everything I can to be strong and healthy as they grow up. You're an inspiration to so many!

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  10. I think you generally make things harder for yourself than they need to be. WW is a solid weight loss program that teaches which foods get you the most bang for your bucks. Looking at your IG you missed the point of WW by just adding up PP for Nutella, PB and other simple carbys. You must have been very hungry on WW.

    Why not challenge yourself to live a healthy lifestyle and provide yummy/nutritious meals to your family? You have the time to research recipes and find options that you actually like. It doesn't need to be all chicken breasts or lettuce.

    I think that would be more inspirational than the ups/downs while eating poorly. Like someone else mentioned - IIFYM would be another great way to ensure that you eat filling foods.

    I wish you all the luck in the world but I feel like you are jumping around from one plan to the next without really changing a single thing long-term.

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    1. Hi Katie,

      I've been following your blog since 2011! Consequently, I can attest that you've changed about a zillion things long-term, you frequently cook healthy meals for yourself and your family, and you do near-monthly personal challenges to eat more veggies, balance your diet, etc. I don't know what this commenter is talking about! I think you sometimes make the strategic decision to indulge sometimes to prevent yourself from bingeing later. It's easy to judge people from the outside. Unfortunately, there will always be people who do. :/ Thanks for always sharing your experiences honestly, good and bad!

      -Katie in TX

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    2. I've also followed for many years and tend to agree with Anonymous 1. I think Katie is great, and hate to see her struggle, but I agree that she must have been starving on WW with the food choices she made (Katie had an instagram and posted the food she ate). I know you said you don't want to make any changes you don't want to keep forever, and I get that, I do - but maybe it is time to reconsider just what might be worth changing forever? Cutting back on sugar, eating veggies on a regular basis, eating whole grain foods, maybe not having a sweet breakfast or dessert every day. That might be an ok thing to do AND it changes your tastebuds and cravings. It really does. For instance, never thought I could live without soda or would want to, but I gave it up 3 years ago. Recently, I accidentally took a sip of soda, and it was vile. I couldn't choke it down if I tried. I never thought that was possible. Taste does change when you change what you eat. Just something to consider! Best to you, Katie!!

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    3. I totally agree that my diet is far from perfect! But I was rarely hungry on Weight Watchers (thanks to "free" fruits and vegetables, there was no reason to feel hungry!). I enjoy the way I eat now, and I think my problem with my weight ups and downs has more to do with emotional eating than eating an imperfect diet. When I was at my goal weight for a year, I was eating the same way I do now, but I wasn't eating for emotional reasons. I'm working on the emotional stuff :)

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  11. My son is the reason I am down 70 pounds in the past year as well (as I shovel a scone into my mouth, lol). I still have about 30 - 40 to go, and MFP has really been the cornerstone to my success. Good luck, and be soo sooo soooo proud of where you are, you are an amazing example for your boys!

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  12. I love that you are embracing your journey; the ups and the downs. Thanks for always being real!

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    1. Kay, thanks so much for reading... I know you've been reading for a very long time!

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  13. Weight loss and the rest of life are a journey, and there are always going to be ups and downs. You should be so proud of yourself for losing so much weight and keeping most of it off. A lot of people aren't so successful. It's definitely some trial and error, and some things that work at one point aren't going to work at another. Wishing you the best of luck. And 1 lb down with calorie counting is a great start!

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  14. Congratulations! :) This is a major accomplishment. Reading your summary makes me wonder exactly how long I've been following your blog. I'd say not that long, but I remember lots of the things you commented on. And I know I read them in "real time" and not after the fact.

    I gotta say that before and after photo is great. Be happy! Let go of the # on the scale. I do get that you felt better at a lower number. So it's cool to strive for that again, but only if that's because you really felt better! Not because of the number.

    Now. . . as for that before photo - I gotta say cute little Noah steals the show. OMG! How freaking cute is he???? I could just squeeze him. WOW!

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  15. Katie, your honesty throughout this journey is refreshing and encouraging. You've been through a lot in the past six years and you still keep fighting to stay healthy. Good for you!

    Thanks for sharing your journey with us and for not giving up. Your perseverance inspires us to do the same.

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  16. Just in case you didn't already know this, MFP automatically defaults your food diary to be private. You can change it to be public if you so wish. Really, adding friends on My Fitness Pal is just strictly for support. I had the same way of thinking, I didn't add any friends on MFP for at least a year or more after joining in 2012. But I finally got over it when my sister friend requested me and I realized how awesome it is to have support! I've been doing so much better with the support of people on the same journey. Just some food for thought. I wish you the best of luck in your journey :)

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    1. Thanks, Mandi, I didn't know that! I assumed that adding friends would allow them to see my food log. I'll have to look into it more!

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  17. Katie, you've made drastic improvements in your health over these last 6 years.

    Your blog reminds us all that weight loss never ends, but is a lifelong pursuit of health.

    Best of luck in returning to being an injury free runner and managing a healthy weight. I share both of those goals with you and will continue to read for inspiration!

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  18. Congratulations, Katie. Your constant determination to regroup and refocus and try new ways to stay on track through thick and thin and life is so admirable and inspirational. Thanks for being so authentic and sharing both the highs and lows.

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  19. Not only is weight loss difficult, but maintaining it is just as hard or even harder. While I understand the point made above about not sticking with things long term, I also understand the struggle. Your ups and downs and struggles make you easy to identify with. We're human, and if you have weight issues, they never entirely go away. Thanks for sharing your struggles. I love the before and after pics on the rides. The difference is extreme, so even if you're up a few pounds from your lowest, you look like an entirely different person than the first photo. Great job.

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    1. I agree! Maintenance is very difficult, because life isn't linear; Mark's death, for example, really threw me for a loop and I handled it all wrong (emotional eating). But we live and learn :)

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  20. Here is my second try at this, lol, congrats Katie on your continued determination. I find it completely inspirational on my own journey. I think it's amazing that you've managed to keep the majority of the weight you lost off, that in itself deserves a big high five! Thank you for sharing your journey and congrats!

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  21. Congrats Katie on your persistent success! I know it doesn't always feel like the weight loss journey goes as planned, but just keep going.

    I completely identify with your journey. I lost all the weight I needed to but then gained some back in the past two years. I do a lot of emotional eating as well. Your blog helps me realize I'm not alone, and it's okay to not be perfect. Just keep going at it!

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  22. I think you are doing great!! Thanks for being so inspiring!!

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  23. How many people can say they are still successful at keeping off 100+ pounds after six years? Not many!! You ARE a success, and little bumps in the road can't change that. You're still focused even when setbacks occur. THAT is the sign of a true success story!!

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  24. Congrats on your anniversary - it's definitely something to be excited about! I think I started reading your blog right around your first ragnar race, and love reading your updates. I love reading about your different challenges and food ideas, and hearing that you struggle just like the rest of us. Here's to many more weight loss-iversaries!

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  25. hi Katie - long time reader/lurker, and I first want to say wow! (first comment, I feel like I need to acknowledge all you've done in the past few years). I'm in the process of losing weight, and I'm horribly nosy, so I love seeing what other people eat in a regular day. I was a follower of your food log Insta, and I was sad to see that it was gone today! Will you be restarting that? hope so!

    PS/I can't believe how big Noah has gotten!

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  26. Saw this and thought of you, in case you aren't a regular reader of the blog.

    http://www.shutupandrun.net/2011/09/injury-loves-company.html

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    1. Thanks so much!! I met Beth last year, and she is one of the nicest people I've ever talked to. That post describes me perfectly! ;)

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  27. I have been following your blog for a while now. since 2011/12 I just wanted to say that I am proud of you. I know that is weird coming from someone you have never met... �� but really I am so proud and still inspired even in the struggle. Thanks for sharing it all.

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  28. Wow! I use to read your blog right around the time you were getting the surgery to remove the excess skin. After reading all the updates I think you have a great perspective on everything.

    You are healthy!
    You are more active!
    You have maintained a huge weight loss.
    You are human and have to deal with injuries....and loss.

    Keep up the good work.
    I will be reading more often.

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I used to publish ALL comments (even the mean ones) but I recently chose not to publish those. I always welcome constructive comments/criticism, but there is no need for unnecessary rudeness/hate. But please--I love reading what you have to say! (This comment form is super finicky, so I apologize if you're unable to comment)

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