Week 1 Weigh In

Day 8 - Week 1 Weigh in.  Day 1 of Week 2.  Monday morning.

Ahh, sipping my first glass of green tea (which I drink as an iced tea) sweetened with stevia.  For those of you who might not know... stevia (brand name truvia sometimes) is an all natural, zero calorie sweetener.  There are no chemicals, nothing artificial.  A very healthy option.  Also, green tea has been scientifically tested and found to aid in weight loss.  Win win.

I drink water when I wake up and throughout my morning workout.  I am trying to get in at least 16 ounces before breakfast to help hydrate my system.  I know that drinking water first thing in the morning has many benefits, but frankly, I don't love water.  Waking up and just drinking water would be intolerable.  However, drinking a few sips of water before my workout and giant gulps during is much easier.

Then after my workout (today I was back at my arms and abs video), I eat my breakfast.  As pictured above, today I kept it simple, shredded wheat with strawberries and unsweetened vanilla almond milk, cherry Greek yogurt and my 4 oz of sunshine in a glass.  I didn't curse at Tamilee as much this morning, as I can feel my arms and abs getting stronger.  However, I was convinced there were only three each of arms and then abs and was surprised that I somehow mentally blocked out the fourth rounds of each from memory.  But I persevered.

I did begin to sweat immediately when I hit the yoga mat for the first round of ab movements today.  I only mention this because I always thought that aerobic exercise made you sweat, not so much the weights.  Holy cow was I wrong.  In fact, the more I work with the weights and the resistance bands the more my body gets hot regardless of what activity I am doing. 

I imagine that is my metabolism burning calories, as I am building muscles.  This may or may not be true, but I don't care.  The visual image and the connection I am making mentally between the sweating and the burning pushes me forward just a bit further.  When I feel my muscles in my arms, abs or wherever (depending on the exercise) start to burn and then fatigue, I feel proud.  I know the sense of relaxation in those muscles that will follow will be very well-earned.

As I sit at my messy desk this morning, sipping my iced tea after my shower, I am not overwhelmed like I may have been in the past.  There are piles of partially completed tasks in loose piles that I know will be the equivalent of hours worth of work, but everything feels so much easier after accomplishing my weight workout this morning.

Ok, so let's get to it.  The moment we have all been waiting for.  Drum roll please....

That's right baby!  I lost 4.8 pounds my first week.  No weighing, no measuring, no counting.  No deprivation, no starving.  I am truly shocked!  I was so nervous stepping on that scale this morning.  But there you have it.  Week 1 was a great success.  I don't expect to lose that much each week, but I will be very happy to lose steadily over the summer of my Mediterranean diet. 

Until next time...  Be well!
~Tracy
   

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