So, I’ve actually been losing weight. People are beginning to notice — not to brag but I’m up to about 25 lbs. They are asking me how I did it. Honestly, the answer is that I eat a little bit less, and exercise a little bit more! Seriously, I use calorieking, and track each morsel of food. I also do aerobics/weight dvds about 5-6 days a week for about 75 minutes a day (and yes, I do them in the morning before I go to work. It’s not easy, as I’m NOT a morning person, but it helps me think during the day).

Leslie Sansone Walk at Home: This one is my favorite for low impact. I have knees that are really touchy, and there are times when I can’t jump around. I find her very easy to modify, and still very effective. My absolute favorite is the Fast and Firm 4 Really Big Miles…but I just checked out her website, and there are some really interesting 5 mile walks. I “adjust” the 4 mile walk by doing Mile 1, 2, 3, 2, and then the first 5 minutes of Mile 1 again as a cool down. According to my heart rate monitor, that is about 400 calories or so.

The Firm: I’m all about the weights and circuit training, and these ladies deliver! I’m using the series before the Wave that uses light hand weights — I’m up to 5 lbs, and I can promise you a challenge each time you do these tapes. Currently I’m doing the TransFIRMation system.

Jillian Michaels Shred Away the Pounds: this one is rough, but oh-so-very effective!. I do Jillian before I do either Leslie Sansone or the Firm. Talk about a challenge!

Most importantly, I have created an Excel spreadsheet. This spreadsheet has two tabs: One for data entry, and one for the results in a graphical format.  Geeky, I know, but oh so important. I have one graph that shows the relationship between my weight and the calories I’ve eaten the day before. It’s a given, if I have over 1300 calories one day, the next day I’ve gained weight, regardless of the amount/type of exercise I do. Therefore, my answer is simple. I just need to control my calories below 1300, which is where calorieking comes in.

I have graphs that show total weight loss year-to-date (YTD), and some that show month-to-date (MTD). I have some that show planned vs. actual, and one most of them I have a trendline. It helps when I hit a plateau, to see that I have actually broken through the plateau in the past, and that I can do it again. Let me show you:

Oh yeah, I’m a goal-oriented person. I’ve learned that I need attainable short-term goals in order to do my best work. Therefore, each week I set a goal of 1 lb. of weight loss. 1 pound a week. That’s it. Some weeks I lose more than one pound, and it is “saved” in my weight loss bank. Those weeks offset the weeks where I’ve hit a plateau. Since March, my average weight loss is very close to 1 lb. a week. The trick is not to think long-term. Most everyone can do 1 lb a week…it’s only ounces a day! And if you aren’t focused on a HUGE number like 15 lbs total, you’ll be amazed at how quickly the weight comes off.  Try it!

So, I can lose weight. I’ve proven to myself that I can do it. The trick is finding things that work for you. I use dvds, Excel, and calorieking, and really achievable (for me) goals. The trick is to find something that works for you, and update it as needed. Try it…it’s fun!