How to Shed 10 Pounds in 5 Weeks - Is it Possible?

Well, I lost another 2 lbs, but I seem to have gained them back after the hot dog I had before the baseball game on Sunday, lol! I'll have to watch what I eat for the next couple of days.

How are you doing?

Remember, I'm in training for the Komen 3-Day 60-miler coming up in November, to be immediately followed by the San Antonio Rock N Roll (I'm only doing the half marathon, though, because we'll still be in recovery from the 3-Day). I'm also doing the Human Race 10K on 8/31. Plus, I start coaching half marathon walkers for the AT&T Austin, in a few weeks (while I'll still be in training for the full marathon).

You really don't have to "compete" with all that, LOL! I've already decided to cut my 2009 schedule back after February. The hardest part is trying to balance the caloric requirements for training with trying to lose weight.

Veggie pasta sauces sound great! Shrimp cocktail, yum!

Good for you for joining the Y. Years ago, when I used to take aerobics classes there (they also had a race-walking coach who was amazing), they brought in a fellow to teach Salsa Aerobics. That was a blast! Have fun. :)

I'm off to a good start as well, as I've planned out our meals and my snacks for this week ahead of time, and I joined the YMCA so I can take a yoga class twice/week.

I have been snacking on really high-fat, high calorie treats, so I made a trail mix with dried cranberries, walnuts and chocolate chips (just a few!) :-) This will be a good start for me to still eat a chocolate-y snack, with some nutrition, and I've portioned it out for myself each day.

This weekend, we went to the zoo with my son and walked a gazilion miles (I've got to "compete" with Alysia somehow!) in the triple-digit heat. Also went swimming twice at his grandparent's house.

I joined our local "Y", as they have amazing "mommy and me" classes, as well as exercise classes for JUST me while my son is sleeping (and my husband is home). I've decided on trying yoga this week, as I did not want to rush back into exercise without testing my strength, flexibility and stamina first. (I really want to take their Latin dance fitness class...how fun does that sound!?).

So, my goals this week are taking a few yoga classes, cutting down on my portion sizes, keep eating the healthier-versions of foods (oh! I also made some vegetable purees this weekend, that I can "sneak" into pasta sauce to make it even healthier...this puree is carrots and sweet potato). Lastly, my goal is to cut WAY back on snacks throughout the day. We'll see how that last one goes...

Thanks!

Hope your daughter has a speedy recovery, Alysia.

And 15- and 12-mile walks?! That's phenomenal. We started back up on our eight-mile walks and we're pretty proud of that. We have a long way to go before we get to half-marathon levels. The good news is we're able to finish them up in about an hour and 45 minutes, so our speed is decent.

Here's a few dietary changes I've made so far...

Swapped out sugar for Stevia;

Using fat-free cream in coffee;

Skipped the shrimp scampi and had a shrimp cocktail instead last night;

Not a bad start ... But I think I heard someone say Cheetos.

I lost 4 lbs between Friday and Sunday, but how I did this is not the easiest, or likely the most permanent, way. I had a 15 mile walk on Saturday, followed by a 12 mile walk on Sunday. The mornings started out cool-ish, considering we're dealing with triple digit temperatures. But, 3 hours into each morning, temperatures and humidity started rising significantly, causing us to cut each walk by 3 miles (yep, we were scheduled for 18 and 15 miles respectively).

So, the weight loss was mostly in sweat. I gained back half the loss just in recovery eating, plus in the dessert at dinner with my family to meet my sister's new beau (Leonard Cohen's music director), lol!

Changes I've made so far for this challenge:

Losing the cheese and the top half of my sandwich made with artisan, organic, whole grain bread, lean smoked turkey.

Swapping mayo for grainy mustard (although the mayo is made with olive oil and wasabi, so not really so fatty).

Making an effort to cut back on Splenda as sweetener (using Stevia and Zero, instead, when possible).

Eliminating the 100-Calorie snacks that make me feel less guilty about having Cheetos, lol!

My exercise today was to take care of my daughter who had an outpatient surgical procedure this morning, and I'll be working from home all week. So, I'll actually be able to get in some extra walks.

Have you made some small changes, yet?

Start the Weight-Loss Challenge

If you need to clean out the pantry and fridge, now is a good time to do so. :)

My darling groom is home for his usual long weekend, so it's going to be a challenge working around what he likes to cook.

I have two long runs back-to-back this weekend: 18 & 15 miles. If I don't lose a couple of pounds after that, something's wrong, lol! The challenge will be in not gaining the weight back next week. <:o

Remember to either get out your journal or print off the one from the article for the Challenge.

Try to have healthy snacks while watching the beginning of the Olympics!

Yes, I need a boost in physical activity as well, but I'll mark my calendar for 8/11. Thanks!

This could not have come at a better time in my life! With all of my recent---and on-going---upper and lower respiratory conditions over the last 3 months, I have not only not been able to exercise, but now that I'm feeling better, I have lost all motivation to exercise, as I've seen some extra pounds slipping in. I was just about to email some of my mom friends to see if anyone would like to get together on a regular basis to workout...so this will be an added motivator.

I already do most of the tips from the original post, but after reading the more in-depth articles from above, "Week 3" looks like what I need to focus on: more physical activity throughout the day, as well as some dedicated time to walk. The other thing I will work on in the next 5 weeks is watching my snacking throughout the day and evening, which has been non-portioned amounts of carbs...lots and often...and not the whole-wheat versions, but rather the graham crust, pretzel, M&M, scone-kind!

Thanks! I'll be ready to go on Monday!
Alison

Does Monday 8/11 sound good? This allows us to start on the first day of the week and after we have had a chance to clear the junk out of the pantry and fridge.

Here's the Challenge: 5 Weeks, 10 Pounds to Lose
Your Baseline Diary - a downloadable portable diary
You Gotta Have a Plan
Week 1: Starting the Weight-Loss Challenge
Week 2: Change Course to Stay on Course
Week 3: Bump Up the Calorie Burn
Week 4: Stop From Slipping Up
Week 5: Lose More Long Term

I'll set alerts on my iCal on my Mac to remind me to get this going and prompt you to "check in" every Monday. :)

I'm game! Losing the sugar is going to be hard for me, especially when it comes to my (decaf) coffee. So my current weight is 12* and I'm 5 feet 3 inches tall. When shall we start? Any others in? (And hey, even if you don't lose the weight, you'll gain some great habits ...)