Week three of Curves Complete! This week was a little different for me. I had a major upset mid-week and we also went away to a cabin in the woods for 3 nights at the end of the week. I came into my weigh-in this morning not really knowing what to expect.
Weight at the end of week 2: 158
Weight at the end of week 3: 157.5
Only a half pound loss this week. I won’t lie: I stepped off the scale muttering “Well, that sucks.” I was slightly upset for a moment. It’s funny how easily that happens, isn’t it? Even though I know better than to react that way – from my own personal experiences AND from what I was taught in my certification program from the Cleveland Clinic. I know that 1-2 pounds is a good loss for a week, I know that weight fluctuates like crazy on a daily basis, I know that inches matter more than the number on the scale…yet I STILL find it discouraging when I don’t see that number go down like I had hoped. The difference in the old me and the “new me” is I don’t FOCUS on it. I went on with my workout and my day and I’ll be going back to work very pleased to share my results with the other ladies. I’m going to share some pics from the past week.
These Healthy Choice Baked entrees are on the plan and they taste great compared to a lot of the other frozen meals! I needed a lot of convenience this week so I turned to foods like these.
Exploring the trails was good exercise, but the weather was only nice enough for us to do this on one of our days at the state park.
Cheating! Campfire foods: popcorn, s’mores, 98% fat free turkey dogs, and a beer. I couldn’t help myself.
The cheat was so worth it. Having the family gathered around the fire, indulging in some good food, having some nice conversation…that’s just essential to a good camping trip!
My boyfriend cheated more than I did. Full fat hot dogs, a burger, AND two more beers. Yep, I’m telling on him. Hahah. I made him promise me an hour workout session on Sunday when we got home!
It is really awesome when we get to work out together. Even though he looks way better than I do after a workout!
Flexing my baby muscles! Flabby arms are on their way out!!
NOW, let’s get back to examining my 3rd week on this program.
The coaching is really a key aspect of the Curves Complete program. If you do the exercise like you should, it will work. If you eat what they tell you to eat, you will lose weight. This you know. It’s just not easy to make yourself DO what you KNOW you need to do. It’s also not so clear cut and dried. Your life and your body are constantly changing and sometimes you need to tweak things to continue seeing results. The accountability factor of having a coach is great but I believe the single most important thing we bring to the table is our knowledge. It’s only natural for me to pick apart my own experience and say “why did I have such a change in my results in week 3?” because this is what I will be doing for my clients.
There are several things to be considered. I ate more convenience foods AND had some junk foods: all of which tend to be higher sodium and will make me retain water weight. It’s possible that my weight will be less than it is now after a few days of lower sodium intake. It’s also possible that my first two weeks were just kick starting my body back into gear and my weight loss rate has now just generally slowed to a normal healthy pace. I shouldn’t expect to lose 3 pounds every week at my weight. The less you have to lose, the slower it will go. I have also skipped snacks on occasion and eaten a few things that weren’t very good substitutions. I also didn’t have ANY of my protein shakes since I broke my blender (don’t even get me started!) and they were pretty much a daily thing for me in the first two weeks.To some people these little things may not make a difference but at this stage in the game I know I have to be very strict on myself to get my personal best results. I need to eat on a timed schedule and eat as clean as possible! These are the little things that we need to be aware of and hold ourselves accountable for.
Looking back it was really a GREAT week for me. I may have only seen half a pound move from the scale but I saw so much progress elsewhere. My targets on Curves Smart increased. I had a workout where I got all green and burned almost 500 calories! That’s a personal best for me on Curves Smart. My “skinny jeans” fit me fresh out of the dryer now. They used to shrink up and have me wriggling my behind back into them! I also ran my first (and second AND third!!) 10 minute mile. That’s a goal I have been chasing for a while now and it’s proof that what I’m doing is working. I overcame an extremely emotional night (when I was so angry/sad Wednesday) in a healthy way and that was a huge personal victory for me.
All of these things are indicative of my success. I need to stop and appreciate them. I can’t stress to you how beneficial it is. Take a few moments to dissect your day or your week and you might find during your “bad” week you had a lot more success than you give yourself credit for! Take it one step at a time but keep your eye on the prize. There is always something to smile about along the way!
Nice job. Always great to hear positive stories. You don’t need a blender for protein shakes…sometimes its nice to chew on gritty clumps of powder.
Thanks! I try to stay positive because I’ve learned that it will take me farther than the negativity that comes so naturally to me. I am so picky about my protein shakes it’s not even funny! Got a new blender now so no more chalky lumps for me!