My Journey to Lose 20 Pounds – Week 2

Week 2 of my weight loss journey – primarily using calorie counting… trying to drop 20 pounds in around 4 months time.

Recap – my journey began 2 weeks ago at 206.2 pounds. My week 1 results was 205.2 pounds… trying to aim for 1200-1500 calories per day. Ideally, I would like 0 days over 1500, and would love an average closer to 1300-1400 calories.

I do need to get back into real workouts. I have tried to increase my activity, but due to some severe lower back pain, I just can’t bring myself to push too hard. I have been working on the back pain and have a GREAT solution, which seems to be helping. Once I feel sure of it’s effectiveness, that will get a post of it’s own.

This weeks weigh in:

203.2!!!! Yay! 2 pounds down in one week! If I could keep that up, I’d hit my 20 pound goal in no time. Reality check – that time of month started on the day of my previous weigh in – meaning I probably lost a little more the first week and a little less the second, as my weight always spikes anywhere up to 2 pounds right at that time of month. But still, this puts me 3 pounds to my goal… 17 more to go!

Gotta be real – and post the yuck photos… but hopefully they will be less “yuck” by the end. But I really need to get some ab work outs done. I just need to find some that don’t involve lying on the floor as that has been sheer torture on my back!

I only had one really bad day in the past week… and even then, 1887 calories is less than my normal non-dieting average. I am still eating whatever I want – just trying to keep portions down and limit too much snacking. I have found over several attempts that this works better for me than removing items completely. I don’t want to live in a world without potato chips and would love to get to a point where I can maintain a calorie restricted diet long term. If you remove all of your favorites, I have found this causes a lot of binge eating and cravings that cause additional over indulgence. It may work for you, or for a short term, large loss, but it’s not for me.

Goals for next week – I want to get at least 2 REAL workouts in. I know I’m capable… I need to get my heart pumping and drip with sweat. While I try to be active, playing with the kids, or going for walks, or casually swimming and doing water aerobics, I would be fooling myself to say that I am truly active or doing what my body desperately needs, so hopefully next weeks update will include some successful workout notes.

202-209 has been my bodies “happy place” for the past year or two. I cannot seem to get below 202, so I will be pushing extra hard the next 1-2 weeks to be able to see that number on the scale, but 200 will be my true inspiration. Only 3.2 pounds to go, and I know if I can see something below 200 it will inspire me to push harder.

In the past, week 4 of any diet is normally when I lose control and lose hope. Right now, I will focus on week 3, but can use all the encouragement you want to offer to help me pass that threshold.

If anyone else is on a weight loss journey, or wants to be, and would like a friend to do it with, shoot me some comments or reach out. I would love a partner in this quest for a better self.

If anyone wants to contribute to the elliptical machine I desperately want, but cannot afford, feel free to send donations to [email protected] on Paypal or Venmo – @Caroline-Miller-12296 (Can’t blame me for trying, right????)

Stay tuned for week 3 results and onward!