P90X - Week 13 - Sunday - FINAL MEASUREMENTS

So here is the moment of truth. The day I've been dreading since the halfway point of the program when most of my measurements were up. Today, I am comparing only my before and after measurements.

Neck: -0.25 inches
Bust: -1.25 inches
Rib/Bra band: -1.5 inches
Waist (across the belly button): +1 inch
Lower abdomen (where all my fat is): +0.5 inches
Hips: +0.5 inches
Thighs: (right) no change (left) +0.25 inches
Calves: (right & left) -0.25 inches
Biceps (flexed): no change
Triceps: (right) +0.25 inches (left) -0.25 inches
Forearms: (right) no change (left) -0.25 inches
Wrists: (right) no change (left) -0.25 inches
Weight: no change
BMI: no change

Remember back before I started, the post I made about body fat measurements? I did the same thing this time around and got various measurements. On the web sites that rely on tape measure data, the body fat percentages were higher - 24% and 26%. The average of those is 25%, which is what I get using my 1-site test with the Accu-Measure calipers. The 3-point and 7-point tests from rustyiron.net gave me a body fat of 19%. I wish I'd kept my caliper measurements from my start date because then, my body fat was around 31%! I am for sure keeping this set of measurements to compare. The other two spreadsheets I used to calculate body fat gave me 24% and 32% today. I honestly don't know what to call it. Last time, I just averaged everything. The average of my start date body fat was 29%. Today's average is 24.3%.

I think the problem is how my husband measures with the calipers. When I do them, I get bigger numbers, closer to what the other methods are giving me. I think he's measuring wrong, not pinching enough. I really, really need to have a professional show him how to use these things. However...the measurements were done the same way both times. I did my tape measure stuff and my husband did the calipers. So I think it's fair to say there is a downward trend, at the very least, which is what we want.

Oh, the U.S. Navy Circumference Method (which also uses the tape measure) gives me a body fat percentage of 32. I did not use that in my start date set, so I didn't include it in the average above.

The latest set of pictures is available, at the end of the page. There are the before pictures, the half-way pictures, and the after pictures. I don't see much difference. I don't feel much difference. But I think the good stuff was in my Fit Test, and I can live with that. I have to get my diet under control. The exercise program doesn't matter. It's the food.

P90X - Week 7 - Wednesday

I woke up at 4 freaking AM and couldn't get back to sleep. I sure as hell wasn't getting up at that time to exercise, so I snuggled under the blankets until 4:45. Then I got up and did my warm up for Back & Biceps, did ARX, then proceeded with the weights. I improved in most areas. My chin ups went from 1 unassisted and 11 assisted last week to 3 unassisted and 6 assisted today. I'm not sure if that's improvement or not. Oh, and my towel pull ups sucked because toward the end, my chair slipped off the mat (that keeps it from sliding - go figure) and I couldn't get as many as I wanted in. Anyway, I earned 2 Activity Points from Back & Biceps, and 2 more from Cardio X (208 calories burned). I would really rather do a different cardio on my Doubles days. I get a better burn from Turbo Jam.

At the halfway point, I've lost 0 pounds. That's fine, I didn't expect to. I did my measurements and lost 3/4 of an inch around my chest. Everything else, including body fat, either stayed the same or went up. I gained 1 3/4 inches around my waist AND my abdomen, and 1 1/2 inches around my hips. I don't know what to think. My eating has not been so horrible to warrant such a gain. Most days, I eat pretty well, and I know my body well enough to know that the days I didn't eat so great, shouldn't have had this much of a gain in inches. I'm pretty pissed and upset. On the one hand, I know I need to be patient and see where things stand at the end. I know my food choices could be better, but I am freaking starving all the time and I really don't think I'm eating enough - I think that's why I end up grabbing crap on occasion. I don't know what to do. I can't go back to obsessing about calories, so I do plan to stick with the WW points. This is where I desperately try to fight the urge to cut calories. I am absolutely NOT going to eat less. I'm barely functioning as it is.

I know I can't have it all. I can't enjoy treats and really expect to lose weight. But at the same time, I can't cut them out, eat super clean, then binge. I just can't. I have to make a sacrifice somewhere. I just don't know what I want to give up. I don't have a lot to lose - I am in my healthy weight range. My fitness level is pretty darn good. I'm certainly no athlete but I have made some very good progress across the board, and I'm happy about that. But some visual results would be nice. "They" say that most of the progress comes in the second half, especially for women. We'll see. Days like this, though, they make me want to throw away all my hard work.

The only explanation I can think of that is even remotely possible is that, since I'm doing real ab/core work for the first time (ever), I may have built up some muscle underneath all the fat, none of which has burned off. Still, the numbers are pretty high and I wouldn't have built that much muscle. And 45 days into the routine, my muscles shouldn't still be retaining lots of water to make them all puffy like they do when you first start. I don't know. I am very confident in my measurements. Ugh, this is just so frustrating.

I did take pictures, and I'll have them online some time tomorrow. I'll post the link with tomorrow's blog entry. I'm too tired to fight my crappy computer to get them ready.

I will say that I am super proud of myself for going to the store with every intention of buying junk food, then not buying it.

apple & cottage cheese [3 pts]

omelet w/ onion, green pepper & salsa; light English muffin w/ jelly [5 pts]

venison tenderloin w/ raw broccoli & cauliflower, baby carrots & green pepper slices [4 pts]

yogurt [2 pts]

baked tilapia on homemade bread w/ romaine lettuce, tomato & pepper jack cheese [8 pts]; Even after eating this, I'm still very hungry. I can't possibly stuff more vegetables down my throat. I'm still gagging over lunch's veggies. I'm already over my daily points, and I estimate that I may have hit 1300 calories - and that's being generous. No way in hell is that enough. No way.

almonds & mandarin oranges [5 pts]; I felt a little better after eating these.

strawberry mini wheats & mozzarella string cheese [5 pts]

Four cups of coffee [1 pt] and 80 ounces of water.

33 points today. 17 weekly and 12 activity points remaining.

New Year's Stats

Today was measurement day. I'm not going to compare it to the last set of numbers from September 8, because I'm too lazy. Plus, I am never comfortable with the accuracy.


Neck         14
Bust         40
Rib Circ     37  
Waist        37 
Belly        41.25 
Hips         39.75  
Thighs
     R         23.75 
     L         23.75
Calves
     R         14.25 
     L          14.5
Biceps (flexed)
     R        12 
     L         12.25
Triceps
     R          13.25
     L          13.5
Forearms
     R          10.5
     L          10.25
Wrists
     R          5.75
     L          5.75
Weight       154.5
Body Fat    37%
LBM           97.3
BMI           28.2

NROL - Week 16 - Sunday

Turbo Jam Cardio Party Mix 2 today. It was so much fun. I love Turbo Jam. I'm glad I've found some cardio I can really enjoy.

I got P90X from a friend. I'm going to review that today, to see if it's something I want to do after I finish NROL this summer. A lot will depend on how much progress I've made with my weight loss and ability to do chin ups. Oh, and having somewhere to actually do chin ups. I've been looking at one of those doorway dealies.

Today was measurement day. Compared to the last set, taken on September 8, 2008, in inches:

**********THEN-------------------------NOW**********

Neck            14.25-------------------------13.75
Bust            41-------------------------40
Rib Circ        37-------------------------35
Waist          37.75-------------------------36.25
Belly            42.25-------------------------40.75
Hips            40-------------------------38.75
Thighs
     R           23.5-------------------------23.25
     L           23.5-------------------------23.5
Calves
     R           14.5-------------------------14.5
     L           14.5-------------------------14.5
Biceps (flexed)
     R          12.25-------------------------12

     L          12.5-------------------------12
Triceps
     R          13.5-------------------------13

     L          13.5-------------------------13
Forearms
     R          10.2.5-------------------------10.25

     L          10.2-------------------------10.25
Wrists
     R          5.75-------------------------6

     L          6-------------------------6
Weight       152-------------------------148.5
Body Fat    37%-------------------------35%
LBM           95.8-------------------------96.5 (looks like I gained muscle????)
BMI           27.8-------------------------27.1

I don't know how much I trust these numbers (except the weight) because it's so hard to take my own measurements. But overall, I'm pleased.

9:20 AM - orange & cottage cheese, cheddar cheese

10:15 AM - coffee w/ cream & Splenda

11:45 AM - turkey bacon, toast, scrambled eggs w/ onion, green pepper, cheddar cheese, taco sauce

3:10 PM - chicken breast w/ broccoli, cauliflower & carrots

5:00 PM - tea w/ skim milk & Splenda

9:00 PM - carrots & celery, tuna w/ mayo on tortilla

Calories - 1444
Carbs - 106 (24 fiber)
Protein - 134
Fat - 53
C/P/F Ratio - 29.5/37.4/33.1

NROL - Week 6 - Monday

Back on the exercise wagon today. It was nice to have a week off, but really, it made me all funky. Today, I did the Turbo Jam 20 Minute Workout and it felt great! I followed that up with my first ever complete Tabata!! I did a Turbo Jam move and by Round 6, I wanted to puke my guts out. By the end of Round 8, I felt pretty freaking good! I was proud of myself for actually doing it, and I am going to aim for twice a week. I was really running out of steam though, because I didn't eat breakfast before working out. The only bad thing is, I've had a headache ever since, and I don't know if it's related to the workout or not because I've had a headache pretty much since my son started school almost two weeks ago.

Continuing the avoidance theme from yesterday, I pulled up the spreadsheet I keep my measurements in. I haven't taken any since March 31 of this year. Here and now, I make a commitment to stop avoiding measurements, and take them between each NROL program. Since I just came off the Break In and start Fat Loss I this week, I sucked it up, and it isn't pretty.

Neck: 14.25 inches (+0.5)
Bust: 41 inches (+0.5)
Rib Circumference: 37 inches (+1.5)
Waist: 37.75 inches (+1.25)
Belly: 42.25 inches (+2.75) [motherfrakker]
Hips: 40 inches (+1)
Thighs: R=23.5 inches (+1) L=23.5 inches (+0.75)
Calves: R=14.5 inches (+0.5) L=14.5 inches (+0.5)
Biceps [flexed]: R=12.25 inches (+0.25) L=12.5 inches (+0.5)
Triceps: R=13.5 inches (+0.5) L=13.5 inches (+0.25)
Forearms: R=10.25 inches (no change) L=10.25 inches (+0.25)
Wrists: R=5.75 inches (no change) L=6 inches (+0.25)
Weight: 152 pounds (+7.5)
Body Fat: 37% (+4) [of course, I'm using a Tanita scale and probably not consistent conditions from the last measurement]
Lean Body Mass: 95.8 pounds (-1.2) [negative is not a good thing in this case]
BMI: 27.8 (+1.3)

So, as you can see, spring and summer were not good to me. I am really pissed right now, at myself, for falling into bad habits. Whether this will serve as motivation or trigger a binge is uncertain at this point. I certainly feel motivated to turn this anger into something good.

And while I'm good and pissy, can I get a rant in here? I often read of people complaining that after a week or two of exercising, they have gained a few pounds, and people chime in with,"Oh you're just gaining muscle!"

NO YOU ARE NOT!!!!!!!!!! It's most likely water retention from the exercise or normal weight fluctuations. Yes, newbies to WEIGHT LIFTING can gain muscle but not that much in that short a period of time, and certainly not from lifting the pink 3 pound dumbbells in a quest to "tone" up! Of course, you can't tell them that! It's great that they are exercising, yes, but muscle gain does not happen over night, especially if you're not loading those muscles up well!

9:30 AM - apple & cottage cheese, coffee w/ cream & Splenda; eaten in kitchen

12:00 PM - chicken breast, avocado, onion & cheese on low carb/fat tortilla; eaten at dining table while reading a book; very filling meal

4:50 PM - yogurt; eaten at desk; I was getting hungry and still hadn't decided what to have for dinner; I really wanted to eat my son's double cinnamon French toast sticks

5:50 PM - sweet potato muffin; I was just shocked how good these turned out; I was hoping they'd taste like crap so I wouldn't want more, but that was not to be; I did manage to limit it to 1 muffin; I think they will go great in the mornings with a protein shake

I didn't get to eat dinner. My son was a pain in the butt to put to sleep and my husband couldn't be bothered to help me. Asshole. Now I'm going to be angry and resentful until morning.

Calories - 1159
Carbs - 104 (15 fiber)
Protein - 89
Fat - 45
C/P/F Ratio - 35.3/30.3/34.4

Pre-BGB Stats

From Monday, March 31:

Neck - 13.75
Chest - 40.5
Rib Circumference - 35.5
Waist - 36.5
Belly - 39.5
Hips - 39
Thighs - 22.5 (R), 22.75 (L)
Calves - 14.25 (R&L)
Biceps (flexed) - 12 (R), 12 (L)
Triceps (gotta measure those batwings!!) - 13 (R), 13.25 (L)
Forearm - 10.25 (R), 10 (L)
Wrists - 5.75 (R&L)
Weight - 144.5 lbs
Body Fat (from Tanita scale) - 33%
Lean Body Mass - 97 lbs
BMI - 26.5

I did take pictures, but as usual, they aren't pretty. And some of my measurements are up from my early March set. I really need a more accurate method. Or at least consistent. I can't do it very well by myself.

Oh look - updated stats!!!

I haven't taken measurements or pictures since November 26, 2007. I did both this weekend!

Neck - 13.5 (1 inch lost)
Bust - 39.5 (2 inches lost)
Rib Circumference - 35.5 (0.75 inch lost)
Waist - 36 (2 inches lost)
Belly - 40.5 (2.25 inches lost)
Hips - 38.25 (1.5 inches lost)
Thighs - 22.25 R&L (1.5 inches lost)
Calves - 14.25 R&L (0.75 inch lost)
Biceps (flexed) - 11.75 R&L (0.25 inch lost R, 0.5 inch lost L)
Triceps - 13 R&L (1 inch lost)
Forearms - 10 R&L (0.5 inch lost)
Wrists - 5.75 R, 6 L (0.25 inch lost)
Body Fat - 35% , probably inaccurate, using a Tanita scale (2% lost)
Lean Body Mass - 95 pounds
BMI - 26.8 (down 2.1)
Weight - 146 (12.5 pounds lost)

I do have the pics, but I haven't looked at them yet. I'm not sure I'd post them anyway. I'm still a tub and don't look like I've lost a damn thing.

My biggest improvements have been in the weight lifting. Since January 21:

goblet squats from 15 pounds to 32.5 pounds
Romanian dead lifts from 27 pounds to 68 pounds
lat pull down from 20 pounds to 68 pounds
Arnold presses from 10 pounds to 25 pounds
one arm dumbbell rows from 15 pounds to 30 pounds
low incline dumbbell presses from 10 pounds to 25 pounds

Challenge 2 Day 21

I was really disappointed to see no loss on the scale this morning. I though I had a fantastic week, too. Oh well. I beat myself up and ate a piece of pizza. I should be able to stay within acceptable ranges though. I know I won't hit maintenance levels, so there's that!

I tried a new whole wheat pumpkin muffin today. It wasn't sweet enough. I like the carrot pumpkin muffins I made last week better. It's just a pain shredding the carrots.

cottage cheese
hard boiled egg
coffee w/ cream

pizza

carrots

cauliflower
kielbasa

yogurt
pumpkin muffin

"Big Mac" salad (just everything that's on a Big Mac, except for the bun - and I used ground chicken!)

Calories - 1745
Carbs - 116 (13)
Protein - 109
Fat -97
C/P/F Ratio - 26.2/24.5/49.3

Challenge 2 Before Stats

For the record, I'm 5'1.75" and weighed in yesterday at 158.5 pounds, but was down to 156 today. All measurements are in inches.

Neck - 14.5
Bust - 41.5
Rib Circumference - 36.25
Waist - 38
Belly - 42.75
Hips - 39.75
Thighs - 23.75 (R&L)
Calves - 15 (R&L)
Biceps (flexed) - 12 (R) 12.25 (L)
Triceps - 14 (R&L)
Forearms - 10.5 (R&L)
Wrists - 6 (R) 6.25 (L)
Body Fat - 37% (probably inaccurate, using a Tanita scale)
Lean Body Mass - 101 pounds
BMI - 28.9

After Stats

I really think I messed up my initial measurements, and probably some along the way. Next time, I'll have my husband do the measuring, twice each time we do it.

Neck - 14.5 -------------- 14
Bust - 43.25 -------------- 42.5
Rib Circ - 36.5 -------------- 36
Waist - 39.25 -------------- 37.5
Belly - 43.75 -------------- 41.25
Hips - 43 -------------- 39.25
Thighs - (R) 24 -------------- 23.75 (L) 23.75 -------------- 23.5
Calves - (R) 14.75 -------------- 14.5 (L) 14.75 -------------- 14.5
(Flexed) Biceps - (R) 12.5 -------------- 12 (L) 12.75 -------------- 12.5
Batwings - (R) 14 -------------- 13.5 (L) 14 -------------- 14
Forearms - (R) 11 -------------- 10.5 (L) 11 -------------- 10.25
Wrists - (R) 6.25 -------------- 6 (L) 6.25 -------------- 6.25
Weight - 165.5 lbs -------------- 154.5 lbs
Body Fat - 39% -------------- 36%
Lean Body Mass - 101 lbs -------------- 98.9 (Yikes! A loss of LBM )
BMI - 30.2 -------------- 28.1

Week 8 was good to me!

I lost everything I gained a couple weeks ago, plus 1.5 more! I did measure, and I'm down in most areas. Since Week 4, I've lost:

Weight - 4 pounds
Neck - 0.5 inches
Chest - 1 inch
Rib Circumference - 1 inch (but since I was up 1 inch last time...)
Waist - 1.5 inches
Belly - 1.75 inces
Hips - 2 inches
Thighs - 0 inches (R), gained 0.5 inches (L)
Calves - 0 inches (R), 0.5 inches (L)
Biceps (flexed) - 0.25 inches(R), 0.25 inches (L)
Triceps (gotta measure those batwings!!) - 0 inches (R), 0.25 inches (L)
Forearm - 0 inches (R), 0.25 inches (L)
Wrists - 0.25 inches (R), gained 0.25 inches (L)



I reread Tom Venuto's Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle and I have decided that I'm definitely not doing another BFL challenge. I'm going back to BFFM because it's more flexible, but since the programs are very similar, I'll still be eating things from Eating For Life. I'm also going to take a different strength training approach (fewer reps, heavier weights) and do true high intensity interval training. I'm really looking forward to it, and I'll still do things in 12-week blocks. Nothing will change here, as far as blogging.

Week 5

Week 5 was good to me. I lost 2.5 pounds, so I'm down a total of 8 pounds for this challenge, 35.5 for the year. I was a good girl and stayed off the scale all week. In fact, I barely thought about the scale. Around Saturday, I noticed that I look smaller and my clothes fit looser. In fact, I threw away all my fat girl underwear and started wearing my chubby chick underwear!! I also tried on some size 12 pants and they fit on the hips. They also button in the front, and while it's not completely comfortable, they are wearable!! Not that I have anywhere to go in nice khaki pants...

Free day was ok. I had real pancakes for breakfast and some decent foods the rest of the day. We walked on the beach for a while and bought the kids ice cream. I did not have any, go me!! I made a great spaghetti dinner then blew it on dessert. I didn't binge, but I had quite a few chocolate and peanut butter cookies. I insisted that my husband take them with him to work today, so all is back to normal.

One thing I am noticing - I have more confidence. While I'm certainly not slim and fit yet, I feel fantastic and almost sexy. I'll take almost for now!

Week 4 & Stats

Though I had planned on measuring at the end of Week 4, I was really unmotivated to do so and almost pushed it to the end of Week 6. At the last minute, I changed my mind. For the most part, there are losses.

Weight - 8 pounds
Neck - 0 inches
Chest - 1.75 inches
Rib Circumference - I actually gained an inch here, so I must have messed up my first measurement somehow.
Waist - 0.5 inches
Belly - 0.25 inces
Hips - 2 inches
Thighs - 0.5 inches (R), 1 inch (L)
Calves - gained 0.25 (R), 0 inches (L)
Biceps (flexed) - 0 inches(R), 0.5 inches (L)
Triceps (gotta measure those batwings!!) - 0.5 inches (R&L)
Forearm - 0.25 inches (R), 0.5 inches (L)
Wrists - 0 inches (R), 0.25 inches (L)

I'm not sure how I feel about my progress. On the one hand, I'm disappointed that it's not more. On the other hand, I know that 1-2 pounds per week is what is considered healthy loss. So, I'm right there in the healthy loss category. I think some of my frustration goes back to when I was (improperly) low carbing and I'd have bigger losses each week. I was a scale-a-holic, weighing in daily, severely restricting calories if I showed any gains. I don't do that anymore, and I should be proud of my progress thus far.

I didn't do it last week (or the week before, I think) but I meant to review my goals at the end of each week.

1. Strive for consistency, not perfection! So far, I've definitely not been perfect! I think I have been fairly consistent. There were a few days when I couldn't eat on schedule, and a couple where I ate things that aren't quite BFL friendly, but no apparent harm came of it.

2. Make BFL a part of my life. Body For Life is certainly providing a foundation for whatever is next. Whether I'll do another challenge remains to be seen. I am positive, at this point, that I won't start my second challenge until January 2008. During the 5 or 6 weeks between this challenge and the new year, I'm going to try a different approach. If I don't like it, I will go back to BFL.

3. Weigh no more than once a week. Er, yeah. Week 3 was bad for this. I was on the scale every day. However, during Week 4, I only weighed on my weigh in day. I like it that way.

4. Learn to like oatmeal. I have not started this yet. I will.

5. Make exciting meals. It's not boring, usually. I ordered Eating For Life and I'm dying for it to get here.

Free day was very free. I didn't gorge on anything, but I did have things I haven't had in a while. I didn't track or measure anything, and it felt good. I ate when I was hungry and that was it.

Week 3

Week 3 was a mixed bag. I was horrible about staying off the scale. I was on that stupid thing every day, and it was driving me nuts. So no more - Sundays only from now on. It finally clicked in that I'm not going see rapid losses like I did while doing Atkins or eating under 1000 calories. This was a big revelation for me. In order for me to take this weight off and keep it off, I need to do it slowly, in a way that doesn't deprive me of anything. I don't feel deprived doing it this way at all. I did deprive myself on low calorie diets and on Atkins. I guess it really does go to show that the diet that works best is one you can stick to. Not that I've stuck to this long term, but I didn't stick to Atkins, which did take the weight off. And that's because I didn't feel like doing Atkins the right way. I hated the carb ladder. I don't have to worry about that with BFFM/BFL.

I am pleased with my progress. In 3 weeks, I'm down 6 p0unds. I'd like to lose 30-45 more pounds, depending on body fat. I'm shooting for 22%, maybe 20% for now. Hopefully, I can achieve these goals in 3 challenges.

I took a good look at myself today. I'm incredibly flabby and I have a lot of fat to lose. For some reason, I wasn't all that upset. Sure, I regret getting myself into this condition in the first place, but for once, I wasn't disgusted because I feel like I'm heading in the right direction. And just knowing the transformation that my body will undergo in the next year keeps me from getting depressed.

Food yesterday was pretty good. I ate a normal breakfast and lunch, then a quick yogurt snack. For dinner, we went to a seafood buffet (we only go twice a year, when my father-in-law is visiting, his treat!!) and I tried a few things that I've never had before. I eat quiet a bit, I admit, but I didn't stress about it. I enjoyed it. And I ate enough that there was no room in my stomach to come home and drink like I'd planned. I don't drink often, but when I do, I like to get a good buzz. All those calories add up. So, in the end, I think I saved myself some calories. And a hangover. That was the real reason I didn't want to drink - I didn't want to risk a hangover interfering with my workout in the morning.

Week 2 is over!

I weighed in yesterday at 160.5, which is down 5 pounds from my start weight and 2 pounds down from last Monday's gain. Of course, I'm up those 2 pounds today, so at 162.5, my net loss for the first two weeks is 3 pounds. Not horrible, and I am certainly not going to panic yet. It is, however, a bit discouraging. I was in no mood to work out this morning. But I did.

Food was all over the place yesterday. I was starving!!! So I ate. A lot. The only bad thing I ate was 2 packages of Little Debbie peanut butter crunch bars. That's almost 600 calories right there. I also ate pretzels and mozzarella cheese. The rest that I ate is stuff I'd normally eat, just larger quantities. There's no doubt that I need to increase my calories during the week, so I don't pig out on my free day. And damn, why do I insist of frakking things up by eating the candy?? Maybe I should get some frankenchocolate to keep on hand. Or better yet, eat the sugar free pudding I ignored yesterday. That would have been the smarter choice.

Next Sunday, I'll try eating on plan. I have to stop thinking I can eat whatever I want. I need to find healthier alternatives to Little Debbies.

Week 1 Stats

I've decided not to measure every week, because I just suck at it. It's so hard for me to get accurate measurements, so I will probably just measure at the end of every fourth week. I will, however, hop on the scale every Sunday morning.

I am down 5 pounds this week! It's amazing what happens when you stop eating junk food. Of course, losses like this won't happen every week. I wouldn't be surprised if it's only 1 pound a week from here on out. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if the weight came off in bunches, with a couple weeks or more between changes on the scale. That's fine with me. I'm looking at the big picture.

Before Stats

I took my before pictures today. No, I am not posting them here. If there are any significant changes between them and the after pictures, I will post them. I will, however, post my measurements. For the record, I am 5' 1.75" and my start weight is 165.5 pounds. All measurements are in inches:

Neck - 14.5
Chest - 43.25
Rib Circumference - 36.5
Waist - 39.75
Belly - 43.75
Hips - 43
Thighs - 24 (R), 24.25 (L)
Calves - 14.75 (R&L)
Biceps (flexed) - 12.5 (R), 12.75 (L)
Triceps (gotta measure those batwings!!) - 14 (R&L)
Forearm - 11 (R&L)
Wrists - 6 (R&L)

I'll get my body fat percentage and lean body mass tonight, after I'm well hydrated, on my not so accurate Tanita scale.

EDIT: I'm sure it's wildly inaccurate but my body fat is 39% and my lean body mass is 101 pounds. My BMI is 30.2.