It’s that time again! It’s been 3 weeks since our last check-in, so we want to hear how you’re doing! Are you using this nifty chart to track your progress? (If you missed it, click here to download).
A lot of you have asked how we’re doing. I have a confession: I haven’t been tracking my measurements, but I’m changing that today. But. I’ve been at this since the beginning of the year and I’m losing pounds and I know I’m losing inches because I have clothes that were once uncomfortably tight/unwearable that are now just right or even a little loose and other clothes that were once just right and are now too big to wear. I’m seeing lots of new muscle definition, particularly in my legs (hi, there, quad muscles that are keeping me motivated even on those weeks when I’m not seeing much progress on the scale). For the first time in years, I can wear my wedding band AND my engagement ring (I’ve just been wearing my engagement ring for a long, long time).
The biggest change I’ve made has been with exercise. For me, the first thing to go out the window has always been exercise. If my day is busy, if I’m tired, if I’m just not feeling it, exercise gets the boot. I know that I can lose weight with a very controlled diet, so then I get it in my brain that exercise can be negotiable.
Well.
This winter has been hard. I often get the wintery blues from December-February (except it kind of manifests itself more as anxiety than depression) and this year, I’ve turned to exercise as a coping mechanism. I’ve discovered that not exercising doesn’t make my day less busy, doesn’t make me less tired, I just feel less emotionally equipped to handle the busy-ness or the stress, you know?
I’ve started getting up very early and doing some kind of circuit training workout for about 30-35 minutes, then I get my kids up and off to school, then I go to the gym. Yes, gym-hating Kate goes to the gym. The first time was scary, like I’d-rather-die-than-make-a-fool-of-myself-here scary. Turns out that very few people seem to be paying attention to what I’m doing. I drop my toddler off at the gym daycare and then do about 45 minutes-an hour of kid-free cardio (I’ve been watching Frasier while I’m on the elliptical. I laugh out loud and other people look at me. But, like I said in one of my Fitbit challenges last week, I can do 45-60 minutes of moderately intense cardio if television is involved.) It’s a lot. But it’s good. It makes my day go better. I manage my time better, I’m nicer to my kids and my husband, and all the stressful stuff feels more doable. Plus, the more I do it, the more I want to do it. Also, the more I exercise, the more I can eat, which makes everything better.
So, in a nutshell, that’s how things are going over here! It’s been so fun connecting with you guys, hearing your stories, seeing your progress! So now it’s your turn to give us a status report!
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I am down 9 lbs. as of last week (Week 6 for me) and hoping for 10.5-11 at my weigh-in tomorrow. And 3 inches off the waist, 2 off the hips! For workout I do 10 minutes of weights then 20 minutes of Zumba for cardio every weekday. I used to struggle to do 3 times a week, but finally found something I enjoy and could happily do it more than 5 times even.
For diet I am following the 5:2 diet, where you eat normally for 5 days and then do very low (500-600) calories 2 days of the week (along with a bit of a fast that morning). It sounds a little crazy, but if you pack in the veggies you can have a giant bowl of soup or stir-fry, etc. for 200 calories & you really don’t end up hungry. I did full-out daily tracking calories for 6 months in the past and now I kind of hate it. This way I just plan out a bunch of 200 calorie meals ahead of time, make 2 of those, and have 200 calories to track snacks. Only doing it 2 days a week makes it feel like we just started a couple of weeks ago, and when something looks really yummy, it’s easy to tell yourself that you can have it tomorrow! (We don’t really find ourselves overindulging on the off days, we probably eat a little more sensibly. A little!)
(I’m going to whisper this because ever time I try to check in something crashes. I’m not doing the HIIT or AMRAPS, but I am walking 2.5 miles on my lunch break 3-4 times a week, focusing on eating well, and have lost a couple of pounds. Also back into yoga/stretching and getting back into bellydance – yay! Thank you both for putting the time and effort into OBB Fitclub. I’m not the only one who finds inspiration, community, and good vibes here, I know that for sure.)
Wanted to check in. I am down 12 pounds since the beginning of the year and since we measured in the middle of January I have lost 11 inches total so that feels great. Thanks for keeping us accountable.
Still here and enjoying the little reminders to eat better and take care of our bodies!
Thanks for checking in with us. I needed a reminder… Time to get back on the bandwagon! I’m making your salad in a jar this week.
Thanks for the check-in, anything to help me with accountability. Last week was a huge set back for me. I was sick, my family was sick, running kids to dr. appts, so exercise got tossed out the door. Life got crazy last week, so I am hoping I can get back to it this week. I have lost a total of 8 pounds, which I am thrilled about, but scared to look at my scale this week. I was/am hitting the elliptical at the gym, but weight training just has not happened yet, so I have not measured anything. I am still loving all the instagram posts and the awesome recipe ideas. The workouts are great. Thanks for all the hardwork and constant inspiration to keep me moving!!!
For a variety of reasons I dropped the HIIT and AMRAP exercises but I did start a 2.5 mile walk on my lunch break several times a week that I’m LOVING, and I’m concentrating on eating less sugar and junk and more veggies and proteins and good fats. 2 pounds down, 4 more to go (I know that doesn’t sound like much but I’ve been fighting to lose it for a year now)! I love following OBB Fitclub on Instagram and getting these posts – you two ladies are so supportive and I appreciate the extra time you’re putting in to this for all of us, on top of all of your other commitments in life. Thank you so much!
Super discouraged here…I gained back the pound I lost and my inches haven’t budged. I’m definitely stronger than December but my shape and weight aren’t budging. Out of 48 workout days (6 days x 8 weeks since Jan 1) I’ve only skipped one day so it’s not from lack of trying. I do cardio plus pushups/squats/abs 4xweek and Jani’s HIIT/AMRAP/weights workouts plus abs 2xweek. Any ideas? A gym isn’t an option right now but I’m working on saving up money for heavier dumbbells.
Are you tracking calories? As much as I despise tracking, or did at first (and I really resisted starting!), it did turn out to be key for me. I started at 1600-1800 a day and still stay within the 1400-1800 range.
I did track for a week at the beginning to see where I was naturally hanging out. I was consistently in the 1600-1800 range daily so I quit tracking. Fewer than 1600 calories makes me nervous so I quit stressing and quit tracking.
Been doing great with exercise. Upped the heaviness of my weights which is very motivating. Lost a couple of pounds and feel great! Thanks for the instagram posts, totally keeps me motivated.
You are amazing! Loving the workouts. I have to admit that I’m not working out as much as I would like. I’m still up most nights with our little guy and it’s way too hard to get out of bed in the morning. I could use more quick workouts and I really need some core help. I am tracking what I eat and that helps so I haven’t been gaining weight. My clothes all look way looser on me. I think I can move down a pant and a shirt size. And my wedding ring fell off yesterday. Might be time for a resize. Thanks for all your amazing hard work on both exercise and diet helps!
I have been slowly working on my weight loss since August. I had hit a mental and physical plateau in December. Even though I’ve been doing my own thing, for some reason this fit club has given me the motivation I needed to jump back into gear for the last couple of months. I haven’t quite reached my weight goal, but I’ve reached my pants size goal and I love being smaller than I’ve been since before I started having kids 9 years ago! And I’m loving the healthy recipes. Spaghetti squash and cauliflower rice in particular have made it into my regular rotation!
Keeping up. My New Year’s Resolution was just one thing: to do whatever the personal trainer says to do. So far I have kept to that 100%. I have lost about a pound a week, except this last week we were on vacation, but I didn’t gain anything, I just didn’t lose anything. I figure that is good enough for a vacation week. 🙂 I am super close to my goal – within 5-10 pounds (my goal weight is sort of a range). I agree about the quad muscles – I love being able to see mine! I am confused that not many clothes seem to be fitting much differently.
I did get my first compliment yesterday though, from an older lady who sits a few rows behind us at church (and therefore no doubt is treated to an hour-long view of my backside every week) who said I was “looking very slim and trim.” So hooray for that! 🙂
I’ve only released four pounds since I started, but inches have been lost and body composition has changed significantly. I feel really good about that. Even if the number on the scale hasn’t changed a lot, I feel better, look better, and my clothes fit better. And I really love the great library of great workouts you are providing. SO fantastic – thank you!
It is so true that you get to the point where you start to want to exersice. I just need to remind myself to be consistant long enough for that to happen and not to let my excuses get in the way. Thanks for the reminder!
Things are better here than last time, so far I’ve lost 7 pounds since the beginning of the year, which I’m very happy about! I sort of fell off the wagon this weekend, but tomorrow’s a new day and I’ll be back at it! (As soon as I figure out someone to give all of that chocolate-covered caramel corn that I made tonight to! O.o)
Things are going good. Have been fighting some feelings of wanting to give up but I pushed through. I have now been exercising at least 5 times a week for 5 months and using myfitnesspal. I am down 30 lbs since October!
I LOVE Fraisure! I’m so glad there is someone else out there our age who laughs out loud while watching it. Good job on the early morning workouts! I try to squeeze it in during nap/quiet time but need to work on my consistency.
I’m right in the middle of my half marathon training. My focus is on my training plan and not on losing weight. Saying that, I haven’t lost anything in a month which I need to be ok with.
I was totally inspired back in May when Sarah first shared her journey to health. Especially the part about weights and strength training. I had my cousin, who is a personal trainer, set me up with a weight lifting schedule. I had never really done weights before. I’ve been totally consistent with strength training and cardio since May. I don’t have a scale, and I don’t go to a gym, so I haven’t weighed myself in a year. I had a dr appt the other day and discovered I’ve gained 7 pounds in the last year! I was at a healthy weight when I started working out. I didn’t need to loose. And even after gaining 7 lbs, my clothes still fit me looser. So, I am led to believe that I’ve totally built a ton of muscle! Awesome! Sadly, I eat more sugar and calories than I probably should, so there is still room for improvement. But I feel happy that I’ve developed awesome exercise habits and that I’m much stronger! I love the workouts you’ve been posting! I’ve been printing them and keeping a collection on a key ring. Thank you for helping with the motivation! Please keep posting workouts!
I am doing great with the exercising and LOVING the workouts you guys post. I use one everyday I workout. This has been so inspiring and I have lost weight/inches but I need to eat better. That is my goal this week to do better and I have bought healthier foods to prepare salads with ahead of time. Thank you so much for the motivation and workouts it has really helped me see results.
Super excited you do theses “check ins”! I have lost a little weight which is great! I am trying to do one thing at at time. Last week was eating healthy. This next week will be to get up and exercise consistently. Thank you so much for helping me on my “healthy journey”!!!
2 steps forward, 1 step back over here. Saw some progress and then flew across the country to help out while my dad recovered from surgery and ate fast food and hospital food for a week. Managed a single workout while I was there and came home to drama at work. But there’s always some crazy going on right? And it’s pushing through the crazy and still getting the workouts in that makes the difference and trains new good habits so that’s what I’m working on this week. The measuring is frustrating/depressing but I’m going to do it anyways because then I can still see the progress because I will get there. I will!
Struggling too! I have to log sheet on my wall with ONE line filled in. But, I am also combatting major queasiness since I am 7 weeks pregnant. And apparently morning sickness can’t wait a few decent weeks to set in. So, instead I’m working on making the most of what I do eat and trying to make sure I park at the far end of the parking lot so I do more walking. I am excited to try the salad in a jar since I am needing quick grab eat now healthy food so I don’t start going for the cookies. Thanks for the inspiration!
I’m doing horrible 🙁 from the extra workout post from Jani last week I don’t think I’m doing enough strength training and concentrating on cardio too much, just haven’t found my groove. So this past week I ordered Jillian Michaels Body Revolution and I’m starting Monday morning!!! I’m kind of nervous since I’ve never did a workout video before but have read some great reviews. Wish me luck!!
It’s seriously my favorite! I hope you love it. It’s a hard workout, but in a good way, not in an I-want-to-die way. Sometimes I call her bad names, but it soon passes. 🙂
Thank you so much for supplying all of us with the great tools we need!! I’m down 11 pounds and 3.5 inches in the hips and waist. Challenging myself on the weights, 10-15 pounds something I NEVER thought I could do before!! Again, thank you so very much!
First off thanks for all your tips and encouragement. I’m loving it! My new years goal this year was to be a better me. (live healthier, floss every day, better spiritually, better mom, and wife, etc.) In the process I was hoping to lose some weight. So far I’m down 11 lbs. This is my second third week cycle of measuring and I’ve lost an inch! I’m still going strong with eating better and excersized which is big for me! I’ve been doing the jillian michaels thirty day shred, which I Just finished. I’ll start another jillian michaels dvd Monday. I’ve been walking my son to preschool and walking to pick him up which adds another 2 hours of activity to my week. Then for diet I’ve just been making better food choices. I count calories during the week and have free weekends. It works for me because it’s easy for me to just hold out until Saturday. I’m averaging a pound a week which I’m happy with! Can’t wait for your new cookbook!
So great to hear your story! Such an inspiration! I’m only down 3 pounds, but I’ve lost 3 inches off my waist, 1 1/2 inches off the ole’ thunder thighs, and 3/4 of an inch off the calves. I’ve never done any strength or weight training before now, but the difference is amazing! I have muscle definition! Yay! The only thing I can figure is I’m losing a ton of inches but not as many pounds because I’m putting on muscle where I previously had very little!?!? I’m excited to keep at it.
I’m down over 8 pounds!! I feel great and for the first time in my life, I see definition in my arms. At the beginning of the year, I couldn’t do one real push-up. But earlier this week I did 15 in a row!! I’m seeing changes and I love it! Thank you so much for doing this club. It is so much fun!!
I’m using the chart and tracking my weight, waist measurement, # of workouts per week and # of good eating (aka – no evenings where I down a sleeve of chocolate graham crackers) days per week. I’m down 4 pounds, 1 inch on my waist and because I get to mark it down, I’m developing some serious willpower. This is normally the point where I see results and say, “Omg. This is awesome! I’m great! Cupcake time!” Not this time. I’m in for all 14 weeks.
My fourth and last baby is three months old today! I just started the piyo program from beach body and its a great supplement to power walks with girlfriends I am conquering some big bad eating habits and your flavored oils are actually HUGE in imparting flavor to food, so thank you! I got the big sampler with all flavors and love them-Rosemary drizzled over a big ol’ pan of roasted veggies? Yes, please! I love seeing your posts on IG and kudos to conquering your gym fears! I used to feel the same about running outdoors. I was sure everyone was staring out their windows at me slogging by-who knew I’m not that important to them? 😉