I’ve just completed my 4th week of my Biggest Loser-style Just Lose it program. At my 3rd week’s weigh-in I was down another 1.4 pounds. That makes 8.2 pounds in just three weeks – not too shabby!
But, I feel like other than bragging about my awesome weight loss all I’ve done is complain about this Just Lose It Program. Not only that, a friend of mine even commented last week that I need to lighten up on Phil.
I mentioned this to my teammates and they snickered and said that Phil deserves all the smack talk I dole out and I can lighten up on him when he lightens up on us. (Even though obviously the whole point of the program is for him not to lighten up on us so we can lighten up. Or become lighter. Whatever.)
Moving on…
I like to think of myself as a positive person, so this week no whining about not drinking wine and kvetching about the torture of Phil. Just a few of the amazingly good things about the Just Lose It program.
Sleep
I have to admit I’ve been sleeping great since participating in this program. And sure, that’s because I’m physically exhausted, but that’s okay. I have a lot of stress in my life that prevents me from sleeping well at night. Falling asleep is not usually an issue for me, but I wake up around two or three in the morning and all of my stress issues (coupled with a good dose of hot flash night sweats) will swarm around my brain making it impossible to get back to sleep unless I took a preemptive measure at bedtime with my very good friend Advil PM. But since starting this program I have been sleeping like a rock without any aid from my favorite little blue pill. Well, a rock that has to get up in the middle of the night to pee. (Sometimes twice.) So maybe I’ve been sleeping more like a baby than a rock. Hmmmm, maybe I should look into adult diapers. Or not. Because even though I get up in the middle of the night to pee (for like two minutes straight) because of all of the freaking lemon water I’ve been drinking, I fall right back asleep the minute I get back into bed. I guess physical exhaustion has a way of turning off your overly worrisome brain.
The Clothes in My Closet
Some of the old clothes in my closet are starting to fit. So I think the high-waisted mom jeans from the turn of the century that for some reason I can’t seem to let go of because “some day they’ll fit again,” may indeed fit again. Which is awesome. I think. I mean, I can’t really see myself wearing them. (I’m way too cool for mom jeans right?)
I did fit into my old pair of workout pants that I love and adore. I even wore them to the gym last Monday. And then I realized that the elastic is starting to go. (And shut up. That is NOT why they fit. Maybe.) So when Phil made us run around the building (three times) my pants kept falling down. And when we were doing reverse pike on a stability ball I think I may have been giving Phil (and the rest of the gym) a nice show of my whale tail. (The high school boys who work out at my gym might be scarred for life.)
Team Work
Except for a season of basketball in 5th grade (we lost every game) and a season of softball in 8th grade (we lost every game), I’ve never really been on a team. My kids have been on plenty of teams and sure, I know the importance of teamwork in theory, but I’ve never really experienced it firsthand before. Being on a team -especially my team- rocks. I’ve said it before and it’s totally true, I would never have come as far as I have in this competition without them. They help me stay strong. When I make a gorgeous steak dinner and watch my husband drink our favorite bottle of Costco $7 red while I’ve got sparkling water in my wine glass I remember that my teammates are doing the same. When we go to Concerts in the Park and the only thing in my red Solo cup is water, I raise a silent toast to my teammates. I’m doing this for you ladies.
We’re coming into the home stretch. Just two more weeks. (And 336 more hours without wine.) At this point in the program it would be easy to slip back into an old habit or two. But I’m lucky. I have a great team to encourage me. I even have Phil to encourage me.
I can totally do this. I don’t want to let my team down. I don’t want to let myself down. (And okay, I admit it, I really don’t want to let Phil down.)
Be sure to check back next Monday to see how much weight I lost during week 4. And if you missed a week, catch up here: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3.
Whale Tail photo credit: MoveTheLife via Creative Commons.
Free weights photo credit: Positively Fit via Creative Commons.
Charlene Ross 
Nice work, Charlene! Lifestyle change…keep it up:)
Thanks Sarah! And except for the wine deprivation I plan to!
Great job! I admire your stamina and dedication. I truly must do something to ease my whale tail back into my 90’s Mom jeans too… not that I would actually wear them either, but I still hold on to the dream of squeezing my bum in them.
Great job! I admire your stamina and dedication. I truly must do something to ease my whale tail back into my 90’s Mom jeans too… not that I would actually wear them either, but I still hold on to the dream of squeezing my bum in them.
Thanks Linda! Haha! Yes, they need to make a whale-tailess low rise jean. The mom jeans are great for not having your butt crack show when you sit down, but still. Not sure I can ever go back! 🙂
Way to go 🙂 I’m very impressed. I love reading your updates. What recipes are you using? I just bought a “The Blood Sugar Solution Cookbook by, Mark Hyman and I love it. It’s basically lean, organic meats, lots of veggies, legumes, nuts and no dairy, gluten or simple carbs for six weeks. I just finished week 1 and lost 3lbs. I know I know, it’s mostly water weight but who needs to be bloated. Get this!!! 4-5 glasses of wine is ok (better if it’s organic) You get to add back the dairy & gluten if your body tolerates it 🙂 I’d love to know if you have any recipes that fit the above criteria. Keep up the good work!!!
I’ll have to look for that book Karin. Dr. Hyman is fantastic. Is that 4-5 glasses of wine a night or a week?! 🙂 If this wasn’t a competition, I’d have added the wine back in already. But I’m using every trick I have. My team wants to win!
I don’t really have an recipes. I’ve just been eating really clean. I eat a lot of plain Greek yogurt with fruit. (So that won’t help you with no dairy – I also eat the full fat kind – everyone else eats non-fat. Yuck!) I also really like scrambled eggs with spinach and fat free feta with a corn tortilla or maybe refried beans. (Mmmmm!) At dinner it’s usually chicken (sometimes beef or fish) with grilled veggies and quinoa. For lunch I take meat-veggie-carb leftovers and throw them all together. I also like tuna with garbanzo beans (I use one can tuna, one cup beans to make two lunches). I add cilantro, cucumber, EVOO and maybe 1/2 an avocado.
We’ll have to have (a clean) lunch together soon Karin!
Nothing tastes as good as thin feels. Except cheese. And wine. Oh! And pulled pork. But thin…thin feels really really good. Keep up the great work!
You’re funny Laurel. Wine and cheese (and even pulled pork) soon. But sadly, not very often!
Girlfriend, i don’t know how you do it. I’m tired just READING about what you’ve got going on. And then I need a stiff glass of wine after my nap.
Okay, not really.
I rarely nap during the day.
Keep up the good work and I can’t wait to see how far you go with this thing.
I’d want you on my team for sure!
I can run like a mile Julie, unlike you my skinny running friend! And I would be on your team any time. (But full disclosure – I’m way into naps!)
Dear, Charlene,
MY gosh, I thought you looked fab before…now you must look fab-ier! DAMN you.
You. Rock.
& so does Phil! Xxxxx
Thank you Kim. And you’re the one who rocks. (But not Phil. He does not rock. Not one little bit!)
I am still scrubbing my eyes after seeing that whale tail shot. I didn’t know that was a thing. Now I know. Anyway, my earlier point was that I think you have a crush on Phil.
I might have had a crush on Phil (he’s pretty cute) but this week he made us run four laps around the building. FOUR! (Have I mentioned I don’t like to run?)
And oh yeah, that’s a thing. You want to scrub your eyes out go ahead and Google it. Or better yet, don’t! 🙂
Ok Charlene – after reading that you have been doing this torture camp for 3 whole weeks now you have guilted me into going back to the gym. My workouts are nothing like yours and my diet still has its daily intake of wine, but I can’t handle reading how good you are doing while I just get to relax and drink 🙂 So thanks to you I have worked out for 4 days now. You are doing SO GOOD!!!! Hot damn girl. Lovin’ the blogs. I will be sad when your 6 weeks are done because I will probably fall off the work out wagon at that point since you won’t be posting about it any more. Any chance you could add another 6 weeks? lol
I don’t think I’ll add another six weeks, but why don’t you quit your gym Krysti and join Stevenson Fitness and we’ll workout together. (I’ll even introduce you to Phil!) xoxo (And BTW – you always look fabulous!)
I agree…physical exertion really does make you sleep better. At least that’s been my experience. So, nice perk. And fantastic work. I am always in awe of people who are as disciplined as you are when it comes to healthy habits. It’s sooooo hard to work out regularly and giving up the foods/drinks I love…no way!