12-Week Shape-Up! Week 7

If you missed the previous weeks and would like to join in, check out Goodbyes, WLS, Baseline, and the 12-Week Shape-Up. Week 1's challenge is at the bottom of the blog post.

Week 6 is in the books. Congratulations! Now it's time to weigh-in, both in regards to your weight, and in regards to how you did with your weekly challenge. As a reminder when measuring your weight, try to do it at the same time every Monday, in the same clothes, and before breakfast if possible.

How did you do?

12-Week Shape Up! Week 6 Weigh-In:

• Weight: 297.4
• Previous Weight: 300
• Weekly Loss: 2.6
• Starting Weight: 320
• Total Loss: 22.6
• Weekly Challenge Success and Challenges
• Successes: I THINK I'm doing more jogging than walking now (it's hard to tell since I alternate running with walking), but I do know my slowest (walking) and fastest (running) times are speeding up. Also, I had to cut out my morning run due to shin pain,  but instead of doing nothing, I added in yoga to help with my flexibility. I love it. Starting the morning with yoga is so peaceful, and even the easiest yoga still gets me sweaty, so I know I'm working.
• Challenges: I was stalled from Friday, 11 July to Friday 18 July. You can imagine my panic. But instead of eating less or exercising more, I just looked at my food and exercise logs and reminded myself that I was already doing great and that there was no way the stall could last. It wasn't easy, trust me. I probably spent a couple of hours a DAY scouring the Internet looking for people who were stalled even when doing everything they should be, and how they handled it. I was close to panicking, but I stuck with my plan and made it through the other side of the stall (relatively) sane.

12-Week Shape Up! Week 7 Challenge: Start at the beginning, write it down.

We're officially halfway through the 12-week challenge. If you're still with me, congratulations and thanks for sticking with it!

Six weeks can seem like a long time with a new fitness plan. For some, it might be getting dull, like being in a rut. Whether you feel that way or not, now is the time to take a step back from what you're doing and take a look at what you've done. Look at MyFitnessPal or whatever software, journal, app you're using to track your food intake and activity and see how you've progressed.

I know in my first couple of weeks, I was eating right at my calorie limit, if not over, and most of the food I was eating was still not that great for me. Now I regularly eat clean, drink tons of water, get a lot of protein, snack like mad on frozen grapes, and plan days where I splurge. My cravings for junk and fast foods are pretty much gone, replaced by cravings for fruit. I also am looking less at how often I work out, and more at the quality of the activity. My walks have transitioned to (mostly) runs, my slowest and highest speeds are increasing, I'm more flexible when doing yoga, and I can do wall sits a bit longer.

So revisit your original plan, look at your successes, and rework your goals to fit in with your new level of fitness and healthy eating.

The mantra for this week is to Go Back to the Beginning!

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Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. Please speak to your doctor before beginning this or any stage of the 12-Week Shape Up!