mskerri

[mskerri]

Weight-Loss Journey 2025 III

3 Months in

Today has been a slightly bitter sweet one and potentially why I have been subconsciously been putting off writing this update. A promise to myself to do this is what has gotten these fingers moving.

So, the update.

This month has been a busy one, and I honestly can see why people hide away to stay committed to weight loss. I had so many social events planned for this month, and I already knew that they would derail me a bit. It's not my strongest suit to deny myself a good time with friends. Especially when I have not seen them in a long while. But even so I stayed fairly committed to the days I didn't have engagements on. I have completed 17 workouts since our last update. I am still working out twice a day when I do workout and if the wasn't a reason to only do one. Doing strength training in the early afternoon and cardio in the evening. I want to change it so that weight lifting is done at 8am and cardio around 1 or 2 pm.

Sadly, I started smoking again after I lost my job in the latest company layoffs. That set me back a few days, but I didn't let it keep me too distracted from the overall goal.

I did end up increasing my daily calories. From 1500 to 2000. This has led to the scale going up this month as opposed to down. That and potentially the fact that I have been doing a lot of weekend drinking and celebratory eating this month as well. But I did remain conscious of my food and drink choices. Picking lower-calorie and low-sugar drink options and not overindulging in food. Protein is something I also did not make a focus this month. I would say most days, I did continue to increase my intake, but I don't have a consistent tally of protein over the month. My sugar intake as taken a turn for the worst as well, but not a bad as it has in the past. I am more conscious of it and I am back to low sugar and no added sugar when possible.

Sleep habits have kind of taken a back seat this month, but I will say I have been feeling more well rested lately. But I haven't been consciously thinking about bedtimes and wake-up times. But it is still something I am going to focus on more in the coming month as I would like to move my natural waking time, which is currently 8am to about 730am. This way I could be doing my strength training by 8-830am and on to the rest of my day.

All things consider I think I survived my month of engagements pretty well. But next month we are back to full time weight loss focus. What we will be changing in the coming month. I am planning to take on my own version of the 75 Hard Challenge. If you don't know what it is please do a quick google search. I will likely break down my method and how chose to approach it in next months update, but a big part of that will be implementing the raw vegan diet of the duration of the 75 days. I am kind of excited about that but I need to remain conscious of my caloric intake during this time as I would still like to continue to eat 2000 calories and keep a higher amount of protein.

I think this months focus is going to be on consistancy. With all that go derailed during the month of March I want to make up for in it in a since by getting back on track and staying committed to my new life changes. I can already see how some of the habits have started this year are taking form in my life with less effort and I want to see that get better.

Last Month Stats:

Age: 35

Height: 60 in / 152.4 cm

Weight: 171 lbs / 77.5 kg

Body Measurements:

-- Bust: 39.25 in / 99.7cm

-- Waist: 33 in / 83.8 cm

-- Hips: 43 in / 109.33 cm

BMI: 33.4 *based on this site

5K Time: 46 minutes

Current Stats:

Age: 35

Height: 60 in / 152.4 cm

Weight: 177 lbs / 80.28 kg

Body Measurements:

-- Bust: 40.5 in (+1.25in) / 102.87 cm (+3.17cm)

-- Waist: 33 in (-0cm) / 83.8 cm (-0cm)

-- Hips: 43.5 in (+0.5in) / 110.49 cm (+1.19cm)

BMI: 34.6 *based on this site

5K Time: N/A

Goal Weight by birthday:

Weight: 130 lbs / 59 kg

Just a last word. Yes I gained in many areas of my weight loss goals this past month but I was prepared for it. I knew increasing the calories would potentially do that and with not working out as consistant as I had been it was honestly inevitable. What is more important though is getting back on track and not letting little set backs like inconsistancy and the scale turn you off.

** Why in increase calories you may ask. I stumbled into the part of the web that talks about Total Daily Energy Expediture or TDEE. With my two daily workouts and my natural calorie burn each day I was estimated to have been burning roughly 2400-2500 calories and only eating 1500-1700. That was quite a deficient. One that was potentially keeping my body in starvation mode. By increasing my calories it is likely that my body can finally feel as though it is getting the replenishment of energy it needs and hopefully begin to release the weight. I will possible do a more indepth blog on this topic in the future as it is one that really peaked my interest and could potentially help others if the have also struggled with their weight.

***Imagines are compared to the first months images

[mskerri]

Weight-Loss Journey 2025 II

Hello Everybody, I told you I'd be back with an update and here it is.

I started this past month off strong. I had been steady in my daily caloric intake and reintroduced weight training into my workout. No, I did not stop the cardio I now simply do two workouts every day. One cardio-focused and the other strength. It has been pretty nice. I enjoy the break in between the two workouts and it allows my energy to re-level out and enables me to go hard at both sessions.

What these workouts usually look like throughout the week is Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday I train cardio and strength. On Wednesday I slow it down with easier cardio and mobility. Saturday I train for my 5k, it's officially going to be in April. Although I don't train it more days throughout the week, I think my daily cardio has really helped with my stamina, my time is steadily dropping, and my speed is slowly increasing. I think I will be able to get my 5k under 40 minutes when I run it in April. This may not seem like a lot to daily runners but I am looking forward to completing this first running goal! Sunday we do as the lord suggests and rest.

My daily caloric intake, as mentioned, has been pretty consistent. Running between 1500-1700 calories daily. Sometimes it's a little lower, I've had some 1400 calorie days and rarely has been a little higher landing in the 1800s. But all in all, I am satisfied with this consistency. I will continue to play with these numbers though. I am considering increasing them yet again to land a little closer to 2000 daily for a few weeks, then dropping them back down. I believe it's called reversed dieting, but first I want to get a better idea of where I would like my maintenance calories to fall in the long run. I thought 1500-1600 would be sufficient but as this has stabled out I am thinking I may want to increase up to 1800 first. If I decide to go that way I will likely spend the month of March maintaining that. Then in April start a weekly hike up to 2000 before dropping back down to 1800 for two weeks. More on that in the coming post though.

Protein has also been consistent, I usually bring in between 70-100 grams and that lands me right in the recommended amount. I would need a little less in theory but with all the extra workouts I do I have increased to meet those needs.

My sugar intake is down substantially and I am honestly doing better than I could have hoped. Am I 100% no but I would definitely say I follow the no sugar 90-95% of the time. Aside from the sugar that is snuck into some of the processed food I still eat, working on cutting more of that out, I can count on one hand how many times I reach for something extra sweet and sugary, and even when that happened it was minimal.

Now I do not include alcohol in this as of yet, but I have never really been a heavy drinker and I usually drink pretty spread out. Once a month or so when I go out with friends. That is something that worries me as I do have a lot of events coming in the next few weeks which usually means alcohol. This is typically wine, but every now and then it's a mixed drink. I am working on decreasing this as well and one day I am sure I will give it up altogether. Not today but one day in the future, lol.

I started on some new supplements this month as well. I would feel like a pill popper but a good bit of them are in gummy form. Currently, I am taking B12, D3, Biotin, a Multivitamin, and Ginkgo Biloba. These ones I take daily and I believe I see a difference in all the areas that they are individually meant to help. The most prominent ones are the Biotin, as my bald spots are thickening up, and Ginkgo as I find I can concentrate better. I have also added Creatine to the mix on the days I do strength training. I want to say it's working but I think it's still too early to tell. I also still consume LMNT for electrolytes on a mostly daily basis. I enjoy it and it helps me to drink more water. Currently getting in about 48oz a day and trying to get to a consistent 64oz or more.

Sleeping, as you all know I have been working on my sleep habits. They are still not great, but they are getting better. I am usually in bed by 12am and find that I can wake up around 8-9am with no issue, but sometimes a little earlier. This does not happen every day and in complete honesty these last two weeks it's been faltering more. But still more consistent than before and I will continue my efforts to becoming a morning person, but I worry it's not in my blood.

Some setbacks I had this month. I got sick at the beginning of February and ran a fever for almost a week. This meant I had to take almost a week off of working out and trust me when I say I did try lol. I also smoked a little with my brother, which really triggered my hunger, and not in a good way. This was when I started eating extra sweets and sodas, but luckily he didn't have much so it only lasted about two days. Other than that I have been really good about not smoking. In the past week, I have been experiencing some minor knee pain. It started in one and then the other started to act up as well. This meant changing my workouts a bit and moving my leg days. I did get one in today, but I kept it fairly light so as to not re-agitate either of them. I will continue to do that for at least another week. I also find that I am not shopping enough. I want to say I go out shopping at least once every two weeks and may pick up little things in between, but I think it may be time to increase that amount to once a week. With the increase in calories that means an increase in food consumption and I need to be able to meet those needs otherwise processed food starts to creep back in.

Overall I have been feeling pretty great. My energy has improved and even my depression is getting better. I have also been tracking everything on a wall calendar which has really helped in keeping me motivated. Even with my sickness, it didn't slow me down in getting back into my routines once I started to feel better. In the past, that may not have been the case.

This has already gotten longer than I had intended for it to be. So without further ado, here are the stats:

Starting Stats:

Age: 35

Height: 60 in / 152.4 cm

Weight: 171 lbs / 77.5 kg

Body Measurements:

-- Bust: 41.24 in / 104.75cm

-- Waist: 33 in / 83.8 cm

-- Hips: 44.5 in / 113 cm

BMI: 33.4 *based on this site

5K Time: 47 minutes

Current Stats:

Age: 35

Height: 60 in / 152.4 cm

Weight: 171 lbs / 77.5 kg

Body Measurements:

-- Bust: 39.25 in (-2in) / 99.7 cm (-5cm)

-- Waist: 33 in (-0cm) / 83.8 cm (-0cm)

-- Hips: 43 in (-1.5in) / 109.33 cm (-3.66cm)

BMI: 33.4 *based on this site

5K Time: 46 minutes

Goal Weight by birthday:

Weight: 130 lbs / 59 kg

When I did my weigh-in this morning I won't lie I was pretty disappointed as that had not changed in the last month and I have been working so hard. But once I took the pictures and compared the measurements, this is why they are important, I could really see some changes in the overall physic of my body. So even though the scale is not always our friend remember to mark your progress in multiple ways. I am ready to conquer this next month and I know the weight will come off, I just need to stay consistent.

[mskerri]

Weight-Loss Journey 2025

Checkin One - January 25th

It's been a challenge getting the weight off and I would be lying if I said I was always consistent. I get consistent and then 2-3 months in I falter and end up exactly where I started. I guess it could be considered a blessing the weight seems to always stay relatively the same but when you want to lose 40lbs and struggle despite all your efforts no one would call it a blessing.

So what does that all have to do with today. I have decided to complete monthly check-ins with myself. Every month on the 25th. This is good for two reasons, it's the year 2025 and my birthday falls on the 25th of July. This is my goal. I want to be 130 lbs or less by my birthday. That's 6 months from now. And although this is my first post I have already been at this change since the beginning of the year.

What my check-ins with consist of. I will update my weight and any losses, and post new images and measurements. I will also give a detailed update of not only my successes throughout the month but any setbacks that occur. The goal is to be fully transparent with myself and share my journey with others so we can all see how hard it can be, learn from one another, and even motivate each other. I could be doing it all on my own or others may join me, but each month I will give an update and reflect on the month past and the month to come.

So without further ado, here is month one in review...

I didn't start the month off great, it took me a few days to get rid of some old habits and pick up some new ones. What are those? Glad you asked. I have a terrible sweet tooth and kicking additional sugar has been at the top of my list. This meant giving up candy. I am lucky enough that the other sweets don't really call to me, but a pack of Skittles or nerds can have me in a sugar coma before I know it. I am happy to say that releasing the candy hold hasn't been as difficult as I thought it might be, and that could be because I have done it in the past. I just tell myself, "I don't eat that", this may not work for everyone but it does for me. I still have other sweets from time to time but not nearly as much as I would have eaten candy.

Things that make this harder are that my mother and brother both have a serious sweet tooth as well and they always have candy in the house, but again I just tell myself I don't eat that and keep it moving. Ways I want to advance my sugar detox is to remove sugary drinks and foods with a lot of added sugar to them. I have been enjoying club sodas with added flavored syrups and my mother recently got a slushy machine. So removing those two things will aid in the sugar detox efforts as well. Also moving out of my parent's house will help as the visual temptation should be removed since I don't purchase sweets myself. This should be happening in the early spring.

As for other parts of my diet, I am not really following any particular diet, but I am vegetarian. A noticeable thing I have started is paying attention to my Protein. It has never really been a focus of mine in the past but with the increasing workout intensity I have had over the last few years, it is something I am consciously making an effort to meet. I am also certain that my calorie intake has been all over the place and I am now recently making an attempt to get in 1500 calories a day. No this isn't a deficit it's just a goal. I think my yoyo diet habits have decreased my daily calorie expenditure and I want to raise it back to something manageable. I am not hungry often so giving myself this goal is ensuring I am eating enough for my workout and weight loss goals. It may change in the future as this becomes my new norm but for now, it works for me.

My workouts have been very consistent but this hasn't been a huge issue for me even in the past. I enjoy working out and I think that finding workouts that I generally enjoy doing has aided in this. This month my focus has been more cardio-forward and it is my goal next month to bring back in more weight training. Then in the following months introduce more mobility training as well.

What am I doing currently for workouts? Well, I'll tell you, no gatekeeping here. I do morning cardio where I either pick a CDornerFitness step routine or a GrowWithJo walking cardio routine. Both of these women can be found on YouTube as I do most of my workouts at home. I have also been training in calisthenics, choosing to do upper body on Monday and Thursday, lower body on Tuesday and Friday, and core on Wednesday. These are really done sporadically throughout the day as I work from home, but in the last week have been following routines from MadFit on YouTube. Just her 10-minute routines focused on which part of the body I was working on for that day. And lastly, I have decided to try my hand at a 5k later this year. Maybe April or May and have been practicing on the weekends by running a 5k on the treadmill, it's currently too cold to run outside, and seeing how much time it takes me to finish. It's really informal training but I am proud of my efforts there as well.

The last thing I want to bring up is my sleep habits. This has undoubtedly been the toughest part of my new journey for me. I am a chronic night owl, but I want to start getting adequate sleep. I am getting better but the month started out really rough. I basically had to just let myself cycle through an all-nighter and then stay awake until it was bedtime again. This worked but now as a person who naturally wakes up after 6 hours of sleep, I find myself sleeping from roughly 10pm to 3-4am and then being up the rest of the day. Hoping as I get more consistent with sleep this will become a good thing, but right now I find myself falling back to sleep around 7-8am and sleeping another 2-3 hours.

These are the things I am working through and as I make these life changes I hope that I will also finally see the weight on the scale reflect my efforts. But I know what you all came for, the stats, and here they are. Along with some recent pictures of where my body currently is. I hope you all found this transparency refreshing and chose to follow along on my journey. I can't promise to post between the updates, but I will be updating this journey every month on the 25th. I look forward to seeing and following your journeys as well. Let's work together or just use me as motivation to help you stay consistent and see it's not only you who struggles with weight loss.

The Stats:

Age: 35

Height: 60 in / 152.4 cm

Weight: 171 lbs / 77.5 kg

Body Measurements:

-- Bust: 41.24 in / 104.75cm

-- Waist: 33 in / 83.8 cm

-- Hips: 44.5 in / 113 cm

BMI: 33.4 *based on this site

5K Time: 47 minutes

Goal Weight by birthday:

Weight: 130 lbs / 59 kg

Things to note:

My BMI is high probably no matter how you look at it but I do have more muscle mixed in. So I plan to do a full body composition at some point in the near future and will have a better understanding of what this really is.

I do my measurements myself and I try to stay in a relaxed state so that they can be as accurate as possible.

If you have questions or suggestions for my journey all are welcome and will be answered when received. I do a lot of random research on this topic and if you have suggestions for that as well, please feel free to share them. Thank you for joining me in my journey and please keep things positive. I am not perfect nor do I claim to be. I am human and we are naturally flawed and I am working on embracing all that I am and all that I can be. As should you all. I hope you have a beautiful month ahead and I will check in again soon!