Eleana's Weekly Check In

• Weight: 68 kg (- 2 kg)
• Body Fat:
• Waist: 30" (-2.5")
• Hips: 42" (-1.5")
• Thighs: 23 (- 0.5")

Let me start of by saying, this is no April Fool's joke... I am actually back on the right track again.

Hurrah! So nice to be seeing those numbers going down instead of up. I got a bit of an early April Fool's surprise by my weight on Sunday when the scales informed me I was 67 kg! I was back up to 68 kg the next day, but I SAW IT I SWEAR!

Anyway, my efforts to cut down on diet coke and other soft drinks is going surprisingly well! I haven't "slipped up" so to speak from being desperate for a can of the good stuff. I had one on purpose the other day to celebrate the fact I just turned in my graduation portfolio. Since then, nada. My addiction was clearly not as bad as I feared. It was much worse last year for sure when I was clawing at vending machines when I gave it up for a week.

I have not been eating out very much which has helped massively because I am always lured into buying those 1,600 calorie meals. I am still doing well with my water and I am also doing well by not having dessert after every meal (although I've had a couple brownies in a mug).

Now that it is finally warming up in Mississippi I need to get my running shoes back on and do some more exercise which I have roped my boyfriend into doing with me for company... and competition.

Eleana's Weekly Check-In

 Longish weekly check in for me today, but I have a lot to get off my chest.

• Weight: 68 kg (- 2 kg)
• Body Fat:
• Waist: 32.75" (+ 0.25")
• Hips: 42"(- 1.5")
• Thighs: 23.25" (- 0.25")

Well, this week appears to be a tricky week for losing weight and inches, but I was expecting that so I'm not exactly surprised. I think I am measuring the right place on my thigh though so that's an improvement! I took Jodie's advice from last week and now measure 10 inches up from my knee before I measure around my thigh, much easier.

I did two workouts this week, one Jillian Michaels session and one Zumba class and I can't remember the last time I did two workouts in a week so that is a big improvement for me. I'm about to go way beyond that and my comfort zone by joining Jodie in starting Ripped in 30 today. The idea both scares me witless because of me extreme dislike of exercising, but also invigorates me because it's a challenge and I love challenges.

Speaking of, I have very much improved in my water intake from before the challenge. I was drinking a cup of water maybe every few days if my body was lucky, but I now make sure I drink some everyday. I should have found out what constituted 50 oz or 1.5 litres at the beginning of the week as I was never aware of whether I was reaching my goal, so I only reached the goal number two days in the week. However, water is on my mind a lot more now and I always carry a water bottle with me.

I've been saying "no" to foods recently, which is something I've always struggled with. When my boyfriend asked me if I wanted to buy pancakes on my way home yesterday for breakfast, in the past my answer was always "abso-flippin-lutely", but this time I said no, I was going to stick to eating better and not adding things into my diet unnecessarily. Also, since my chat with Jodie after Zumba, I have been considering how sticking to my calories with bad, sugary, fatty foods is not enough to achieve weight loss. Therefore I have looked up some healthy recipes on SkinnyTaste.com and not only found things I liked (picky eater, remember?), but when I went out to purchase the ingredients I found that my overall shopping budget reduced to 3/5 of what it was when I bought mostly processed, pre-made foods. Result!

Hopefully all of this extra exercise plus eating right will make a big difference at my next weekly check-in. Here's hoping!

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Weekly Challenge: Drinking Enough Water

We've agreed to start doing weekly challenges in order to break down the struggle and stress of trying to form new habits and break old ones. For the moment I'll be setting the challenges, but Eleana and/or Rachael may take over later on.

This week's challenge is staying hydrated!

Admittedly this is not something I struggle with anymore. I am a camel. But it means I can offer some insight and tips. Staying hydrated is so important - water helps your body function properly, replaces fluids when you exercise, keeps you energized and controls your appetite. It also has a massive impact on the appearance of your skin. Pick your level, consider an action plan and find somewhere to write down how you're doing every day - then include your results in next week's check in!

Levels
Beginner: 1.5 litres or 50 oz per day.
Intermediate: 2 litres or 70 oz per day (roughly the daily recommendation by most sources).
Advanced: 3 litres or 100 oz per day. (This is a case of listening to your body - no need to shoot for this if it doesn't feel comfortable. I drink this much to help with strenuous exercise and the warmer climate.)

Tips:

• Stay close to a bathroom. You will need to pee a lot at first. I promise your body starts adjusting after a little while and then it won't be so bad. Don't hold it though - bad for the ladyparts.
• Give yourself deadlines. I try to drink a litre before noon every day (easier because I exercise in the AM and need cooling down after Jillian has tortured me).
• Keep a large bottle filled up and work through it. (Like an Ole Miss Nalgene bottle from the union - Hotty Toddy!) I also like to keep a cup in front of me that I keep refilling, it's less effort than something with a cap.
• Drink at specific times, or make drinking part of your daily routine - drink a glass when you wake up, before each meal, etc. (I'd caution against drinking too much before bedtime.)
• I've heard people get disparaging about water recommendations, saying that we can't possibly need so much because we take in fluids with coffee, food, etc. It IS important to listen to your body about what you need, but most people don't hydrate enough so I find this comment a little silly. I am a purist and I don't count tea, coffee, soup etc towards my daily amount. Especially as coffee/soda is dehydrating!
• Make the water interesting. Not with chemical flavoring! Make it a "detox water" using Cassey Ho's recipe - slice of lemon, slice of orange, slices of cucumber, mint - or some other variations. Maybe put some berries in it. 
• You could also vary it by having hot water with a slice of lemon or fresh ginger or both. And green tea is awesome! (Sometimes I count it...) Cold water is valuable as your body has to work hard to heat it up, burning more calories. But I like a hot drink sometimes so these are good options.
• I use my Nalgene bottle to make sure I'm getting enough each day (I fill it up then pour it into a glass, for instance), but you could also track it on MyFitnessPal or keep a tally chart throughout the day.
• If you prefer to drink from a fountain rather than carrying water around, work out how many sips equates to 8oz. Measure it out in a glass at home and take regular sips, counting how many it takes you to finish.

Best of luck and remember to comment on it next week!