The Next Hundred Pounds

THE POTATO WILL NOT WIN!

So, I've been beating myself up this week, despite this counterproductive activity being strictly against company policy. On Wednesday, when I realized that I was just too damned worn out to do my scheduled P90X Plyo workout (probably the hardest one in the rotation), I lay on the bed and sobbed.  I was just so mad. And I kept trying to rev myself up to go and do it anyway, and just couldn't. Finally, I retired to a hot bath and a glass of wine, and just gave up for the day.

I was able to pick up the workouts the next day, but I was a day behind and couldn't find a day to double up. So Sunday came --- Kenpo day --- and I had to face the fact that it just was not going to happen. It was very upsetting. It's not that I hadn't worked out that day, I just never found time to make up the last workout of the week. Boy, was I bummed.

I posted about it at The Athletic Performer FaceBook page, where my inspirational friend Robin told me that even the best athletes sometimes miss a workout and that I should just accept it and move on. That's when it struck me.

There's this mentality I've had all along that underneath my dedication to improving my fitness and specifically to sticking to my current program, lurks the dreaded Inner Couch Potato. She is loaded with sour cream, cheese, bacon, and butter, and she is just waiting to catch me snoozing so she can pin me to the sofa, and stuff my face with the evil trifecta of carbs, fat, and sugar until inertia renders me unable to get up. Deep inside, I fear that if I get into the habit of skipping workouts --- and missing one is the beginning of the slippery slope --- THE POTATO WILL WIN.

Robin says the potato will not win, and it's time for me to stop thinking like a fat girl. Robin is probably right.

I've kept up with most of my workouts despite a ridiculously grueling schedule the past two weeks, and I have NOT pigged out during our many restaurant excursions. I've managed just fine.

Sometimes it's hard to erase those old tapes. They rear their ugly heads when you are especially tired and vunerable. I don't know if it will ever be possible to silence them entirely, but I do know that just because they are repeating their old negative messages does NOT mean I have to believe them. It doesn't mean they're true. The important thing for me is to throw the potato against the wall, get up tomorrow, and do the workout I have scheduled. Tomorrow will mark Week 7 of P90X for me. If I've only missed one workout in six weeks, that ain't too shabby.

Take that, Potato.

MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF KENPO

Two full days of touring, three half days, six meals out, including a birthday celebration. Days that start at 6 and end at midnight. Normal, everyday work to be done, including prepping two opera roles (one brand new with a time crunch, one modern and complicated) and rehearsing the show I'm directing.

I haven't been on the scale this week, but one thing I have done: I have managed to get my workouts in every single day. This meant, for the last two nights, starting them at 10 p.m. because that was the only time I had available.  Lord, it was the last thing I wanted to do, but I am glad I did them. I'd tell myself I was paying for the sins of dinner, and remind myself that I really want to be part of the Fit People Club. Being a member of a couple of online communities where people regularly log their workouts and chime in with support is extremely motivating. If one of my friends can happily run 50K and then do 10K the next day for "recovery", I can get off my butt for an hour of Kenpo even if I think I'm exhausted.

Foodwise, I think I've been doing pretty well --- far from perfect, but sticking mostly to plan. My in-laws enjoy their meals out, but the other two meals of the day will be extremely modest --- a couple of pieces of whole wheat toast with jam for breakfast and a light salad for dinner. Following this model (and really watching how much bread I consume) seems to be doing the trick for me.

I've just completed Week Six of Power 90 and am very pleased that I've managed not to fall behind schedule  --- except in one thing. You're supposed to take weight, measurements, and photos every 30 days, and I am now officially a week behind in that. I plan to do it tomorrow, and will post pics. BTW, it's a hard and scary thing to take measurements and photos when you first start a body-changing program (and especially difficult sometimes to get on the scale), but I strongly, strongly urge you to do it. You should have numerous records of your progress, because the results don't always show up as fast as you would like in one area. For example, weight can fluctuate quite a bit and even plateau for long periods of time, but your measurements will show your continued progress. And monthly photos are a great motivator!I'll show mine tomorrow.

MOTIVATION TO MOVE!

There's a great little article on the Livestrong website about how to motivate yourself (and keep motivated) to work out. With the exception of the reward-yourself-with-pastry-and-chai-latte suggestion, which might be fine for a marathoner but not such a good plan for anyone with food issues, there are lots of good ideas. I keep a special bottle of nice, yummy-smelling bath gel that I ONLY get to use after workouts. (Recently depleted fave: Lush Cosmetic's Flying Fox. I probably won't buy it again, though, because despite their store full of yummies, the second you enter a Lush store the employees start stalking you like sharks smelling blood, and will.not. leave. you. alone. It's so annoying). Also, thanks to P90X, I have started having a recovery drink after most workouts. I make myself a shake using unsweetened chocolate almond milk, soy protein powder, maybe some plain nonfat yogurt and fruit depending on what my food plan is that day, and a little maple syrup to sweeten it up.  I really look forward to my little shake! It's refreshing and quite frequently, sufficient to get me through to dinner time.

If you're looking for further inspiration and support to get your workouts up and running, check out a new site called Lollihop. Co-founder and CEO Suzanne Xie describes it as "a fun site to help friends lose weight in teams."

"It's all about supporting and tracking with those who are also trying to lose weight, "she says."It's free and lets the users personalize their profiles and team pages which makes things more  personal and customizable ."  If you use programs like Foursquare, you can  link your account  so that your restaurant or gym checkins and the like will  show up to people who follow you and your teammates. (I don't pretend to understand the appeal of that, but a lot of people apparently do, so if you're into it, hey, go for it). There's no question in my mind that having a community in on your workouts/weight loss is a great support tool, so here's your chance to get in on the ground floor and recruit your coffee clatch, office, fantasy football team, or what have you for a fun way to boost your health together.

So speaking of working out, I'm two workouts into Week Five of P90X.  The weight loss has stagnated, but I'm not sticking as strictly to their nutrition plan as I should. I do plan to get back to that ASAP. My resolution to push myself harder, however, is paying off. Not only are the workouts actually more fun, but five weeks in I feel I am really getting some results. I see myself getting stronger with every single workout. The improvements are often tiny, incremental, but they are undeniable. I can do almost all of the plyo workout, not necessarily full force, but I can keep up (and it's the hardest one, except for Abs Ripper, which is a killer). I can do a lot more push-ups and I can do more of them on my toes without having to go to my knees. My balance is getting better, thanks to the (really tough!) yoga vid. And I'm seeing a lot more definition, especially in my shoulders and arms. You can't see my abs, as they are still covered in a substantial layer of fat, but underneath that, I feel them getting tighter. The other day I was on my hands and knees, pulling weeds, and suddenly realized that gravity was not pulling my stomach down as usual.  It was ... hey, it was kind of tight! And even though I haven't lost a lot of weight, all my clothes are fitting looser.

I'm honestly not trying to sell anyone else on P90X, even though I love it and think it's a fantastic program --- it's not for everybody. But I do want to sell you on getting involved in some kind of regular training program, working towards some specific goals rather than just putting in your weekly hour or two of drudgery. Having a goal or being part of a program is amazingly motivating. And when you start to see the results, that motivation begins to snowball. Then at some point you wake up and realize that feeling amazing (and looking pretty darn good) is motivation enough.

That, my friends, is a path worth taking. 

JUST CALL ME GEORGE, AS IN SAINT

One dragon, slain.

After all my concern about Cracker Barrel, site of many former gastronomical orgies, yesterday morning's visit cured me of ever wishing to go again.

First, a little clarification: my concerns didn't center around the fact that I might be tempted to gorge myself --- I am, thank God, no longer physically capable of consuming that amount of food at one sitting (or even in one day).  It's more what it represented --- the fattening, unhealthy, yet tempting food. I am working so, so hard on my fitness and to lose a little more weight, not to mention just maintaining my new lifestyle as it pertains to food. I was scared that going to a place like Cracker Barrel would tempt me to backslide. Plus, we are eating out a LOT this week, and I am really having to pick and choose my indulgences. It's very, very easy to let a little "extra" here and there turn into extra pounds at the end of the week.

And I always fear the little slipup turning into long-term slipups turning into massive weight gain. I don't think I'll ever be free of that fear.

But back to the dragon-slaying.

HATED CB. Hated it. Service was slow, my order was wrong when it arrived and also cold, which I will not tolerate. By the time the replacement arrived, everybody else was done eating. And frankly, it just wasn't that good. My pancakes are much better. I forgot to ask them to leave the butter off, and they arrived with a giant, unappetizing slab 'o'fat on top. I think my coffee cup was refilled once. The in-laws loved it, which was the whole point in going, but hubby and I are happy to report that the magic is GONE and we never need to go there again.

Also, I had a crazy schedule the rest of the day, and ate very lightly. Yaay!

Alas, today wasn't quite as successful --- we visited the Texas Ranger Museum in Waco (really nice little museum --- if you find yourself out that way, I highly recommend it) and had lunch at the Elite Circle Grille, one of Elvis' former stomping grounds. I couldn't resist one of their delicious hot yeast rolls or the beer-battered onion rings (both of which were indeed amazing). But the rest of my meal did consist of plain grilled fish and veggies --- well, at least as plain as I could get'em. Had to send those back too, because the waitress didn't understand that "plain, nothing on them" meant NOTHING ON THEM. I often find restaurant food too salty, and request grilled items to be 100% plain. They didn't take me seriously and brought out seriously salted food, which once again, I had to send back. And when the second try came out, it STILL had some sort of garnish on it! They just don't do plain at the Elite. And my in-laws must think I am the world's pickiest (or unluckiest) eater! The good news --- I wasn't very hungry come dinner time. A cup of soup and about half a dinner salad were all I could manage. So I think that calorie-wise, it probably balanced out.

I will be happy if I get through this week sticking to my workout routine and not gaining any weight --- I don't expect to lose. Thank goodness tomorrow is an eat-at-home day!

In other news, Week Five of P90X started Monday. The first workout was a challenging chest-shoulder-triceps-abs session which involved a lot of fancy push-ups. One handed push-ups. Walking push-ups.  Pike push-ups (on your toes with your butt in the air, or with your feet on a chair).  Push-ups with claps in between. I was sort of astounded to discover that I can do most of them. It ain't pretty, and I can't keep up with the supermen and -women on the video, but I can do'em.  My arms are gonna be FIERCE by tank-top season!

THEN VS NOW

Once upon a time, we used to go to places like Cracker Barrel, and there we would eat enough in one sitting to last for two days.

My standard choice would be the Sunrise Sampler:  two poached eggs, with grits, gravy, biscuits, butter, apple butter, fried apples, hashbrown casserole, sausage, ham, and bacon. Oh yeah, and a side of pancakes, which are fried in butter to which I would add more butter and maple syrup.  A rough guess at a calorie count would be 4000.

It horrifies me that I was ever capable of eating that much food at one sitting (even if we didn't eat for the rest of the day). I have not been to Cracker Barrel in years, but we're going on Monday at my in-laws' request, and herein lies some of my anxiety.

It's not unlike an alcoholic revisiting a favorite watering hole.

I have had to remind myself (and probably will, over and over) that just because we are eating out does not mean I have to pig out. I have researched the menus of every restaurant we're dining at, and decided in advance what I will have. I've decided on a couple of places where I will really indulge; the rest will be as plain as I can manage. It's the only way to stay in control.

I've also mapped out my workout days for the rest of the week. My training schedule has to change around a little to accommodate our outings, but that's okay. I will enjoy our days out more if I've already done my workout, so the plan is to get up and do it right away, before I eat, and have it out of the way for the day.

It's been a long time since I've used my response cards ---  they got me through the first two years, but after a while they just weren't effective any more. Actually, they have been internalized, so I don't really need the outward reminder any more, except perhaps on special occasions. Like this one. But instead of response cards, I'm going to carry a couple of photos with me:

Then.

And now.

 

 

 

 

LOVE THYSELF! IT'S GOOD FOR YOU!

So it turns out that a kinder, gentler approach to making major life changes may indeed be the way to go. In this article from Tara Parker-Pope's Well Blog in the New York Times, Dr. Kristin Neff,  an associate professor of human development at the University of Texas at Austin (Hook'em, Horns!) discusses her findings on self-compassion as it relates to health and self-care. (Thanks to Hippety-Skippety for sending me the link to this article). It seems that being nice to yourself might actually help you lose weight!

Well, it's certainly worked for me. And yet it's one of the hardest habits to establish. Many people fear confusing self-compassion with self-indulgence. And fat people in particular often struggle with feelings of guilt and inadequacy already. They have been told, and believe, that they are fat because they over-indulge and are too lazy/weak/undisciplined to control themselves. They set up impossible restrictions and monumental goals, and beat themselves up when they don't keep up with them. And as Dr. Beck points out in her book, they fail to give themselves credit for the things they do right. They think they ought to be doing those things anyway and they shouldn't be so hard; so the little successes somehow "don't count".

If you want to lose weight, you've got to let go of beating yourself up. It doesn't work and it just makes you miserable. Give it up for Lent, right now. Instead, practice compassion.

Let go of the possibility of failure in your diet. How? Don't put foods off limits; but do plan how often to eat them and limit portion sizes. Acknowledge to yourself before you even begin that you are going to make mistakes sometimes, and that this does not mean you are a bad person, lazy, undisciplined, or a failure. It means you're human. Go back to eating right at the very next meal. The important thing is to get back to it. Be as nice to yourself as you would be to a dear friend. You deserve it. And you deserve the self-compassion that means taking care of yourself --- eating right, getting enough sleep, getting exercise. Taking care of your body means taking care of your mind and soul as well.

Here's how I'm taking care of myself this week: I had to skip a scheduled workout on Wednesday, very much against my will, but it was the right thing to do. Yesterday I couldn't make it up because of my concert, so I doubled up today and had a great time. Also,  since my in-laws get here tomorrow and we have a very busy week planned, I sat down and planned meals and shopping lists for their entire visit. I also investigated menus of every restaurant we plan to visit, and have made a food plan for eating out. Next up: exercise plan. Whatever it takes, friends, whatever it takes.

TAKE IT TO THE LIMITS!

Somwhere in the middle of last week (Week Three of P90X), I realized that I wasn't pushing myself nearly as hard as I should be.

There's a good reason. A couple,  actually. What I was telling myself when I started was that I was protecting myself from further injury; and I do still have to be careful with my foot and hips and knees. But really, it stems from my original philosophy of working out: whatever it takes to get me to do it. And that did not include pushing hard.

Pushing hard was uncomfortable when I was fat. Uncomfortable and discouraging, because everything seemed really hard to me. And like most fat people, at some time in my past I'd been pushed too far too fast by people who were slim and fit and didn't really understand what it was like to do that activity carrying a lot of extra weight.

When I started out, one of the things I figured out was that in order to make exercise a habit, I had to do it comfortably. I had to keep myself entertained. If that meant reading the newspaper while I was on the elliptical, so be it. It kept me on the thing for an hour.

And it worked. Exercise did become a habit, and if it wasn't always fun, sometimes it was.  In fact, since I started running, it became an activity I really enjoyed. P90X is the same, because it's challenging and I am seeing real results after just a few weeks. At the same time, I noticed that I just didn't feel as tired as I ought to, given the toughness of these workouts.

I simply haven't been working hard enough. Deep down, I was afraid to. I was afraid I wouldn't like it, that it would be too much and I'd have to face up to being lazy, or feel guilty. I'd find out I was faking it and I'm not really fit enough to be doing a program like P90X.

But I also was curious, and I want that fitness level. So the very next workout, I really pressed. I made myself work to failure on every set. AND IT WAS AWESOME. Yes, I got tired. No, I couldn't do as many reps or as fast or hard or perfectly as the people on the DVD. But I kept up. It felt fantastic.

I've done two more workouts since then, and did my best to push hard without losing good form or pushing for the sake of pushing --- in other words, staying mindful of what my body can do and not trying to take on too much weight or go past what's safe. And I've discovered that taking myself to the limits is actually fun. And also, I can do a lot more than I thought. Yaaay!

On Wednesday, the schedule had a particularly challenging new workout listed, and I had a very long day at school. It just wasn't going to happen. I accepted that, and did it today instead, thinking I'd double up so I wouldn't fall behind. Well, I had a concert to sing tonight, so the doubleup wasn't happening today. But it will tomorrow! Kenpo and yoga. That's a good combination.

Concert attire du jour

Technically, I am now on Spring Break, but there ain't no break about it except for not having to drive to school two days a week.  I'm still teaching my private students, directing the opera, getting ready for my opera workshop's summer program, prepping for the in-laws (who arrive Saturday), and ... oh yeah. Learning a brand new opera role in a month, which believe me, kiddos, is not much time.  I've got to squeeze a trip to New York in there somewhere. 

And work out. Let's not forget the working out. Got to have some fun, after all!

UN-RECIPES AND SEXY GIRLY MUSCLES

It's been a while since I've blogged about food/recipes, mainly because I'm doing the "eat simply" thing right now and it's working really well.  (By "eat simply", I mean a minimal amount of cooking ... more like making salads, or putting some beans on top of a big handful of spinach and heating it in the microwave, which is MMMM, BTW). However, this only goes so far with a husband in the house. Happily for me, mine wants to eat healthy, too, but cottage cheese, tuna, and carrot sticks are not going to keep him happy. So once in a while I have to actually cook something more substantial, while still sticking to my own plan.

On Friday night, I made lime ginger garlic cilantro seitan (you could just as easily do chicken tenders) to serve with lettuce wraps. Nice head of Boston lettuce, some chopped red bell pepper, carrots, red onion, and mango, a little peanut sauce, and the seitan. It made a very delicious and healthy meal, with very little actual cooking involved.

Last night, having Boston lettuce and a few chopped veggies left over, I sauteed a little onion, tossed in a can of chili beans, some cumin, and some frozen corn, set out a little bit of avocado and low-fat cheese, and voila! We had taco salad. Sorry, no pic of that, but it was almost as colorful as the lettuce wraps, and quite good.

It all changes at the end of the week when the in-laws arrive. Don't get me wrong; they eat healthy, too, though slightly differently than we do. But Mama's gonna have to cook, and also, we'll be eating out a lot. I actually made a calendar with our itinerary on it, including which days we're going to eat out where. (I am proud of myself for scheduling the Chinese buffet on a day when I will be working and thus unavailable ... they love those big Chinese buffets, and those are one of the unhealthiest places to eat outside of a fast food restaurant. And if I'm going to "spend" extra calories, it is not going to be on substandard food!). The next step is to sit down and menu plan within an inch of my life. It may seem extreme, but I am busy enough that it's necessary to help keep us all on track, and it will actually make life easier. Can you tell I'm a little worried about this? I don't want to backtrack!

Today was the final day of Week Three of P90X --- Kenpo, which is really fun. I'm really proud for making it through three weeks. It's a tough program. That being said, I've decided I'm probably not working hard enough at it, and I need to pay more attention and push a little harder in the workouts. Not to the point where I could injure myself, but I need to make sure that with each set, I'm working to muscle fatigue. I don't always do this because I can't keep up with those superfit folks on the screen, and need a little more time to complete the sets, so sometimes I just stop when I reach the number you're supposed to do. Or maybe I just need to add more weight. As with anything else, there are ups and downs. This week, I had two workouts that were just really hard, and one that was fantastic.  I don't know what makes one day great and the next awful --- them's just the breaks, I guess. Regardless, you just keep slogging away at it. At least, that's what I do. I pushed hard for today's workout, and it felt great. So two excellent workouts in one week, two hard, two average --- not bad.

One of the great things about working out so hard every day is that I really do NOT feel like eating afterwards. I often end up sort of combining lunch and my recovery drink into a healthy smoothie. My current drink is a cup of unsweetened chocolate almond milk, a scoop of protein powder, a cup of plain nonfat yogurt (if I'm having lunch as well as recovery; otherwise, I leave this out), and one serving of fruit (half a banana and some frozen cherries are a favorite combo). Sometimes I add a tablespoon of maple syrup if it needs to be sweeter, or some vanilla extract for extra flavor, and ice if I want a thicker, shake-like consistency.  It's really satisfying and I look forward to it after my workouts! Later in the afternoon, I need a snack --- carrot sticks and some peanut butter, or a couple of rice cakes --- and then I eat a good dinner with lots of veggies.

This is a singin' sort of weekend, too. Yesterday I had rehearsal, held auditions for Spotlight on Opera, made a brief recording, then headed back to school for the Celtic Music Festival.

This, incidentally, is the pic for March. I've been lax about posting monthly pics and I want to get back to it, especially since I hope subsequent months will enable me to show off some sexy girly muscles!

Tonight I am singing the mezzo solos for the Mozart Solemn Vespers at the university (often a duty of faculty members --- front the choir). It's spring already, but we've had a little cold snap, so I'm breaking out my red velvet gown just 'cause it's purty and I like it. And it will show off a little bit of aforementioned sexy girly muscles-in-training. Pics to follow!

 

PARTY PLANNING

So, I'm a little worried about sticking to my regimen during my charming French in-laws' visit at the end of next week. It's difficult and expensive to arrange visits in either direction; so when we do manage to get together, it's sort of a nonstop celebration. They live pretty quiet lives at home but don't let that fool you; my belle-mere and beau-pere are party animals. They are avidly interested in all things Texan, and they love American food and want to experience as much as they can while they are here --- not unlike me on the rare occasions I get to France! So we have a pretty packed schedule, which includes three day trips (all of which will involve eating at least two meals at restaurants), three different in-town excursions which involve lunch out, and a couple of other restaurant meals planned, plus a few special things they like me to make at home (hey, I'm flattered that French people not only approve of my American cooking, but make special requests).

I am not complaining about showing my in-laws a good time. I am thrilled to have the opportunity. However, on my end, I have to make sure that I don't overeat and that I stick to my P90X schedule, and that's going to be tough.

Well, I plotted out the itinerary for the visit, and know which restaurants we're visiting and when. So my next task is to check out each website and plan ahead what I will eat. Yes, this sounds incredibly anal retentive, and some readers are probably rolling their eyes and muttering, "Jeez, why doesn't she just relax and enjoy herself?"

No worries. Enjoyment and relaxation will be had. But for me, going wildly off plan simply isn't enjoyable any more. I have worked so hard in the past, and am working extra hard now with P90X (which kicks my butt every day, in a good way!) and the idea of blowing it is just not appealing at all. Back in the day, I had a reminder card which read "Not every meal out is an indulgence meal". I might have to dig it out and carry it around with me next week.

To me, it's better to enjoy a small indulgence every day, or perhaps a larger one once or twice a week, than to have a day during which I just go all out. There's just never a time when I say to myself, "I can eat anything I want, as much as I want." There was a time when that would have seemed horribly restrictive to me; and sometimes I do wish I didn't have to worry about it.  But it just doesn't work for me.

Meanwhile, I had a great P90X day today, doing Shoulders/Arms. I was able to up all my weight. It's a fun workout and as they say, those are the "glamour muscles", ensuring you look good in your tank tops. ;) Abs Ripper remains extremely challenging; it's probably the hardest workout of the whole bunch and I cannot claim to do much of it without modifications (such as performing a lot of it in C-curl, rather than sitting up). But I always feel skinnier after I do it, and also, very reluctant to eat! I love this program; it's plenty challenging and interesting, I don't have to do anything more complicated that stick the right DVD in, push play and follow along, and I'm certainly seeing results. Tomorrow, Yoga X, which is an hour and a half of serious yoga --- a lot of challenging postures and tonining. I still wish for a convenient regular class, but for now, this will do.

I strongly recommend some type of resistence training (aka weight lifting) to supplement your cardio. It's great for your bones, it will help prevent injury in everyday activities and keep you strong as you get older, it improves strength and balance, it may help prevent heart disease and metabolic syndrome, it helps you burn more fat, and ---duh--- it tones you up so you look great. Best of all, you don't need a lot of fancy equipment or space to do it. You can do everything you need to do with resistance bands and a chair. Everything else is cake. Even older adults see immediate benefit from resistence training! So if you're not doing it now, consider adding some resistance training to your workout routine. I feel so much better now that I've gotten back to it, I wonder why I ever laid off.

PS --- as you may have noticed, I'm playing with new designs. I've never updated the look of the blog, and it's time for a fresh look. Wish I could do custom but I've got enough going on without having to design something. Let me know what you think!

THE UPS AND DOWNS OF WEIGHT LOSS

When I first embarked on my weight loss journey, I quickly noticed a pattern in my losses. My preference is to weigh every day. This doesn't work for everybody --- for some, it's too anxiety-ridden or obsessive, and encourages unhealthy behaviors. For me, it's about desensitizing myself to the scale and also getting a handle on what's happening with my body on a day-to-day basis. At times, when it's begun to be overwhelming, I declare Scale Amnesty for a while and weigh once a week, or once a month, or (as I did recently) stop weighing myself at all and literally go by the seat of my pants.

One of the things weighing every day shows me is this pattern of weight loss/gain that my body experiences. I'm two workouts into Week Three of P90X, and my total weight loss from day one is a little over eight pounds. But that didn't come in a straight line. I lost pretty steadily the first week, about five pounds, and then a little more the next week ... and then it started going back up, then down, then up and up and up. I regained 2.5 pounds without having changed a thing in how much I was eating or exercising. I actually was losing during my period, and the weight gain started after it was over.

So what was going on, exactly? I dunno. Hormonal stuff, I guess. The point is, when you start really targeting loss (or working out more intensely), you'll probably lose a lot at first. It's mostly water weight, and it balances out soon enough. Also, if you have a lot to lose, you will probably lose very steadily up to a certain point, after which it becomes much more challenging. You may even plateau a few times. But if you track your losses, you'll see a definite pattern. Mine is to lose quickly the first two weeks of the month, then gain a little back for a couple of days, then go up and down a little for a couple more days, and finally settle at anywhere from a half to two pounds higher than whatever my very lowest weight during the month was.  Now that I have recognized this as my pattern, I know what to look for and don't freak out over it any more.

It may help you to keep a graph, which will show you your progress over time. Also, it's extremely helpful to refuse to rely on the scale alone for feedback. When you start (or in my case, re-start) weight-loss efforts, you should always take pictures--- full body, please --- and periodically update them.

And you should also be sure to take measurements. Measurements tell the real story of weight loss, much more accurately than the scale. If you've had a disappointing week or month as evidenced by the scale, take your measurements! You may very well be pleasantly surprised. My measurements revealed that I lost an inch off my waist in two weeks, and a couple off my bust --- which might not please everyone, but I've got plenty to spare).

Finally, look at how your clothes are fitting! My jeans aren't loose but they are not tight anymore, either. That makes the  biggest difference in how comfortable I am as I move through my day. And in the end, that's really what all the efforts are about. :)