I'm fascinated by the attire that people wear to go exercise. Now, I'm not talking about the parents who decided to take their kids to the park after going out to eat or something, I'm talking about the adult female who wears long jean shorts (ya know, the kind that are tight through the thigh and stop right above the knee) with a belt and their ipod strapped to their arm and do laps around the park - WHAT THE?!?!? Even better is the older couple where the wife is wearing her matching 2 piece, fuchsia, velour sweat suit she's had since 1982 complete with the gaudy gold bangle bracelets and charm necklace and her husband is wearing khaki dress pants with a button down shirt and sneakers to walk in. I just don't get it. Then there's also always one or two in the group of guys playing soccer who are in nice jeans and a nice top and are chasing after a ball and getting grass stains on their nice clothes - WHY?
Now, I'm no fashionista, you can typically find me in a dingy pair of sweatpants where the crotch is halfway to my knees and smattered with paint from household project accompanied by an equally distressed t-shirt I got for free by participating in some event... but at least it's worthy of sweat. I have realized that I do need to get some more work-out clothes, the low crotch sweatpants aren't flying with the chub-rub... I don't want to break out in a rash between my legs from sweat and friction. The struggle comes into play because I know I'll be losing weight and I'd hate to buy some gym clothes that are falling off me in a couple of months... part of me would rather take the risk of getting the chub-rub-rash.
None the less... come to Heritage park in Canton and you'll see my fashionably challenged ass walking the paths over and over again and if you come often you'll start to see less of me. Ha Ha!
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
mmmmm... Yogurt!
I miss exercising… no, really, I miss exercising. Mary suggested resting on Saturday and Sunday. I actually took off Friday because I think I over-did-it a little on Thursday and my back was hurting. So Saturday AM I got up and went to the park to make up for my skipped day on Friday. Yesterday was yucky and rainy all day and unfortunately I never made it to the park to walk. Well I was going crazy ALL DAY not being active. Isn’t that nuts?!?!? Me… sitting around, being lazy on the couch was making me nuts.
I came to the realization that I need to buy a Yoga (aka Yogurt) DVD or something for days when it’s raining and I can’t get my cardio in – hopefully that would be a good substitution. Then I came to the conclusion that once I hit a specific goal (short term, like 20lbs) I should either buck up and join the YMCA (even though it’s a million dollars a month) or possibly join one of those kick boxing classes or something fun and energetic – not Yogurt, I know Yogurt works, take a look at my sissy-pooh Karen, she looks phenomenal from doing it and I think yogurt is fine for icky rainy days, but I need something that gets me moving and makes me all gross and sweaty and want to go home and shower immediately. I know it’s all psychological but I don’t feel like I get a good work-out without that sweat.
What was I doing to occupy my time on the couch all day yesterday you ask? Well, I was actually watching TLC and they had the “National Body Challenge – Twins” on last night and it was pretty nuts to watch these siblings get their health in line and actually see the results. I came to a lot of conclusions while watching it…
1. You really have to want the results to be successful. Two sisters really weren’t into making a change. They were working out, but eating the same quantities and qualities of food as before, and surprise surprise… they didn’t lose any weight for the first 2 weeks – SHOCKER! They were very resistant to portion sizes and an overall change in diet and finally they figured it out and in the end the each lost about 25lbs over 15 weeks. I think that’s great.
2. Bodies come in all different shapes and sizes. There was one girl that was 1” shorter than me and weighed 22lbs less than me (at the start of my journey), but her measurements were much bigger than mine, which possibly backs up my first post about having a skewed perspective of my size. Her waist was 4 more inches around than mine AND she weighed 20lbs less… how’s that possible? I did notice that she had skinny little legs and that clearly she carried most of her extra weight in her core while I think mine is pretty evenly distributed.
3. There is NO EXCUSE for failure. There were two brothers on the show that each lost over 60lbs. That’s nuts. They co-own an Italian restaurant and had every possible reason for being obese due to the food that they were surrounded by. These guys were able to not only lose a ton of weight but they were able to do it with ALL the temptations of everyday life – I can stop buying frozen pizzas and stock my fridge with veggies… they go to work where there is fat, fat, and more fat and were still able to take off an entire person between the two of them.
and…
4. There are healthy alternatives to common, every day recipes if you are willing to make substitutions like all egg whites instead of the entire egg, applesauce for oil when baking, whole wheat flour, whole grains instead of processed grains, etc. There was a great recipe for a whole wheat crust pizza with low fat mozz cheese and chicken sausage instead of pork… cut the calories in half and the total fat from something like 23g to 4. Yummmm…
So far this journey has been fairly easy because I've stayed pretty much within the confines of my own house when it comes to food, I haven't exposed myself to any external temptations. I'm getting a little anxious for this coming weekend. Shelley is graduating!!! YAY Shelley! Well, a ton of family is coming into town and there's dinner on Friday night at a Japanese Steak House type place and then we are all BBQing on Saturday after Graduation. I'm sure temptation will be lurking around every corner... I'm planning on keeping my Klean Kanteen close at hand so I'm drinking water to keep my tummy full. I'm also thinking that I'll be chewing gum most of the time because if I already have something in my mouth I won't be tempted to put something else in there - makes sense to me! Karen arrives on Friday and she's bringing her walking shoes so if I am a little bad at least I'll have a walking partner on Saturday and Sunday to walk off those extra calories - Can't wait!
I came to the realization that I need to buy a Yoga (aka Yogurt) DVD or something for days when it’s raining and I can’t get my cardio in – hopefully that would be a good substitution. Then I came to the conclusion that once I hit a specific goal (short term, like 20lbs) I should either buck up and join the YMCA (even though it’s a million dollars a month) or possibly join one of those kick boxing classes or something fun and energetic – not Yogurt, I know Yogurt works, take a look at my sissy-pooh Karen, she looks phenomenal from doing it and I think yogurt is fine for icky rainy days, but I need something that gets me moving and makes me all gross and sweaty and want to go home and shower immediately. I know it’s all psychological but I don’t feel like I get a good work-out without that sweat.
What was I doing to occupy my time on the couch all day yesterday you ask? Well, I was actually watching TLC and they had the “National Body Challenge – Twins” on last night and it was pretty nuts to watch these siblings get their health in line and actually see the results. I came to a lot of conclusions while watching it…
1. You really have to want the results to be successful. Two sisters really weren’t into making a change. They were working out, but eating the same quantities and qualities of food as before, and surprise surprise… they didn’t lose any weight for the first 2 weeks – SHOCKER! They were very resistant to portion sizes and an overall change in diet and finally they figured it out and in the end the each lost about 25lbs over 15 weeks. I think that’s great.
2. Bodies come in all different shapes and sizes. There was one girl that was 1” shorter than me and weighed 22lbs less than me (at the start of my journey), but her measurements were much bigger than mine, which possibly backs up my first post about having a skewed perspective of my size. Her waist was 4 more inches around than mine AND she weighed 20lbs less… how’s that possible? I did notice that she had skinny little legs and that clearly she carried most of her extra weight in her core while I think mine is pretty evenly distributed.
3. There is NO EXCUSE for failure. There were two brothers on the show that each lost over 60lbs. That’s nuts. They co-own an Italian restaurant and had every possible reason for being obese due to the food that they were surrounded by. These guys were able to not only lose a ton of weight but they were able to do it with ALL the temptations of everyday life – I can stop buying frozen pizzas and stock my fridge with veggies… they go to work where there is fat, fat, and more fat and were still able to take off an entire person between the two of them.
and…
4. There are healthy alternatives to common, every day recipes if you are willing to make substitutions like all egg whites instead of the entire egg, applesauce for oil when baking, whole wheat flour, whole grains instead of processed grains, etc. There was a great recipe for a whole wheat crust pizza with low fat mozz cheese and chicken sausage instead of pork… cut the calories in half and the total fat from something like 23g to 4. Yummmm…
So far this journey has been fairly easy because I've stayed pretty much within the confines of my own house when it comes to food, I haven't exposed myself to any external temptations. I'm getting a little anxious for this coming weekend. Shelley is graduating!!! YAY Shelley! Well, a ton of family is coming into town and there's dinner on Friday night at a Japanese Steak House type place and then we are all BBQing on Saturday after Graduation. I'm sure temptation will be lurking around every corner... I'm planning on keeping my Klean Kanteen close at hand so I'm drinking water to keep my tummy full. I'm also thinking that I'll be chewing gum most of the time because if I already have something in my mouth I won't be tempted to put something else in there - makes sense to me! Karen arrives on Friday and she's bringing her walking shoes so if I am a little bad at least I'll have a walking partner on Saturday and Sunday to walk off those extra calories - Can't wait!
Friday, April 25, 2008
Mooovin' in the right direction
Well, I didn't have the huge, grand weight loss this week that I had the week prior. Only 1.2lbs down this week, but I realized going into this that it was a marathon, not a sprint. I didn't get to my current weight overnight, so I'd be crazy to think that I'll drop all my extra weight overnight.
I know a lot of people out there are doing WW online and I think that something is better than nothing, but I'm really loving the accountability of having to go to the meeting each week, have someone else weigh me and the underlying desire to "impress them". The other great thing is that I can have some questions answered... such as...
1. Do I have to use all my daily allotted points?
Answer: Yes, if you're not consuming enough calories each day your body goes into starvation mode and stores more than it needs to, so it is definitely important to get as close as you can to consuming your daily point value.
2. I'm addicted to Moe's burritos (part of the reason I'm in this mess), the other night after walking 4 miles (yes, I said 4 miles) I wanted a damn freakin' burrito and I still had 12 points left + 4 activity points from walking, only problem is... Moe's is not listed on the WW website so how do I know how many points I'm consuming?
Answer: http://www.dwlz.com/ There is a lady named Dotty and she's lost a bagillion pounds on WW and throughout her journey she started compiling a list of point values for restaurants she would visit simply by looking up their nutritional information on their website. She also has some brand name food items as well and if there is something missing, she's more than happy to add it to the list if you email her. Taco Mac is even on the list pretty freakin’ cool!
Now, my Moo Moo Mr. Cow burrito wasn't on the list because it's a kids meal, but I was able to look at the adult size, see that it's 17 points and cut that down to 10 because my burrito was 1/2 the size and I feel like it's an adequate representation of the points I used. I also kept an eye on the amount of ingredients they put into my Moo Moo and put it into the recipe builder and came up with the same point value - PRETTY FREAKING COOL!!!
I know a lot of people out there are doing WW online and I think that something is better than nothing, but I'm really loving the accountability of having to go to the meeting each week, have someone else weigh me and the underlying desire to "impress them". The other great thing is that I can have some questions answered... such as...
1. Do I have to use all my daily allotted points?
Answer: Yes, if you're not consuming enough calories each day your body goes into starvation mode and stores more than it needs to, so it is definitely important to get as close as you can to consuming your daily point value.
2. I'm addicted to Moe's burritos (part of the reason I'm in this mess), the other night after walking 4 miles (yes, I said 4 miles) I wanted a damn freakin' burrito and I still had 12 points left + 4 activity points from walking, only problem is... Moe's is not listed on the WW website so how do I know how many points I'm consuming?
Answer: http://www.dwlz.com/ There is a lady named Dotty and she's lost a bagillion pounds on WW and throughout her journey she started compiling a list of point values for restaurants she would visit simply by looking up their nutritional information on their website. She also has some brand name food items as well and if there is something missing, she's more than happy to add it to the list if you email her. Taco Mac is even on the list pretty freakin’ cool!
Now, my Moo Moo Mr. Cow burrito wasn't on the list because it's a kids meal, but I was able to look at the adult size, see that it's 17 points and cut that down to 10 because my burrito was 1/2 the size and I feel like it's an adequate representation of the points I used. I also kept an eye on the amount of ingredients they put into my Moo Moo and put it into the recipe builder and came up with the same point value - PRETTY FREAKING COOL!!!
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
WANTED: Encouragement
Ugh... not even 2 weeks into this and I'm already over it. Don't get me wrong, I'm 100% committed to this journey and I'm still staying within my daily points, etc., but I'd love to not have to worry about how many freakin' points a piece of damn cheese is. AND, the idea that I'll be counting points for at least the next year, if not the rest of my life, is not very appealing to me.
What I find so incredibly weird is that there are some days where I'm at or even above my daily points and there's others where I'm left with 1/3 or even 1/2 of my points left. I guess it's all about choices.
I do have a new love affair with fruit. Not that I didn't love fruit before, but I would always grab a cookie or chocolate before an apple. I do have to admit that I like strawberries, pineapple and cantaloupe more than the apples but I L-O-V-E the crunch of an apple. I was at the store the other night replenishing my fruits and veggies and bought a couple of pears. As I was choosing my pears I was thinking to myself, "Self, you don't eat enough pears. You like them, why don't you eat more of them?!?!?" I mean, honestly, ask yourself if you can remember the last time you ate a pear... tricky one huh? I bet you like them too! I think they are just a highly under-rated fruit.
Shitty thing is that I've been clipping a lot of coupons lately and there are rarely coupons for fruit and veggies - totally sucks! It's all for crappy, over sodiumized (is that a word?), processed food. But at least some of the coupons can get used. No joke, I saved a total of $63 one week at the grocery store, it was 41% of the entire bill... that was a nice chunk of change in my pocket - paid for 2 months of WW, but none of the food was healthy stuff.
Headed out soon to walk with Tiff and team Trellie! Got my second WW meeting tomorrow and while I'm optimistic that I'll be down some, I'm not anticipating 5lbs like last week - the first week is always the easiest, and hardest for that matter - huh.
What I find so incredibly weird is that there are some days where I'm at or even above my daily points and there's others where I'm left with 1/3 or even 1/2 of my points left. I guess it's all about choices.
I do have a new love affair with fruit. Not that I didn't love fruit before, but I would always grab a cookie or chocolate before an apple. I do have to admit that I like strawberries, pineapple and cantaloupe more than the apples but I L-O-V-E the crunch of an apple. I was at the store the other night replenishing my fruits and veggies and bought a couple of pears. As I was choosing my pears I was thinking to myself, "Self, you don't eat enough pears. You like them, why don't you eat more of them?!?!?" I mean, honestly, ask yourself if you can remember the last time you ate a pear... tricky one huh? I bet you like them too! I think they are just a highly under-rated fruit.
Shitty thing is that I've been clipping a lot of coupons lately and there are rarely coupons for fruit and veggies - totally sucks! It's all for crappy, over sodiumized (is that a word?), processed food. But at least some of the coupons can get used. No joke, I saved a total of $63 one week at the grocery store, it was 41% of the entire bill... that was a nice chunk of change in my pocket - paid for 2 months of WW, but none of the food was healthy stuff.
Headed out soon to walk with Tiff and team Trellie! Got my second WW meeting tomorrow and while I'm optimistic that I'll be down some, I'm not anticipating 5lbs like last week - the first week is always the easiest, and hardest for that matter - huh.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Weekend Woes
This weekend didn't go quite as well as last weekend when it comes to the point system. Now, don't get me wrong... it's not like I ate an entire pizza by myself followed by a Big Mac and washed down by a milk shake, but, I did have a struggle with chillin' with friends. So I went a few points over on Friday and Saturday, but not a million points over.
Although a light beer is only 2 points - if you want to have more than one, well, you're looking at 4 or 6 points. And let's face it, I'm not hanging out on the patio with friends for 4 hours and just having one beer. Thus the struggle begins. It's pretty easy to plan for having a beer when you're working your daily points, but when you've had your one beer and you're still sitting around for another 3 hours, well, sometimes you want another. I suppose that it's only over the weekend and not every day, so it won't kill me to be a few points over and technically, I have that weekly "pool" of 35 points that I did have to dip into this weekend, so I'm still staying within the rules. I guess I just want to be somewhat aggressive with this plan and try to keep my point consumption to what my daily allotment is.
I've also come to realize that it's super nice outside to be walking and exercising and being active, but it's also HELL. The pollen is terrible and I feel like ASS the next morning - there's really no way to avoid it, I'm not going to stop going outside, so I might was well just bitch about it - maybe that'll make me feel better. Mary gave me Saturday and Sunday off from exercising and it felt good to rest some. I'm sure I won't do it every weekend, but going from complete in-activity to walking (on that big ass hill none-the-less) 5 straight days is a bit of an attack on my body. My shins are feeling much better not walking the last two days. I was also able to look up some ways to stretch my shins before and after walks (and as needed) and I'm ready to hit the pavement again.
I did step on the scale this am and the points are still dropping off and it's an amazing feeling. I'm not seeing a huge impact on my clothes yet, but I'm sure that'll come
Although a light beer is only 2 points - if you want to have more than one, well, you're looking at 4 or 6 points. And let's face it, I'm not hanging out on the patio with friends for 4 hours and just having one beer. Thus the struggle begins. It's pretty easy to plan for having a beer when you're working your daily points, but when you've had your one beer and you're still sitting around for another 3 hours, well, sometimes you want another. I suppose that it's only over the weekend and not every day, so it won't kill me to be a few points over and technically, I have that weekly "pool" of 35 points that I did have to dip into this weekend, so I'm still staying within the rules. I guess I just want to be somewhat aggressive with this plan and try to keep my point consumption to what my daily allotment is.
I've also come to realize that it's super nice outside to be walking and exercising and being active, but it's also HELL. The pollen is terrible and I feel like ASS the next morning - there's really no way to avoid it, I'm not going to stop going outside, so I might was well just bitch about it - maybe that'll make me feel better. Mary gave me Saturday and Sunday off from exercising and it felt good to rest some. I'm sure I won't do it every weekend, but going from complete in-activity to walking (on that big ass hill none-the-less) 5 straight days is a bit of an attack on my body. My shins are feeling much better not walking the last two days. I was also able to look up some ways to stretch my shins before and after walks (and as needed) and I'm ready to hit the pavement again.
I did step on the scale this am and the points are still dropping off and it's an amazing feeling. I'm not seeing a huge impact on my clothes yet, but I'm sure that'll come
Friday, April 18, 2008
No Excuses!!!
One week down! My second WW meeting was last night and the official weigh-in came back and I'm 5.4 pounds lighter! Pretty exciting seeing results for all the work this past week. I got a gold star, literally, they give you a gold star for every 5lbs you lose - kinda cheesy. The biggest bummer is that the weigh-in is at 6pm and I sure wish it was at 6am right after I wake up and pee because when I got up this morning and stepped on the scale I was down 7.8lbs. I suppose the actual pounds really don't matter as long as that number keeps going down and I keep seeing results.
Last night at the meeting we discussed excuses. Excuses why we never lost this weight before and excuses why we don't exercise. The crazy thing is that every excuse on the list was one of mine at some point. It's nuts how one single event can change your perspective on that list. Before, all the items on the list were top priority and now I realize that losing weight and getting healthy is way more important than the list.
Exercise was actually fun last night. I didn't get to use my 5lb weights that I bought for my exercise Mary recommended, but Tiff and I went to the park and walked for about 45 minutes with Team Trellie (Trey and Ellie) and then we chased them up the hills for another half hour. I was gross and sweaty and thirsty afterwards, but LOVED every second of it. Who knew that exercising could be such a thrill... if it was like that everyday this would be a piece of cake!
Last night at the meeting we discussed excuses. Excuses why we never lost this weight before and excuses why we don't exercise. The crazy thing is that every excuse on the list was one of mine at some point. It's nuts how one single event can change your perspective on that list. Before, all the items on the list were top priority and now I realize that losing weight and getting healthy is way more important than the list.
Exercise was actually fun last night. I didn't get to use my 5lb weights that I bought for my exercise Mary recommended, but Tiff and I went to the park and walked for about 45 minutes with Team Trellie (Trey and Ellie) and then we chased them up the hills for another half hour. I was gross and sweaty and thirsty afterwards, but LOVED every second of it. Who knew that exercising could be such a thrill... if it was like that everyday this would be a piece of cake!
Thursday, April 17, 2008
If you're inspired, raise your hand ...er... commment!!!!!- guest post by mary
I know I'm inspired by Liz's endeavor. When she first told me she was doing it I was sooo incredibly excited. Of course we all know that I am easily excitable... BUT... it doesn't lesson how thrilled I am to the core. I've known Liz for so long that when she goes through something I feel as though it's me going through it as well, just like we all do with our close friends. So every morning since last Thursday I have been obsessively (borderline stalker-like) checking her blog with any updates, etc. I have always loved her strength (and lean on her often- thanks Liz...) and admire her goals and views. This is one more to add to the list.
Cheers to you, Liz, for successfully completing your first week. You're a superstar. We love you and are so inspired by you !!!!!
Cheers to you, Liz, for successfully completing your first week. You're a superstar. We love you and are so inspired by you !!!!!
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
No Pain, No Gain (or loss in my situation)
I'm a little sore today throughout my legs, butt and torso. I still can't believe how hard that hill is to climb, but I think it's a good analogy for my journey, and I'm sure the more I do it, the easier it will be.
Yesterday was a big struggle with food, I was so hungry ALL day and couldn't feel satisfied. I have to admit that I went 1.5 points over my daily allotment. I was telling Mary, I was already .5 over and then I went to the grocery store (mostly for Greg who was bitching that there's only healthy food in the house) and while walking down the frozen food isle I stumbled, actually I was determined to find, WW ice cream bars. Well, my will power failed me last night. When I got home I opened up one of those suckers and I've got to tell ya... it was the best 1 point I've ever had, and I really don't feel guilty for it - at all.
I suppose that since I've started exercising (even if it has only been 2 days) my body is burning some energy and looking for the nutrition to supplement it, and since I've cut the number of calories in my diet, I probably couldn't satisfy my need for nourishment... I'm no biologist so I don't really know if that's right... but it sounds pretty damn good to me!
I also took some time to do the beginner exercises on my Blue Ball. Balance is not my forte'. I can't really say I did them successfully, rather I attempted to do them, mostly rolling to the ground trying to find my center of gravity on this rolling contraption. It is fun, and it's amazing how much of a work out you can get with just resistance on a ball and your body weight.
Yesterday was a big struggle with food, I was so hungry ALL day and couldn't feel satisfied. I have to admit that I went 1.5 points over my daily allotment. I was telling Mary, I was already .5 over and then I went to the grocery store (mostly for Greg who was bitching that there's only healthy food in the house) and while walking down the frozen food isle I stumbled, actually I was determined to find, WW ice cream bars. Well, my will power failed me last night. When I got home I opened up one of those suckers and I've got to tell ya... it was the best 1 point I've ever had, and I really don't feel guilty for it - at all.
I suppose that since I've started exercising (even if it has only been 2 days) my body is burning some energy and looking for the nutrition to supplement it, and since I've cut the number of calories in my diet, I probably couldn't satisfy my need for nourishment... I'm no biologist so I don't really know if that's right... but it sounds pretty damn good to me!
I also took some time to do the beginner exercises on my Blue Ball. Balance is not my forte'. I can't really say I did them successfully, rather I attempted to do them, mostly rolling to the ground trying to find my center of gravity on this rolling contraption. It is fun, and it's amazing how much of a work out you can get with just resistance on a ball and your body weight.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Up Hill Battle
Not too much to report today. I started walking yesterday. I made it very easy on myself and decided to walk to the entrance to my Sub-Division and back, which is 1.4 miles, so not to strenuous... or so I thought! The first part of the walk is a piece of cake, but the 2nd half is HELL... the hill entering into my sub-division is so steep that it uses every ounce of strength in me to make it all the way up - BUT I DID IT!
Tiff met me this morning at 7:30 and we walked the hill together and it wasn't any easier today... in fact it was a little harder. But it was good to have some companionship rather than just my ipod and good conversation (during the times we could actually talk through trying to breathe) and even a little support to push me to "lift those knees" to get up that hill.
Speaking of ipod... I could use some ideas as to songs to add to keep me moving... so far my "Get Movin'" list includes:
Stronger - Kanye West
A Little Less Conversation - Elvis
Freedom - George Michael
Survivor - Destiny's Child
Eye of the Tiger - Survivor
Footloose - Kenny Loggins
Love and Memories - OAR
If - Janet Jackson
Stronger - Ms. Britney Spears
Suddenly I see - KT Tunstall
(It's only 42 minutes of music, so I need a few more song suggestions to bring it up to an hour!)
It's amazing how exercise is "mind over matter"... it's a total and complete mind frame to get your ass off the couch. I used to sit on my bootie for a couple hours each night watching the idiot box so the excuse that I didn't have enough time wasn't appropriate for me. I guess I've just never been a very physical person and exercise was never a lifestyle for me... so in addition to re-training myself to eat, I'm having to re-train myself to exercise, and so far - it feels pretty good!
Tiff met me this morning at 7:30 and we walked the hill together and it wasn't any easier today... in fact it was a little harder. But it was good to have some companionship rather than just my ipod and good conversation (during the times we could actually talk through trying to breathe) and even a little support to push me to "lift those knees" to get up that hill.
Speaking of ipod... I could use some ideas as to songs to add to keep me moving... so far my "Get Movin'" list includes:
Stronger - Kanye West
A Little Less Conversation - Elvis
Freedom - George Michael
Survivor - Destiny's Child
Eye of the Tiger - Survivor
Footloose - Kenny Loggins
Love and Memories - OAR
If - Janet Jackson
Stronger - Ms. Britney Spears
Suddenly I see - KT Tunstall
(It's only 42 minutes of music, so I need a few more song suggestions to bring it up to an hour!)
It's amazing how exercise is "mind over matter"... it's a total and complete mind frame to get your ass off the couch. I used to sit on my bootie for a couple hours each night watching the idiot box so the excuse that I didn't have enough time wasn't appropriate for me. I guess I've just never been a very physical person and exercise was never a lifestyle for me... so in addition to re-training myself to eat, I'm having to re-train myself to exercise, and so far - it feels pretty good!
Monday, April 14, 2008
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Breaking Up Is Hard To Do...
I've had this 28 year relationship with food and I'm beginning to learn that the relationship is an abusive one and unfortunately I have to break-up with food as I know it, and start a newer healthier relationship. It's hard, I'm an emotional eater and food has been my comfort in sadness, my joy in times of celebration, my entertainment in times of boredom and my companion in times of loneliness. Saying goodbye is not an easy task.
The past 3 days on WW has been an experience to re-train myself about food and it is like starting a new relationship. I do find that I'm obsessing about food, I'm constantly thinking about what I will eat next, how many points it will be, if I eat celery as a snack instead of almonds then I'll have an extra 4 points and therefore can treat myself with 1/2 a chocolate bar (a sacrifice this choco-holic is willing to make), and so on. Luckily, I'm finding that I don't even need my total point allotment each day, in fact on Friday and Saturday I was 3 and 9 points below my daily goal. Today - not so much, thanks to my good ol' friend Mr. Chocolate. What?!?!? Just because I broke up my relationship with bad food doesn't mean we can't stay friends.
Greg-O has been supportive in his own quirky way... funny thing is that he was making himself one of his favorite Tostino's frozen pizza supreme for lunch the other day and we looked up how many points the pizza was... 28! 28 Freakin' points... that would be my entire day's point consumption. I say good for him to be so stinkin' skinny and not have to worry about scarfing down a pizza that contains my daily allotment of food. What's nuts about it all is that I used to polish one of those suckers away on my own as well... no wonder I'm sitting her writing this blog now! In fact... I used to eat as much food as Greg (sometimes more) at meals. Who was I kidding to think that "if he can do it, why can't I?!?!?" Silly me - the poor guy runs around for 8+ hours a day... I'm pretty sure he burns more calories in one shift than he consumes in one day.
I went out and bought a scale... eek! Actually, much to my surprise, I have already lost 4lbs since the weigh-in on Thursday at WW. Much to my dismay, I started playing around with the scale and learned that my favorite hoodie sweatshirt weighs 1.8lbs (note to self - don't wear the hoodie to weigh-ins'), and after dinner, I went up one pound. I do realize that it's mostly food and water weight so I'm not sweating the small stuff.
Under the direction of Mary I went out and bought a Klean Kanteen - very exciting. She recommended it since recent discoveries are showing that many of the plastic water bottles are leaching chemicals into your water. The fun part is that I could pick out different insulators for my Klean Kanteen, the one I got is dark brown with fun dots. I also bought another BIG ASS BALL... this one is for my desk. You see, many people in my office sit on the BIG ASS BALLS instead of desk chairs, the purpose is to strengthen core muscles and improve posture. Now, why did I have to buy another BIG ASS BALL you ask... well, I had to buy another BIG ASS BALL cause my Blue Ball is too small for my desk, but is perfect for exercising with - pertaining to my height. Tomorrow is the day I officially start my fitness routine... Mary put together an entire envelope of fun goodies to get me going... there's a contract, there's a calendar with exercise ideas, there's lists of good foods for each dietary category, there's a list of portion sizes in relate-able terms and there's also other fun notes and books and goodies... she's the best.
I've got 4 more days before my second weigh-in at WW and so far so good. Thanks again to everyone and their amazing words of encouragement and support!
The past 3 days on WW has been an experience to re-train myself about food and it is like starting a new relationship. I do find that I'm obsessing about food, I'm constantly thinking about what I will eat next, how many points it will be, if I eat celery as a snack instead of almonds then I'll have an extra 4 points and therefore can treat myself with 1/2 a chocolate bar (a sacrifice this choco-holic is willing to make), and so on. Luckily, I'm finding that I don't even need my total point allotment each day, in fact on Friday and Saturday I was 3 and 9 points below my daily goal. Today - not so much, thanks to my good ol' friend Mr. Chocolate. What?!?!? Just because I broke up my relationship with bad food doesn't mean we can't stay friends.
Greg-O has been supportive in his own quirky way... funny thing is that he was making himself one of his favorite Tostino's frozen pizza supreme for lunch the other day and we looked up how many points the pizza was... 28! 28 Freakin' points... that would be my entire day's point consumption. I say good for him to be so stinkin' skinny and not have to worry about scarfing down a pizza that contains my daily allotment of food. What's nuts about it all is that I used to polish one of those suckers away on my own as well... no wonder I'm sitting her writing this blog now! In fact... I used to eat as much food as Greg (sometimes more) at meals. Who was I kidding to think that "if he can do it, why can't I?!?!?" Silly me - the poor guy runs around for 8+ hours a day... I'm pretty sure he burns more calories in one shift than he consumes in one day.
I went out and bought a scale... eek! Actually, much to my surprise, I have already lost 4lbs since the weigh-in on Thursday at WW. Much to my dismay, I started playing around with the scale and learned that my favorite hoodie sweatshirt weighs 1.8lbs (note to self - don't wear the hoodie to weigh-ins'), and after dinner, I went up one pound. I do realize that it's mostly food and water weight so I'm not sweating the small stuff.
Under the direction of Mary I went out and bought a Klean Kanteen - very exciting. She recommended it since recent discoveries are showing that many of the plastic water bottles are leaching chemicals into your water. The fun part is that I could pick out different insulators for my Klean Kanteen, the one I got is dark brown with fun dots. I also bought another BIG ASS BALL... this one is for my desk. You see, many people in my office sit on the BIG ASS BALLS instead of desk chairs, the purpose is to strengthen core muscles and improve posture. Now, why did I have to buy another BIG ASS BALL you ask... well, I had to buy another BIG ASS BALL cause my Blue Ball is too small for my desk, but is perfect for exercising with - pertaining to my height. Tomorrow is the day I officially start my fitness routine... Mary put together an entire envelope of fun goodies to get me going... there's a contract, there's a calendar with exercise ideas, there's lists of good foods for each dietary category, there's a list of portion sizes in relate-able terms and there's also other fun notes and books and goodies... she's the best.
I've got 4 more days before my second weigh-in at WW and so far so good. Thanks again to everyone and their amazing words of encouragement and support!
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Last Supper Syndrome
I'm sure anyone who has ever decided to start eating healthy or gone on a "diet" can relate to what I like to call LSS or Last Supper Syndrome. This is the mental attitude that the foods you LOVE and know are bad for you are the ones you want to consume before that final deadline of having to start your new healthier lifestyle.
I came to this actualization when I was driving home around 1:30pm on Thursday afternoon, knowing that I had the Weight Watchers meeting that night and thinking to myself... alright, what do you want more... Burger King Whopper or Arby's french fries? (Let me add, that I haven't had any fast food in 4 weeks, but not having it on Thursday was not an option.) Having some concept of the WW system I knew that french fries would not be entirely out of my diet if that was how I chose to use my points, but I could pretty much guarantee that the Whopper with Cheese, would not be an option and would consume my points not only for the day, but also include the pool of points I would get for the week. Next thing I know... "Yes, I'd like to get a #1 w/ cheese and a diet coke." "Your total is $5.08, please pull around to the second window."
This WW thing is pretty crazy at getting you to be more conscious of what you put in your body... on the flip side, I feel like food is consuming my life, I can't stop thinking about it, I can't stop trying to figure out how many points an item will be and if I'll be able to eat for the rest of the day if I have scrambled eggs for b'fast instead of a banana. Don't get me wrong, I understand that it's all about balance, eating a balanced diet, and making good decisions - but I didn't get into this position by making good decisions, especially when it comes to food, so it's a little harder for me than it would be for others. None the less, I'm optimistic that all of this will get easier and will become routine, which is what I hope for. Like I said, I'm looking for a lifestyle change, not a "diet" that will have me back in this position 2 years after the "diet" is over.
I came to this actualization when I was driving home around 1:30pm on Thursday afternoon, knowing that I had the Weight Watchers meeting that night and thinking to myself... alright, what do you want more... Burger King Whopper or Arby's french fries? (Let me add, that I haven't had any fast food in 4 weeks, but not having it on Thursday was not an option.) Having some concept of the WW system I knew that french fries would not be entirely out of my diet if that was how I chose to use my points, but I could pretty much guarantee that the Whopper with Cheese, would not be an option and would consume my points not only for the day, but also include the pool of points I would get for the week. Next thing I know... "Yes, I'd like to get a #1 w/ cheese and a diet coke." "Your total is $5.08, please pull around to the second window."
This WW thing is pretty crazy at getting you to be more conscious of what you put in your body... on the flip side, I feel like food is consuming my life, I can't stop thinking about it, I can't stop trying to figure out how many points an item will be and if I'll be able to eat for the rest of the day if I have scrambled eggs for b'fast instead of a banana. Don't get me wrong, I understand that it's all about balance, eating a balanced diet, and making good decisions - but I didn't get into this position by making good decisions, especially when it comes to food, so it's a little harder for me than it would be for others. None the less, I'm optimistic that all of this will get easier and will become routine, which is what I hope for. Like I said, I'm looking for a lifestyle change, not a "diet" that will have me back in this position 2 years after the "diet" is over.
Friday, April 11, 2008
HOLY SHIT!!!
Alright, I had my first Weight Watchers meeting last night and my fear came true... I'm a lot fatter than I thought I was. Now I can totally relate to an anorexic or bulimic, but on an opposite scale. I think it's called Body Dysmorphic Disorder only most people think they're fatter than they are... not me... I see myself skinnier than I actually am. I mean, I always knew I was heavy, but not this heavy, in fact I think I technically fall into the category of Obese - a word I never wanted to describe me. All this means is that I have an even greater challenge ahead of me and the results will be that much sweeter.
Now the decision comes between counting "points" or just eating foods on the approved list... only, looking at the "approved list" there's a TON of stuff on there that I do eat already, so what's the change?!?!? I'm thinking that I'll do the "points" system since I'm already going to be doing a food journal, what's the difference figuring out the "point" that goes with it, right?
Mary, as usual was amazing last night, when I left the WW meeting and wanted to just cry and cheer at the same time, cry because of the shock of my size and Cheer because I'm actually doing this... no excuses. She reminded me that the current number doesn't matter anymore and the result is what matters... so we need to keep our eye on the prize and look forward, not back. We also decided that when we hit our "Goal" we are going to go away, just the two of us. We're thinking Vegas! but on second thought... maybe we should go to Mexico or the Caribbean so that I can wear a bathing suit and for the first time, feel good about myself in it.
The response to this blog from friends has been astounding... a few have even offered to start walking with me during the week and it seems as though I'm starting to motivate others... it's a movement. I know it seems pretty severe to put all this out there for the whole world to see, but we all have different ways to motivate ourselves and this is my way of doing it. I've tried to lose weight on my own, and well, clearly it didn't work, so now I'm trying to do it with the support of the world and I just know that this will work - this has to work.
To all those who are checking in on me I do want to send out the message that I am ok... I have never, nor will I ever judge my self-worth based upon my weight... I do know that I'm an incredible person and I have no intentions of changing who I am on the inside... but let's get real here folks... my exterior needs a make-over, BIG TIME. So I do appreciate ALL the encouragement and support and I just want you all to know that I'm not "beating-up" on myself, I'm just being real, and I'm still me.
Now the decision comes between counting "points" or just eating foods on the approved list... only, looking at the "approved list" there's a TON of stuff on there that I do eat already, so what's the change?!?!? I'm thinking that I'll do the "points" system since I'm already going to be doing a food journal, what's the difference figuring out the "point" that goes with it, right?
Mary, as usual was amazing last night, when I left the WW meeting and wanted to just cry and cheer at the same time, cry because of the shock of my size and Cheer because I'm actually doing this... no excuses. She reminded me that the current number doesn't matter anymore and the result is what matters... so we need to keep our eye on the prize and look forward, not back. We also decided that when we hit our "Goal" we are going to go away, just the two of us. We're thinking Vegas! but on second thought... maybe we should go to Mexico or the Caribbean so that I can wear a bathing suit and for the first time, feel good about myself in it.
The response to this blog from friends has been astounding... a few have even offered to start walking with me during the week and it seems as though I'm starting to motivate others... it's a movement. I know it seems pretty severe to put all this out there for the whole world to see, but we all have different ways to motivate ourselves and this is my way of doing it. I've tried to lose weight on my own, and well, clearly it didn't work, so now I'm trying to do it with the support of the world and I just know that this will work - this has to work.
To all those who are checking in on me I do want to send out the message that I am ok... I have never, nor will I ever judge my self-worth based upon my weight... I do know that I'm an incredible person and I have no intentions of changing who I am on the inside... but let's get real here folks... my exterior needs a make-over, BIG TIME. So I do appreciate ALL the encouragement and support and I just want you all to know that I'm not "beating-up" on myself, I'm just being real, and I'm still me.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
In the beginning...
Well, I'm getting set to start my journey. I wonder if I'll begin looking at this as a second birthday, much like an organ transplant recipient looks at the day they received their new kidney or heart or lung.
This is how all this craziness will all go down...
I'm super blessed to have amazing people in my life, one of the most amazing persons is my bestest friend Mary. Mary will be my coach, my support, my encouragement, and also my whip ass during this process. She will be checking in on me... reading all my emails with my daily food journal of all the healthy (and hopefully not crap) that I consume each and every day. She will also be kicking my ass if I don't exercise, even if slightest bit, at a minimum of 5 days a week. Mary is a huge inspiration to me and I hope to be running next to her in a marathon in the next coming years.
Mary is putting together a fitness regime and a dietary plan for me and we both discussed that we need to start easy on me. I'm hoping for success, not utter frustration and failure. I don't want to start out running 2 miles when I can barely chase my dog Chloe down the street one block without getting winded. We're also trying to come up with a plan for a "negative reinforcement" each week I don't keep to my end of the bargain. My thought was to pay her $20/week that I eff-up and it's two fold - 1. because as nice as it is to get an extra $20 once in a while, Mary would HATE to take my money which will encourage her to encourage me (and to prove that she would hate getting the money, she suggested I send her a card or a had written letter - HA - love you Mar!) and 2. well, I'd HATE to lose $20/week because I couldn't get my lazy ass off the couch and walk around the block for 20 minutes. Any other ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
I'm headed to a Weight Watchers meeting tomorrow night at 6pm. I've never been and I'm slightly nervous about the process, actually terrified. In fact I haven't weighed myself in probably 2 years and I wouldn't be shocked if I was pushing 200+ lbs at this point in my life, a number I am ashamed to share. I'm also in a size 16 pants and my tops are pushing 1X, although with hesitation, I'm sharing this with you so you can get an idea of just how big I am and have a comparison to where I'll be in a year. Mary and I agreed that we will do weigh-in's on Monday mornings and this will be a recording for my weekly progress. Oh... that reminds me, I have to buy a scale.
This is Mary and I back in November... not trying to flash you any cleavage or anything... but it's hard not too when your bazzoombas are as big as mine are. Most would hate to lose some boobage if they lost weight... I'm looking forward to it.
This is how all this craziness will all go down...
I'm super blessed to have amazing people in my life, one of the most amazing persons is my bestest friend Mary. Mary will be my coach, my support, my encouragement, and also my whip ass during this process. She will be checking in on me... reading all my emails with my daily food journal of all the healthy (and hopefully not crap) that I consume each and every day. She will also be kicking my ass if I don't exercise, even if slightest bit, at a minimum of 5 days a week. Mary is a huge inspiration to me and I hope to be running next to her in a marathon in the next coming years.
Mary is putting together a fitness regime and a dietary plan for me and we both discussed that we need to start easy on me. I'm hoping for success, not utter frustration and failure. I don't want to start out running 2 miles when I can barely chase my dog Chloe down the street one block without getting winded. We're also trying to come up with a plan for a "negative reinforcement" each week I don't keep to my end of the bargain. My thought was to pay her $20/week that I eff-up and it's two fold - 1. because as nice as it is to get an extra $20 once in a while, Mary would HATE to take my money which will encourage her to encourage me (and to prove that she would hate getting the money, she suggested I send her a card or a had written letter - HA - love you Mar!) and 2. well, I'd HATE to lose $20/week because I couldn't get my lazy ass off the couch and walk around the block for 20 minutes. Any other ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
I'm headed to a Weight Watchers meeting tomorrow night at 6pm. I've never been and I'm slightly nervous about the process, actually terrified. In fact I haven't weighed myself in probably 2 years and I wouldn't be shocked if I was pushing 200+ lbs at this point in my life, a number I am ashamed to share. I'm also in a size 16 pants and my tops are pushing 1X, although with hesitation, I'm sharing this with you so you can get an idea of just how big I am and have a comparison to where I'll be in a year. Mary and I agreed that we will do weigh-in's on Monday mornings and this will be a recording for my weekly progress. Oh... that reminds me, I have to buy a scale.
This is Mary and I back in November... not trying to flash you any cleavage or anything... but it's hard not too when your bazzoombas are as big as mine are. Most would hate to lose some boobage if they lost weight... I'm looking forward to it.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)