Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Get Back on the Wagon!
I almost fell completely off the weight-loss wagon. I guess you could say that I was holding on with one hand and being drug behind it. About a month ago my toddler and I both got the creeping crud and were away from the gym for basically two weeks. Upon trying to return, he gave me all kinds of grief. He cries at the mention of going to the gym, so imagine how hard it is to get him into the car to actually go. Anyway, that situation and a mountain of other stress built and built for weeks until I started having that "screw it" attitude. I was still eating a healthy breakfast and lunch, but dinner was slowly getting crappier and crappier. Then, a couple weeks ago, I went to dinner with my parents and Tyler as usual, but instead of ordering a salad I ordered a chicken sammich ... we's talkin' fried chicken. THEN, the next day I went back to the same place and had another one (with fries both times). Thus began my downward spiral into "LETSEATANYTHINGANDWHATEVERWEWANTSville" ...
I could go into the numerous food sins I committed over the past month, but I will just say that I am officially back on the wagon ... I'm SO on the wagon that I could be driving the wagon. Exercise will now be 5 times a week whether it is light or heavy ... Calories will be kept around 1200 and will come from healthy sources. I'm not going "low carb" per se, but I am trying to limit the intake of said carbs. Lots of fruits and vegetables and lean meat. It's not easy for sure! Eating what I want all the time is easy and delicious, BUT it will also keep me overweight and unhappy in the long run. We aren't having our usual YUM-YUMfest this weekend like we usually do. If we go out to eat, I will just have to find something healthy to feed my face...
grumble grumble grumble grumble sigh.
Monday, June 10, 2013
This Little Piggy Went to Crazytown
Well, I am down two pant sizes since I started these shenanigans in February of this year (from size 18 to size 14). It's been almost four months, and I'm down ALMOST 20 pounds. I think I've pushed passed my last plateau and come to a new one. My weight over the weekend was 186.8, but it jumped back to 188.8 this morning. That could be water weight or something of the sort ... who can really tell. I ate relatively crappy over the weekend, but I don't know if it is possible to gain two pounds in two days ... not two pounds of fat at least.
My food sins over the weekend included a Mexican buffet (portion control goes out the window when I'm faced with a buffet), a HUGE cereal bowl of Caramel Turtle Cheesecake ice cream, a 6" Italian BMT and cookie from Subway, tacos made at home (probably not THAT sinful ... I only had two), and Zataran's Dirty rice (although it WAS prepared at home with very lean beef). The point being that I know I went far beyond my usual 1200 - 1500 calories each day.
I guess I need to work on reigning it in on the weekends. I eat SO healthily during the week that I'm SO ready to be a piggy on the weekend. Is it better to indulge yourself on the weekends, so you don't absolutely lose your mind ... or should I go through the rest of my life never enjoying the occasional treat? Quite the conundrum ... I'll just work on keeping my "treating" under control.
My food sins over the weekend included a Mexican buffet (portion control goes out the window when I'm faced with a buffet), a HUGE cereal bowl of Caramel Turtle Cheesecake ice cream, a 6" Italian BMT and cookie from Subway, tacos made at home (probably not THAT sinful ... I only had two), and Zataran's Dirty rice (although it WAS prepared at home with very lean beef). The point being that I know I went far beyond my usual 1200 - 1500 calories each day.
I guess I need to work on reigning it in on the weekends. I eat SO healthily during the week that I'm SO ready to be a piggy on the weekend. Is it better to indulge yourself on the weekends, so you don't absolutely lose your mind ... or should I go through the rest of my life never enjoying the occasional treat? Quite the conundrum ... I'll just work on keeping my "treating" under control.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
15 Pounds Lost
I never did a starting before pic, so I'll do one with 15 pounds gone and 50 to go. I'm not incredibly excited to share images of my "belly flop" as I like to call it. I couldn't bring myself to upload the side view :( Maybe later.
The Neverending Plateau
I have been bobbling around the 15 pounds lost mark for several weeks now, and it is becoming maddening! I'm to that desperate point where I have checked out several weight loss books from the library, and I can't stop googling "weight loss." I probably visit the 3fatchicks website daily just to read diet reviews. I don't want to go on a fad diet, but I want to find some sort of structure. I'm the type of person who likes things laid out in front of them in black and white. Don't just tell me to eat fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean meat ... for some reason that makes my head explode. I literally want someone to tell me to eat A, B and C for breakfast and D, E and F for lunch, etc (save the alphabet soup jokes, kthx).
I get SO frustrated because I never should have let my weight get THIS out of control. I'm having one heck of a time getting it back under control. I still have a good 50 pounds to lose to be at a healthy weight (in my opinion). I feel like my body is just STUCK, and it is making me crazy.
So far this year I have kicked my soda habit (been sober since January 1, 2013), I've been exercising a few times a week and I've changed my diet. I guess I'm just flabbergasted as to why I cannot get my weight to keep going down.
I didn't really want to throw my numbers out there because I know folks on Facebook and possibly strangers will read this, but I feel like I want to go ahead and do that today.
Weight - currently bobbles between 189-191
Height - 5' 4"
Dress Size - 16 (and the occasional 14)
Shirt Size - Large - ish (XL in smaller fitting things like Juniors)
Waist - 34"
Hips - 43"
People say that I don't LOOK like I weigh THAT much, which is great and all, but it doesn't make me feel better inside. At my lowest I weighed 126. My normal weight would fluctuate between 130 and 140. Between going to college, dating, getting married and having kids, I managed to put on about 75 to 85 pounds over the past 10 years. I think at my highest (non-pregnancy weight), I was tipping the scales around 215, which is massive for my height. Over the years I've tried to lose weight SEVERAL times and given up. I had pretty much adopted my husband's eating habits and just got fatter and fatter. Apparently, a 5'4" woman cannot eat like a 6' 250 pound man and expect to not get hugenormous.
Anyway, I said all of that because I am just SO frustrated (I guess as usual). I'm starting to feel a bit hopeless, but I don't want to go back to my "giving up" ways. I'll admit that I did dabble in this a little bit over the weekend. I ate some junk and immediately regretted it once I had done so.
Is it so much to ask for some menu guidelines without just handing me a bunch of strange recipes with 1400 ingredients? I think some of my frustration also comes from all the reading that I do on the weight loss subject. It seems like every book or website contradicts the one that I just read. I have a PERFECT example. I looked at two different "lifestyle changes" last night. One required that you drink a cup of water before a meal, a cup during and a cup after ... I'm guessing to make you feel more full while eating less food. The VERY NEXT book said to not drink much while you eat because it dilutes your stomach acids and interferes with proper digestion. AHHHHHH!
I know there are millions of weight loss books out there, and they each have a gimmick. Who can you believe?!?! I definitely can't go by BMI charts or the FDA's food pyramid (at least the traditional one that has whole grains as the largest part of your diet). One book that I looked at did make a couple of good points. The BMI chart/formula was developed in the 1850's, and it does not take in consideration muscle mass or body frame size. It is not like I can shrink my bones or changes how my body is naturally more muscular than some folks.
I just want a simple food plan where I am not starving myself, I'm not eating junk and I don't have to spend three days putting a laundry list of ingredients together to make a meal. OY VEY!!!
Here is my progress/non-progress over the past year according to MyFitnessPal:
Here is a full body shot of me (the blond) a few weeks ago:
I get SO frustrated because I never should have let my weight get THIS out of control. I'm having one heck of a time getting it back under control. I still have a good 50 pounds to lose to be at a healthy weight (in my opinion). I feel like my body is just STUCK, and it is making me crazy.
So far this year I have kicked my soda habit (been sober since January 1, 2013), I've been exercising a few times a week and I've changed my diet. I guess I'm just flabbergasted as to why I cannot get my weight to keep going down.
I didn't really want to throw my numbers out there because I know folks on Facebook and possibly strangers will read this, but I feel like I want to go ahead and do that today.
Weight - currently bobbles between 189-191
Height - 5' 4"
Dress Size - 16 (and the occasional 14)
Shirt Size - Large - ish (XL in smaller fitting things like Juniors)
Waist - 34"
Hips - 43"
People say that I don't LOOK like I weigh THAT much, which is great and all, but it doesn't make me feel better inside. At my lowest I weighed 126. My normal weight would fluctuate between 130 and 140. Between going to college, dating, getting married and having kids, I managed to put on about 75 to 85 pounds over the past 10 years. I think at my highest (non-pregnancy weight), I was tipping the scales around 215, which is massive for my height. Over the years I've tried to lose weight SEVERAL times and given up. I had pretty much adopted my husband's eating habits and just got fatter and fatter. Apparently, a 5'4" woman cannot eat like a 6' 250 pound man and expect to not get hugenormous.
Anyway, I said all of that because I am just SO frustrated (I guess as usual). I'm starting to feel a bit hopeless, but I don't want to go back to my "giving up" ways. I'll admit that I did dabble in this a little bit over the weekend. I ate some junk and immediately regretted it once I had done so.
Is it so much to ask for some menu guidelines without just handing me a bunch of strange recipes with 1400 ingredients? I think some of my frustration also comes from all the reading that I do on the weight loss subject. It seems like every book or website contradicts the one that I just read. I have a PERFECT example. I looked at two different "lifestyle changes" last night. One required that you drink a cup of water before a meal, a cup during and a cup after ... I'm guessing to make you feel more full while eating less food. The VERY NEXT book said to not drink much while you eat because it dilutes your stomach acids and interferes with proper digestion. AHHHHHH!
I know there are millions of weight loss books out there, and they each have a gimmick. Who can you believe?!?! I definitely can't go by BMI charts or the FDA's food pyramid (at least the traditional one that has whole grains as the largest part of your diet). One book that I looked at did make a couple of good points. The BMI chart/formula was developed in the 1850's, and it does not take in consideration muscle mass or body frame size. It is not like I can shrink my bones or changes how my body is naturally more muscular than some folks.
I just want a simple food plan where I am not starving myself, I'm not eating junk and I don't have to spend three days putting a laundry list of ingredients together to make a meal. OY VEY!!!
Here is my progress/non-progress over the past year according to MyFitnessPal:
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