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:
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Hunger Rage
I read an article about body image that my bestie (love you, Sarah!) had liked on Facebook before lunch, and it sent me into a word-spewing rage. It wasn't so much the article itself, but all of the comments that followed it. I guess because I am working SO hard to get this weight off, I get upset when I see people being complacent about being overweight. Since we all seem to be obese in America, we keep trying to make it okay to be obese by saying things like, "I'm just curvy" or "I'm a big girl, and I love my body." Now, it is not wrong to love yourself no matter your current condition, but I think it is wrong to make excuses to just stay fat because that is easier. Barring some medical condition, there is NO excuse to be unhealthily overweight!!!
At this point I would like to switch gears for a moment to say that I do not accept the medical BMI chart as anything but total fiction. That chart does not account for how muscular someone may be or anything.
I will know I am at a healthy weight when I don't have flab flappin' all over the place, not when that flippin' chart says so!!!
Anyway, my excessive hunger before I ate my lunch sent me into this downward spiral of negativity. It is ALL just SO frustrating ... losing weight, hearing about losing weight, being told what is the right weight ... ALL OF IT!!
Losing weight is hard ... WAAAAAAAA! (That is what my brain says all day, everyday.)
I've never been okay with being overweight. I know my body is capable of being a healthy size, and I'm going to take it there KICKING AND SCREAMING!!
***END RANT***
At this point I would like to switch gears for a moment to say that I do not accept the medical BMI chart as anything but total fiction. That chart does not account for how muscular someone may be or anything.
I will know I am at a healthy weight when I don't have flab flappin' all over the place, not when that flippin' chart says so!!!
Anyway, my excessive hunger before I ate my lunch sent me into this downward spiral of negativity. It is ALL just SO frustrating ... losing weight, hearing about losing weight, being told what is the right weight ... ALL OF IT!!
Losing weight is hard ... WAAAAAAAA! (That is what my brain says all day, everyday.)
I've never been okay with being overweight. I know my body is capable of being a healthy size, and I'm going to take it there KICKING AND SCREAMING!!
***END RANT***
Friday, April 12, 2013
Sick Baby
I didn't get to go to the gym AT ALL this week, and I've been panicking the entire time thinking I'm going to gain all 8 pounds back. I have a legit excuse ... Tyler has had a stomach bug since Monday, and I needed to just stay home with him (also don't need to spread this plague). Luckily, my weight DID NOT go back up ... ANY. Losing weight is so hard that I'd probably have a meltdown if I gained five pounds right now.
I've pretty much been eating the same for the past month or two:
Breakfast - 2 packets Low Sugar Oatmeal
Lunch - Carrots, Low calorie dip, Healthy Choice Meal, and Sugar free pudding cup
Dinner - Whatever I've bought to cook ... in moderation
We have really cut waaaaaaaay back on pasta and rice. I try to be mindful of how much sugar and salt that I take in still. I try to cook healthy-ish about 90% of the time. I switch high fat ground beef for ground turkey and such. This week we DID have tacos ... and I MAY have eaten two. I personally am not a huge fan of beef, so I typically put very little of that on my taco ... just a ton of low fat sour cream, a little cheese and some salsa. I just don't think it is realistic to fix extremely healthy meals ALL the time when you have to please a man and a picky toddler. When I lived alone in my early twenties all I ate was grilled chicken, frozen vegetables and whole grain rice ... literally every night. I unfortunately made up for those calories by eating out a ton and exercising rarely.
Nowadays, we don't go out to eat very often. Now that we have our own home, we are content to have most of our meals there. We usually end up eating out once on the weekend (not counting my routine McDonald's trip with Tyler on Fridays ... don't worry, I eat a salad, and he is too concerned with the toy and playing on the playground to eat more than one nugget). Even when we do go out, I try to be more mindful of what I'm stuffing into my mouth. I don't absolutely eat myself sick like I used to do. It used to go something like, "OM NOM NOM NOM ... THIS IS SO GOOD ... I'M FULL, BUT I'M GONNA FINISH THE ENTIRE PLATE BECAUSE IT IS SOOOOOOO GOOD." I was kinda like fat Brian on Family Guy ... "I looooove chocolate, but I can't eat it because then I'll get fat....but it's SOOOOOO good" (must watch clip to appreciate the hilarity) :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vi3GA0nbCtQ
Anyway, here's hoping that I'll be back to the gym like normal next week even though TIME MAGAZINE says that exercise doesn't help you lose weight ... ***confused dog head tilt***
I've pretty much been eating the same for the past month or two:
Breakfast - 2 packets Low Sugar Oatmeal
Lunch - Carrots, Low calorie dip, Healthy Choice Meal, and Sugar free pudding cup
Dinner - Whatever I've bought to cook ... in moderation
We have really cut waaaaaaaay back on pasta and rice. I try to be mindful of how much sugar and salt that I take in still. I try to cook healthy-ish about 90% of the time. I switch high fat ground beef for ground turkey and such. This week we DID have tacos ... and I MAY have eaten two. I personally am not a huge fan of beef, so I typically put very little of that on my taco ... just a ton of low fat sour cream, a little cheese and some salsa. I just don't think it is realistic to fix extremely healthy meals ALL the time when you have to please a man and a picky toddler. When I lived alone in my early twenties all I ate was grilled chicken, frozen vegetables and whole grain rice ... literally every night. I unfortunately made up for those calories by eating out a ton and exercising rarely.
Nowadays, we don't go out to eat very often. Now that we have our own home, we are content to have most of our meals there. We usually end up eating out once on the weekend (not counting my routine McDonald's trip with Tyler on Fridays ... don't worry, I eat a salad, and he is too concerned with the toy and playing on the playground to eat more than one nugget). Even when we do go out, I try to be more mindful of what I'm stuffing into my mouth. I don't absolutely eat myself sick like I used to do. It used to go something like, "OM NOM NOM NOM ... THIS IS SO GOOD ... I'M FULL, BUT I'M GONNA FINISH THE ENTIRE PLATE BECAUSE IT IS SOOOOOOO GOOD." I was kinda like fat Brian on Family Guy ... "I looooove chocolate, but I can't eat it because then I'll get fat....but it's SOOOOOO good" (must watch clip to appreciate the hilarity) :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vi3GA0nbCtQ
Anyway, here's hoping that I'll be back to the gym like normal next week even though TIME MAGAZINE says that exercise doesn't help you lose weight ... ***confused dog head tilt***
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