So, it has been quite a long time.
Unfortunately, life got in the way- in the way of blogging, dieting, weightloss. It is something that life does to each and every one of us. What is important is that we don't use it as an excuse to give up. So, here I am.
A quick summary - my grandmother passed away. I had cared for her for two years, living in her home. Obviously an emotional shakeup that was quickly followed by a need for a new housing situation. So, my fiancee and I bought a house - overwhelming! Lots of stress, renovations, adjusting (we went without a stove for five weeks while ours was lost in the abyss of Sears). I also went back to work at a new job for a photography company after a year of compassionate care leave and I started pushing my own photography business aggressively. There was a lot of adjusting. Two months into the new home, my fiancee's mother passed away out of country and a few months later my ex-husband passed away suddenly.
Our lives were roiling with emotion, stress - we had a need for comfort and finding nothing but strangeness and change. As such, we derailed. It took about a year and a half but I gained back 40lbs of my 77lb loss. It was mostly through inattention to eating, making bad choices and letting my emotions control my food choices.
You know how it goes, it creeps up on you. All of a sudden you wake up and you're needing new pants. Its no good. So, this May (2012) after my fiancee's birthday, I decided I was going to try again. This time, I took a combo approach. Back to MFP but I had a coach this time to help me combine South Beach principles with calorie monitoring and (ack!) exercise.
It wasn't easy. In fact, it was hard. I had to unlearn bad habits again, and at the same time learn a new diet. I was skeptical about it - low carb, high protein - thats pretty limited. There were growing pains, but my coached helped me with some recipes and I ended up not feeling like I was missing a whole lot at all.
After a while, it became natural. I started not to notice missing carbs and sugars. In fact, the few times I tripped up I ended up feeling horrible - it turns out, your body detoxes itself off of sugars. I still can't drink soda without becoming an angry rancid wench.
So I stayed dedicated to it, and about 5 months in I joined the gym and quit smoking. I surprised even myself when in about 7 weeks I was able to run for about 15 minutes in my 30 minute track cycle. When I started it was about 30 seconds.
So, theres the short (well, somewhat) and sweet(ner) version of the last two years. I am planning on maintaining this blog more actively over the next nine months as I finish my loss cycle. Between May 14th and Dec 29th of 2012 I lost 41lbs and 24.5 inches. I am wearing a size 18 loosely (far cry from the tight 24 I started this in way back in 2009) and I would like to lose another 40ish lbs and get down to a 12-14. I have until September - why? Because I'm getting married!! I want that dress to be va-va-voom!!
Thanks for reading, and following all this time :)
I want to talk a bit about success.
I think its an extremely important subject and one that should be revisited frequently.
As a child, the idea of success begins by being quantified by numbers, categorized alphabetically and can be classified as a 'win'. Its not quite black and white but very close. As we age we form our own personal ideas about success, based on our moral and ethical opinions and ideals, the opinions of friends and family and accepted societal 'norms' (including what the media forces down our throats.) As you can see, the scope of success grows more broad with age.
As a youth, I was part of the 'gifted' program - an enriched education program. We fostered mostly healthy competition among ourselves and it is there that I believe my ideals of success were created. An 80%, 85%, 95% - that wasn't 'success'. It wasn't a win, it was a lose. For me, at least internally, it was always go big - or go home. In some circumstances, the drive and ambition this way of thinking fosters could be a useful tool. Looking back now, I wonder if it wasn't a bit damaging at times.
Coming into this whole 'diet' (I still hate that word) thing, I realized that I would have to re-adjust my ideas of success. I knew that it wasn't going to work if I didn't rethink things. I have a very large final goal - to wait to reach that goal before celebrating success would be the effective suicide of my plan. So I committed to celebrating every attitude change, every time I resisted temptation and every pound. To this day, 4.5 months and 54lbs later, I still giggle like a schoolgirl when I lose another pound and send my fiancee a message to share my success. I dance around in my underwear and sing and look in the mirror and even though I can't SEE the 1lb difference, I know its there.
I have some fellow dieters say to me "Oh, well its only 15lbs I've lost." and "I wish it was more!" and "I'm stuck here at just 10lbs." It makes me so sad to see everyone pass over their success! I try the best I can to remind them that 15 is amazing and better than none! I think that everyone needs to take a step back and celebrate what they HAVE accomplished, instead of focusing on what they have left to accomplish.
It is a SUCCESS
That we have changed our mindset.
That we have taken the first steps.
That we try hard each and every day to stick to our plan.
That we get back on the wagon when we fall off.
- each and every pound.
- each and every minute of exercise we do.
you get the picture.
You may also notice, as I have, that when we change our ideas of success in this area, that it may infect our ways of thinking about everything else.
I want to mention a poignant moment that I had last night, that made me realize how much my ideas have changed.
I entered into a singing competition and last night was round three. I gave it my best, and I had a great time. It was a vote based competiton and I have a fairly clutter free life - limited friends :D I invited my close friends and family out, some came, some were unable to. Others wanted desperately to come but distance and obligations stood in their way. There was some stiff competition, everyone had talent. Every voter had to vote twice - first vote counted as two and was meant for who you were supporting. The second vote was meant for another competitor. The votes came in at the end of the night. 3 of our 6 were eliminated, one of them being myself. However, I was advised that I recieved the MOST 'second vote - votes'. Votes that people who came to support others tossed my way because they enjoyed my performance. My friends were outraged - upset. Some people may have been upset with them - but I wasn't. I smiled and thanked my friends for their support and congratulated those who advanced. I realized that even though I didn't win, it was a whopping success to get so many votes from others whom I did not know and/or did not bring to support me. Why? because those votes, even though they didnt make me 'win' in a black and white sort of way, still made me a winner. Those votes were for merit. So I took my success home in my heart, happy with what I had accomplished.
To top it all off, I danced off about a pound and a half too :)
Bottom line is, celebrate. your. success. No matter how small you think it is, for it is part of a much bigger picture.
I think its an extremely important subject and one that should be revisited frequently.
As a child, the idea of success begins by being quantified by numbers, categorized alphabetically and can be classified as a 'win'. Its not quite black and white but very close. As we age we form our own personal ideas about success, based on our moral and ethical opinions and ideals, the opinions of friends and family and accepted societal 'norms' (including what the media forces down our throats.) As you can see, the scope of success grows more broad with age.
As a youth, I was part of the 'gifted' program - an enriched education program. We fostered mostly healthy competition among ourselves and it is there that I believe my ideals of success were created. An 80%, 85%, 95% - that wasn't 'success'. It wasn't a win, it was a lose. For me, at least internally, it was always go big - or go home. In some circumstances, the drive and ambition this way of thinking fosters could be a useful tool. Looking back now, I wonder if it wasn't a bit damaging at times.
Coming into this whole 'diet' (I still hate that word) thing, I realized that I would have to re-adjust my ideas of success. I knew that it wasn't going to work if I didn't rethink things. I have a very large final goal - to wait to reach that goal before celebrating success would be the effective suicide of my plan. So I committed to celebrating every attitude change, every time I resisted temptation and every pound. To this day, 4.5 months and 54lbs later, I still giggle like a schoolgirl when I lose another pound and send my fiancee a message to share my success. I dance around in my underwear and sing and look in the mirror and even though I can't SEE the 1lb difference, I know its there.
I have some fellow dieters say to me "Oh, well its only 15lbs I've lost." and "I wish it was more!" and "I'm stuck here at just 10lbs." It makes me so sad to see everyone pass over their success! I try the best I can to remind them that 15 is amazing and better than none! I think that everyone needs to take a step back and celebrate what they HAVE accomplished, instead of focusing on what they have left to accomplish.
It is a SUCCESS
That we have changed our mindset.
That we have taken the first steps.
That we try hard each and every day to stick to our plan.
That we get back on the wagon when we fall off.
- each and every pound.
- each and every minute of exercise we do.
you get the picture.
You may also notice, as I have, that when we change our ideas of success in this area, that it may infect our ways of thinking about everything else.
I want to mention a poignant moment that I had last night, that made me realize how much my ideas have changed.
I entered into a singing competition and last night was round three. I gave it my best, and I had a great time. It was a vote based competiton and I have a fairly clutter free life - limited friends :D I invited my close friends and family out, some came, some were unable to. Others wanted desperately to come but distance and obligations stood in their way. There was some stiff competition, everyone had talent. Every voter had to vote twice - first vote counted as two and was meant for who you were supporting. The second vote was meant for another competitor. The votes came in at the end of the night. 3 of our 6 were eliminated, one of them being myself. However, I was advised that I recieved the MOST 'second vote - votes'. Votes that people who came to support others tossed my way because they enjoyed my performance. My friends were outraged - upset. Some people may have been upset with them - but I wasn't. I smiled and thanked my friends for their support and congratulated those who advanced. I realized that even though I didn't win, it was a whopping success to get so many votes from others whom I did not know and/or did not bring to support me. Why? because those votes, even though they didnt make me 'win' in a black and white sort of way, still made me a winner. Those votes were for merit. So I took my success home in my heart, happy with what I had accomplished.
To top it all off, I danced off about a pound and a half too :)
Bottom line is, celebrate. your. success. No matter how small you think it is, for it is part of a much bigger picture.
Oh, the irony!
But seriously - nuts. Mother Natures little tiny gifts of delicious and healthy goodness. I have recently discovered how important the consumption of nuts and seeds is to our diets. I think its a very important subject to touch on, and so I will - touch. on. nuts. :P (And fats!)
Myyogaonline.com says that incorporating a variety of nuts into your diet provides a great source of protein as well yields numerous nutritional and health benefits. Nuts are excellent sources of protein, minerals, healthy mono-unsaturated fats and other nutrients as well they're good for promoting a healthy cardiovascular system.
Too often we feel the need to gravitate towards a "low fat" diet. Its not really our faults, thats what we are being fed in the media. We are filled with misconceptions and improper information about fats, and therefore we cut foods like nuts, seeds, oils (EVOO and coconut to count two) and butter/nut butters out of our diets.
From what I am hearing, we couldn't be more wrong to do so! We NEED fat in our diets. I will post more about this later. Nuts are an important addition to help us get the "good" (mono/poly-unsaturated) fats into our diet. Not to mention that they are tasty treats!
It has also been rumored that a proper balance of fats (25-30% of your daily caloric intake where 7-10% are saturated, 9-10% mono-unsaturated and 8-10% are poly-unsaturated) helps with emotional or behavioural hangups. Good fats help your body burn bad fats and help reduce bad cholesterol, all while raising good cholesterol.
I will tell you one thing, my life got better with butter in it. Ditch the "one molecule away from plastic" spread and get some butter and use it sparingly. Grab a handful of almonds, walnuts, pecans or pistachios. Enjoy your sunflower seeds. Use your cooking oils but get rid of that veggie oil and trade it up for coconut (Will touch more on that later as well) or EVOO.
Thats right ladies. Let us eat fat! (And some nuts!)
But seriously - nuts. Mother Natures little tiny gifts of delicious and healthy goodness. I have recently discovered how important the consumption of nuts and seeds is to our diets. I think its a very important subject to touch on, and so I will - touch. on. nuts. :P (And fats!)
Myyogaonline.com says that incorporating a variety of nuts into your diet provides a great source of protein as well yields numerous nutritional and health benefits. Nuts are excellent sources of protein, minerals, healthy mono-unsaturated fats and other nutrients as well they're good for promoting a healthy cardiovascular system.
Too often we feel the need to gravitate towards a "low fat" diet. Its not really our faults, thats what we are being fed in the media. We are filled with misconceptions and improper information about fats, and therefore we cut foods like nuts, seeds, oils (EVOO and coconut to count two) and butter/nut butters out of our diets.
From what I am hearing, we couldn't be more wrong to do so! We NEED fat in our diets. I will post more about this later. Nuts are an important addition to help us get the "good" (mono/poly-unsaturated) fats into our diet. Not to mention that they are tasty treats!
It has also been rumored that a proper balance of fats (25-30% of your daily caloric intake where 7-10% are saturated, 9-10% mono-unsaturated and 8-10% are poly-unsaturated) helps with emotional or behavioural hangups. Good fats help your body burn bad fats and help reduce bad cholesterol, all while raising good cholesterol.
I will tell you one thing, my life got better with butter in it. Ditch the "one molecule away from plastic" spread and get some butter and use it sparingly. Grab a handful of almonds, walnuts, pecans or pistachios. Enjoy your sunflower seeds. Use your cooking oils but get rid of that veggie oil and trade it up for coconut (Will touch more on that later as well) or EVOO.
Thats right ladies. Let us eat fat! (And some nuts!)
YES WAY!
So, as I was trolling through http://www.myfitnesspal.com/ (which I will now refer to as MFP), I came upon a neat little idea.
Basically, it is a low calorie form of cake. It is cheaper than buying those WW cakes and bigger portions on top of being lower calorie! Nice deal eh?
I'll give you the basic rundown - Cake mix + 12oz of diet soda (or soda water) + 2 egg whites = VOILA!
You're laughing. I can tell. Thats ok, I did too. But, I'm staring at a delicious piece of cake and you're not. Who is laughing now?
Seriously though, there is a major major difference between preparing it with its recommended whole ingredients and using the above method.
Prepared via the recommended method I quickly calculated it to be about 244.5 cal/serving with 9.25 grams of fat and lord knows how much cholesterol. (The back of the box is a lie btw, read the fine print!)
Prepared via the above method - 163 cal/serviing with 2 grams of fat and 0 cholesterol. I should also mention - 100% delicious.
What you need:
- Mix - Any cake mix - preferably a diet or low fat one.
- Soda - 12 oz of carbonated anything - diet pop or carbonated water (sometimes people think the pop makes it TOO sweet) Just make sure that you match your pop to your cake - light to light/dark to dark with special considerations for orange and cream soda!!
- Egg - 2 egg whites to help hold it all together.
- Pan - either 9x13 or 12 muffin tin.
What you do:
Preheat your oven to 350
Throw it all in a bowl and mix it! I whisked it by hand because I was worried about over-mixing it and hey, gotta get some arm muscle right? But you can use electric mixers as well.
Once mixed pour into a lightly floured 9x13 pan or a muffin pan with papers.
You have to reduce the cooking time a little and it has been suggested to cook the cake for about 20-25 minutes and for the muffins 15-20 minutes testing both at the low end with toothpicks.
So, that was pretty easy!
I know that it maybe isn't the most "whole" food out there, but we all know that there are times where a whole food just wont cut it :D I think this is a nice alternative and can be served with the light or non-fat whip (Cool Whip or Dream Whip) and some berries as well!
I have only made the golden mix from Betty Crocker but it was a huge hit at home and with my father in law at work too!
My next test is the tiny muffin tin!
Happy Baking :D
I am so sorry to have strayed so long away from posting.... you know the holiday season, it monopolizes your time and then you need three weeks of recovery. I apologize. I didn't forget about blogging though, and with my trusty partner Laura at my side constantly reminding me I knew it was only a matter of time before I got back around to it.
I will admit that over the holidays I did have some indulgences, its to be expected I think. Besides, the holidays come only once a year! I also fell off the wagon one day to the tune of a PILE of chocolate truffles.. but I paid that price terribly the next day. Lesson learned.
Glad to say however, that I have kept on track. Even through all of the sugary coated Christmas goodness and the January blah's, I have managed to keep my diet going. I was losing track a bit and found a nice website to help me with my goal making/goal keeping/calorie tracking. Its called http://www.myfitnesspal.com/. A nice little place to keep your food diary, it has all the food there so it counts the calories for you and you can add your own as well. It also has some nice forums so you can stay motivated, join teams for a little bit of competitive spirit and get some healthy recipes. I suggest it to everyone who is trying to lose weight or is one of those "New Years Resolutionists". With this tool, you may actually keep your resolution this year.
I have some results for everyone, but before that I want to congratulate my mother Cheryl and my friend Joy for embarking on this journey as well! It takes some courage to take that step and they both have that and more. Keep it up girls! Oh, and for all that don't know, my mother hurt her knee badly and even though she can't be as active as she likes she is trying hard to stay on track. I'm so proud.
So, the long awaited results!
Since I started, I have lost a totaly of 42 lbs. YAY! Go me! Its a HUGE deal... like, four 10lb bags of potatoes or a small child! Crazy.
I have also had these changes in my measurements:
Measurements at 296lbs
Chest - 125 cm/ 49.2 in
Bicep - 37 cm/ 14.6 in
Waist - 129 cm/50.8 in
Hips - 143 cm/56.3 in
Thigh - 80 cm/31.5 in
Measurements at 274lbs
Chest - 48 in
Bicep - 13.75 in
Waist - 47.5 in
Hips - 54 in
Thigh - 29.75 in
Thats a grand total of 12 inches!! (counting both biceps and thighs!) Now I know that doesn't seem like a whole lot, but I will remeasure in about a week since I know I am carrying a weee bit of bloating right now (yay for womanhood!).
I also haven't really increased my exercise at all. Thats where the January blahs hit me hard... laziness. However I think that these results are impressive considering how lazy I have been.
Anyhow, theres a fast update! I hope some of you are still following :S
I have some neat recipes I will share with you and also some results of the PGX system since I got a free bottle and am trying it out.
Hang in there ladies, stick with it - if I can do it, anyone can :)
M
I will admit that over the holidays I did have some indulgences, its to be expected I think. Besides, the holidays come only once a year! I also fell off the wagon one day to the tune of a PILE of chocolate truffles.. but I paid that price terribly the next day. Lesson learned.
Glad to say however, that I have kept on track. Even through all of the sugary coated Christmas goodness and the January blah's, I have managed to keep my diet going. I was losing track a bit and found a nice website to help me with my goal making/goal keeping/calorie tracking. Its called http://www.myfitnesspal.com/. A nice little place to keep your food diary, it has all the food there so it counts the calories for you and you can add your own as well. It also has some nice forums so you can stay motivated, join teams for a little bit of competitive spirit and get some healthy recipes. I suggest it to everyone who is trying to lose weight or is one of those "New Years Resolutionists". With this tool, you may actually keep your resolution this year.
I have some results for everyone, but before that I want to congratulate my mother Cheryl and my friend Joy for embarking on this journey as well! It takes some courage to take that step and they both have that and more. Keep it up girls! Oh, and for all that don't know, my mother hurt her knee badly and even though she can't be as active as she likes she is trying hard to stay on track. I'm so proud.
So, the long awaited results!
Since I started, I have lost a totaly of 42 lbs. YAY! Go me! Its a HUGE deal... like, four 10lb bags of potatoes or a small child! Crazy.
I have also had these changes in my measurements:
Measurements at 296lbs
Chest - 125 cm/ 49.2 in
Bicep - 37 cm/ 14.6 in
Waist - 129 cm/50.8 in
Hips - 143 cm/56.3 in
Thigh - 80 cm/31.5 in
Measurements at 274lbs
Chest - 48 in
Bicep - 13.75 in
Waist - 47.5 in
Hips - 54 in
Thigh - 29.75 in
Thats a grand total of 12 inches!! (counting both biceps and thighs!) Now I know that doesn't seem like a whole lot, but I will remeasure in about a week since I know I am carrying a weee bit of bloating right now (yay for womanhood!).
I also haven't really increased my exercise at all. Thats where the January blahs hit me hard... laziness. However I think that these results are impressive considering how lazy I have been.
Anyhow, theres a fast update! I hope some of you are still following :S
I have some neat recipes I will share with you and also some results of the PGX system since I got a free bottle and am trying it out.
Hang in there ladies, stick with it - if I can do it, anyone can :)
M
So last week I promised that I would do a measured review of Relacores ability to reduce "belly fat".
(If you didn't get a chance to read the original, then click around for "Product Review: Relacore)
Now, I certainly do not endorse measuring after only a week. It promotes obsession and in my opinion only serves to create disappointment because there isn't a lot of time to generate 'wow!' results. It is suggested that measurements be taken only once every 1-2 months.
Anyhow, I got up nice and early to give you the nitty gritty breakdown, so here goes!
I'm down to 293.6lbs so far, which is just a hair under 20lbs lost. GO ME!
My measurements are:
Chest - 125cm / 49.2in
Bicep - 37cm / 14.6in
Waist - 127cm / 50in
Hips: - 140.5cm / 55.3in
Thigh - 78cm / 30.7in
Thats a difference of 2cm on my waist, 2.5cm on my hips, 2cm on my thighs. Grand total 6.5cm / 2.6in!
Now, thats pretty good to me so far. Only in a week? Hey, I'm happy with that. Lets talk about its possible relation to Relacore though. Relacore says that it is supposed to help cut down on stress induced belly fat by reducing cortisol. I can't say whether or not its true, but I do see by these results that most of my weight loss is clustered around my waist/hip area. So, tentatively we *could* say that it has been affected by the Relacore, but I am not entirely convinced at this time.
Thankfully, Relacores real value for me is in its mood regulation, which I discuss in my original product review. As a result of its mood regulating abilities I will continue to use Relacore and just reap whatever belly fat reduction that I can get! So, what I'm going to do is follow up on these measurements in a month to see what happens.
Ok, I have to go and get ready for the day - remember your daily apple!
Ciao Bellas!
(If you didn't get a chance to read the original, then click around for "Product Review: Relacore)
Now, I certainly do not endorse measuring after only a week. It promotes obsession and in my opinion only serves to create disappointment because there isn't a lot of time to generate 'wow!' results. It is suggested that measurements be taken only once every 1-2 months.
Anyhow, I got up nice and early to give you the nitty gritty breakdown, so here goes!
I'm down to 293.6lbs so far, which is just a hair under 20lbs lost. GO ME!
My measurements are:
Chest - 125cm / 49.2in
Bicep - 37cm / 14.6in
Waist - 127cm / 50in
Hips: - 140.5cm / 55.3in
Thigh - 78cm / 30.7in
Thats a difference of 2cm on my waist, 2.5cm on my hips, 2cm on my thighs. Grand total 6.5cm / 2.6in!
Now, thats pretty good to me so far. Only in a week? Hey, I'm happy with that. Lets talk about its possible relation to Relacore though. Relacore says that it is supposed to help cut down on stress induced belly fat by reducing cortisol. I can't say whether or not its true, but I do see by these results that most of my weight loss is clustered around my waist/hip area. So, tentatively we *could* say that it has been affected by the Relacore, but I am not entirely convinced at this time.
Thankfully, Relacores real value for me is in its mood regulation, which I discuss in my original product review. As a result of its mood regulating abilities I will continue to use Relacore and just reap whatever belly fat reduction that I can get! So, what I'm going to do is follow up on these measurements in a month to see what happens.
Ok, I have to go and get ready for the day - remember your daily apple!
Ciao Bellas!
Alright so today I wanted to talk a little bit about how to deal with going “out” for dinner!
Just to touch on something I said earlier in my blog, it’s really important to not restrict yourself from enjoying the foods you love or the restaurants you love. This can just cause us to want to break the restrictions and we end up often making not-so-good choices. So, I’m going to give you a few tactics that I use when I want to go out to a restaurant for a nice dinner.
1. Do some research ahead of time.
Pre-plan your meal! A lot of restaurants have web pages now and they have easily accessible nutritional information. Alternatively a lot of PDA and data devices have applications available to help you with this search on the go! Then you don’t have to mull over the menu and be tempted. You can also make considerations for how you want to choose your meals earlier in the day to allow for a special dessert or a glass of wine – whatever your tastebuds desire!
2. Don’t be afraid to ask!
If you don’t have access to the internet in order to preplan, never be afraid to ask for the nutritional information listing from your server. All restaurants are required to have the information available – either in a form you can take away with you (which is handy to keep on file for later!) or a booklet that has to stay in store. They are often more than glad to get it for you so that you can make a healthy choice.
3. Eat what you want, just eat less of it!
So you want to have some pork ribs – nothing wrong with that! Go for it! With your nutritional information in hand, just do a little bit of math. If your ribs are 800 calories, and you want to have more than just ribs, section them off. Ask for a doggie bag right away and have them halve the portion into the container. That way you’re eating more responsibly, you’ll have some for lunch the next day and you can still afford to have a side with your ribs!
4. Choose your side wisely, young skywalker!
We all love fries. Come on, admit it. But we also all know that they aren’t that great for us. There are often many other delicious options available that we can replace our fries with and this will make a significant difference in the fat and calorie content of our meal. Check the menu for your choices – they often range from garden salad, (César salad but its sometimes more), seasonal vegetables, a single veggie choice, soup, or baked beans. They may also give you other options for how you want your potatoes cooked – baked, mashed etc. If you don’t see the choices, ask your server!
5. They don’t put water on the table to look good!
There is water on the table at most restaurants, and it’s a great way to reduce your calorie intake. A glass of water while ordering will help you consume less of the food you love. It is also a great replacement for empty calories from sugared sodas, milkshakes and sweet alcoholic mixed drinks. I personally will always skip the pop/juice at dinner and replace it with water. (Also, if you want to know a little secret, the ice cold water on the table actually burns a few calories (12 I think), while your body warms it up after you ingest it!)
6. Share! (Its hard to do, but a valuable lesson learned in preschool)
So, you want that cheesecake mousse. And it’s givin’ you the eye. “I’ve made good choices tonight!” you think. You’re going to order it but you don’t know if you should eat all of it. No problem! If you’re out with girlfriends, I’m sure there is another of your friends that would be glad to share with you (especially if you’re on the healthy journey together!) Or, if you’re out with your spouse or partner you can ask for two spoons and romantically share you dessert. You’ll eat it more slowly and enjoy it! (Maybe you'll burn off the calories later!)
7. Ditch the filler. It just fills out your pants!
Bread on the table, Starters – they’re bad news. Why waste your calories on bread? Deep fried cheese sticks don’t really fill you up. Avoid these diet-busting foods at all costs.
Hopefully I’ve been able to give you a few good tips that you can use, especially with the holiday season upon us. There is absolutely no reason why you can’t enjoy your office party – just enjoy it smarter!
Don’t forget to watch my blog tomorrow for an “inches update”! I’m also going to doing a Vlog tomorrow about some of the top *diet* killers. You’ll be surprised at what you’ll learn about what you’re putting in your mouth!
Just to touch on something I said earlier in my blog, it’s really important to not restrict yourself from enjoying the foods you love or the restaurants you love. This can just cause us to want to break the restrictions and we end up often making not-so-good choices. So, I’m going to give you a few tactics that I use when I want to go out to a restaurant for a nice dinner.
1. Do some research ahead of time.
Pre-plan your meal! A lot of restaurants have web pages now and they have easily accessible nutritional information. Alternatively a lot of PDA and data devices have applications available to help you with this search on the go! Then you don’t have to mull over the menu and be tempted. You can also make considerations for how you want to choose your meals earlier in the day to allow for a special dessert or a glass of wine – whatever your tastebuds desire!
2. Don’t be afraid to ask!
If you don’t have access to the internet in order to preplan, never be afraid to ask for the nutritional information listing from your server. All restaurants are required to have the information available – either in a form you can take away with you (which is handy to keep on file for later!) or a booklet that has to stay in store. They are often more than glad to get it for you so that you can make a healthy choice.
3. Eat what you want, just eat less of it!
So you want to have some pork ribs – nothing wrong with that! Go for it! With your nutritional information in hand, just do a little bit of math. If your ribs are 800 calories, and you want to have more than just ribs, section them off. Ask for a doggie bag right away and have them halve the portion into the container. That way you’re eating more responsibly, you’ll have some for lunch the next day and you can still afford to have a side with your ribs!
4. Choose your side wisely, young skywalker!
We all love fries. Come on, admit it. But we also all know that they aren’t that great for us. There are often many other delicious options available that we can replace our fries with and this will make a significant difference in the fat and calorie content of our meal. Check the menu for your choices – they often range from garden salad, (César salad but its sometimes more), seasonal vegetables, a single veggie choice, soup, or baked beans. They may also give you other options for how you want your potatoes cooked – baked, mashed etc. If you don’t see the choices, ask your server!
5. They don’t put water on the table to look good!
There is water on the table at most restaurants, and it’s a great way to reduce your calorie intake. A glass of water while ordering will help you consume less of the food you love. It is also a great replacement for empty calories from sugared sodas, milkshakes and sweet alcoholic mixed drinks. I personally will always skip the pop/juice at dinner and replace it with water. (Also, if you want to know a little secret, the ice cold water on the table actually burns a few calories (12 I think), while your body warms it up after you ingest it!)
6. Share! (Its hard to do, but a valuable lesson learned in preschool)
So, you want that cheesecake mousse. And it’s givin’ you the eye. “I’ve made good choices tonight!” you think. You’re going to order it but you don’t know if you should eat all of it. No problem! If you’re out with girlfriends, I’m sure there is another of your friends that would be glad to share with you (especially if you’re on the healthy journey together!) Or, if you’re out with your spouse or partner you can ask for two spoons and romantically share you dessert. You’ll eat it more slowly and enjoy it! (Maybe you'll burn off the calories later!)
7. Ditch the filler. It just fills out your pants!
Bread on the table, Starters – they’re bad news. Why waste your calories on bread? Deep fried cheese sticks don’t really fill you up. Avoid these diet-busting foods at all costs.
Hopefully I’ve been able to give you a few good tips that you can use, especially with the holiday season upon us. There is absolutely no reason why you can’t enjoy your office party – just enjoy it smarter!
Don’t forget to watch my blog tomorrow for an “inches update”! I’m also going to doing a Vlog tomorrow about some of the top *diet* killers. You’ll be surprised at what you’ll learn about what you’re putting in your mouth!
So last night I decided to try out this recipe I found on the internet... no, I can't take credit for this one as much as I would like to. Its a neat little desert recipe that pulls in some fruit and a delicious caramel dressing. It will have friends and family wishing they were eating healthier too!
Alrighty, off to see my sister before she goes to Nashville and become famous. Check her out on Youtube!
Ciao Bellas!
Amazing Caramel Apple Salad
This recipe serves 10.
Prep time is less than 15 minutes and it should chill for at least 30 minutes.
Here's what you need:
1 Cup of Cool Whip Light
1 Cup of Cool Whip Light
1 Box Jello Butter Scotch Pudding mix
14 oz. can pineapple tidbits in juice
2 large Red Delicious or Fuji Apples (or more)
2 large Granny Smith Apples (or more)
14 oz. can pineapple tidbits in juice
2 large Red Delicious or Fuji Apples (or more)
2 large Granny Smith Apples (or more)
Here's what you do!
- Combine pudding mix and pineapple (with juice) in large bowl - do not add water.
- Mix well and set aside.
- Dice apples into small pieces and combine with pudding mixture.
- Fold in Cool Whip Light till well mixed.
- Chill and serve.
** You can make this with as many apples as you can put into the pudding mixture and still have the apples pieces fairly well coated ... lots more apple than creamy mixture ... almost like a dressing!
** This is also delicious made with Sugar Free Vanilla pudding. It doesn't have the same 'caramel apple' flavor, but it is incredibly yummy!
--------------------
Voila! The tastiest apple snack around! Its a great snack to take to a party or to make at home. It will keep for about 24 hours. (Remember that the apples start to turn!) It has been suggested that it would be tasty by adding nuts - I haven't tried it and it sure sounds good but I haven't allocated for the calories in additional nuts.
Approximate Nutritional Deets
(and comparison to a commonly consumed frozen dinner)
1 Cup Cool Whip Light (160 calories, 8g fat, 24g carbs)
1 Package of Jello Butterscotch Pudding Mix (90 calories, 0g fat, 23g carbs)
1 Can (14oz) of Pineapple Tidbits (70 calories, 0g fat, 16g carbs)
4 Apples (medium-large sized) (379 calories, 1.5g fat, 100.5g carbs, 17.5g fibre)
Per Serving you're looking at 70 calories, 0.95g fat, 16.65g of carbs and 2.05g of fibre! Not to mention the amazing other things that apples can do for you! I think its a pretty tasty treat - and so do my friends because *I* only had two servings!
1 Package of Jello Butterscotch Pudding Mix (90 calories, 0g fat, 23g carbs)
1 Can (14oz) of Pineapple Tidbits (70 calories, 0g fat, 16g carbs)
4 Apples (medium-large sized) (379 calories, 1.5g fat, 100.5g carbs, 17.5g fibre)
Per Serving you're looking at 70 calories, 0.95g fat, 16.65g of carbs and 2.05g of fibre! Not to mention the amazing other things that apples can do for you! I think its a pretty tasty treat - and so do my friends because *I* only had two servings!
Alrighty, off to see my sister before she goes to Nashville and become famous. Check her out on Youtube!
Ciao Bellas!
(You can also watch this video on Youtube! Click Here!)
Apples – they are a supermarket staple and a crisper drawer celebrity. They’re easy to get all year and you always have flexibility to choose what kind of apple you want. Crisp, sweet, tart; apples for baking, boiling, snacking even juicing! They provide a lot of variety, but that’s not all they are able to provide.
Apples are an excellent healthy choice. They are a source of antioxidants and fibre; soluble and insoluble. Insoluble fibre helps to move food through the digestive tract quickly and easily and therefore reduces colon cancer risk. The soluble part of an apple, the pectin, also reduces cholesterol buildup in the arteries. Studies have even suggested that apples may reduce the risk of prostate and lung cancer. Another bonus to the pectin (much like any fibre) is that it has been reported to act as an appetite suppressant. Besides, a small/medium apple is far under 100 calories, so it won’t make a huge dent in your daily calorie bank!
You know, there’s a reason that the cliché “An apple a day keeps the doctor away!” never seems to get old.
And that’s your five minutes of fruit for Friday the 13th!
(Watch for a delicious low calorie apple recipe that will have your friends and family wishing they were eating healthier too!)
[...ooo its red meat day! I am STOKED for steak! Just remember to trim the fat and fill at least half your plate with healthy veg! Ciao Bellas!]
Apples – they are a supermarket staple and a crisper drawer celebrity. They’re easy to get all year and you always have flexibility to choose what kind of apple you want. Crisp, sweet, tart; apples for baking, boiling, snacking even juicing! They provide a lot of variety, but that’s not all they are able to provide.
Apples are an excellent healthy choice. They are a source of antioxidants and fibre; soluble and insoluble. Insoluble fibre helps to move food through the digestive tract quickly and easily and therefore reduces colon cancer risk. The soluble part of an apple, the pectin, also reduces cholesterol buildup in the arteries. Studies have even suggested that apples may reduce the risk of prostate and lung cancer. Another bonus to the pectin (much like any fibre) is that it has been reported to act as an appetite suppressant. Besides, a small/medium apple is far under 100 calories, so it won’t make a huge dent in your daily calorie bank!
You know, there’s a reason that the cliché “An apple a day keeps the doctor away!” never seems to get old.
And that’s your five minutes of fruit for Friday the 13th!
(Watch for a delicious low calorie apple recipe that will have your friends and family wishing they were eating healthier too!)
[...ooo its red meat day! I am STOKED for steak! Just remember to trim the fat and fill at least half your plate with healthy veg! Ciao Bellas!]
Why lying to yourself is the worst thing that you could possibly do!
Ok, so first off I want to thank you for continuing to follow and also to congratulate you if you're following along with me!
Today I want to talk a little bit about honesty. No, I'm not talking about lying to partner about liking their parents. I'm talking about honesty about yourself to yourself. I can see you all rolling your eyes now. I bet your expecting me to do some shmultzy "talk to yourself in a mirror" thing. No. That annoys even me.
Let me tell you a short tale about how what I considered "confidence" and "comfort" with myself was actually just a big pile-o-denial.
I've always been a confident girl. I'm overweight, yeah, but I carry it pretty well and I've always been of the "If you don't like it, don't look at it" opinion. (Granted, I always dress myself appropriately for my size.) The rare moments when I was unhappy with my body I didn't really share with anyone, and most of the time I was comfortable with my weight. I would make jokes about it and my friends and family would chastize me and correct me. I would laugh and say "awww, thanks." Little did I know that I was letting them contribute to my denial. You see, by making a joke out of it I wasn't taking it as a serious matter (and it is!) and then by allowing my family to correct me I was essentially letting them tell me that I'm not fat. It fed my denial.
Now, I completely believe that it is a good thing to be comfortable with yourself. I think its important for women of all shapes and sizes. However, being over-confident lets us evade the truth.
So I have made the choice to be open about my weight. Not only because I think that it will keep me on track, but because being honest with myself and my family and friends about my weight is a constant reminder of WHY I am doing what I am doing. The minute I deny the truth, is the minute I forget why I'm changing and I go off track.
Today, I said something about being fat and a darling friend of mine corrected me. I stopped her, and I reminded her that by correcting me she was creating a sense of complacency and acceptance about what I consider to be completely unacceptable now; something I am trying to change. In essence, its like reinforcing an alcoholic or an addict.
So now, I am going to challenge you. I'm going to challenge you to be honest to yourself. I'm going to challenge you to refuse to accept the false sense of complacency.
Be TRUE to you. Be Honest about these few things.
I am overweight.
I am changing.
I will be healthy.
I'm doing it. I KNOW I can succeed, and I know you all can too.
So, honesty! It works!
Ok, so first off I want to thank you for continuing to follow and also to congratulate you if you're following along with me!
Today I want to talk a little bit about honesty. No, I'm not talking about lying to partner about liking their parents. I'm talking about honesty about yourself to yourself. I can see you all rolling your eyes now. I bet your expecting me to do some shmultzy "talk to yourself in a mirror" thing. No. That annoys even me.
Let me tell you a short tale about how what I considered "confidence" and "comfort" with myself was actually just a big pile-o-denial.
I've always been a confident girl. I'm overweight, yeah, but I carry it pretty well and I've always been of the "If you don't like it, don't look at it" opinion. (Granted, I always dress myself appropriately for my size.) The rare moments when I was unhappy with my body I didn't really share with anyone, and most of the time I was comfortable with my weight. I would make jokes about it and my friends and family would chastize me and correct me. I would laugh and say "awww, thanks." Little did I know that I was letting them contribute to my denial. You see, by making a joke out of it I wasn't taking it as a serious matter (and it is!) and then by allowing my family to correct me I was essentially letting them tell me that I'm not fat. It fed my denial.
Now, I completely believe that it is a good thing to be comfortable with yourself. I think its important for women of all shapes and sizes. However, being over-confident lets us evade the truth.
So I have made the choice to be open about my weight. Not only because I think that it will keep me on track, but because being honest with myself and my family and friends about my weight is a constant reminder of WHY I am doing what I am doing. The minute I deny the truth, is the minute I forget why I'm changing and I go off track.
Today, I said something about being fat and a darling friend of mine corrected me. I stopped her, and I reminded her that by correcting me she was creating a sense of complacency and acceptance about what I consider to be completely unacceptable now; something I am trying to change. In essence, its like reinforcing an alcoholic or an addict.
So now, I am going to challenge you. I'm going to challenge you to be honest to yourself. I'm going to challenge you to refuse to accept the false sense of complacency.
Be TRUE to you. Be Honest about these few things.
I am overweight.
I am changing.
I will be healthy.
I'm doing it. I KNOW I can succeed, and I know you all can too.
So, honesty! It works!
So I thought that I would share with you all a lovely recipe that I use to create some variety in my chicken.
We all know that most pre-processed chicken nuggets and chicken strips have far too much salt and additives and sometimes the chicken is.... questionable. However, finger-foods are fun to eat and if made properly can be a tasty HEALTHY addition to any diet. (Hold the salt and chicken 'bits' though!)
This recipe is to serve two, but can be adjusted for more (or less!)
Prep time is less than 15 minutes and cook time is about 20 minutes.
Here's what you need:
Corn Flakes
2 Chicken Breasts or 2 pkgs of fresh fast fry chicken (its pre-cut into thin strips)
One egg
Olive oil or a Pam-Like spray.
Any seasonings you would like (I will discuss further)
Whatever dipping sauce you desire (I prefer VH Sweet and Sour or Plum Sauce)
Here's what you do!
1. Preheat your oven to 375. (Make sure you take your pizza stone our or your apartment will stink like burning pizza stone -oops that was me!)
2. Put the 2 cups of corn flakes into a medium-large tupperware container that has a lid (this is key!)
3. With a potato masher, mash the heck out of the corn flakes. Now, we don't want cornflake dust, but we want them to be small bits. If you have a different and/or better way of crushing them, go right ahead. Just make sure you have the container w/lid.
4. Crack the egg into a bowl and whisk it until well blended.
5. Now, if you have regular chicken breasts, you will have to cut them thinner (through the middle) and then cut them into strips. Make sure they are thin, because if they are not its going to affect your cooking time.
6. Take your strips and put them in the bowl with the egg. Make sure they all get coated on each side.
7. Grab that cooking pan, cover it with tinfoil and either wipe it with a paper towel and olive oil or spritz it with a lowfat cooking spray.
8. Get that Tupperware, because we need it now! Take the tupperware and sift it side to side to make sure the cornflakes are covering the bottom. Then lay each piece of egg coated chicken individually across the cornflakes on the bottom. If you have too many chicken pieces, no problem. We can repeat this step.
9. Once you have all your chicken strips fit into the container, close the lid tightly (and I mean TIGHT or you're going to have a big mess!) and gently shake the container, making sure all the chicken strips get coated.
10. Remove the chicken strips from the corn flakes and Lay the chicken strips on the tinfoil.
11. Repeat steps 8-10 until all of the chicken is covered in corn flakes and is on the pan.
12. At this point your oven should be pre-heated. Put the pan in the oven (middle rack) and set the timer for 10 minutes.
13. At the timer, remove the pan, flip the strips and replace in the oven. Set the timer for 10 minutes.
Voila! They are done! Now, you have to check the strips, if they are a bit chunkier you are going to want to dissect one to make sure they are cooked all the way through. Keep flipping and cooking until this happens. I personally always cut into the middle of the thickest one and if its done, I know I'm good.
I will often eat these with a tablespoon of VH sauce to dip lightly in and then fill the rest of my plate with veg. Last night, I had cesar salad. I was so full I couldn't move!
Now I personally haven't ever done this because I happen to quite enjoy the cornflake-y goodness, but I imagine that experimenting with certain spices or seasonings (for example chipotle), might make this even tastier! Be careful though, certain seasonings contain a lot of salt and it has been said that seasonings and salt make us want to consume more food and we don't want to over eat. However, it may be worth a try and I am looking forward to hearing about your experimentation and modification of my recipe!
1 cup Cornflakes (100 calories, 0g fat, 1g fibre, 2g protein, 24g carbs)
1 chicken breast (or equivalent) (124 calories, 1.4g fat, 26.1g protein)
1/2 egg (37 calories, 2.5g fat, 3.1g protein) - alternatively you can use two egg whites to get the job done!
2-3 second spray of Pam (24 calories, 3g fat - for 3sec) - you can use minimally, 3 seconds is more than enough!
1 tbsp of VH Sweet and Sour (25 calories, 0g fat, 6g carbs)
So, all told (not including tasty side veg) You're looking at a 310 calorie, 6.9g of fat, 31.2g protein, 30g carbs dinner that is HOMEMADE and FRESH. Free of preservatives (mostly) and low in salt and filler. Also, since veg is like a heavenly gift from above, a healthy serving won't make a huge difference in the total at all.
For a point of reference, the Lasagna Lean Cuisine has 310 cal, 8g. fat (4 are saturated!), 41g. of carbs, 19g of protein and 4g. of fibre. And thats without veg and as far as I'm concerned nowhere near as tasty and not as filling.
Thats right ladies (and gentlemen!) You just made a tasty dinner, that is better for you and overall cost LESS than a Lean Cuisine. Now lets go reward ourselves with an apple! (I totally did that!)
Alrighty, off to do something constructive!
Ciao Bellas!
We all know that most pre-processed chicken nuggets and chicken strips have far too much salt and additives and sometimes the chicken is.... questionable. However, finger-foods are fun to eat and if made properly can be a tasty HEALTHY addition to any diet. (Hold the salt and chicken 'bits' though!)
Guilt Free, (kinda) Pub-Style Chicken Strips!
This recipe is to serve two, but can be adjusted for more (or less!)
Prep time is less than 15 minutes and cook time is about 20 minutes.
Here's what you need:
Corn Flakes
2 Chicken Breasts or 2 pkgs of fresh fast fry chicken (its pre-cut into thin strips)
One egg
Olive oil or a Pam-Like spray.
Any seasonings you would like (I will discuss further)
Whatever dipping sauce you desire (I prefer VH Sweet and Sour or Plum Sauce)
Here's what you do!
1. Preheat your oven to 375. (Make sure you take your pizza stone our or your apartment will stink like burning pizza stone -oops that was me!)
2. Put the 2 cups of corn flakes into a medium-large tupperware container that has a lid (this is key!)
3. With a potato masher, mash the heck out of the corn flakes. Now, we don't want cornflake dust, but we want them to be small bits. If you have a different and/or better way of crushing them, go right ahead. Just make sure you have the container w/lid.
4. Crack the egg into a bowl and whisk it until well blended.
5. Now, if you have regular chicken breasts, you will have to cut them thinner (through the middle) and then cut them into strips. Make sure they are thin, because if they are not its going to affect your cooking time.
6. Take your strips and put them in the bowl with the egg. Make sure they all get coated on each side.
7. Grab that cooking pan, cover it with tinfoil and either wipe it with a paper towel and olive oil or spritz it with a lowfat cooking spray.
8. Get that Tupperware, because we need it now! Take the tupperware and sift it side to side to make sure the cornflakes are covering the bottom. Then lay each piece of egg coated chicken individually across the cornflakes on the bottom. If you have too many chicken pieces, no problem. We can repeat this step.
9. Once you have all your chicken strips fit into the container, close the lid tightly (and I mean TIGHT or you're going to have a big mess!) and gently shake the container, making sure all the chicken strips get coated.
10. Remove the chicken strips from the corn flakes and Lay the chicken strips on the tinfoil.
11. Repeat steps 8-10 until all of the chicken is covered in corn flakes and is on the pan.
12. At this point your oven should be pre-heated. Put the pan in the oven (middle rack) and set the timer for 10 minutes.
13. At the timer, remove the pan, flip the strips and replace in the oven. Set the timer for 10 minutes.
---------------------
Voila! They are done! Now, you have to check the strips, if they are a bit chunkier you are going to want to dissect one to make sure they are cooked all the way through. Keep flipping and cooking until this happens. I personally always cut into the middle of the thickest one and if its done, I know I'm good.
I will often eat these with a tablespoon of VH sauce to dip lightly in and then fill the rest of my plate with veg. Last night, I had cesar salad. I was so full I couldn't move!
Now I personally haven't ever done this because I happen to quite enjoy the cornflake-y goodness, but I imagine that experimenting with certain spices or seasonings (for example chipotle), might make this even tastier! Be careful though, certain seasonings contain a lot of salt and it has been said that seasonings and salt make us want to consume more food and we don't want to over eat. However, it may be worth a try and I am looking forward to hearing about your experimentation and modification of my recipe!
Approximate Nutritional Deets
(and comparison to a commonly consumed frozen dinner)
1 chicken breast (or equivalent) (124 calories, 1.4g fat, 26.1g protein)
1/2 egg (37 calories, 2.5g fat, 3.1g protein) - alternatively you can use two egg whites to get the job done!
2-3 second spray of Pam (24 calories, 3g fat - for 3sec) - you can use minimally, 3 seconds is more than enough!
1 tbsp of VH Sweet and Sour (25 calories, 0g fat, 6g carbs)
So, all told (not including tasty side veg) You're looking at a 310 calorie, 6.9g of fat, 31.2g protein, 30g carbs dinner that is HOMEMADE and FRESH. Free of preservatives (mostly) and low in salt and filler. Also, since veg is like a heavenly gift from above, a healthy serving won't make a huge difference in the total at all.
For a point of reference, the Lasagna Lean Cuisine has 310 cal, 8g. fat (4 are saturated!), 41g. of carbs, 19g of protein and 4g. of fibre. And thats without veg and as far as I'm concerned nowhere near as tasty and not as filling.
Thats right ladies (and gentlemen!) You just made a tasty dinner, that is better for you and overall cost LESS than a Lean Cuisine. Now lets go reward ourselves with an apple! (I totally did that!)
Alrighty, off to do something constructive!
Ciao Bellas!
I just want to say that without my partners love and neverending support, I don't think I would be here today making my life better for ME, and by translation, OUR life better.
Thank you, V. I love you.
Thank you, V. I love you.
Nah, it is. Its a nice sunny day outside and I'm still breathing. It technically could be worse.
Alright, so I went and tracked down a measuring tape (thanks Gramma!) so I could share the nitty gritty with you. But before i dump my measurements all over the interwebs, I thought I would share that I'm down to 296 now! /cheer! At this rate, in six months ill be Twiggy! I kid, I kid. I completely chalk that whole 1lb weight loss to the bathroom scrubbing I did yesterday. No, my bathroom wasn't that dirty! I'm just a bit - retentive - you can say. Anyway, I digress. I'll have my mini celebration over a slice of turkey and some peas in a few minutes. Nom Nom Nom!
Alright, so I went and tracked down a measuring tape (thanks Gramma!) so I could share the nitty gritty with you. But before i dump my measurements all over the interwebs, I thought I would share that I'm down to 296 now! /cheer! At this rate, in six months ill be Twiggy! I kid, I kid. I completely chalk that whole 1lb weight loss to the bathroom scrubbing I did yesterday. No, my bathroom wasn't that dirty! I'm just a bit - retentive - you can say. Anyway, I digress. I'll have my mini celebration over a slice of turkey and some peas in a few minutes. Nom Nom Nom!
The Good. The Bad. The Ugly.
I have never had to measure myself before - someone always did it for me. So, I found a nice little guide online to show me the places that I should see the most weight loss and how to properly measure them. For all those following along at home, its chest, bicep, waist, hips, thigh. I know there are other areas like calf etc, but I want the basics. Remember, *I* like things easy and I don't like to get obsessive.
Here is the link I went to - Measurements
(Now, I don't endorse anything else on the website because I haven't looked into it. I also haven't downloaded the program and I will not comment on whether or not it is effective or full of viruses. Use at your own risk!)
Without further adieu, I bring you the Bad and the Ugly!
Chest - 125 cm/ 49.2 in
Bicep - 37 cm/ 14.6 in
Waist - 129 cm/50.8 in
Hips - 143 cm/56.3 in
Thigh - 80 cm/31.5 in
And as a hilarious point of reference, my Head is 57 cm/22.4 inches. Yeah thats right, my thigh is bigger than my head....but not for long!
So there they are, and I promise you I didn't fudge them or suck it in or whatever it is we all do to make ourselves feel better. It is of absolutely NO benefit to me to lie about my measurements - it just feeds the delusion.
I'm going to wait a week and see what happens, remeasure and then wait for a month. I'd like to focus on the belly fat just to see if this Relacore business is as awesome at kicking my fat out as it is at kicking out my anxiety. I'll keep you all updated.
And now, for the Good!
I've decided to start a small video blog. I figure its gotta be hard to believe its working for someone when you can't see the results. (Secretly, its also easier than typing a lot! AND it gives me an excuse to do my makeup lol!) So, you can all go and follow my YOUTUBE! channel.
Ok, so I'm gonna go and use that excuse to do my makeup, do a little vidblog for you all, and then get out in this sun before it goes away for a few months!
Ciao Bellas!
This is a timeline of the tragic loss of my cheekbones. I'm questing to get them back.
Lay Down Your Sword! (Fat really doesn't make good body armour, so why do we keep using it!?)
| Author:
I can't even imagine what type of attack my fat could prevent. I really don't think it would save me from any onslaught. So, I ask the question - why? Why lug it around like a bulletproof vest?
Its a hard question to answer, and for me it wasn 't up for discussion. I did't NEED armor, so of course I wasn't using it that way. Of course, that was all lies. Lies I told myself so that I could avoid facing the reality of things; my fat was my excuse. For me, fat was an excuse to not do things, to continue negative habits and my defense system against reality. It was all tied up in my issues with "failure" (among other things). If I was too fat to do something, then I couldn't possibly fail at it - right? Wrong. Using your fat as an excuse can only be classified as one thing: Epic Fail. (Yes, I hear all you gamers out there 'lol'ing.) Its true though.
I started gaining weight after a very tragic experience in my life. My first week of college I was drugged and raped at a party. It was hard, and not the first time I had experienced a sexual assault. Being away from my family and thrust into another city all alone made it hard to deal with. It was easier to just be me, alone, safe in my room with my Doritos and Chips Ahoy (and IRC! ha!). It was recently suggested to me that the reason I started to rapidly gain weight was as a deterrent. Now, I can't say exactly what happened but I do know that it was a very hard time for me and looking back it seems completely plausible that my weight gain was justified in my mind. "If I'm unattractive, they won't hurt me again." I can see that logic, however flawed it is.
The logical side of me of course says that this is ridiculous, and that it wasn't my fault. I know this. I've put in many hours of healing and come through the other side a stronger person. I'm far more confident than I was and more self assured. However, the more I think about it, the more I believe that the scared teenage girl in me still holds onto that belief and uses fat as a way to protect her from being hurt again.
She really couldn't be more wrong, because in effect what she did was trade the fear of one potential assailant for the certainty of another. Yep, thats right, its like being in a fight with a ninja and a pirate and then grabbing the pirate and using the pirate to fight off the ninja. You know full well that after that ninja goes down, the pirate is gonna turn on you.
At some point its time to whip out your own weapons (knowledge and confidence being two), as I did, and get ready for the fight of your life. Its time to take down that peg-legged, heart disease and diabetes causing marauder. Its time to say "I'd rather defend myself than use you and have you secretly stab me in the back!"
It may be a tough decision to come to, or hard to imagine not having your 'armor' there to protect you. But, much like we have to get rid of the ugly sweater were so used to having around, we also have to stop using our fat to protect us. It doesn't. It hurts us more than it helps.
I know that each and every person goes through their own personal experiences and we all have our own personal (and often private) reasons for why we eat and how we ended up here. I can't possibly speak for everyone.
I do feel however, that there is one piece of advice that I can share with you all. By continuing to use your fat as a 'bullet proof vest', you're contributing to the belief that you're a victim. It doesn't really matter what you're a victim of but if you're protecting yourself from pain, you're admitting that you believe you will be a victim in the future. I firmly believe that we make our own reality with how we think and how we behave (Yep, I made myself fat - no one else really to blame, and I've accepted that). I also believe that continuing to believe that I was a victim was only creating that reality for me.
So, if you can work through your blockage or your issue and stop actively (or passively) contributing to your own victimization, you may just be able to hang 'im from the yardarm - the pirate I mean!
Yo Ho Ho Lassies!
Its a hard question to answer, and for me it wasn 't up for discussion. I did't NEED armor, so of course I wasn't using it that way. Of course, that was all lies. Lies I told myself so that I could avoid facing the reality of things; my fat was my excuse. For me, fat was an excuse to not do things, to continue negative habits and my defense system against reality. It was all tied up in my issues with "failure" (among other things). If I was too fat to do something, then I couldn't possibly fail at it - right? Wrong. Using your fat as an excuse can only be classified as one thing: Epic Fail. (Yes, I hear all you gamers out there 'lol'ing.) Its true though.
I started gaining weight after a very tragic experience in my life. My first week of college I was drugged and raped at a party. It was hard, and not the first time I had experienced a sexual assault. Being away from my family and thrust into another city all alone made it hard to deal with. It was easier to just be me, alone, safe in my room with my Doritos and Chips Ahoy (and IRC! ha!). It was recently suggested to me that the reason I started to rapidly gain weight was as a deterrent. Now, I can't say exactly what happened but I do know that it was a very hard time for me and looking back it seems completely plausible that my weight gain was justified in my mind. "If I'm unattractive, they won't hurt me again." I can see that logic, however flawed it is.
The logical side of me of course says that this is ridiculous, and that it wasn't my fault. I know this. I've put in many hours of healing and come through the other side a stronger person. I'm far more confident than I was and more self assured. However, the more I think about it, the more I believe that the scared teenage girl in me still holds onto that belief and uses fat as a way to protect her from being hurt again.
She really couldn't be more wrong, because in effect what she did was trade the fear of one potential assailant for the certainty of another. Yep, thats right, its like being in a fight with a ninja and a pirate and then grabbing the pirate and using the pirate to fight off the ninja. You know full well that after that ninja goes down, the pirate is gonna turn on you.
Yarrrgghh!! Me fat is killin me!
At some point its time to whip out your own weapons (knowledge and confidence being two), as I did, and get ready for the fight of your life. Its time to take down that peg-legged, heart disease and diabetes causing marauder. Its time to say "I'd rather defend myself than use you and have you secretly stab me in the back!"
It may be a tough decision to come to, or hard to imagine not having your 'armor' there to protect you. But, much like we have to get rid of the ugly sweater were so used to having around, we also have to stop using our fat to protect us. It doesn't. It hurts us more than it helps.
Victim who? Not me!
I know that each and every person goes through their own personal experiences and we all have our own personal (and often private) reasons for why we eat and how we ended up here. I can't possibly speak for everyone.
I do feel however, that there is one piece of advice that I can share with you all. By continuing to use your fat as a 'bullet proof vest', you're contributing to the belief that you're a victim. It doesn't really matter what you're a victim of but if you're protecting yourself from pain, you're admitting that you believe you will be a victim in the future. I firmly believe that we make our own reality with how we think and how we behave (Yep, I made myself fat - no one else really to blame, and I've accepted that). I also believe that continuing to believe that I was a victim was only creating that reality for me.
So, if you can work through your blockage or your issue and stop actively (or passively) contributing to your own victimization, you may just be able to hang 'im from the yardarm - the pirate I mean!
Yo Ho Ho Lassies!
Part of the "My Body is my Temple" approach that I started included taking chemicals out of my body that I didn't need. So I quit smoking (over a month now), did a detox and I went to my doctor and had them step me off my anti-anxiety medication.
I started doing some reading about natural supplements that support mood regulation and I decided to try out a product called Relacore. It used to claim that it reduced belly fat (by reduction of anxiety and therefore reduction of cortisol) - and I can see how it may possibly make that claim, but that wasn't my reason for choosing it. The reviews I read had a lot to say about the way it affected ones mood and ability to deal with anxiety.
There were a few people screaming about how it didnt take away their belly fat...and how they were filing a class action suit, but I personally think that those people are insane. ANYONE who thinks they can take a pill and lose weight is mental. Especially if they keep eating what they're eating; what caused them to gain the weight in the first place. It just doesn't fit in the equation. Needless to say, I didn't let the crazies deter me.
So, off to the store I went.
I made sure to read the label carefully; there was no way I was letting offensive material back into my detoxed body. I was pleasantly surprised.
On the label: Vitamins C, B1, B2, B6, B12, Cal, Mag, Biotin, Pantothenic Acid
Hmmm.. vitamins, ok these wont hurt me. Calcium for my bones, Vitamin C will help me beat H1N1, B vitamins help me metabolize what I eat, Biotin helps me metabolize my fats and fatty acids. Ok, so this is looking good to me (and thats just the bare bones of what these do for me).
Also on the label: Passionflower Herb, Magnolia Bark, Skullcap Root, Niacin, Panax Ginseng Root, Poria Fungus, Jujube Fruit, Perilla Frutescens leaf, Phosphatidylserine.
Passionflower Herb - Allegedly reduces stress, helps induce restful sleep.
Magnolia Bark - Reduces stress and has been said to reduce allergic reactions as well.
Niacin - Proven to assist in reducing total cholesterol.
Panax Ginseng Root - Improves circulation, increases blood supply and stimulates the body.
Jujube Fruit - According to Chinese traditional medicine, reduces stress.
Perilla - Increase immune system activity
Phosphatidylserine - Reported to reduce cortisol from exercise induced stress
Ok so, that all looks pretty promising! Now, theres a lot of 'alleged's and 'reported's, but I thought seriously, whats the worst that can happen? I waste my $25something dollars and tell everyone about it.
So, I take my purchase and confidently begin the proper dosage.
Its been about a week and a half now and let me tell you all - I will swear by this product. It reduced my mood fluctuations, helped my PMS and I have absolutely zero desire to emotionally consume food (and for all you naysayers, I lost my JOB and still didn't want to grab the potato chips!)
So, my suggestion is, if you have rough periods, a propensity to eat your feelings or anxiety this is definitely worth a try.
I'm pretty sure I can hear you all asking the question... what about the belly fat? Well, I can't tell you, because I haven't measured! Relacore does report a reduction in belly fat as a result of lack of anxiety produced cortisol, and it definitely reduces anxiety. I can safely assume that its reducing cortisol production.
So, for all you wonderers out there, I'm going to measure tomorrow morning, and follow up in a week with a brief article about all the terrible things and overproduction of cortisol does to you, and how you can easily contribute to a reduction in cortisol production with OR without Relacore.
Ok, the completely unrelated question of the day, how many calories do I burn cleaning my bathroom?
I read somewhere that an average 140lb person will burn 250 calories for 1hr of bathroom scrubbing.
Hm. Cleaning the bathroom never sounded so good! Off I go!
Ciao Bellas!
I started doing some reading about natural supplements that support mood regulation and I decided to try out a product called Relacore. It used to claim that it reduced belly fat (by reduction of anxiety and therefore reduction of cortisol) - and I can see how it may possibly make that claim, but that wasn't my reason for choosing it. The reviews I read had a lot to say about the way it affected ones mood and ability to deal with anxiety.
There were a few people screaming about how it didnt take away their belly fat...and how they were filing a class action suit, but I personally think that those people are insane. ANYONE who thinks they can take a pill and lose weight is mental. Especially if they keep eating what they're eating; what caused them to gain the weight in the first place. It just doesn't fit in the equation. Needless to say, I didn't let the crazies deter me.
So, off to the store I went.
I made sure to read the label carefully; there was no way I was letting offensive material back into my detoxed body. I was pleasantly surprised.
On the label: Vitamins C, B1, B2, B6, B12, Cal, Mag, Biotin, Pantothenic Acid
Hmmm.. vitamins, ok these wont hurt me. Calcium for my bones, Vitamin C will help me beat H1N1, B vitamins help me metabolize what I eat, Biotin helps me metabolize my fats and fatty acids. Ok, so this is looking good to me (and thats just the bare bones of what these do for me).
Also on the label: Passionflower Herb, Magnolia Bark, Skullcap Root, Niacin, Panax Ginseng Root, Poria Fungus, Jujube Fruit, Perilla Frutescens leaf, Phosphatidylserine.
Passionflower Herb - Allegedly reduces stress, helps induce restful sleep.
Magnolia Bark - Reduces stress and has been said to reduce allergic reactions as well.
Niacin - Proven to assist in reducing total cholesterol.
Panax Ginseng Root - Improves circulation, increases blood supply and stimulates the body.
Jujube Fruit - According to Chinese traditional medicine, reduces stress.
Perilla - Increase immune system activity
Phosphatidylserine - Reported to reduce cortisol from exercise induced stress
Ok so, that all looks pretty promising! Now, theres a lot of 'alleged's and 'reported's, but I thought seriously, whats the worst that can happen? I waste my $25something dollars and tell everyone about it.
So, I take my purchase and confidently begin the proper dosage.
Its been about a week and a half now and let me tell you all - I will swear by this product. It reduced my mood fluctuations, helped my PMS and I have absolutely zero desire to emotionally consume food (and for all you naysayers, I lost my JOB and still didn't want to grab the potato chips!)
So, my suggestion is, if you have rough periods, a propensity to eat your feelings or anxiety this is definitely worth a try.
I'm pretty sure I can hear you all asking the question... what about the belly fat? Well, I can't tell you, because I haven't measured! Relacore does report a reduction in belly fat as a result of lack of anxiety produced cortisol, and it definitely reduces anxiety. I can safely assume that its reducing cortisol production.
So, for all you wonderers out there, I'm going to measure tomorrow morning, and follow up in a week with a brief article about all the terrible things and overproduction of cortisol does to you, and how you can easily contribute to a reduction in cortisol production with OR without Relacore.
Completely Unrelated Question of the Day!
Ok, the completely unrelated question of the day, how many calories do I burn cleaning my bathroom?
I read somewhere that an average 140lb person will burn 250 calories for 1hr of bathroom scrubbing.
Hm. Cleaning the bathroom never sounded so good! Off I go!
Ciao Bellas!
I can see you already laughing at the title....oh come on, we all have one. It may be a sweater but it could be that pair of socks, the jeans, that old pair of underwear or ratty old t-shirt. Maybe its worn in sneakers - who can say. No matter what it is, we all have one. One old, ugly piece of clothing that is SO ten years ago. It has stains, it doesn't fit, its dated. You know that no one likes it. Hell, you don't really like it. The thing is, its been around so long that its managed to get itself entwined in your memories. You're so comfortable with it that you cant let that ugly, unattractive, useless sweater go.
Now stop for a minute, and I want you to think about that piece of clothing. Slowly, I want you to think about that sweater as your own extra body fat. Its that old, ugly thing that you're so used to, that you can't even imagine yourself without it and you certainly can't fathom throwing it out! After all, you've had [that] sweater since grade seven! I know it seems hard to admit, but maybe its time to just, throw that sweater out. Don't donate it (NOBODY wants it, trust me!), don't put it away in a box. Chuck that nasty thing; burn it even! (But make sure to get all the small animals out who have made it a home over the years!) Tie that bag up, carry it to the curb and do your million dollar happy dance.
When you've had that million dollar happy dance and you've decided to throw out your fat, you're completely at peace with the trip - the trip to the new you. If you're not quite ready to get rid of that sweater yet, I challenge you to read on. You may come to realize how many things that sweater has actually taken away from you.
Now stop for a minute, and I want you to think about that piece of clothing. Slowly, I want you to think about that sweater as your own extra body fat. Its that old, ugly thing that you're so used to, that you can't even imagine yourself without it and you certainly can't fathom throwing it out! After all, you've had [that] sweater since grade seven! I know it seems hard to admit, but maybe its time to just, throw that sweater out. Don't donate it (NOBODY wants it, trust me!), don't put it away in a box. Chuck that nasty thing; burn it even! (But make sure to get all the small animals out who have made it a home over the years!) Tie that bag up, carry it to the curb and do your million dollar happy dance.
When you've had that million dollar happy dance and you've decided to throw out your fat, you're completely at peace with the trip - the trip to the new you. If you're not quite ready to get rid of that sweater yet, I challenge you to read on. You may come to realize how many things that sweater has actually taken away from you.
OMG not MATH! I thought I left that stuff in Highschool!!!!
The first thing I learned was how to figure out how I have to FEED my body to keep it functioning. I mean, more specifically, how many calories I have to eat to maintain my weight. There is a neat little formula that can determine this for you - which is of course an approximation, but nonetheless a very handy piece of information.
Its called your Basal Metabolic Rate. Pretty much, how many calories you would burn if you pulled a Brian Wilson (just layed around in bed). Id give you the equation but its annoying and so much easier to have a little gadget do it for you! So, go to this link here and it will help you calculate your BMR. Now, one thing you have to remember is that as you lose weight, your BMR will change, so you have to remember to regularly recalculate.
Basal Metabolic Rate
For example, when I weighed 300lbs, my BMR to MAINTAIN my weight was 2611. I weighed this morning and I'm at 297, which means my BMR has changed slightly and is now at 2590 to maintain.
Now, the BMR basic calculation is pretty basic, as it doesn't take into account lean muscle mass etc. However, its a pretty straightforward place to start.
Knowing is half the battle!
So, that was pretty interesting, but here's where the fun stuff starts. Remember what our BMR was? Good, we're gonna need it for the next part. But before we start we need to understand fat - in a calorie sense.
One pound of fat is 3500 calories. Wow, seems like a lot right? Not really, not if you spread it out over a week. 3500/7 = 500/day! That's not so bad, seems so much less challenging.
Now, we know that 500x7 days = 3500. The question is, what do we do with this information? Well, if we were to take your BMR and add 500 calories to it, we would GAIN 1lb a week. Alternatively, if we reduce our intake by 500 calories a day then we would LOSE 1lb a week.
Surprised? I was. That's pretty easy. I mean, how easy is it to plow down 500 calories in potato chips on a Friday night? Oh, remarkably easy I'm sure. We're all guilty of those choices now and then. But if its that easy to eat them - then we have to make it easy to say no.
I have to admit, I HATE counting calories. I think its obsessive. However, I think it is partly required. I don't want a diet. I want a long term lifestyle change, and that could take some time to adjust to. I need to try things to see how they fit and watching the calories I consume is going to help me make smart decisions; at least until they start come naturally or I develop a nice mental library of them. I've been keeping a diary of my intake, with a goal of creating at minimum a deficit of 500 calories a day.
One piece of advice that I have to share is to NOT restrict yourself. We all know that when we had a curfew as teenagers the first thing we wanted to do was break it. So, if you really want to have something - ice cream, chocolate, pretzels - HAVE IT. Just have less of it. Only take a small bowl with you to the TV. If you have a problem with portion control, go and pick up the 100 calorie snacks. (Be careful of the sugar in them though).
I hope this has introduced all of you to my plan, and maybe some of you can use it!
However, sitting here and blogging isn't helping me get exercise so I'm off for a walk!
Ciao Bellas!
The first thing I learned was how to figure out how I have to FEED my body to keep it functioning. I mean, more specifically, how many calories I have to eat to maintain my weight. There is a neat little formula that can determine this for you - which is of course an approximation, but nonetheless a very handy piece of information.
Its called your Basal Metabolic Rate. Pretty much, how many calories you would burn if you pulled a Brian Wilson (just layed around in bed). Id give you the equation but its annoying and so much easier to have a little gadget do it for you! So, go to this link here and it will help you calculate your BMR. Now, one thing you have to remember is that as you lose weight, your BMR will change, so you have to remember to regularly recalculate.
Basal Metabolic Rate
For example, when I weighed 300lbs, my BMR to MAINTAIN my weight was 2611. I weighed this morning and I'm at 297, which means my BMR has changed slightly and is now at 2590 to maintain.
Now, the BMR basic calculation is pretty basic, as it doesn't take into account lean muscle mass etc. However, its a pretty straightforward place to start.
Knowing is half the battle!
So, that was pretty interesting, but here's where the fun stuff starts. Remember what our BMR was? Good, we're gonna need it for the next part. But before we start we need to understand fat - in a calorie sense.
One pound of fat is 3500 calories. Wow, seems like a lot right? Not really, not if you spread it out over a week. 3500/7 = 500/day! That's not so bad, seems so much less challenging.
Now, we know that 500x7 days = 3500. The question is, what do we do with this information? Well, if we were to take your BMR and add 500 calories to it, we would GAIN 1lb a week. Alternatively, if we reduce our intake by 500 calories a day then we would LOSE 1lb a week.
Surprised? I was. That's pretty easy. I mean, how easy is it to plow down 500 calories in potato chips on a Friday night? Oh, remarkably easy I'm sure. We're all guilty of those choices now and then. But if its that easy to eat them - then we have to make it easy to say no.
I have to admit, I HATE counting calories. I think its obsessive. However, I think it is partly required. I don't want a diet. I want a long term lifestyle change, and that could take some time to adjust to. I need to try things to see how they fit and watching the calories I consume is going to help me make smart decisions; at least until they start come naturally or I develop a nice mental library of them. I've been keeping a diary of my intake, with a goal of creating at minimum a deficit of 500 calories a day.
One piece of advice that I have to share is to NOT restrict yourself. We all know that when we had a curfew as teenagers the first thing we wanted to do was break it. So, if you really want to have something - ice cream, chocolate, pretzels - HAVE IT. Just have less of it. Only take a small bowl with you to the TV. If you have a problem with portion control, go and pick up the 100 calorie snacks. (Be careful of the sugar in them though).
I hope this has introduced all of you to my plan, and maybe some of you can use it!
However, sitting here and blogging isn't helping me get exercise so I'm off for a walk!
Ciao Bellas!
When I decided to make this change to my life, I was at my absolute heaviest.
I'll be honest about it. There's no sense lying - it just contributes to denial and we all know what denial does; it keeps us fat. Truth is, at over 310lbs (I'm 6' tall), I wasn't healthy. I didn't FEEL healthy. My partner started complaining that I had started to snore, my hips started to hurt and I was tired all the time.
I got sick with the flu - and I never used to get sick. So sick that I quit smoking (yay!) and I haven't smoked in four weeks. I decided that if it was that easy to kick a nicotine addiction, the most addictive substance (so I hear) on the planet, then how hard is it to kick my addiction to food? Well, a bit harder than I thought, but nothing that was unachievable.
So I started thinking about it. Just a little bit. And then, a miraculous thing happened. I woke up one day and I said - I'm SO done. I'm done being fat. Dear god, let the skinny girl out of my fat suit! And that was it.
Most of you who have known me for a long time, have known that I've been a chubby girl through most of my life. Not always straight up FAT, but I've definitely never been bone thin. I don't think I ever will be. I always remember in college, when I thought I was fat. I'd give all the cookies in the world to go back there and slap myself silly. So, I'll do the next best thing. My college weight is my goal. One year is my time frame.
Technically I started this about a week before Hallowe'en. I'm at the two week time frame right now and I'm down to 299. I know that seems like a lot of weight to lose in such a short period of time, and I was a bit concerned as well - but from what I understand its normal to have a short rush of weight loss.
I'm learning a new way of living. New daily routines. How to say no. I'm learning not to eat my feelings anymore, and how to take delight in whole foods. I've detoxed the waste out of my lungs, my organs - the sugar out of my blood. I've had the mood swings, headaches and sleepy spells while my body adjusted to its new life. And guess what? I made it clear through to the other side. I still have my challenges - hell, who doesn't. I'm human but I'm trying and there isn't any damned cookie thats gonna fuck this up for me!
I've given myself 365 days to do it. October 31st is my date. And all I need is math. (Who would have thought!)
I'll be honest about it. There's no sense lying - it just contributes to denial and we all know what denial does; it keeps us fat. Truth is, at over 310lbs (I'm 6' tall), I wasn't healthy. I didn't FEEL healthy. My partner started complaining that I had started to snore, my hips started to hurt and I was tired all the time.
I got sick with the flu - and I never used to get sick. So sick that I quit smoking (yay!) and I haven't smoked in four weeks. I decided that if it was that easy to kick a nicotine addiction, the most addictive substance (so I hear) on the planet, then how hard is it to kick my addiction to food? Well, a bit harder than I thought, but nothing that was unachievable.
So I started thinking about it. Just a little bit. And then, a miraculous thing happened. I woke up one day and I said - I'm SO done. I'm done being fat. Dear god, let the skinny girl out of my fat suit! And that was it.
Most of you who have known me for a long time, have known that I've been a chubby girl through most of my life. Not always straight up FAT, but I've definitely never been bone thin. I don't think I ever will be. I always remember in college, when I thought I was fat. I'd give all the cookies in the world to go back there and slap myself silly. So, I'll do the next best thing. My college weight is my goal. One year is my time frame.
Technically I started this about a week before Hallowe'en. I'm at the two week time frame right now and I'm down to 299. I know that seems like a lot of weight to lose in such a short period of time, and I was a bit concerned as well - but from what I understand its normal to have a short rush of weight loss.
I'm learning a new way of living. New daily routines. How to say no. I'm learning not to eat my feelings anymore, and how to take delight in whole foods. I've detoxed the waste out of my lungs, my organs - the sugar out of my blood. I've had the mood swings, headaches and sleepy spells while my body adjusted to its new life. And guess what? I made it clear through to the other side. I still have my challenges - hell, who doesn't. I'm human but I'm trying and there isn't any damned cookie thats gonna fuck this up for me!
I've given myself 365 days to do it. October 31st is my date. And all I need is math. (Who would have thought!)
So, I've decided to change my life. Dealing with my weight was, for the longest time, the most unsurmountable challenge that I have ever faced. Not anymore. I've decided that I'm tired of being that fat girl. I'm just tired of being fat.
I'm also incredibly talkative. So, I thought I would blog my journey. Maybe I will get some tips, or give some tips. It will also help me stay focused.
I've already started, I'm about two weeks in. So, I will fill you in on my progress so far in my next post.
Thanks for reading, and for your support.
I'm also incredibly talkative. So, I thought I would blog my journey. Maybe I will get some tips, or give some tips. It will also help me stay focused.
I've already started, I'm about two weeks in. So, I will fill you in on my progress so far in my next post.
Thanks for reading, and for your support.
