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Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Beginning The Power of One


I’m ready I’m ready I’m ready (can you hear the Spongebob tone?) …for this challenge. For the hoedown my goal was to lose 5.5 pounds, and I managed to lose 3.5, and then Christmas came and I gained it back. But! That’s ok, cuz I didn’t gain more! :P This challenge is 8 wonderful weeks long and I’d be just tickled if I could lose 10 pounds. There are several reasons for this, which serve as my resolutions “healthy living goals”:

1. Get my BMI into the "healthy" range. If I lose 10 pounds, that will drop me into the top of the healthy range. 10 pounds, so little yet so far.

2. Lower my cholesterol. Sometime in the next month I am due for a recheck. My dr’s recommendations in July were to “lose weight, continue exercising, and eat less than 200 mg of cholesterol/day”. For the most part I’ve done all of those, and I’m hoping it’s dropped some.

3. Become a better runner. This includes being able to run longer without walking or breaks, and even a little speed.

4. Utilize the equipment I have at home more often. Working out does not mean I need to go to the gym. I have some weights, a ball, an elliptical, a treadmill, a big clunky weight machine—heck it’s our own little mini gym! I just need to use all of it more.

5. To prove to myself that I CAN do it! (and becuz OCD wanted a 5th bullet).

I hope to get a new scale soon, I really want to start posting a pic of my weekly weigh ins cuz I think ya’ll are just cool to be brave enough to do that. EDIT: I will take a “before” pic when I get home from work tonight (see below now). Alas, here are my current stats:

Starting Weight: 164.5
Waist Measurement: 32”
Hips Measurement: 41”

Good lucky and healthy vibes to everyone!

EDITED TO ADD: Here's my bare-almost-all 'before' pics:

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Wobbly Jelly Bowl

I gave myself this last week off.  I admit it, I knew my willpower to eat healthy & stay on track would be tempted beyond my control.  So I gave in.  I gave up.  I expect the scale to be back up tomorrow morning, between eating too much bad food, too much fat, too much sodium, overall too many calories in general and barely exercising.  I feel like a bloated wobbly jelly bowl.

And just as I gave myself permission to for time off from tracking eating, exercise, etc., I now am declaring the twinkie stops here.  Tomorrow morning I start anew.  Back to tracking food, eating healthy, getting exercise in.  Wednesday will start the new Power of One challenge at Shrinking Jeans. I've signed up. Have you?  Kick 2011 off on a healthy start!

Unhealthy Barbie

The progression of Unhealthy Barbie.  





Monday, December 20, 2010

Net Calories

My Fitness Pal (MFP) has a unique way of calculating daily caloric needs.  Sparkpeople will give you a calorie range to shoot for, exercising is beyond that.  You can find in the reports section what your daily (or weekly, etc) calorie deficit is, but it's not readily viewable on any main page.  MFP gives you a minimum calorie goal, anytime you enter exercise it adds that into the calculation.  Take today for example, my calorie goal is 1300, I exercised a total of 478 calories, making a total of 1778 calories right? I ate 1769 calories, leaving me with 9 left.

Now, I'd always viewed that as I wanted to stay around or even under that total calorie goal.  Under meaning possibly 200 or more calories at times.  I was looking at it as, "I ate 1700 calories today! UGH! I should be eating only 1300."  However, I was missing something.  That was Net Calories.  MFP takes your calories eaten minus your exercise.  In doing so, that gives me net calories of 1291.  In reality I'm right where I need to be.

I had this revelation over the weekend, and then promptly looked at a history report of my net calories and saw there were many times I was getting 1000 or less calories a day.  Essentially my body said, "You are not eating enough and I'm going to hang onto whatever I can."  And thus the scale did not move.  I'd read on the MFP boards how people said they need to eat their exercise calories because if they didn't they'd stall/plateau.  I get that now!

I've not been very good about tracking the last couple days, with the holiday season--all the goodies, the feelings of just celebrate and not think about what you ingest--I blew it off over the weekend.  But today was back at it.  And I will continue to do so until probably next weekend when we do the big xmas thing.  And I think that's ok, as long as I remember moderation, and promptly get back to tracking on Monday.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Mirrors...kinda like Refrigerators

I’ve come to the conclusion that mirrors are like refrigerators.  And what brought me to this conclusion? Well, you know how in a state of emotional (i.e. boredom) eating, you’ll wander to the refrigerator and open the door.  You stand there and you look, taking stock of everything that’s there.  You don’t see anything that appeals to you.  You open the freezer.  Same process, take stock, nothing appetizing enough to pull out and prepare to eat.  Consequently you close the doors and walk away.  Oh, but you’re not done yet!  Ten minutes later you find yourself at the same place, doing the same thing, seeing the same food (no, nothing new has magically appeared), and usually with the same outcome of walking away.  And you might do it once, twice, three times more! Either you’ll eventually a) give in and grab something to eat that doesn’t really satisfy or cure the craving to fill some void your feeling, or b) finally give up as you’ve found something to occupy your thoughts. 
And so how is a mirror like this? For me, this is what I realized today.  I walk past a mirror (or some other reflective surface like all the marble here at my workplace).  I glance at myself.  I see parts of me that I take stock of, parts that I don’t particularly like, and sometimes parts I do like even.   And I walk away.  Now, this process is a bit more drawn out sometimes than the 10 minute interval of food perusing.  However, I notice this tendency most when I’m on a break and walking laps around the building.  I purposely look at my reflection, almost every time I pass a certain location.   It’s like looking in the refrigerator, you see the same exact unappealing food as last time, and nothing has changed.  Why do I look at my reflection every time I pass, and why day after day?  Unlike a refrigerator where food does change, a body does not change overnight, or in a week, or even in a month.  Not enough to notice in a reflection seen every couple minutes.  So, why do I look?  Just like breaking yourself of looking in the refrigerator every 10 minutes, I need to make a conscious effort to just. stop. looking.  LOL

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Holiday Hoedown Check-in Week 4


Here's my official weekly Hoedown checkin. In some ways a success, in others #fail.  The success is that I finally got to 162.  Why must a half measly little pound be so hard to drop? Geesh. Beyond that victory, I got so-so exercise in.  I have my goals set for 45 minutes every day, and if I walk over my lunch break and then again at my afternoon break I can make it.  I made 245 minutes total this last week.  The #fail comes in at the trying something new.  I have a hard enough time focusing on getting anything in much less trying something new.  My brain just says "walk, now."

The challenges for this next week--increase exercise minutes.  Ack, I'll try, really.  Don't know where I'll get it in, but I spose if I can find five minutes, that's more lol.  The non-fitness challenge, wow this is one I think many of us deal with.  I know I'm great for bashing myself.  Just like finding five minutes... I'll strive for one nice comment.  lol, such high ambition.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Plowing through

There are times like this morning that while "dieting" are easy to become discouraged by.  After what I felt was increased/better exercise and eating bettter I went through my morning ritual of taking every ounce of clothing off (cuz we can't have that affecting the number shown!) and stepping on the scale, hoping to see a lower number.  But I didn't.  And I was sad. 

I had thoughts of hell with it, just eat what I want.  But utlimately I can't do it.  It's not about "dieting" and staying on track, its about changes in my eating habits.  I don't WANT to eat a bunch of crap.  I don't WANT to gain pounds back from eating junk food.  It's not worth it to me! It's SO easy to pig out on junk food that has little nutritional value, it packs on a couple pounds in a matter of 2 days...but it takes 2 weeks to get rid of.  So not worth it.  Not to mention my body throws a protest intestinally and via skin issues, and the afternoon slump that hits from eating too many carbs.  

I'm proud of myself that I AM changing my eating habits.  And that gives me hope to keep plowing through this plateau.  I know I can lose more weight, my body will show that as long as I don't give up. 

Friday, December 10, 2010

2 weaks off

I finally got to go to the gym this morning... 2 weeks after the last time I was able to go.  Now, it's not that I NEED the gym to exercise, I've actually been getting cardio in with the treadmill at home and walks during breaks at work.  It's the weights and strength training.  Certainly, I could do some of it at home.  I just don't.  I'm distracted, I look around and see all the things I should be cleaning or organizing, and in truth I get neither done.  I am master procrastinator. 

So this morning, taking time to lift some weights, do some strength exercises, I find how fast your body gets lazy.  What was moderate before felt tough today. Ugh.  I need to discipline myself more to find time to fit strength moves in no matter where I am (wall pushups, lunges, etc).

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Holiday Hoedown Check-in::Week 3


How have I done this last week? I think ok.  I know I could do more, do better.... but I could do a lot worse too.  I got some decent exercise minutes in.  But as for trying something new, can I count shoveling snow? granted it's not new to me, but it's the first time I've done it in awhile lol. 

What does the scale show?  I've managed to get it back down to 162.5 and hovering there.  I still don't have a new scale for the fancy pic, hoping I get one as a xmas pressie and if not then I'll just buy one. 

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

True Confession Tuesday

I'm gonna jump on the confession bandwagon at shrinkingjeans.net this week. My confession... I'm an exercise slacker.  Well I feel like one anyway.  In my mind I have all these thoughts and ideas and good intentions.  I see things like... hold a plank for 1 minute, do 20 pushups, do 50 crunches, run on my treadmill, use my balance ball.  But what do I do? I rationalize, procrastinate, and plain out ignore the free time I have to fit those in.  I've already come to the acceptance I need to make it happen myself, at home.  I don't have the time or ability to get to the gym a lot of days. Heck, I havn't been in my gym in almost 2 weeks, that's a long time for me. The gym motivates me, and I focus better there.  I don't have the distraction of mom mom mom mom, or a cat crawling thru my legs.  Alas, that time is precious and I have little of it lately.  But I've not been very good about doing what I can at home either.  Shame. 

Head on over to shrinkingjeans.net to check out the other confessions!

Monday, December 6, 2010

The Cholesterol Story

Five months ago I had my annual decade physical. One of the things I knew I need tested is my cholesterol.  See, I have a history.  When I was 17, my total was 197 (200 is considered high for a child).  I weighed 115 pounds, skinny a twig.  A decade goes by and I have it rechecked, total was approximately 220 (going off memory for this one.)  At this point I get the "Exercise more and eat less to lose weight" from my doctor, my weight being about 170.  Understandable.

Fast forward to July 2010.  Yep, it's been about 10 years.  My immense hope was that since I'd been exercising regularly and eating better that my cholesterol would be about the same.  I was crushed on reading the letter from my doctor.

Total: 280
LDL: 197
HDL: 46
Triglicerides: 208

Another over 240 total is considered high.  LDL is your 'bad' level, they'd like it under 100.  HDL is your 'good' level and they like that to be over 40 (so I barely cut it, which made me sad becuz exercise is what raises it and if I'm already active where does that leave me?) Triglicerides should be under 150.

The doctor recommended I get 200 mg or less of cholesterol in my diet per day.  Most days I don't even make 100 mg.  Sometime next month I will go get a recheck.  I fear if the numbers don't change enough he will recommend statins.  Do I risk the bad side effects of statins, or risk a possible heart attack or stroke down the road?

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Pic Update

I don't take body pics as often as I used to.  Weight loss has been slow, changes are not as evident.  However, to give you an idea of what 50 pounds difference can make, here's some comparison:


This was May 2007, at my heaviest of approximately 210 pounds.


I hate those pics.  The angle of the photo isn't the best, and I just .... ugh.  This was what I'd allowed myself to become from depression and being on the wrong antidepressant.

Contrast with yesterday.  This is me at 162.  I've got a ways to go to get where I'd like to be, but I'm going to keep trying.  Ounce by ounce, it will add up to pounds.  My hope is to motivate myself thru this blog (and maybe motivate others too :P )

Friday, December 3, 2010

Here there and everywhere

I started my weight loss journey back in 2007.  My highest weight was about 210, non pregnant (incidentally also my 9mo pregnant weight too).  A lightbulb lit up and I was on a mission to lose that weight.  Long story short, I joined Sparkpeople and was able to get off nearly 50 pounds since.  Ultimately I'd love to drop another 25 pounds.

I'm not going to go into details of my past work, if you are really that interested you can stalk me at Sparkpeople . I've got some before and after pics, and blog entries.  However, this year I begin a new leg of the journey.  I've bought a GoWear Fit band by Body Media, who also makes the Body Bugg as seen on The Biggest Loser.  The difference is this band also tracks my sleep.  I've had it 1 week now, it's been interesting to see the results so far.  I am tracking my food on their Activity Manager, which is just private to me.  I may screen shot results at times to post here.

I also plan to blog here.  Alot.  And at times it may not be pretty.  But I invite you to follow my journey to becoming healthier!