Success Along the Weigh

The pic above is a bit of a misrepresentation.  Add another 47 lbs to the "before" picture.  I was just coming out of the few 5x shirts I'd crept into which would've translated to a 34 I think.  The pants were 4x but my largest pant purchase were elastic 38 jeans.  Honestly those were always too big for me but the gut was cut weird so in order for me to sit without discomfort I had to go up.  I think I only had one more size up to go before I was at the biggest size a catalog would offer and I knew that was a bad, bad thing.  I think that played a little part in me finally getting my act together.  You know, a gal's gotta have clothes, even if horribly unfashionable. 

If you stopped by for Saturday's weigh in, you saw I was down 4 lbs!  I am grateful, big time.  I asked for 4 lbs too.  I kept saying "please, please let me lose 4 lbs!"  I shall beg again this week and see what happens.  Oh yeah, I guess I'll keep working the new plan that allowed that to happen...a calorie reduction of anywhere from 200-300 calories depending on what workouts were scheduled.  I know when I have a big loss like that not to expect much on the scale the following week so as long as it's not zero, I'll be happy.  That loss allowed me to go into 170+ lost!  Gotta love that!  I was so excited to change my icon here!  :-)  To celebrate I bought a couple of shirts in 22/24 that are a little more snug than I like to wear them but the Mr assured me they looked better than the 26/28's.  I hope so.  I don't like it.  I think it's time for a body shaper when I wear those to suck in the upper tire a bit....

4 lbs down this week!!   That's on an Aunt Flo week too!  I cut my calories this week from my usual 2000-2100 to 1800-2000 depending on the day and what workouts were scheduled.  I honestly didn't feel the cut so I don't know what superfluous food I was eating to make sure I was getting enough calories but I don't miss it so that's always a plus.  I know this means next week's scale trip will likely be 1 or none and I'm okay with that since that's how it goes for both of us after a big loss.  I also know this isn't necessarily the end of my plateau, I just have to keep my fingers crossed this is what my body needed to get back into gear and only the next few weeks will tell so I'm cautiously optimistic. Even better, I can change my icon because I've officially lost over 170 lbs ! Thanks for hanging in with me guys! ==================== Don't want to miss another post? Make sure you subscribe!

In this delightful weight loss journey, there are many ways to get to the end goal.  Of course everyone thinks their way is THE way to lose weight and like to dole out advice to those who are stuck or not having much success despite their best efforts.  We all hear the unsolicited advice from well-intentioned (most of the time) people.  So what is the advice that irritates you the most?   The line or lines that you're told that grate on your last nerve and make you want to scream...DUH! Mine are many but I'd say my biggest one is  "you didn't put it on overnight, you're not going to lose it overnight" or its equivalent..."it's not a race." What is yours? Happy Friday all! ==================== Don't want to miss another post? Make sure you subscribe!

Morning thought:  Why does Fergie have to spell in every song?  Curious. So yesterday was day 1 of the reduction of calories.  By lunchtime I definitely felt the absence of the peanut butter on my nana because that held me all morning.  So that won't be all the time but this morning I'm having my TJ's Blueberry oatmeal (you know, the one I LOVE that Trader Joe's decided to DISCONTINUE this week!?!?  Seriously, this is 5th thing in 2 visits we've gotten discontinued on us.  We're not going to have a reason to make an extra trip there if they keep doing this so knock it off JOE!!)...where was I?  Oh yeah, oatmeal...so I'm adding my chia seeds to that today which should help hold me over.  Who knew those little green afro pottery sprouts could do so much for you including keep you fuller longer?  But I've planned out my meals through Thursday and it seems I don't really have to try to cut back so I'm hoping this isn't a painful process at all....

Who sang that song?  Hang on lemme check...Basement Jaxx.  Never heard of 'em.  Anyhoo... If anyone checked in Saturday, you saw I am on week 3 of no weight loss.  The Mr lost 3 lbs (a major rarity for either of us these days) and I'm happy for him.  But I ask, how is it fair that he hasn't tracked the past 2 weeks and lost 4 lbs while I track vigilantly and lose 0?  *shaking head*  Oh I know "men lose faster / better / more efficient than women" but we've both been stuck in the same place for a while but he's pulling out of his slump while I'm still stuck in the muck.  It only makes me want smack him a little.  But seriously, I am happy for him even if it didn't seem that way.  I sobbed uncontrollably for about 30 minutes.  I mean I literally had no control over the tears rolling down my cheeks which is irritating when you're trying to put on makeup.  It soured my attitude for a good portion of the day.  I decided to pu...

So last night I was talking to the Mr. (okay, crying to the Mr.) about how exhausting being a pessimist is.  There is a friend of mine who is always positive, inspiring to others and I never hear her complain (at least not about anything that she doesn't instantly turn around into a positive somehow which while inspiring is frustrating to someone with my personality.)  The Mr. immediately said "you don't know her story.  Maybe something happened to her that she feels like she HAS to be that way or maybe like many people she's pretending to be that happy but isn't."  I started laughing through my tears and said "that was pretty profound!"  It's true.  I don't know her story and she may not have always been that positive but I'll tell you, I'm downright jealous of people who *seem* to have that natural tendency toward the positive.  Some would say it's a choice, just choose to react differently.

Last night was the first time in a long time I was ready to say screw it and stress eat by choice.  I suggested all kinds of things like deep dish pizza, burgers, cupcakes and I don't even remember what else because it was just spewing out of my face at a rapid fire pace.  Those things are not on the menu during the week especially when I just had stuff like that 2 days prior on high cal day but for the first time in a long time I felt "entitled" because my hormones are on a hellish swing right now (PLEASE let these new BC pills work because I hate feeling like this!).  I could tell the hubby's resolve was getting weak and I knew it would be my fault.  We compromised on a small chocolate cone from DQ for 220 calories which was well within our calorie limits for the day.  Is this a victory?  Maybe.  Some would say that's what fit, healthy people do.

I don't know exactly what it is you're thinking.  I'm nowhere near goal weight and not interested in maintenance right now especially after having worked my ample ass off all week.  5800 calories burned and for what?  For you to throw me another effin' goose egg.  I was actually excited about this morning's weigh in because I painted for 3 days, was so sore in places I didn't know still existed and burned so much doing it since I basically did everything except the trim from ceiling to doors to walls.  So I guess I get to cut calories now despite the fact I double the amount I'm supposed to restrict every day.  I have never been so close to quitting in 3 years.  I know that's what you want.  I know you want me to go back to my 100% complete sedentary ways because that seems to be what you're indicating by holding on to this weight and I want to fight but I'm beginning to think your will is stronger than mine.  I'm not in the mood for pep talk...

I have to say while most people loathe going to the gynie for their yearly, I don't mind mine.  My doc is the best.  She makes chit chat whislt feeling ya up and she truly wants to help you with any issues you have.  This is why she is booked almost a year in advance.  She knew I was losing weight and I told her the past 8 months or so I've noticed every other Aunt Flo visit has about a 2 week period of mood swings and flow changes.  She chose a new pill for me based on the amount of estrogen my body is likely making now compared to what it was when I was prescribed the pill (which incidentally is when I was getting toward my higher weight and told her about imbalances I was having then.)  She also made sure it was weight neutral so it wouldn't undo the work I've done.  So I'll give those a go and just another thing that you don't really think about weight loss having an effect on. She wanted to know all about my plan now, caloric intake, e...

How do I feel this fine Monday morn?   Like a big dog mistook me for his chew toy, shook me for a good 2 hours in play, dropped me, wee’d on me and left me in the toy pile.   Our alternate workout last night?   Painting the bedroom.   Oh. My. Lord.   Now I remember being sore when we painted the living room but I wasn’t in as good of shape then.     But apparently I am using muscles I rarely use doing this because I am just completely exhausted.   We painted for about 8 hours (not straight) and I decided to strap on the heart rate monitor about 30 minutes in.   I burned 2160 calories!   Yeah, way more than the traditional workout we had planned.   If it didn’t burn that much, I was going to take a break so we could go down and do our strength but given the way my arms feel today I did WAY more strength!   Even the front of my ankles hurt from tippy toeing to reach up at the ceiling stuff.   So the next time you’re doing so...

Down 1 lb.  I know, a pound is a pound...blah, blah, blah.  I was so friggin' perfect this week it wasn't funny.  My sodium has never been as on point as it was this week.  I woke up feeling "loose" (read: not bloated, not that I had loose um...never mind.)  But there were lots of changes this week.  An official rest day mid-week instead of two in a row on Friday-Saturday, 3 strength training sessions instead of 2 so I realize my body is going to have to adapt over the next month.  Oh yeah and I am NOT discounting the NSV (non-scale victory) of the shorts/jeans fitting.  It's just so mentally draining.  I mean it'd be different if I had 20 lbs to go but I don't, I have 108 lbs to go to my first weight loss goal of 220 lbs (I can see you all doing the addition in your heads) and 158 lbs to go until I'm in what's considered a "healthy" weight range instead of overweight, obese, etc.  I get crap like a pound here, nothing there.  At ...

Okay, so 2 months ago I tried on these old school shorts and jeans.  You know the REAL size whatever they are?  Oh, you haven't heard of vanity sizing?  Vanity sizing is this fun little trick the clothing stores started up about 5-10 years ago depending on the store where they resized all of their clothes to go DOWN a size on the tag to make women feel better about their size.  Yep.  I distinctly remember when plus sized catalogs touted their "new sizing."  I was on to their game and I remembered specifically which clothes I kept that fell into the real sizing and the new sizing.  I'm at the size where I can fit into some of the old school clothes and get a true idea of how much I've really lost. We're redecorating the bedroom so I've been cleaning the closet and decided to torture myself by trying on some clothes that I tried on 2 months ago and was at least 2-3" from fitting.  Now I've lost 2" in 2 months but NOWHERE near my gut or butt.....

"What the heck are chia seeds?" is the common phrase we're hearing frequently these days.  More than just something to make a Garfield chia pet grow a fabulous green afro, these seeds are becoming the newest health craze.  Well we all know about health crazes, short lived or there's gotta be some catch right?  Well, let's go over the benefits of chia seeds. You've probably heard of flax seeds, they're fine but honestly, I hate the taste I get when I bite into them.  It tastes like little pops of natural gas to me.  Yum... not.  Flax seeds are not well digested and need to be ground for the maximum benefit to be received when you eat them.  Chia seeds don't.  You get the maximum benefits regardless of the form and they slow digestion to keep you fuller longer.  What are the benefits? 

Well, I wouldn't say I'd call February a resounding success but I suppose if I end the month lighter than I started it, I should probably be grateful.  I guess having busted my hump for the last 2 weeks of the month and seeing basically no results left me with mixed feelings.  I was a little pissed off that I worked out double the amount and only saw a pound's loss in that time for my efforts, yet I'm relieved that I didn't see some massive loss that said "yep, welcome to your new life if you want any kind of weight loss from now on, sassafras!"  So I will take the four pounds lost. March will consist of mixing up rest days.  I don't think it's conducive to have 2 rest days in a row especially given how beat up my body feels by the end of the week.  So if you look on this month's workout schedule page, you'll see that rest days will be rotated between Tues-Thurs throughout the month.  We will make sure that on rest days we decrease our c...