We now have a Kohl's here in Naples. It opened Oct. 1st. Damian and I went with the kids one day on his lunch break. Unfortunately Connor hadn't had a nap so that was a disaster. But I digress. So last night I went by myself to check it out.
It's a pretty cool store, and this one is quite big. I don't know how big they usually are. I really wanted to find a couple of cute stores, but apparently no one told them that Naples is in Southwest Florida!!! We do NOT have winter here. Sure, all those wool slacks and jackets and skirts look great in the store. But try wearing them down here. Except for the week or two that we get cool weather you'd be roasting. So that was a let down.
But one thing that was not a let down was trying on some jeans. I found a style where the size 14 actually fit better than the 16. Then there was another style where it was the reverse. But considering the fact that I started at a size 22, that's pretty damn good! Especially since I don't have to shop in the Women's section anymore.
Oh, and I might as well post my numbers from this morning:
Scale Weight - 196
Moving Average - 199.4
Mini-goal - 190
Pounds to go - 9.4 (for those of you who can't subtract, lol)
One thing that's kinda crazy is how I see myself when I look in the mirror. I've lost 50 pounds. And when I look at myself, I can't really remember what I looked like 50 pounds ago. Even though that's a LOT of weight to lose. I wish I had taken some better before pictures. Oh well. People who know me will definitely see a difference!
Sometimes with 10 or 15 pounds it's not as obvious. But 50 is kinda hard to miss (unless you weigh over 400 lbs!).
Once again, thanks for all the encouragement and prayers!
Friday, October 10, 2008
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Sort of an Update
I say 'sort-of' because there's no way I can write about everything from the past month in one post. Heck, I can't even remember everything! But I like the idea of this blog, and I know I have a few friends a family who actually check it!
So, I finally changed my goal for Christmas. I have a feeling I may need to change it again, but like I said previously, I don't want to end up with a situation where I've lost over 50 pounds but bc I didn't get to my *new* goal weight there's any feeling of failure.
The real problem with going this long between posts is trying to figure out where to start and what to say.
I was doing really well with the interval walking and working out for a few weeks. And then I had an off week and fell behind. I finally started up yesterday. I walked on my treadmill around noon, and yesterday was the first day that I didn't feel like I needed to take a nap in the afternoon just to keep going. Hopefully I'll remember that the next time I want to skip walking!
Today I need to do some sort of workout. I know at the beginning I said I was going to go through the entire SBD Supercharged workout, but I think I need something different. So I'm going to check out some different options online. I also have a Reebok step that came with a video. Maybe I'll see what it has to offer.
New numbers:
Scale Weight: 198.5
Moving Average: 201.1
New Christmas goal: 190
On a fun note, my family and I went shopping at Target over the weekend. We were walking through the 'normal' section and Damian found a pair of cute purple shorts. I tried them on, and they FIT! I was so excited. At this point I won't even look at clothes that are in the Women's section. And I've been getting rid of all my clothes that are too big. I have pile on my floor right now. I just need to figure out if I'm going to try to sell them on craigslist (they are nice and in good condition) or just donate them. The important thing is to get them out of my house quickly.
I also finally got a new swimsuit. I haven't been able to wear it yet. Saturday we went to Ft. Myers to swim, but by the time we got up there it was raining. We thought about going that night after the Bama game was over, but the kids were tired and we were going to be back up there Sunday. But of course on Sunday Connor wasn't feeling well so we couldn't stick around to swim. Maybe this weekend!
One thing I have to remember is not to keep looking for more clothes in the size I'm at now. That would be a size 16 mostly, although I did buy a dress from Beall's that was a 14 (the 16 was too big in the chest). This is not my target size/weight. It's just so much fun to shop in the normal people section of stores. Not to mention the fact that I got interrupted by my kids and don't remember how I was going to end this sentence.
I've also decided that I'm not posting any new pictures of myself until after Christmas. Mainly because I want my sisters to see the new me in person first. I really wish I had gotten a good before picture taken. Oh well. There are a few pictures of me, but I've spent the past 8 years avoiding the camera as much as possible.
I think that's all I have for now.
So, I finally changed my goal for Christmas. I have a feeling I may need to change it again, but like I said previously, I don't want to end up with a situation where I've lost over 50 pounds but bc I didn't get to my *new* goal weight there's any feeling of failure.
The real problem with going this long between posts is trying to figure out where to start and what to say.
I was doing really well with the interval walking and working out for a few weeks. And then I had an off week and fell behind. I finally started up yesterday. I walked on my treadmill around noon, and yesterday was the first day that I didn't feel like I needed to take a nap in the afternoon just to keep going. Hopefully I'll remember that the next time I want to skip walking!
Today I need to do some sort of workout. I know at the beginning I said I was going to go through the entire SBD Supercharged workout, but I think I need something different. So I'm going to check out some different options online. I also have a Reebok step that came with a video. Maybe I'll see what it has to offer.
New numbers:
Scale Weight: 198.5
Moving Average: 201.1
New Christmas goal: 190
On a fun note, my family and I went shopping at Target over the weekend. We were walking through the 'normal' section and Damian found a pair of cute purple shorts. I tried them on, and they FIT! I was so excited. At this point I won't even look at clothes that are in the Women's section. And I've been getting rid of all my clothes that are too big. I have pile on my floor right now. I just need to figure out if I'm going to try to sell them on craigslist (they are nice and in good condition) or just donate them. The important thing is to get them out of my house quickly.
I also finally got a new swimsuit. I haven't been able to wear it yet. Saturday we went to Ft. Myers to swim, but by the time we got up there it was raining. We thought about going that night after the Bama game was over, but the kids were tired and we were going to be back up there Sunday. But of course on Sunday Connor wasn't feeling well so we couldn't stick around to swim. Maybe this weekend!
One thing I have to remember is not to keep looking for more clothes in the size I'm at now. That would be a size 16 mostly, although I did buy a dress from Beall's that was a 14 (the 16 was too big in the chest). This is not my target size/weight. It's just so much fun to shop in the normal people section of stores. Not to mention the fact that I got interrupted by my kids and don't remember how I was going to end this sentence.
I've also decided that I'm not posting any new pictures of myself until after Christmas. Mainly because I want my sisters to see the new me in person first. I really wish I had gotten a good before picture taken. Oh well. There are a few pictures of me, but I've spent the past 8 years avoiding the camera as much as possible.
I think that's all I have for now.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Strange Things (The Toy Story song is going through my head)
I know I voiced this particular frustration in an earlier post. The fact that you might wear one size at Old Navy and a completely different size at Gap. And the clothes from Target will fit different than either of those! Same goes for Lane Bryant.
But that being said, I discovered something bizarre 2 days ago. Damian wasn't home from work yet and I decided to see if I had a skirt that would match the blue shirt I was wearing. So I looked up in the closet and saw a stack of skirts I had forgotten about. One was white with blue stripes. So I grabbed it to see what size it was. It's a 16. Knowing that there was NO WAY it would fit, I decided to try it on. Imagine my surprise when I was able to button that skirt and walk around comfortably in it. I really was shocked!
Not only that, but I ordered a couple of pairs of size 16 shorts from Old Navy that were on clearance. They came today. The jean shorts fit perfect. The white ones look nice, although may be a tad snug. But not uncomfortable snug.
The thing that makes this bizarre is that I seem to have skipped over the size 18s. I still have several things that are size 18 and I won't be getting rid of them quite yet bc they're not too big. It just seems like I missed a step somewhere. I still don't think I'd be able to wear a Gap 16, but once again, I'll take an Old Navy 16 and be just fine, thank you!
Scale weight this morning (after my interval walking): 208
Moving average: 210.7
New mini-goal: 200
You may recognize that new mini-goal as my original, long-term, by Christmas goal. I will change the Christmas goal once I've reached 200 and know how much time I've got to work with until Christmas.
I also don't know how much longer I'm allowed to take the Phentermine. This is my 3rd month using it. From what I remember from reading online, most people take it for up to 12 weeks, and then take a break. So we'll see what my doctor says when I go back to see him on September 26th.
Anyway, it was a good day for trying on clothes!
But that being said, I discovered something bizarre 2 days ago. Damian wasn't home from work yet and I decided to see if I had a skirt that would match the blue shirt I was wearing. So I looked up in the closet and saw a stack of skirts I had forgotten about. One was white with blue stripes. So I grabbed it to see what size it was. It's a 16. Knowing that there was NO WAY it would fit, I decided to try it on. Imagine my surprise when I was able to button that skirt and walk around comfortably in it. I really was shocked!
Not only that, but I ordered a couple of pairs of size 16 shorts from Old Navy that were on clearance. They came today. The jean shorts fit perfect. The white ones look nice, although may be a tad snug. But not uncomfortable snug.
The thing that makes this bizarre is that I seem to have skipped over the size 18s. I still have several things that are size 18 and I won't be getting rid of them quite yet bc they're not too big. It just seems like I missed a step somewhere. I still don't think I'd be able to wear a Gap 16, but once again, I'll take an Old Navy 16 and be just fine, thank you!
Scale weight this morning (after my interval walking): 208
Moving average: 210.7
New mini-goal: 200
You may recognize that new mini-goal as my original, long-term, by Christmas goal. I will change the Christmas goal once I've reached 200 and know how much time I've got to work with until Christmas.
I also don't know how much longer I'm allowed to take the Phentermine. This is my 3rd month using it. From what I remember from reading online, most people take it for up to 12 weeks, and then take a break. So we'll see what my doctor says when I go back to see him on September 26th.
Anyway, it was a good day for trying on clothes!
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Wow, Long Time, No Post!
I knew I needed to update this blog, but I had no clue it had been so long since I did so. I've had my 2nd appointment with Steve. It was on August 29th.
Scale Weight: 213
Moving Average: 215.7
Doctor's Scale: 215
Mini-goal: 210
Pounds to go: 5.7
Of course, today is not August 29th and so those numbers are actually out of date. I just wanted to add the report of where the scale at my doctor's office was. My current moving average is 212.7, which means I only have 2.7 lbs to go to reach my mini-goal of 210.
After that, the goal changes to 200. That is my goal weight to be at by Christmas. I think I discussed this earlier in the blog, but even though I'm getting pretty close, I'm not going to change my Christmas goal just yet. I'll wait and see how long it is til Christmas after I reach 200, and then decide what to do about that particular goal.
Scale Weight: 213
Moving Average: 215.7
Doctor's Scale: 215
Mini-goal: 210
Pounds to go: 5.7
Of course, today is not August 29th and so those numbers are actually out of date. I just wanted to add the report of where the scale at my doctor's office was. My current moving average is 212.7, which means I only have 2.7 lbs to go to reach my mini-goal of 210.
After that, the goal changes to 200. That is my goal weight to be at by Christmas. I think I discussed this earlier in the blog, but even though I'm getting pretty close, I'm not going to change my Christmas goal just yet. I'll wait and see how long it is til Christmas after I reach 200, and then decide what to do about that particular goal.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Moving Again
I suppose it's time for a numbers update, now that the scale has budged a little bit!
Scale Weight: 220
Moving Average: 221.2
Mini-goal: 210
Pounds to go to mini-goal: 11.2
Last week the scale seemed to be stuck between 221 and 223. The moving average never went up, but it was annoying that the scale weight seemed stuck.
I've been on target for walking and working out this week and I know that's helped a lot. Now I just have to figure out some ways to get more veggies into my day. I'm supposed to have at least 4 cups, and I know I don't get that right now.
Also, I found out that the snacks become optional on phase 2. That's actually good news since most days I'm not really hungry for a morning snack. Usually I was trying to have one anyway bc I thought I was supposed to. Now I'll know better.
I also finally bought an aerobic step to use for the phase 2 total body workout. I did the workout Wed. using my kid's step stool, but that just won't cut it for the long term.
I got a Reebok one from Target. It was just under $40. I am happy about that bc the least expensive one I found on amazon was $39.99 and then shipping on top of that! So this was the better deal.
Time to go watch some Olympic gymnastics!
Scale Weight: 220
Moving Average: 221.2
Mini-goal: 210
Pounds to go to mini-goal: 11.2
Last week the scale seemed to be stuck between 221 and 223. The moving average never went up, but it was annoying that the scale weight seemed stuck.
I've been on target for walking and working out this week and I know that's helped a lot. Now I just have to figure out some ways to get more veggies into my day. I'm supposed to have at least 4 cups, and I know I don't get that right now.
Also, I found out that the snacks become optional on phase 2. That's actually good news since most days I'm not really hungry for a morning snack. Usually I was trying to have one anyway bc I thought I was supposed to. Now I'll know better.
I also finally bought an aerobic step to use for the phase 2 total body workout. I did the workout Wed. using my kid's step stool, but that just won't cut it for the long term.
I got a Reebok one from Target. It was just under $40. I am happy about that bc the least expensive one I found on amazon was $39.99 and then shipping on top of that! So this was the better deal.
Time to go watch some Olympic gymnastics!
Friday, August 15, 2008
It Helps if You're on the Right Page...
when figuring out which walking routine to do! I discovered tonight why the walk on Wednesday totally kicked my butt. I was doing the routine for week 3 of phase 2, when I should have been starting with week 1! It kinda made a huge difference!
So tonight I went back and started with day 1 of week 1 of phase 2. Even though I was able to do the walk Wednesday, I think it'll be beneficial to start from the beginning and work my way up. Maybe in 2 more weeks it won't kick my butt quite so bad!
So tonight I went back and started with day 1 of week 1 of phase 2. Even though I was able to do the walk Wednesday, I think it'll be beneficial to start from the beginning and work my way up. Maybe in 2 more weeks it won't kick my butt quite so bad!
Workout Update
I changed my mind again. I decided to do a little research on the method of weight training that I had done in the past. My mom got results, I got results, but the research done by The University of Alabama (how cool is that?) showed that super-slow weight training doesn't have all the benefits that it's proponents claim. Now, they don't say that it's not beneficial at all, just not to the extent claimed. It is certainly better than not working out at all.
But I decided to just keep sticking with the total body workouts that are given in the SBD Supercharged book. I have to say I'm glad I did! My butt and thighs are amazingly sore today. I also managed to get a 20 minute walk done yesterday morning. I had forgotten how good calisthenics are for your body.
Damian reminded me this morning that boxers (at least in years past, not so sure about now) in general don't do weight training. Their workouts involve calisthenics, which is basically just working out with no special equipment. Your own body weight is the resistance. Well, when you're overweight then your body weight provides plenty of resistance!
Anyway, I was glad I went ahead with that workout and have decided I'm going to finish the workouts in that book before switching to something else. When//if I do decide to switch, I'll probably check out the calisthenic offerings out there (I already have plenty of other weight training books).
But I decided to just keep sticking with the total body workouts that are given in the SBD Supercharged book. I have to say I'm glad I did! My butt and thighs are amazingly sore today. I also managed to get a 20 minute walk done yesterday morning. I had forgotten how good calisthenics are for your body.
Damian reminded me this morning that boxers (at least in years past, not so sure about now) in general don't do weight training. Their workouts involve calisthenics, which is basically just working out with no special equipment. Your own body weight is the resistance. Well, when you're overweight then your body weight provides plenty of resistance!
Anyway, I was glad I went ahead with that workout and have decided I'm going to finish the workouts in that book before switching to something else. When//if I do decide to switch, I'll probably check out the calisthenic offerings out there (I already have plenty of other weight training books).
Monday, August 11, 2008
Work Out Woes
More like, stray dogs walking down my street so I can't get my walk in! At least that's what happened Friday night. I had the kids with me too. They never got too close to us, but at one point they were trotting right along behind us. That was when I called Damian! He came out to make sure we were safe and everything ended up just fine.
I'm going to continue the interval walking program as outlined in the SB Supercharged book. However, I think I'm going to deviate from the total body workouts. At least a little. I have another book, Body Defining, that was very helpful to me and my mother some years ago. I don't subscribe to the eating plan it lays out, but the weight lifting part is really useful. My mom and I successfully made positive changes to our bodies using it way back when.
So starting tomorrow I'm going to add that to my week. I'll do the interval walking M,W, F, and weights T, R, Sat. Anyone reading this blog, feel free to comment/e-mail to check up on me! That would be quite helpful.
Thanks!
I'm going to continue the interval walking program as outlined in the SB Supercharged book. However, I think I'm going to deviate from the total body workouts. At least a little. I have another book, Body Defining, that was very helpful to me and my mother some years ago. I don't subscribe to the eating plan it lays out, but the weight lifting part is really useful. My mom and I successfully made positive changes to our bodies using it way back when.
So starting tomorrow I'm going to add that to my week. I'll do the interval walking M,W, F, and weights T, R, Sat. Anyone reading this blog, feel free to comment/e-mail to check up on me! That would be quite helpful.
Thanks!
Power of Prayer and Support
I realized as I was typing up that last post that there was a lot about what I had been doing. As a Christian, I would be remiss in not mentioning the power of the Holy Spirit to change my attitude and my life. I know that nothing I have accomplished is because of myself alone.
God has given me an awesome family and network of friends who are very encouraging and supportive of my efforts. He has also given me the strength to keep moving down this road. When I do get discouraged, I know Jesus is with me. Unfortunately, prayer is not always my first response when facing setbacks. But that's something that I'm trying to change. It's only possible with the help of the Holy Spirit.
My husband as been an amazing encouragement as well. My kids are also supportive, and they help in ways that they don't even realize. Like asking me why I'm doing the things I'm doing. Why am I not eating sweets, etc.
The overarching goal is to ultimately bring glory to God. Secondary is to bring honor to my husband and my family.
I just know I haven't expressed that in this blog yet. It's not all about me.
God has given me an awesome family and network of friends who are very encouraging and supportive of my efforts. He has also given me the strength to keep moving down this road. When I do get discouraged, I know Jesus is with me. Unfortunately, prayer is not always my first response when facing setbacks. But that's something that I'm trying to change. It's only possible with the help of the Holy Spirit.
My husband as been an amazing encouragement as well. My kids are also supportive, and they help in ways that they don't even realize. Like asking me why I'm doing the things I'm doing. Why am I not eating sweets, etc.
The overarching goal is to ultimately bring glory to God. Secondary is to bring honor to my husband and my family.
I just know I haven't expressed that in this blog yet. It's not all about me.
Weekend Success
Saturday Damian and I took my dad and my brother Philip up to Tampa to see the new Batman movie at the IMAX theater. Philip turned 16 in May and this was his birthday present. Well worth waiting for!
Anyway, in the past I would have used a day trip as an excuse to just eat whatever I wanted because healthy food was not available. That did not happen this time. It helped that I just wasn't very hungry to begin with, but I grabbed some Crystal Light to packets at the gas station and had a couple of South Beach Living bars with me.
I ended up not even eating the bars. We went to a Mexican place for lunch (the Southern place didn't open til 3, and that's when the movie started). I went with a taco salad for lunch. I'm pretty sure the meat wasn't the leanest ground beef in the world, but it was what was available. Had some lettuce, tomato, guacamole, sour cream (not much as it wasn't low fat) and cheese. All in all, not bad, and I didn't even eat more than half of it.
We stopped at a McDonald's for dinner on the way home and fortunately it was right in front of a Publix. My dad and I opted for dinner at Publix. I got one of the new South Beach Living wrap meals. It was the turkey and bacon one. I was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. I was even more surprised at how I was able to avoid the temptation of other food.
I think there was something else I was going to add to this post, but I got distracted by my kids and other responsibilities! Oh well.
Anyway, in the past I would have used a day trip as an excuse to just eat whatever I wanted because healthy food was not available. That did not happen this time. It helped that I just wasn't very hungry to begin with, but I grabbed some Crystal Light to packets at the gas station and had a couple of South Beach Living bars with me.
I ended up not even eating the bars. We went to a Mexican place for lunch (the Southern place didn't open til 3, and that's when the movie started). I went with a taco salad for lunch. I'm pretty sure the meat wasn't the leanest ground beef in the world, but it was what was available. Had some lettuce, tomato, guacamole, sour cream (not much as it wasn't low fat) and cheese. All in all, not bad, and I didn't even eat more than half of it.
We stopped at a McDonald's for dinner on the way home and fortunately it was right in front of a Publix. My dad and I opted for dinner at Publix. I got one of the new South Beach Living wrap meals. It was the turkey and bacon one. I was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. I was even more surprised at how I was able to avoid the temptation of other food.
I think there was something else I was going to add to this post, but I got distracted by my kids and other responsibilities! Oh well.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Old Navy
Full Disclosure: I may have mentioned this before, but in case I didn't, I've been in a size 20/22 for longer than I care to remember.
I bought some shorts online at Old Navy and they arrived the other day. Lo and behold! They were too big. Imagine my surprise! So today I returned them at the mall and decided to try on some cute capris that were on sale. Well, they are a size 18 and weren't tight at all!
One thing that is annoying for sure is the fact that clothing stores don't size their clothes the same way. For example, I have a pair of shorts from the Gap that are a size 20. I was finally able to get them on and buttoned tonight, but they are still too tight and uncomfortable to wear. But I have some khaki pants from the Gap that are a 20 that fit fine. And here I go to Old Navy and the size 20 is too big! Go figure...
I was able to find an old Excel sheet where I had listed some body measurements. I don't know how accurate they were bc I was trying to do it myself with an old tape measure. I have a new one that's specifically for body measurements, and according to it I've lost 4.5 inches in my waist! No wonder clothes are fitting better.
Tomorrow may be a bit of a challenge since we're taking a road trip up to Tampa to see Batman at the IMAX there. I suppose I should have planned out my meals before now, but oh well. I can always have a salad.
And my husband said something that's good to remember. In order to keep losing weight, I just need to continue doing what I'm doing right now. And there's no good reason not too. Unless, of course, you try to go walking and find 2 stray dogs wandering down your street! That happened to me and the kids tonight. Fortunately the dogs never got too near us, but at one point they were heading our way. That's when I called Damian and he came down to the street with the broom (for lack of anything better to carry!).
I bought some shorts online at Old Navy and they arrived the other day. Lo and behold! They were too big. Imagine my surprise! So today I returned them at the mall and decided to try on some cute capris that were on sale. Well, they are a size 18 and weren't tight at all!
One thing that is annoying for sure is the fact that clothing stores don't size their clothes the same way. For example, I have a pair of shorts from the Gap that are a size 20. I was finally able to get them on and buttoned tonight, but they are still too tight and uncomfortable to wear. But I have some khaki pants from the Gap that are a 20 that fit fine. And here I go to Old Navy and the size 20 is too big! Go figure...
I was able to find an old Excel sheet where I had listed some body measurements. I don't know how accurate they were bc I was trying to do it myself with an old tape measure. I have a new one that's specifically for body measurements, and according to it I've lost 4.5 inches in my waist! No wonder clothes are fitting better.
Tomorrow may be a bit of a challenge since we're taking a road trip up to Tampa to see Batman at the IMAX there. I suppose I should have planned out my meals before now, but oh well. I can always have a salad.
And my husband said something that's good to remember. In order to keep losing weight, I just need to continue doing what I'm doing right now. And there's no good reason not too. Unless, of course, you try to go walking and find 2 stray dogs wandering down your street! That happened to me and the kids tonight. Fortunately the dogs never got too near us, but at one point they were heading our way. That's when I called Damian and he came down to the street with the broom (for lack of anything better to carry!).
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Flashback
I called my doctor's office this morning because I was curious to find out when the last time I weighed anywhere near 222 pounds was. Would you believe it was when I went to my first prenatal visit while pregnant with Sean!!! He's 6 and a half years old now. In a way that was a bit depressing. I didn't realize it had been so long since I was anywhere near 200 lbs.
Basically what happened was I got pregnant with my daughter the month after I got married. When I got married I was at a healthy weight (although at the time I thought I was fat, go figure!). Unfortunately I ate way too much Ben & Jerry's during that pregnancy, and just didn't really pay much attention to my weight. It was during that pregnancy that my weight went over 200 for the first time in my life.
The closest I had ever come before was when I was a senior in high school. One day I was laying across my mom's bed looking at a magazine and my mother came in and told me my butt was getting big. To this day she swears she never did that! But she did and for some reason it was a real catalyst for change at that point in my life. After that conversation I got on the scale and was devastated to find it creeping a little past 180 (I don't remember the exact number now, that was 14 years ago).
I started getting up before school (at this point I don't even remember what time that would have been, before 6am I think) and walking. I cut most of the fat out of my diet. Low fat diets were all the rage then! But I wasn't actually following anyone else's plan. I was doing what worked for me. And over the course of my senior year in high school I lost 40 pounds.
In college I managed to keep most of it off. I would gain a little during the school year, but then lose it all and then some over the summer. The summer of 1995 was when I was at my lowest weight ever. I remember it being pretty awesome.
I remember something a little scary too. My sister, Katherine, has always been thin. One day that summer I was trying on a pair of her jean shorts that I loved. They fit. And they fit perfectly. I looked in the mirror and thought to myself, 'Maybe I'm not fat anymore.' It's amazing that at that point I still saw myself as fat when I so clearly wasn't.
Anyway, my goal is not to be that size again. After 3 kids I don't know if I could even be that shape again! Some close friends thought I had gotten a little too skinny. But anyway, my goal now is to learn to make healthy choices and get down to a healthy and maintainable weight. A weight that is nowhere near 200 pounds!
Oh, and another cool thing my nurse told me. When I went for my first prenatal visit while pregnant with Connor, early in 2006, I was 240. So I have now officially for the first time in my life, lost all extra weight associated with a pregnancy! Of course there's still plenty left over from the first 2, but I'm well below where I was with Connor. That was a real boost.
And that's all for my book-length post for right now.
Basically what happened was I got pregnant with my daughter the month after I got married. When I got married I was at a healthy weight (although at the time I thought I was fat, go figure!). Unfortunately I ate way too much Ben & Jerry's during that pregnancy, and just didn't really pay much attention to my weight. It was during that pregnancy that my weight went over 200 for the first time in my life.
The closest I had ever come before was when I was a senior in high school. One day I was laying across my mom's bed looking at a magazine and my mother came in and told me my butt was getting big. To this day she swears she never did that! But she did and for some reason it was a real catalyst for change at that point in my life. After that conversation I got on the scale and was devastated to find it creeping a little past 180 (I don't remember the exact number now, that was 14 years ago).
I started getting up before school (at this point I don't even remember what time that would have been, before 6am I think) and walking. I cut most of the fat out of my diet. Low fat diets were all the rage then! But I wasn't actually following anyone else's plan. I was doing what worked for me. And over the course of my senior year in high school I lost 40 pounds.
In college I managed to keep most of it off. I would gain a little during the school year, but then lose it all and then some over the summer. The summer of 1995 was when I was at my lowest weight ever. I remember it being pretty awesome.
I remember something a little scary too. My sister, Katherine, has always been thin. One day that summer I was trying on a pair of her jean shorts that I loved. They fit. And they fit perfectly. I looked in the mirror and thought to myself, 'Maybe I'm not fat anymore.' It's amazing that at that point I still saw myself as fat when I so clearly wasn't.
Anyway, my goal is not to be that size again. After 3 kids I don't know if I could even be that shape again! Some close friends thought I had gotten a little too skinny. But anyway, my goal now is to learn to make healthy choices and get down to a healthy and maintainable weight. A weight that is nowhere near 200 pounds!
Oh, and another cool thing my nurse told me. When I went for my first prenatal visit while pregnant with Connor, early in 2006, I was 240. So I have now officially for the first time in my life, lost all extra weight associated with a pregnancy! Of course there's still plenty left over from the first 2, but I'm well below where I was with Connor. That was a real boost.
And that's all for my book-length post for right now.
Moving Right Along
I know I just posted my new numbers on Monday, but I'm just so excited to see the scale continuing to go down.
I think it's because for a few days I seemed to be hovering around the same number. I had such a drastic drop during the first month and even though I know weight loss slows down (and that's a good thing) I still have to daily remind myself that it's good! That slow is better than not at all!
So anyway, the scale this morning was 222. I can honestly say I don't remember the last time my scale was anywhere near that weight. It put my moving average at 225. Once again, the lowest in I don't even know how long! So, only 5 more pounds to go to the next mini-goal!
I think it's because for a few days I seemed to be hovering around the same number. I had such a drastic drop during the first month and even though I know weight loss slows down (and that's a good thing) I still have to daily remind myself that it's good! That slow is better than not at all!
So anyway, the scale this morning was 222. I can honestly say I don't remember the last time my scale was anywhere near that weight. It put my moving average at 225. Once again, the lowest in I don't even know how long! So, only 5 more pounds to go to the next mini-goal!
Monday, August 4, 2008
The Kids Get Into It
This morning Sean asked me if he could have a South Beach Living breakfast bar for breakfast (I haven't even eaten of those for breakfast yet!). I told him sure. So he devoured it and wanted another. I said he could have cereal.
It just so happens that I have South Beach Living cereal as well. So Sean asked if he could have some of that. I said ok, and as I was leaving the kitchen he says, "I want to live like mommy, that's why I'm eating South Beach Living breakfast bars and cereal." It was too funny! Of course, it turned out he didn't care for the cereal. It was the one with dried strawberries and I actually don't care for that one much myself. The Vanilla Almond Crunch is much better!
So it looks like my other goal, that of getting my kids to think and eat healthier, is also working.
It just so happens that I have South Beach Living cereal as well. So Sean asked if he could have some of that. I said ok, and as I was leaving the kitchen he says, "I want to live like mommy, that's why I'm eating South Beach Living breakfast bars and cereal." It was too funny! Of course, it turned out he didn't care for the cereal. It was the one with dried strawberries and I actually don't care for that one much myself. The Vanilla Almond Crunch is much better!
So it looks like my other goal, that of getting my kids to think and eat healthier, is also working.
New Numbers
So, here's the update on my numbers game.
Beginning scale weight: 247
Scale weight today: 223.5
Moving average: 225.7
Mini-goal: 220
Pounds to go to mini-goal: 5.7
Now that I think of it, this progress makes 200 lbs by Christmas seem very attainable! I'm just so excited to finally be moving in the right direction. And making healthy choices that will far outlast the South Beach Diet. Like I said before, corny or not, South Beach Living is the way to go for me!
Beginning scale weight: 247
Scale weight today: 223.5
Moving average: 225.7
Mini-goal: 220
Pounds to go to mini-goal: 5.7
Now that I think of it, this progress makes 200 lbs by Christmas seem very attainable! I'm just so excited to finally be moving in the right direction. And making healthy choices that will far outlast the South Beach Diet. Like I said before, corny or not, South Beach Living is the way to go for me!
Exercise
So, this is one area where I've not been as faithful to the program as I should. I'm definitely getting better, though. And at least I've still lost weight while not exercising perfectly. The only down side to that is wondering where I would be if I had started the toning/walking program at the very beginning.
Oh well, no need to dwell on that. The best thing to do is figure out how to move forward. I've been walking with the kids at night. The first few times it was just me and Sean. Then Reagan joined in. And last Wednesday and Thursday we took the Conman in his stroller with us.
Thursday was a funny story actually. For some reason dinner was a little later than usual, but I still wanted to walk (plus the kids bug me about it all the time now). So we left a little after 8. This wasn't one of the interval walks, just a moderate paced stroll. Reagan now asks if it's a fast walk night or not! Anyway, so we head out as it's getting dark.
Apparently at one point I stepped on a snake in the road. I didn't even know I had done it but Reagan was behind me and let me know. I guess that means Connor's stroller must have crossed it as well. I'm sure it had been hit by a car bc when I turned around it was trying to move and not doing such a great job.
Long story short, if we had left just a few minutes later it would have been way too dark to be out walking with my 3 kids. As it was, we got back just in time. And of course the streetlight closest to our house was on when we left but had gone out inexplicably by the time we got home.
Note to self, go walking before 8pm!
Oh well, no need to dwell on that. The best thing to do is figure out how to move forward. I've been walking with the kids at night. The first few times it was just me and Sean. Then Reagan joined in. And last Wednesday and Thursday we took the Conman in his stroller with us.
Thursday was a funny story actually. For some reason dinner was a little later than usual, but I still wanted to walk (plus the kids bug me about it all the time now). So we left a little after 8. This wasn't one of the interval walks, just a moderate paced stroll. Reagan now asks if it's a fast walk night or not! Anyway, so we head out as it's getting dark.
Apparently at one point I stepped on a snake in the road. I didn't even know I had done it but Reagan was behind me and let me know. I guess that means Connor's stroller must have crossed it as well. I'm sure it had been hit by a car bc when I turned around it was trying to move and not doing such a great job.
Long story short, if we had left just a few minutes later it would have been way too dark to be out walking with my 3 kids. As it was, we got back just in time. And of course the streetlight closest to our house was on when we left but had gone out inexplicably by the time we got home.
Note to self, go walking before 8pm!
Another Update
I'm trying to do this more regularly. Of course I don't know that anyone is actually reading my posts! But it's good therapy for me.
Anyway, I had my first check up with Steve Thompson. Since I'm taking Phentermine I have to go back every month for a refill/evaluation. This first check-up visit was awesome! I knew I had lost almost 20 pounds since my annual visit and I couldn't wait to see the look on my nurse's face.
Well, Mary weighed me and Sherry was taking my blood pressure when all of a sudden she says, "Is that right? I had you at 247 last time and this says 229." She was so surprised! In a good way of course. She said she was pretty sure I had set a record with that!
I explained that I know the weight loss will slow down and be more gradual as time goes on, but I'm ok with that. I know it's coming and I know not to be discouraged. Steve said most people get the greatest benefit from Phentermine in the beginning. But hey, I needed something to help me get a jump start and it certainly worked.
I have a goal to be down to 200 pounds by Christmas. At this rate, or even one a little slower, that should be no problem whatsoever! In fact, I may even surpass my goal. But at this point, I'm not changing the bar yet. If I happen to reach my goal well before Christmas, I'll set a new one at that time. When I figured out what my goal was I used the average of 2lbs/week. Obviously I lost a little more than that last month!
The Google 15 continues to be a good tool. One cool thing it does is show you what the weekly change in weight is. So every day I put in a new number, I know how much less it is than that day the week before. Strangely enough, it's tapered off to around 1.6-1.8 lbs/week. Right where I should be.
Anyway, I had my first check up with Steve Thompson. Since I'm taking Phentermine I have to go back every month for a refill/evaluation. This first check-up visit was awesome! I knew I had lost almost 20 pounds since my annual visit and I couldn't wait to see the look on my nurse's face.
Well, Mary weighed me and Sherry was taking my blood pressure when all of a sudden she says, "Is that right? I had you at 247 last time and this says 229." She was so surprised! In a good way of course. She said she was pretty sure I had set a record with that!
I explained that I know the weight loss will slow down and be more gradual as time goes on, but I'm ok with that. I know it's coming and I know not to be discouraged. Steve said most people get the greatest benefit from Phentermine in the beginning. But hey, I needed something to help me get a jump start and it certainly worked.
I have a goal to be down to 200 pounds by Christmas. At this rate, or even one a little slower, that should be no problem whatsoever! In fact, I may even surpass my goal. But at this point, I'm not changing the bar yet. If I happen to reach my goal well before Christmas, I'll set a new one at that time. When I figured out what my goal was I used the average of 2lbs/week. Obviously I lost a little more than that last month!
The Google 15 continues to be a good tool. One cool thing it does is show you what the weekly change in weight is. So every day I put in a new number, I know how much less it is than that day the week before. Strangely enough, it's tapered off to around 1.6-1.8 lbs/week. Right where I should be.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Slow and Steady
Well, I had a bit of a down day Sunday. I got on the scale. It was the same as the day before. I entered the number into the Google 15. There was no change, positive or negative, in the moving average. And up comes this message, "Danger! (or maybe it was warning) You are heading away from your goal!"
Now, since my moving average had been going down every single day for over 3 weeks this was sort of depressing. It was odd how it made me feel. It wasn't rational. I know that because I haven't 'cheated' or been eating things I shouldn't eat. I know that plateaus happen, I just didn't expect one quite so soon!
The good news is that was Sunday and this is Tuesday and the moving average is on the downward trend again. My new mini-goal is 220 lbs. My moving average is at 228.5 right now. So, not too far to go to reach the next goal. I have to keep reminding myself that I'm losing more weight now that I was before. Even if it's not 6 lbs/week (like during the first couple of weeks), 1.7 lbs/week is nothing to whine about.
It's cheesy, but I keep reminding myself that slow and steady wins the race.
I'm sure folks who have lost a lot of weight, slowly, and then kept it off know this already, but I had sort of an epiphany. I was wondering why it was that losing weight slowly makes you more likely to keep it off. I'm sure I read this somewhere too, but it makes sense because if you're truly changing your lifestyle and eating habits, by the time you've lost 70+lbs you don't even WANT the food you used to want anymore.
For me I think that's the biggest hurdle to get over. Not wanting the food. South Beach has been good for me because I don't have any cravings. But I think there's a difference between a craving and a want. It's somewhat easier to say 'no' to a want!
Now, since my moving average had been going down every single day for over 3 weeks this was sort of depressing. It was odd how it made me feel. It wasn't rational. I know that because I haven't 'cheated' or been eating things I shouldn't eat. I know that plateaus happen, I just didn't expect one quite so soon!
The good news is that was Sunday and this is Tuesday and the moving average is on the downward trend again. My new mini-goal is 220 lbs. My moving average is at 228.5 right now. So, not too far to go to reach the next goal. I have to keep reminding myself that I'm losing more weight now that I was before. Even if it's not 6 lbs/week (like during the first couple of weeks), 1.7 lbs/week is nothing to whine about.
It's cheesy, but I keep reminding myself that slow and steady wins the race.
I'm sure folks who have lost a lot of weight, slowly, and then kept it off know this already, but I had sort of an epiphany. I was wondering why it was that losing weight slowly makes you more likely to keep it off. I'm sure I read this somewhere too, but it makes sense because if you're truly changing your lifestyle and eating habits, by the time you've lost 70+lbs you don't even WANT the food you used to want anymore.
For me I think that's the biggest hurdle to get over. Not wanting the food. South Beach has been good for me because I don't have any cravings. But I think there's a difference between a craving and a want. It's somewhat easier to say 'no' to a want!
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Phase 2
I started phase 2 last week. It was really nice to have a piece of toast in the morning with my eggs! This morning I actually tried one of the new South Beach cereals that Kraft makes. I have to say it was pretty good. Now I just need to see if it keeps me full as long as the eggs and toast do. I kinda doubt it, but it was nice to have cereal again.
Progress So Far
Obviously I'm starting this blog a little late, so I won't be going over every little thing that happened in the first 3 weeks.
I will say this, for the first time ever I have been able to do exactly what the book says without deviating once. I even managed to make a cake for a wedding reception (which took me about 2 days) without licking the batter at all! For someone like me who loves to bake and lick batter and 'test' my creations, that was a real accomplishment. It also gave me the desire to keep going.
So, at the end of 3 weeks, my scale weight is down 19lbs. and my moving average is down 16.5lbs. Not too shabby either way! I suppose that's the only 'good' thing about having a lot of weight to lose is seeing a bunch come off in the beginning pretty quickly. It's a good motivator to keep it up.
I will say this, for the first time ever I have been able to do exactly what the book says without deviating once. I even managed to make a cake for a wedding reception (which took me about 2 days) without licking the batter at all! For someone like me who loves to bake and lick batter and 'test' my creations, that was a real accomplishment. It also gave me the desire to keep going.
So, at the end of 3 weeks, my scale weight is down 19lbs. and my moving average is down 16.5lbs. Not too shabby either way! I suppose that's the only 'good' thing about having a lot of weight to lose is seeing a bunch come off in the beginning pretty quickly. It's a good motivator to keep it up.
Google 15
A very helpful tool that my husband told me about is the Google 15. It's a weight tracker where you enter your weight every single day. Now, most diets recommend that you only weigh in once a week, and that's fine too. But the premise of this tool is that you don't want to wait a week to find out you're not on the right track anymore!
So what they've done is create a program that calculates a moving average based on the scale weight you enter everyday. This is because you don't actually lose 3 pounds overnight, no matter what the scale says.
I have found this tool to be VERY beneficial for me. There have been a couple of times when my weight was the same 2 days in a row, but the moving average still went down. The same is true of the one day when my scaled weight was up slightly. It's very encouraging!
One thing I would advise is keeping a separate Excel spreadsheet of your numbers. Something bizarre happened last week and all my numbers were gone. It was crazy how deflated I felt seeing my progress disappear. So since then I've been keeping my own file of the numbers in case it ever happens again.
So what they've done is create a program that calculates a moving average based on the scale weight you enter everyday. This is because you don't actually lose 3 pounds overnight, no matter what the scale says.
I have found this tool to be VERY beneficial for me. There have been a couple of times when my weight was the same 2 days in a row, but the moving average still went down. The same is true of the one day when my scaled weight was up slightly. It's very encouraging!
One thing I would advise is keeping a separate Excel spreadsheet of your numbers. Something bizarre happened last week and all my numbers were gone. It was crazy how deflated I felt seeing my progress disappear. So since then I've been keeping my own file of the numbers in case it ever happens again.
Heading in a new direction
Three weeks ago I started living the South Beach Lifestyle. I had gone to see my Ob/Gyn for my annual and I talked to him about my weight issues. I'm not going to go into all the details, but he prescribed me Phentermine and told me to get the South Beach Diet book and do exactly what it says.
So, I dropped off my prescription and ordered the new South Beach Diet Supercharged book. I have 'done' the SBD in the past. It was after my 2nd child, Sean, was born. I was pretty successful too. I think I lost between 30 and 40 pounds. But somewhere in there I decided that I had lost enough weight so now I could eat like I used to. Well, I was wrong. And somewhere between there and the 3rd child the weight just kept going up.
I managed to lose 11 pounds over the last year, but that's nothing to write home about when you have 90 more to go! I suppose at least I wasn't gaining anymore.
So, on July 3rd I started taking Phentermine and applying the principles of the South Beach Diet to my eating. I decided early on not to call it the South Beach Diet. For me, it HAS to be the South Beach Lifestyle. Otherwise I'll just fall into the same traps as before.
This blog is mostly for me. I don't know that anyone else will ever even read it, except maybe some close friends and family. I find the 'community' on the SBD website a little annoying to navigate and deal with. Besides, I don't care if strangers read about what I'm doing or not. I just want a place where I can keep track of what's important to me in this endeavor.
So I will dispense with the numbers. My scale weight, on July 3rd, 2008, was 247.
So, I dropped off my prescription and ordered the new South Beach Diet Supercharged book. I have 'done' the SBD in the past. It was after my 2nd child, Sean, was born. I was pretty successful too. I think I lost between 30 and 40 pounds. But somewhere in there I decided that I had lost enough weight so now I could eat like I used to. Well, I was wrong. And somewhere between there and the 3rd child the weight just kept going up.
I managed to lose 11 pounds over the last year, but that's nothing to write home about when you have 90 more to go! I suppose at least I wasn't gaining anymore.
So, on July 3rd I started taking Phentermine and applying the principles of the South Beach Diet to my eating. I decided early on not to call it the South Beach Diet. For me, it HAS to be the South Beach Lifestyle. Otherwise I'll just fall into the same traps as before.
This blog is mostly for me. I don't know that anyone else will ever even read it, except maybe some close friends and family. I find the 'community' on the SBD website a little annoying to navigate and deal with. Besides, I don't care if strangers read about what I'm doing or not. I just want a place where I can keep track of what's important to me in this endeavor.
So I will dispense with the numbers. My scale weight, on July 3rd, 2008, was 247.
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