Happy 2013!

I know I haven't been very consistent with posting. I have begun a journey in the last month and half that I will write more details about tomorrow.

For now, I have started my resolutions:

Number one is take better care of myself.

I tend to put myself last and it can be a bad thing. I have already taken a step towards this. Moisturize! As dumb as it sounds, it is important and I would prefer not to age prematurely. Also, I have a skin condition where stress causes dry patches on my body. It makes moisturizing and hydrating even more important.

I will finish the rest tomorrow. Celebrate responsibly!

Laspe & Reality

I will be the first admit that I had a lapse of motivation while my family was going through stressful times. Today, I finally decided to be realistic with myself and deal with the fact that I've gained 20 pounds over the past few months. Disgusted, I decided to slap myself in the face with it and got out the measuring tape as well.

Here is where I stand:

• Height: 5'8"
• Weight: 294.2 lbs
• BMI: 44.7
• Neck: 16 1/4"
• Right Arm: 18 1/2"
• Left Arm: 17 1/2"
• Bust: 49 3/4"
• Under Bust: 43 3/4"
• Waist: 50 1/2"
• Hips: 58 1/2"
• Right Thigh: 34"
• Left Thigh: 32 1/2"

Now, I know it's horrible, but I needed to slap myself with reality. Also, my right side has always been larger than my left in terms of measuring. Right after doing this, I went to my parents house and (mostly) jogged on the treadmill for 20 minutes. About 7 minutes of it was walking, but I was periodically changing my incline as I went, so it's a start for someone who hasn't had regular exercise in about a year.

Where I want to be:

• A BMI between 23-25, which would put me on the upper edge of healthy weight/lower edge of the overweight categories, but well out of the morbidly obese section.
• That translates to a weight of 151 lbs to 164 lbs, or an overall weight loss of at LEAST 130 lbs.

The next step, goals:

Long term:

• Lose 130 lbs to 145 lbs over the next 14 months.
• Use an exercise plan that will allow me to maintain my ideal weight.
• Create a diet plan that will help maintain the weight over the long run.

Short term:

• Start a weekly exercise routine that can easily be maintained with my schedule. Ideally, this means dedicated exercise time 4 to 6 days a week. I will no longer use my schedule as an excuse.
• Adjust my diet to cut out junk food again. I know I am capable of it, but when I get stressed I lapse. This time around, I will employ others to support me and help me keep on track.
• Lose about 10 lbs a month.
• Make an appointment with my doctor to set out a healthy weight loss plan.
• Get a referral to a nutritionist to help me learn more eating options.
• Update this blog weekly with progress updates.

With this, I have a start.

March 4, 2012 Food Journal

This is not a normal day because we went out for breakfast for my daughter's birthday, but I need to get it started and will update it throughout the day.

Breakfast:

• Venti Soy Mocha with whipped cream: 410 cal, 16g fat, 60g carb. (1 serving - 20 fl. oz.)
• Old-Fashioned Doughnut: 420 cal, 21g fat, 57g carb. (1 serving - 1 doughnut)

Total: 830 calories, 37g fat, 117g carb.

Lunch:

• A&W Diet Root Beer: 0 cal, 0g fat, 0 carb. (1 serving - 1 can)
• Tyson Chicken Nuggets: 270 cal, 17g fat, 15g carb. (1 serving - 5 nuggets)
• Romaine Lettuce: 30 cal, 0 fat, 6 carb. (2 servings - 4 cups)
• Light Ranch dressing: 80 cal, 7g fat, 3g carb. (1 serving - 2 tbsp)
• Salad toppings: 35 cal, 1.5g fat, 3g carb. (1 serving - 1 1/3 tbsp)

Total:  415 cal, 25.5g fat, 27g carb.

Snack:

• Light Vanilla Yogurt: 110 cal, 0g fat, 20g carb. (1 serving - 6 oz.)

 Dinner:

• A&W Diet Root Beer: 0 cal, 0g fat, 0g carb. (1 serving - 1 can)
• White Rice - 150 cal, 0g fat, 35g carb. (1 serving - 3/4 cup prepared)
• Green Peas - 140 cal, 0g fat, 24g carb. (2 servings - 1 1/3 cup)
• Pork Chop - 236 cal, 14g fat, 0 carb. (1 serving - 5 oz)

Total:  526 cal, 14g fat, 59 carb.

Dessert:

• Butter Pecan Ice Cream: 160 cal, 10g fat, 16g carb. (1 serving - 1/2 cup)
• Mike's Margarita: 235 cal, 0g fat, 34g carb. (1 serving - 11.2 oz)

Total: 395 cal, 10g fat, 50g carb.

Daily Total: 2275 calories,  86.5g fat, 273g carb.

Plateau?

I took a picture of myself yesterday and I feel like I'm a little bit fuller in the face. I think I could be hitting a plateau in weight loss, so in attempt to quell that, I have decided that I need to keep a food journal. I need to know how much I'm eating and what type of food it is, especially in comparison to serving sizes. I bought a new planner that includes a page for the month (a traditional calendar) and followed by a few pages that, each of which covers a week, so there is plenty of space to write. I only seem to write family events on the calendar page, so the food journal can use the weekly pages. I can also use it to figure out how much time I devote to exercising.

I know things will get better once the weather is nice again. Then I can take the girls outside more often, which always helps me lose some weight in the spring/summer.

I hope this effort will lead me in the right direction.

There is another theory from a nutritionist that I am trying out to see if it works. I had always been told that if I drink a glass of water about twenty minutes before I ate it would make me eat less food. Well, if you have no will power, that doesn't really work. Thankfully, I do so it's not that bad. However, this doctor theorizes that a lot of idle eating or eating out of boredom is because people confuse hunger for thirst. The brain does not recognize that the body is calling for fluids, not food, so they eat without purpose. So far, every time I feel hungry, I start by drinking something. I also remember that hunger is not a crisis (which I discussed in another entry). I actually think that combining these two thoughts has led me to eat less food. I'm not starving myself by any means. I eat when I'm hungry, but I make sure it's when I'm actually hungry.

Another thing that I was discussing with my mother is how much society has us programmed to eat. Our society is structured on a time schedule because of the work/school day. For this reason, we eat when we were taught to, whether or not you are actually hungry. As I've gotten older, I realized that I stretch that schedule, but there are some people who I am around daily that start getting antsy because it's 11:30. When I asked this person what the problem was, they replied that it was lunch time so they needed to eat. I asked that person if they were actually hungry and after thinking for a minute, they replied that they weren't and were surprised by it.

Just something to think about.

Happy Progress Report

Yesterday both of my girls were in drop in daycare, so I decided that I was going to go to Old Navy and try some things on that I didn't get a chance to when I was there this past weekend with my mom.

Suddenly I got a bug up my butt and along with my shirts, I grabbed a pair of size 20 jeans (the largest size they carry in store) and ran off to the dressing room. I tried on 5 shirts, and to my surprise, I could go down a size. I put off trying the pants because I was afraid I was going to be discouraged...

THEY FIT!

This, my dear non-readers (because no one does lol), means that I have dropped two pants sizes and one shirt size in the past four months. Progress is being made. :)

Slow Progress and an Interesting Theory

My ambition has been somewhat halted due to a back injury. The neurologist doesn't even want me to lift my kids, much less exercise. However the change in eating habits seems to be making a difference. I have dropped from 273 lbs. to 258 lbs. since my first post here a few months ago. I will keep doing what I can and I will achieve this goal.

Changes I've made thus far:

• Diet soda instead of regular. Eventually none.
• More water and unsweetened tea.
• More vegetables without all of the additions, meaning no dip or few toppings on a salad.
• If I have to have it, it's light/low fat/nonfat or low sugar/sugar free.
• Eating on a semi-schedule. Less food more often.
• PORTION CONTROL!

I did read an interesting article the other day which has helped me a lot. There is a doctor (sorry, I can't remember her name offhand) who believes that part of the reason heavier people are so is because they are wired that way. She said in an interview that she has noticed in her research that people who are overweight or obese have such a hard time losing weight and making lifestyle changes because their brains think being hungry is a crisis, while those who tend to be on the thinner side can feel hungry, but their body knows that hunger is not a permanent state. Hunger signals in the brain disappear after a certain amount of time, and then the body forgets it was hungry for approximately an hour after the signal has expired.

So I tested it. I knew feeling hungry went away. I mean, how many times have I been working all day, then get home to realize it's past dinner time but I haven't eaten anything that day? Many. I think I have turned her theory to my advantage. Every time I feel the need to eat I sit there and wait for my body to determine not only if I'm hungry or bored, but how hungry I am. The faster the signal goes away, the less hungry you actually are.

I will continue on my quest to lose this cupcake.

The Goal

Two year goal: Lose 75 to 100 pounds.

Five year goal: Maintain a weight of 160 pounds, which is considered healthy for my height.