Posted by nomoreexcuses on March 5th, 2012 |Filed Under Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
Seeing as it was insanely difficult for me to hit that six week mark and see no results, I figured that my recent vacation would have irreparable effects on my scale numbers. After all, my family treated me to the BEST food I have eaten in a really long time (if ever) and when my siblings and I get together… Well let’s just say we tend to stay up late and party hard. After 5 days of wonderful food and drink, I knew it would depress me do I decided not to step on a scale for 2 weeks. Furtheorw I decicded to go on an all fruits and veggies cleanse for 3 days to help jump start myself back into my healthy routine.
That cleanse lasted from the minute my friend and I left the restaurant (I bought her dinner for picking me up at the airport) until about 9 am the next morning when my boss brought in celebratory breakfast burritos to our staff meeting (and boy were they amazing!). So instead I decided to kick the jump start idea and just make healthy decisions about portions and whip out MyFitnessPal again to resume my calorie counting.
Over the next week I did some exploring and unintentionally stumbled upon some self discovery. Most shockingly, I discovered that I can in fact cook if I try. And try I did. Health Magazine had a seemingly simple reciepe for avocado pea soup. I made it and enjoyed it for meals later! Although through that experience, I also discovered a distaste for tarragon, it also turned me on to herbs and spices. Most of these are low to no cal, and really do spruce up food. Popcorn without butter? Heck no! Unless I can have oregano or Italian seasoning! Yum! I am shocked at what you can make tasty and filling. I really do think it has ALOT to do with retraining your brain to recognize hunger and portion. That soup I mentioned? 191 calories for a cup and a half. A cup and a half of soup doesn’t look like much in my 5 cup lunch container. But if I stop focusing on that and just eat, i am super satisfied.
So my lessons of the week have been:
1. Measure EVERYTHING (I promise the effort is totally worth the outcome)
2. Use spices!!!
3. Drink coconut water: I actually don’t like plain, but alll the flavors have been great. Especially a grocery store Jamba Juice Strawberry Banana. This particular one isn’t for every day, but it’s a GREAT substitute for a smoothie at 140 cal for 16.9 oz
I do in fact have the ability to stop myself from emotional eating. I walked into a drug store this Monday morning, preparing for two straight shifts, a little sad and super uncomfortable and reached for schocolate covered marshmallow bunny. Looked at the nutritional value and put it back, grabbed my water and left sans bunny 
I was so proud.
The week after my vacay ended and I couldn’t wait another week to weigh myself. Bother pound and a half gone!
Hope you all are doing well,
153
Posted by nomoreexcuses on February 14th, 2012 |Filed Under Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
And might I say, HOORAY for that!!
So it may be small, but it’s wonderful considering the mild depression I spiraled into last week. I lost a pound in the past 4 days! WOO!!!!
But more importantly, I bought a pair of jeans a few weeks ago that I could squeeze and suck my way into. Today? They fit perfectly! No muffin top or anything! That’s an amazing feeling.
So short story, but I haven’t been able to openly share with anyone! I’m just sitting in bed in my new jeans because, well, I CAN!
Love always,
155!!!
Posted by nomoreexcuses on February 12th, 2012 |Filed Under Uncategorized | 1 Comment
So I’ve decided since my last post that I can either sit around and complain (and most definitely not see improvements) or I can go stricter on my diet, keep up with my gym routine, and put on a happy face.
Due to a suggestion from a good friend (who most definitely heard in every excruciating detail how upset I was because of my recent “setback”), I downloaded MyFitnessPal to my phone. This was free (as opposed to the DailyBurn I found on my own a few months back) and easy to use (as opposed to the WeightWatchers I have also tried). It has shown me that I was probably eating more than was necessary. I was hesitant to start “counting” anything again, because I felt pretty damn good eating what I thought was “better.” But maybe it will help me get to a point that I no longer have to count.
Eating aside, I have not kept up my workout as well as I have recently. My cheap (but super friendly!) gym is closed on Sundays, which happens to be the day I most consistently have time to go to the gym. But I did have my opportunity to work out this weekend and I didn’t. Partially due to my allergies, and partially due to my discouraging few days. But I feel better both mentally and physically and tomorrow brings a whole NEW WEEK 
I read somewhere recently that the key to success is to be persistent and bounce back after setbacks. I just wanted to share that with everyone, because I had a pretty depressing week. But I’ve never failed before, and I’m not going to let this setback define me as the fat girl. Nope. Not gonna happen 
Wishing you all the BEST week ever,
156
Posted by nomoreexcuses on February 9th, 2012 |Filed Under Uncategorized | 2 Comments
So I have been exercising since the beginning of November. That is until the month of December came. December is full of disruptions in my family, 3 birthdays (one being my own!) and Christmas, followed immediately by New Years? That’s just cheap, in my dieting world.
But I tell you what, December 27th rolled around, and I was once again, at work and disgusted with myself. I work 2 jobs for a whopping 70 hours in an office or on my feet for up to 16 hours per day! My old self would have told you, “That’s PLENTY of working out! What do you need a gym for??” But alas, the everlasting “waiting for things at work to calm down” excuse was becoming a recurring theme of my life. Waiting until I had graduated turned into waiting until I found a job, turned into waiting for my applications to law school to be sent off and, well, you catch my drift.
So December 27th was my new birthday. You’d think I’d pick one that wasn’t so close to my ACTUAL birthday, but hey, I was ready to make a change, and by golly, it was the day! None of this waiting till New Years for this resolution, right NOW!
Over the next six weeks, I worked hard. It started off rocky and slow. But when I began with 20 minute cardio workouts, I ended up with almost an hour. I sprinkled in some resistence training and stirred with some ab workouts for good measure. I started out cutting out fast food, but then started eating mostly salads, protein bars for breakfast, and fruit for snacks. As a semi-recent college grad at the very ripe age of 22, I cut back my alcohol intake from 5-6 drinks per week to 5-6 in the past six weeks (perhaps my most difficult hurdle).
On December 27th, I vowed not to weigh myself for six weeks. Further, I did not want to step on the scale on that day, because I knew that whatever it would say, it would depress me and I’d give up on this new adventure before it even started. I did, however, take measurements of my waist and what I called my “Muffin Area” (which I now realize is properly known as “hips” in the medical world).
Through this process I have become ridiculously addicted to the gym. I recently threw a very immature, very unnecessary hissy fit because my boss changed my schedule in a way that would not permit me to go to the gym as planned. Although it came less willingly than my new status as “gym rat,” I also am craving less chocolate and Tex Mex, and, (dare I say it?) actually enjoyed a cucumber the other day.
And then came D-Day. I felt thinner. My legs are toned, my abs feel that triumphant pull when I reach for something just out of my range, and I’ve been getting the “Are you working out?” questions as the girls at my more openly talkative job enviously give my waist a twice-over.
IN FACT: I have lost 3.5 inches around my waist, 2 inches around my Muffin Area, AND………..
NOT A SINGLE POUND!!!
What gives?!?! This just isn’t fair.
Sure, sure. We’ve all heard it. “Muscle weighs more than fat!” I know. But seriously? I can feel the extra weight, and I know its being held in my belly area. But as countless magazines, books, and everything on Google will tell you, you can’t exercise to target fat loss in specific areas of the body. BUT I”VE BEEN DOING EVERYTHING RIGHT.
Some people (because everyone that I know, knows about the tragic events of my personal D-Day) have suggested I’m not getting enough sleep (true) or that perhaps there is something medically wrong with me (”There’s NO WAY you haven’t lost any weight IF you’re doing what you say you are” I hate that IF. Of course I am! WHy would I lie to you when you didn’t ask about this?).
Maybe that’s a valid concern. But I’m going to keep at this for a little while longer. Hopefully I can make it another month before seeking medical help. I really want to do this on my own, to prove it to myself. And I figure, what better way than to be able to voice those feelings here, and maybe get some advice from people going through or already having gone through the same thing. It’s always nice to know you’re not alone, and my friends and family sure have made me feel alone about this. I am welcome to any and all advice.
Hope you see me at 130!
Signed,
156