Another Day…

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Yesterday was a bad day.  I wasted most of it feeling sorry for myself. I ate pizza and sushi and did not do my 30 Day Shred.  It’s the first day I haven’t worked out in over 6 weeks.  BUT- I did stay within my points, and I got right back at it today.  Today is another day, and I’m keeping at it.

I did well today- I had lebanese chicken salad (ww recipe) for lunch (delicious!) and homemade spaghetti sauce with whole wheat pasta for dinner (plus some homemade garlic bread).  I used up all my points (including my exercise points) and am hoping that I can jump-start my evil metabolism again.  I have a friend visiting this weekend, so I’m sure I’ll get in all those extra points. Lots of dinners out!

30 Day Shred- I finished day 7 today.  It’s certainly getting easier. I’m interested to see how the 2nd level compares.  One thing I love about this dvd is how Jillian talks about various things during the sets, instead of just saying, “5 more…4 more…3 more….”.  Personally, I like being distracted while I’m working out. It makes it less painful and it goes by faster. Plus, I think Jillian has a lot of good advice to impart.

I don’t know if anyone reads this, but if anyone has any workout dvds to recommend, I’d love to hear about them!  I’m always looking for new things to mix up my routine. Please leave comments :)

That’s all for tonight. Thanks to all the “chicks” for all the support as I struggle through this….you’re the best!

Seriously?

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Weigh-In today…I didn’t lose an ounce.  I stayed the same AGAIN this week.  What the HELL!?!

I follow the WW program to a T.  I get all of my healthy guidelines, exercise, etc… and still nothing.  Am I just destined to stay fat forever?  That’s sure what it feels like right now.  My body hates me.

I’m just so frustrated.  Since I started this program, I haven’t felt the urge to binge eat at all- I just decided that I want to be thin more than I want to eat crap.   Today is the first day that I feel like eating everything in sight, since apparently watching what I eat isn’t making a difference. (I know that this isn’t true, but that’s really how it feels right now).

I was CERTAIN that I had lost.  My WW buddy was also certain.  She has commented several times this week that my body has completely changed shape and that there’s no way I wouldn’t lose.  Even my leader couldn’t believe it- her exact words were, “What’s going on here?!”.  She has taken my book home to analyze everything that I’ve eaten.

I hate this.  I really want a big change. I’m working for the change, I’m putting in the effort, so why isn’t it happening for me?  This SUCKS.

Still Shredding…

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I can happily cross Day 5 and Day 6 off the calendar! Only 24 more to go.

I was too tired to update last night, but I did spend my requisite 27 minutes with Miss Jillian. It was the first time that I didn’t “feel like I’m going to die”, to use one of her favourite phrases. I’m actually amazed at how far I’ve come in only 6 days- if nothing else, the 30 Day Shred is improving my cardio endurance. It’s remarkable how tired I am doing these circuits- it’s only 2 minutes of cardio at a time, but by the end of the 2 minutes I’m ready to quit (but I don’t!!). Jillian swears by her 3 minutes of strength, 2 minutes of cardio, and 1 minute of abs routine, and so far I’m buying what she’s selling. I can really feel it. I’m also feeling a bit more confident that I won’t end up in the ER when I move up to level 2, which is good news.

Side note on “All Things Jillian”: I was so dismayed that Biggest Loser was only an hour tonight…Yes, I know the 2nd hour is on tomorrow, but I’m impatient. Hey, at least I admit it! This is the first season that I’ve been really into it. I really am rooting for the brown team- I know I may be alone in this as a lot of people think Ron is holding Mike back, but I love Ron for trying and for caring so much about his son’s success. I really want him to succeed! I’m a sucker for dads showing emotion on reality tv…gets me every time! I also think Mike is amazing for working so hard. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up being one of the biggest losers when all is said and done. I also love Philipe and Sione, as well as Kristin…they work SO damn hard. It’s admirable. They may still be overweight, but they have become incredibly strong and are looking great. Overall, I really enjoy the fact that although it’s a contest, the participants this season are very supportive and congenial with each other. Can’t wait to see what happens tomorrow!

Tonight I tried a new recipe from the WW cookbook- Spiced Turkey Burgers. Delicious! And simple. Turkey, spices, yogurt, and mango chutney. I added some quinoa and steamed vegetables for a total of 7 points. Yum! This is NOT “diet food”, people!

Since I had some extra points, I had a Vitamuffin for dessert. If you haven’t heard of these, they’re little frozen muffins (find them in the freezer section, usually in the vicinity of the cool whip) that you can either defrost or microwave. They have about 7 grams of fibre, 1.5 grams of fat, and lots of other good stuff, and come in a variety of flavours. I had picked up the chocolate ones. I have to be honest- I wasn’t a huge fan. They’re only 1 or 2 points, but I doubt I’ll buy them again. But, I bought them because a friend of mine LOVES them, so maybe it’s just me. Maybe I’m just spoiled because my mom makes such delicious muffins (definitely NOT WW friendly!!)

Again, I ended up with 2 extra points today, plus the 4 I just got for my 30-Day Shred! I really have NOT been very hungry. I don’t know what’s going on with me. I hope this hasn’t negatively affected my loss this week, because I have generally lost more when I eat my activity points.

Tomorrow is the day of reckoning- last week I lost 0- this week, hopefully more than that!! Keep your fingers crossed for me :)

Musings on Weight Watchers

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Hi Again!

I’m happy to report that I’ve survived another day of the 30-Day Shred. Somehow in the past 24 hours I’ve managed to injure my tailbone. I have an old ballet injury from about 10 years ago that seems to be rearing its ugly head once more. It’s more irritating than anything else- basically I can’t comfortably sit. I’m hoping it’ll disappear by the time I wake up tomorrow! Unfortunately it has prevented me from doing my pilates, as there is a lot of sitting involved.

I made a delicious stir-fry tonight: Marinated teryaki tofu, frozen veggies, ginger, garlic, and some extra teryaki sauce, and a tsp of olive oil to get in my oil serving for WW. I served it over quinoa (my preferred alternative to brown rice- I try try try to like brown rice, but I just don’t! Quinoa is apparently the world’s most healthy grain, so that’s good news.)

I’m currently forcing myself to eat a larabar at 11:55pm, since I still have 6 points left for the day. It’s amazing how some days I feel like I could eat 50 points, and others I struggle to get through 25. It just goes to show that when you make healthy choices, you can be MUCH fuller on fewer calories. I almost always finish all my points- however, I have a big problem with forcing myself to eat until I’m sick. I’ve done it once before to finish all my points and literally ended up sick on the bathroom floor…not fun!

A few weeks ago, I was discouraged by a small loss (0.6 lbs). I spoke with my leader and she asked if I had been eating my activity points. I had not been, and she suggested that I could not be getting enough calories. This was a difficult idea for me to get my head around- How could eating more equal greater weight loss? I decided to give it a try. The next week I lost 2.4 lbs! I couldn’t believe it- my biggest loss to date. I also shared this tip with someone on 3FC who also had great results. So, if anyone out there is reading this, it may be worth a try!

I have several friends who have done WW with great success. They always have lots of great advice to give, too. However, it’s often conflicting- some say that they always lose the most when they eat their Flex Points and Activity Points, and others tell me that they don’t lose when they do. What is a WW newbie to think!? What I’ve figured out is that it’s different for everyone. I have a very sluggish metabolism, so it’s a fine balance. I’ve lost the most when I’ve eaten my Activity Points but NOT my Flex Points.

I did well at the movie last night- I only at half the popcorn (about 3 cups). I just can’t go to the movies without popcorn! I’m so glad that WW gets me :)

Day 3 of The 30-Day Shred

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Well…It’s not getting any easier! And that’s a good thing.  Jillian is kicking my ass into shape, and call me crazy, but I can already feel my body changing shape. It’s probably just that the muscle gain is making me stand up straighter, but I’ll take it.  I can’t wait to finish the 30 days and see if I lose any inches.  I honestly don’t know how I’m going to manage an increase in difficulty, though- It’ll be a serious challenge to my body!

I bailed on my Upper Body Pilates workout today.  My arms are SO sore from 30-Day Shred!  I am going out for dinner and a movie with my BF tonight, and so I’ll see how I feel when I get home.  I’m not going to lie- there were more than a few times that I did my workout at 1am during my last 30-Day Challenge.  Better to do it then than not at all!

I fear that I might gain weight this week, or stay the same. I’ve been reading a lot lately about how when you work out really hard, your muscles retain water to repair the tears that the exercise causes.  I am REALLY hoping to see a loss this week, since I stayed the same last week.  I had been on holiday, and the general consensus is that I should be happy that I didn’t gain.  I am happy about that, but when you’re paying for Weight Watchers and following the plan to a T, you want to be seeing results. I’m not really sure what went wrong, but oh well- fingers crossed for this week! My body likes to fight me every step of the way.

In other news, Last night I invented  a delicious pad thai recipe.  Here it is, in case anyone is interested:

- Cook 1 Package of Rice Noodles according to directions on package

- In a small bowl, combine 2 Tbsp Chunky Peanut Butter (all natural), 1/4 c. Ketchup, 1 Tbsp low-sodium Soy Sauce, and 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

- In a large saucepan, sautee 2 Garlic Cloves, Fresh Ginger (to taste), 1 cup of low-sodium Chicken Broth, 1 cup of Shrimp, and 2 cups of Frozen Vegetables. When the broth cooks down, add 1/2 of the Peanut butter mixture to the pan and stir.  Then add the noodles and the rest of the Peanut Butter mixture.  Serve with lime wedges.

It worked out to be about 7 points per serving with this preparation.  I know the Ketchup sounds sketchy, but it’s often used in Pad Thai.  It was really good!  Definitely didn’t taste like diet food, and my BF approved, too.

I’m off to treat my poor abused body to dinner! Mmmm….Vietnamese…..

Dear Jillian: Ow!

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So, I’m going to go ahead and say that the 30-Day Shred is a good way to whip yourself into shape, because I woke up today and could barely move! I plan to do it all again today….I had better see a loss this week!

I thought I’d take a minute to blog about my next goal: my 5%.  I’m really loving weight watchers because it’s helped me set realistic goals for myself. I’m not big on the “I will reach this goal by this date” idea, becasue I find that my body does not consistently lose the same amount. By setting small goals like 5 lbs, 5%, etc, I won’t get discouraged and fall off the wagon if I don’t meet it by the set date. My one calendar goal is my birthday- I’d like to lose 25 lbs by then. I have lost 5.6 so far, and I have 20 weeks to lose the last 20.  I think it’s do-able. Either way, I’ll sure feel a lot better having tried and fallen a bit short of my goal than I would if I didn’t try at all.

I’ve been trying to set up rewards for myself when I reach goals, but I’m having a hard time thinking of things.  I didn’t do anything for my first 5 lbs- the 5 lb sticker at WW was enough for me! Amazing how good that makes you feel.  I think my first reward will be a new jar of Dr. Brant’s microdermabrasion in a Jar. If you haven’t tried it, get yourself to Sephora and pick some up. It’s expensive ($75), but it is THE BEST exfoliant ever. It makes my skin so smooth- people ask me if I’ve had a facial when I use it. I bought my first jar at Henri Bendel in NYC a few years ago when the salesgirl seduced me with a demo, and I’ve been hooked ever since.

I’m hoping that by the time I reach my 5% (that will be 9 lbs down from my starting weight) that I will be able to ditch the fat jeans I bought over Christmas.  I have a few cute pairs that used to fit me, and I’d like to get into them again.  I’ve also resolved that I’m not going to buy any more expensive jeans until I reach my goal- $40 Bluenotes all the way! Actually, my current fat jeans are from Bluenotes, and I love them. I’d buy them again because they’re so comfortable.  But my goal jeans are Fidelity- beautiful, and so comfortable.

It’s been so long since I felt good about my body, I can’t imagine what I’ll feel like when I reach my goal (125).  My dear friend and WW buddy (who is not nearly as big as me but has also been struggling with her weight) recently said something that stuck with me: “We are too young to be feeling this bad about our bodies”.  It’s so true.  I can’t remember a time when I felt good about my body. I had a tough childhood and started gaining weight like a freight train when I was about 13.  I think I somehow went from 115lbs to 180lbs overnight (major emotional eating).  I’m now 24, almost 25, and I’m sick of this shit.  This is the year I change my life, and FOR GOOD this time.

Operation: 170s

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Since starting weight watchers, I have lost a total of 5.6 lbs in about 4 weeks.  I met my first goal (5lbs) on February 11th, and am now working towards my 5% goal (178 lbs).

I remember a time when 178 was my absolute highest weight- how times change! Now I can’t wait to get back there.  I’m hoping to get to my goal within the next 2-3 weeks. Only 3.4 lbs to go!

The day I started WW I decided to do a 30-day pilates challenge. I’ve long been a fan of Winsor Pilates, but had let my dvds get dusty.  The exercises have been very effective for me, in combination with cardio.  On Valentine’s day I finished my 30th day, and feel pretty damn proud of myself! I had done a bit of cardio here and there, but unfortunately just as I was getting my running chops back, the treadmill in my building’s gym had some issues and has been out of service for about 3 weeks.  Along with the pilates, I did a 30-day weight training program (from the book “Smart Girls Do Dumbbells”).  I actually really liked the program, and learned some new moves that I will file away for future use!

This month’s challenge:  Jillian Michaels’ 30-Day Shred, combined with Winsor Pilates Upper Body Workout

I love Jillian. For anyone who doesn’t know, she is one of the trainers from The Biggest Loser.  She’s awesome. She doesn’t take crap from anyone and I find her really motivating.  Let me tell you- I did the first level of the dvd today, and WOW- she means business! I’m in decent aerobic shape, and I was DYING by the end. She claims that you can lose up to 20 lbs in a month, so we’ll see what happens!

For the record, here are my stats as of Day 1:

Weight: 181.4

Waist: 39.3 (but I wear 32′ jeans…someone explain that one to me)

Thighs: 25.5

Arms: 13 (Left), 12.1 (Right)

Hips: 43.7

Bust: 41.5

Neck: 13.5

As much as I don’t like the look of these measurements, I am happy to report that I am down 3.4 inches overall since starting WW.

That’s all for now…Thanks for reading!

Introduction

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Hi Everyone!

I’m new to the blogging world, but I figure writing it all down will help make me more accountable.  This is a step-by-step account of my journey to becoming 62 lbs lighter.

I’ve struggled with my weight since I was about 13.  I’ve tried a lot of different things, and have realized along the way that there is no quick fix, and that the key to losing weight is that you have to be ready.  I mean REALLY ready.  My ‘ready’ moment came this past Christmas.

I hit my breaking point when I realized how sad it was that I didn’t want to be in any pictures with my family.  I then returned to school to realize that my “fat” suit no longer fit me.

That day I called a friend and we both decided to sign up for Weight Watchers.  The rest is history!  Slowly but surely, I will get to my goal, ditch my fat jeans, and feel good about myself by the end of 2009!