Measurements

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I was recently watching a show on tv about obesity and found out some interesting/disturbing things about myself. I did the test to find out if I am considered apple or pear shaped.  Turns out that I’m apple, which is the worse of the two to be.  I know that it’s worse to carry extra weight around your middle than your bum or thighs, but I didn’t realize that I fell under the danger category.  I’m a bit boxy around the middle, but I kind of attributed that to not having very wide hips (in terms of bone structure- this is certainly not to say that I can’t stand to lose some inches off my hips!) Anyway, the magic formula is waist divided by hip.  A result of 0.8 and below means you are pear shaped.  0.8 and above means you are apple shaped. According to health specialists, this waist-to-hip ratio is actually better than waist measurments alone, or even BMI measurments in terms of determining health. Anything above 0.8 is undesirable, and the further away you get from 0.8, the higher your risk for heart disease, cancer, and a host of other illnesses becomes. I figured it was time to face the music and re-do my measurements. Here goes:

Weight: 174

Waist: 39 (yikes)

Thighs: L-24.5, R-24.5

Arms: L- 12.25, R- 11.5

Hips: 42

Bust: 39

Neck: 14

BMI: 30

I still can’t believe that I wear size 32 jeans and my actual waist size is currently 39.  Vanity sizing much?  Anyway, my waist-to-hip ratio works out to 0.92.  Red Flag! I really need to work on reducing this number.  I’ll be adding this to my numbers to monitor as I lose my weight.

I’m having one of those weeks where the scale is NOT budging.  Not really sure what’s going on, because I’ve been eating really well. I think I just need to step up the exercise.  I know the next couple weeks will be difficult because I’ll have guests for 15 days solid. I guess I’ll just try to get as much walking in as possible.

Off to do my turbo jam, even though I’d rather take a nap…I’m thinking of starting the C25K program again…getting back into running would probably really help my weight loss.  Maybe that will be my goal for October.

Weigh-In, Week 2

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As I suspected I had a much smaller loss this week- BUT- I had a loss, so I’m not complaining!

I lost 1 lb this week, and that’s 1 lb closer to my goal. Meeting was great today- I had coffee with a really nice lady from my group after. She reached her goal last week, and she is very inspirational!  I am missing my WW buddy (she no longer lives in the same province as me) and so it’s nice to make some other connections with people who are doing the program.

I have been really good with working out this week. I did cardio party for the past 4 days in a row, and ab jam every day except last night.  I was hurting last night- i had a long day at school, and then I watched the premiere of The Biggest Loser, so my workout didn’t happen until midnight, but I still did it!  I’m really proud of myself, and I feel like I’m getting back into the groove.  The food is easy for me- I love cooking and I don’t usually get junk cravings.  It’s the workouts that I really have to make an effort to get into. I find that once I’ve done it for a few days, though, it becomes much easier. Today my leader told me that she’s running her SECOND marathon in Hawaii at Christmas….and she’s 60 YEARS OLD!! It’s pathetic that she’s in better shape than basically everyone I know (including me). She’s so inspirational…it makes me want to start running again! We have a treadmill in our building, so maybe I’ll give it a whirl this winter. It really has been the best exercise for me when it comes to losing weight. I’m just a bit hesitant to do it again because of the impact on my back…but I suppose I’ll just have to start slow.  But isn’t that amazing? Overweight to running marathons at 60. I want to be like her when I grow up.

So, here’s the sum up for the week: My current weight is 174, which is 13 lbs down from my original start weight and 3.8 lbs since re-starting WW 2 weeks ago. As I mentioned last post, my new goal is 6.2 lbs a month, which would allow me to reach my goal before I leave to go home.  That means I need to lose 2.4 more lbs this month.  Hope I can do it!!

49 lbs to go!

P.S. I’ve updated the some of the other tabs on my blog (my workouts, i can’t wait to…, etc.) so check it out! :)

Day 2 of the battle…

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Good news!  I managed to get my act together enough to work out again today.  I did cardio AND abs. Yay me! The only bad news is that i’m paying for my months of lethargy- my body is KILLING me!! I can barely move! Oh well-at least it’s a good pain. C’est la vie. My Greece Bikini Body isn’t going to come easily, but I know I can do it. Can’t wait for that day!

A small victory…

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I finally got my act together and worked out! I just did 45 minutes of Turbo Jam cardio, plus the 20 minute ab workout. It was hard…not going to lie….I can really feel how much muscle I’ve lost during the time I stopped my workouts.  I always do this- why do I never learn? It’s like starting at square one again. At the very least, at least I didn’t gain ALL of the weight I lost back- only 8 lbs.  After my *almost* 3 lb loss last week, I now only have about 5 lbs to make up.  As some of you know, my body makes no sense. I will do everything right and lose nothing one week, then the next week I’ll eat pizza and lose.  Like last week, I ate sushi and movie popcorn the night before my weigh-in.  Usually I retain water like crazy when I eat salt. So I eat 2 of the saltiest foods known to man and have my biggest loss ever?  Riiigh…that makes perfect sense.

I find that getting mentally ready to do the first workout after a break is the hardest part. Once I get back into it, it becomes just a part of my day. I hope that’s the case this time.

I recently read that people who weigh themselves every day are more successful in keeping weight off. I used to be 100% against this, because I think it makes some people (like my WW buddy) obsessed.  If she gained, she would FREAK out and work out 2x that day. If she lost, she would binge on junk.  Anyway, I recently downloaded an app to my iphone called “Lose it!”.  It’s free, and you can use it to input all your food, exercise, and goals. Since I count points, I don’t use the food/exercise function, but you can use the goal section to record your weight daily.  It’s just been a good way for me to keep focused. I’ve been weighing myself every morning as soon as I wake up. I have a feeling after my big loss last week, I probably won’t lose anything this week. But it does keep me trying!

I’ve been thinking about my goals (mentioned in my last post).  I really desperately want to reach my goal before I move home, because I want my current leader to be here when it happens.  To do that, I would have to lose 6.2 lbs per month. I know that’s not really all that realistic for me, since I lose pretty slowly. But, I’m really going to try my very hardest. My leader has been such a huge inspiration and support for me, I just really want her to be the one to present me with my keychain, or whatever it is you get when you reach goal.  If I can achieve that goal, I can meet my other 3 goals, too.  At that rate, I could be down to about 140 lbs by my cousin’s wedding.  I can’t even imagine it!!  6.2 lbs a month isn’t too outrageous, but it will mean a lot of hard work. I’m up for the challenge. 3.4 lbs to go this month.  Wish me luck!

Looong Weekend!

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Hi everyone,

It’s the long weekend and life is great.  I spent some quality time with my cousin (the one whose wedding I’m going to be a bridesmaid in), and tonight I’m off to visit my parents with my BF.  The weather is beautiful, I’m home sweet home, and I couldn’t be happier!

My job is going really well- I love my boss and my co-workers are great, and the work is really interesting so far.  I’m definitely getting more settled into my routine. I’ve done well with my lunches this week, and I think I’ve figured out a solution to my problem with being ready for lunch at 10:30 am.  The issue is that I leave for work so early, so I’ve been eating breakfast really early.  So, this week, I went to the breakfast buffet with BF and had approximately 1/2 a cup of plain yogurt with about the same amount of melon.  Then when I got to work I had some oatmeal with splenda.  That was enough to tide me over until about 1pm.  Then I’d have some carrots, soup, tuna and melba toast (spread out over an hour and a half or so).

I’m proud of myself because I’ve worked out on both Friday and today. I even did the ab routine today! I’m really doing my best to get back into the swing of things, and I think I’ll try to go for a run while I’m at home tomorrow.

We’re going out for Chinese food tonight- should be delicious (and extremely high-point) but I’m just going to take it a day at a time.

Happy Victoria Day to all the Canadians!  And to all the Americans, hope you’re having a great regular-length weekend :)

Slowly but Surely

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I’m getting back on track.  Thanks for all the kind support, everyone! It helps me to know that I’m not alone in facing these challenges.
This week I’ve moved to a new place, started a new job, and lost the ability to cook for myself since I now live in a hotel.  It’s a long story.  Anyway, there is a breakfast and dinner buffet included in my summer accomodations, but as you can imagine buffets are not very WW friendly.  The biggest challenge is that I can’t measure anything, so whatever I eat will be “eyeballed”, and that is never a good thing.  So, I’m doing what I can. I went shopping yesterday and bought some cans of soup, a bag of carrots, some melba toast, pitas, peanut butter, and some little cans of tuna- all things I can keep at work.  I made a peanut butter-banana-pita rollup for breakfast and ate it at work since I have been STARVING during the day.  Eating breakfast too early leads to hunger, which leads to over consumption during the day, at least for me. As for the dinner buffet, there’s not much I can do to get around that.  I’m just eating LOTS of salad and trying my best to keep portions in check.  Luckily I cook a lot so I have a decent idea of what a cup looks like, but still…not ideal.  Another challenge is that I am smack-dab in the centre of downtown in a city with some of the best restaurants in the world- many of them dirt cheap- right outside my doorstep.  My favourite thai restaurant is 3 blocks away.. oh the temptation. I’ve eaten there once already.  Hopefully I’ll be able to control myself this summer.  I know that I can have treats like that as long as it’s not all the time, and as long as I’m doing my exercise.  Which, (drumroll please) I actually did today! I just came home from work and got right at it.  I feel much better. I’ve only done Cardio Party twice this week, but it’s better than the past 2 weeks when I did it, um, never….

Tomorrow is Weigh In day.  I am not hopeful, once again. I know I don’t lose unless I work out, and I haven’t been doing that.  So, my goal is to not have gained a lot and to get right back into the swing of things this week.  Wish me luck!

Hope you’re all doing well :)

Operation 160s

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I’ve been having a few off days…not off plan, but I didn’t work out yesterday or today.  I finished my last exam today, and I never sleep well leading up to exams. But, I’m planning to sleep in tomorrow and then do a double workout to make up for my off days.  I’m feeling pretty guilty, but I honestly just didn’t have it in me today.  I’m totally exhausted!

I’m setting my sights on the 160s….I’m getting close enough that it feels a little more attainable.  I keep expecting the scale to just stop, but then I remind myself of how far I’ve come and how hard I’ve worked. I started my journey at 187lbs, and now I’m at 173.  I stepped on the scale this morning just to see where I’m at, and I hit 171!  That’s not an official weigh-in, but it’s nice to see anyway.  It feels like I’ve come a REALLY long way from 187…I have noticed that my cheeks are less puffy, and my fat jeans are looking ridiculous because they’re WAY too big. The jeans I bought over Christmas 2007 finally fit again, and are even a little loose in the butt and thighs! I can’t believe it.  I’m losing the dreaded muffin-top, and I’m loving every minute of it. There’s no better inspiration.

So, what am I going to do to get to the 160s?

- Focus on filling foods wherever possible

- Drink extra water

- Keep up my workouts (especially when I’m away from home!)

I would love to get there within the next 3 weeks.  Think I can do it? That’s just a little over 1 lb a week.  It’s going to take a lot of hard work, but I really want it.

So, I’m unexpectedly going to be going home to my parents’ house for 3 days. I leave on Sunday and I’m back on Wednesday night, which means I’m going to miss my WW meeting :(. I’m going to go to the one on Thursday, though.  I just really don’t want to miss my regular meeting, because I love my leader.  I’m planning to take my running shoes home with me so that I can get some cardio in.  There’s really nowhere in my parents’ home that I can do turbo jam, so this is a good opportunity to get back into running.  I’m going to make a new playlist for my ipod and just give it all I’ve got!  I also remembered that I have some 5lb and 10lb weights at home that I can use, so that’s good news.  I actually miss those weights- when I went away to school I could only take the 3lb ones because of baggage weight restrictions, but they would be really handy to have around…there’s only so much you can do with 3lb weights.

I’m also going to make my WW granola and some other WW food to take home.  As I’ve mentioned, I haven’t told my family about WW.  It’s not that I don’t think my mom would be supportive- I know she would! I just wanted to surprise her with the new and improved me, and I don’t really want her asking about it all the time.  I’m not sure if she’ll notice, but I guess I’ll tell her if she asks.

My mom is an amazing cook, but she uses REAL ingredients…cream…butter….flour….cheese….none of the low-fat stuff! This is probably because the most my mom ever weighed was 130 lbs when she was 9 months pregnant with me…Yeah….why couldn’t I have inherited HER body/metabolism?!  But anyway, I just don’t want to be tempted by all her delicious offerings…homemade bread….homemade jam….bacon from the butcher down the street…cookies…okay, enough! I have to stop. I want to lose weight more than I want to eat these things. Case closed.

So, I have that little trip to deal with, and right after that I’m off to Vegas! I can’t wait to go swimming outside…lots of walking, lots of shoe shopping…Oh, I can’t wait to go to the Christian Louboutin boutique…I CAN’T WAIT!  Let’s cross our fingers for a sale!

Hope you’re all doing well! Check in when you have a minute :)

Update: Okay, even though I vehemently oppose weighing every day, I was so excited by my 171 yesterday that I decided to step on the scale today again…and I’ve hit 170! I can’t believe that after skipping 2 workouts in a row and eating a huge sushi feast last night that I hit that number. The 160s are so close I can taste it…

Week 13 Weigh-In

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1.8! Woohoo!

When I think about how I used to eat during exams, it is SHOCKING to me that I’ve lost… I’m very happy!

I have 2 exciting things to share-

1) I’m down another BMI point! I’m now at 30, hovering between “obese” and “overweight”

2) I’m down a total of 13.2 lbs, which means I’ve FINALLY caught up with my goal of losing 1 lb per week!

My new weight is 173.8, and I’m 1.8 lbs away from my next goal of 172 (15 lbs down from start weight).  4.8 lbs from my 10%!

I have to say, I really credit turbo jam for my progress over the past few weeks.  I really feel the difference.

I think it’s time for some measurments, too…

Waist: 37.75 (-.75)

Thighs: Left-24.75 (-.5), Right- 24.75 (-.25)

Arms: Left- 12.5 (+.1), Right- 12 (same)

Hips: 41.5 (-.5)

Bust: 38.25 (-.25)

Neck 14.25 (same)

Total: -2.15 inches

Overall total inches lost: 11.75

I seriously can’t wait until I get to my 10%…and the 160s! It’s so close I can taste it…Please keep cooperating, body…PLEASE!!

49 lbs to go…

P.S. I’m currently wearing my “skinniest” jeans…the ones that I haven’t been able to fit into for 6 months or so…and they’re actually comfortable!

Things are looking up…

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One exam done, one to go!

I am exhausted.  I didn’t sleep well last night…never do before an exam.  I have no idea how it went- my prof is so flaky that it really could go either way.

Today was day 10 of Turbo Jam!  I’ve tried all of the workouts now, and my definite favourite is Cardio Party Mix 1.  I’ve gotten the hang of it now, and I find that it’s a really good mix of exercises.  Plus, it’s a CRAZY good workout- I have never sweat so much in my life! I always thought that I didn’t have 40 mins to workout, but really it’s not that much more difficult to find 40 mins than it is to find 20.  I’m loving the cardio party and I’m really feeling it in my arms! I’ve been using the “turbo gloves”…those hook punches make my arms burn.  It’s a great balance because it’s not too difficult when you’re doing it, but you feel it after.  I especially love the cooldown at the end of Cardio Party- it’s SO relaxing! I also like the 20 minute workout, although I haven’t done it for a while since I’ve been opting for the longer one.  My one objection to the 20 minute is that it doesn’t include “the wheel”, which is one of my favourite moves- great for toning the waist!  I did the Punch, Kick, Jam for the first time yesterday, and I have to say- not my favourite.  It is much more difficult to follow and I didn’t enjoy the routine as much.  PKJ is supposed to be more intense than Cardio party, but I found the opposite.  There’s a weird capoeira break in the middle that doesn’t really fit, and it really brought my heartrate down.

Overall, Turbo Jam is money well spent for me! I obviously don’t follow their eating plan or use any of that other crap that they sent with the dvds, but for 5 workouts and the gloves, I’m very satisfied with it. I definitely feel like it’s making a difference in my body, especially my legs.  Not sure if this is a result of general weight loss, but I feel like everything is tightening up.  As I mentioned before, I’ve been especially devastated by the discovery of cellulite on my legs, as they were aways the one thing on me that I was more or less happy with.  Although I haven’t seen a huge difference in measurments (I measure right around the biggest part, at the top), I feel like I see improvements.

So, as usual, I did my post-Biggest Loser last chance workout tonight in anticipation of the week 13 weigh in tomorrow.  Now I’m all hyped up and awake, and can’t sleep! Wednesday morning always comes too early for my liking.  I relish my sleep-ins. I’m NOT a morning person. Sometimes I scare myself with how unpleasant I can be in the morning!!

I hope my weigh in goes well tomorrow.  I’m still trying to do a catch up to meet my 1 lb a week goal.  Last week was week 12, and I was at 11.4 lbs lost.  So this week, I would have to lose 1.6 to get to my 13 week goal. Probably won’t happen, but these days I’m happy with any loss.

I was thinking today about my cousin’s wedding next year- I’m SO excited! I can’t wait to wear a bridesmaid dress and not feel awful….I have another wedding to go to this summer, so I’m hoping to be down 30 lbs by then- that would put me at 157.  If I reach that goal, I’ll buy a new dress for the occasion.  I honestly can’t remember the last time I was in the 150 zone.  If I could achieve that, I would be in good shape for my goal of losing 40 lbs by January 2010 (this was the goal I came up with when asked to do so at a WW meeting).  Although I’m not a fan of putting dates on my goals, I think my ultimate goal is to lose the 62 lbs by my graduation from law school in May 2010.  I think it’s do-able, provided that my body continues to cooperate.  Sometimes it likes to get mad at me (like those 3 weeks that I maintained…) but hopefully we have an understanding now!

Most of all, I’m looking forward to shocking my friends and family.  I want jaws to hit the floor. I can’t wait. I’m going to do it this time, and since I never see them it’s going to be even more shocking than if they were around to watch me lose the weight.

Updates on Weigh-In tomorrow!

I leave you with this, my dream dress…Herve Leger… someday, when I reach my goal and have the income of a lawyer and not a law student, it shall be mine…

Sour Grapes

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I’m in a mood today…

I really just want these exams to be over.  More so, I just really want to see the results of the hard work I’ve been putting in over the past 3 months.  I know that this is juvenile, but sometimes I get discouraged when I see other people’s results.  There are people on 3FC who started WW at the same time as me, and who have similar stats, and have consistently lost 3 or more lbs per week!  My body is just so uncooperative sometimes.  I just really wish I could start seeing a more consistent loss. I am happy to lose any weight, but it would be really nice to pick up the pace a bit.  I didn’t even get a big drop right at the beginning, like most people do.  My WW buddy has NEVER stayed within her points EVER. Not a single day since we started.  She yo-yos, but on the weeks where she does better, she’ll lose between 2-4 lbs! And, her high weight was 25 lbs less than mine.  I know I have to stop comparing myself to others. I am genuinely happy for others’ success, but I just wish that I could have a big loss to reflect the kind of effort I’ve been putting in.

I took some pictures of myself today to compare to a “before” picture.  I really didn’t see a difference.  I can’t believe that 11 lbs off my small frame doesn’t show.  My WW buddy says she thinks I look 20 lbs lighter, but I seriously can’t see it in the pictures at all.  I want to see tone! I want to see a smaller waist! I don’t want to see clothes looking tight! Grrr.  I’m not doing that again for a while.

I did my cardio party today.  My foot is hurting a bit, which is a drag, but I still made it through. I couldn’t believe how much I was sweating.  It’s actually kind of gross (and remarkable, because I don’t even sweat that much when I run.)

I’m thinking about checking out Chalene’s ball workout. It’s 2 dvds and a ball for $40.  I really need a new ball anyway, so it may just be worth it.  Has anyone tried this? Or any of the other Turbo Jam workouts? I’d love some input….

I just had vietnamese for dinner- vermicelli with chicken and vegetables. It was good, but now I feel like I overate. I’m still within my points for today, though…Everything else I ate was a “filling food”.

I was just on the 3FC forum reading about “Debbie Downers”.  You know, those people who always have a comment about your weight loss…”Oh, you’re on a diet AGAIN?”….”Oh, I’ve tried WW, it doesn’t work”….”Do you think you’re going to make it this time?”…..

I seriously can’t stand that shit.  It’s nobody’s business but my own if or how I choose to lose weight.  I don’t walk up to people and say things like, “oh, I see you’re doing something about your acne problem- do you think it will actually work this time?”.  Anyone who has ever had something that they’re insecure about should know how humiliating and incredibly rude that is.  I had someone call me “plump” to my face back in January, and then try to pass it off as a GOOD thing- like she was giving me a compliment! Um, maybe for some, not for me.  It’s not something I strive to be.  I was humiliated.  The thing is, I’ve been carrying around extra weight for so long now that people think this is just how I am.  They don’t realize that I’m actually a teeny tiny person underneath these 50 extra pounds. They don’t realize I’m built like my mom, who weighed 125 lbs when she was 8 months pregnant with me. When I told my friend that I was going to lose 62 lbs, she couldn’t believe it.  She thought I’d be under 100 lbs.  I guess it’s a good thing that I “carry my weight well”, whatever that means, but I don’t want to be the “plump” girl.  I want to be the lithe girl with the dancer’s body….that’s what I used to be, and that’s what I am underneath this.  I’m happy for people to notice, but I don’t need to be questioned about it.  People need to learn how to select the appropriate time and place for that kind of talk.

I have a classmate who is 5′10” and 130 lbs. She is the skinniest person I’ve ever seen. I would be surprised if she’s bigger than a size 0.  Anyway, she keeps sending me all these messages about how she’s so depressed because she’s gained 5 lbs since starting law school, and she REALLY needs to lose weight, etc etc.  Now, she is one of the few people who know that I’m actually actively trying to lose weight. It’s not something I advertise.  I wonder- what is it that she wants me to say?  I’ve told her that she could gain 20 more lbs and still not be overweight…I’ve told her that she’s still the skinniest person I know.  Her thighs don’t even touch! How “overweight” could she possibly be?!  I know that everyone has issues with their bodies, but pick your audience, people! Don’t act like losing 5 lbs (that don’t even need to be lost in the first place) makes you understand what I’m going through.   I actually need to lose weight for my health- this isn’t driven by some insane vanity thing. Honestly, you would laugh out loud if you could see how skinny this girl is…the whole thing is CRAZY.  I just need a break from all of this!

Sorry for the angry rant…It’s just been one of those days.  :S

I was out on my balcony today, watching people running their dogs in the nice weather.  I wish we were allowed dogs in our apartment- I’m desperate to get a westie!  As soon as I’m done law school and actually have time to train it, I’m getting one…Aren’t they SO CUTE?!

Westies bring me zen…I love them SO much.

I’ve been meaning to share another discovery with you- Celestial Seasonings Bengal Spice Tea!  Or, Bengal Tiger Tea, as I like to call it…It’s spicy like Chai, but it’s naturally sweet. I’m telling you, you would SWEAR there was sugar in it, but there isn’t!  I think it’s the cinnamon…anyway, I love it, and I’m trying to switch it up from coffee every now and then…here’s a picture of the box:

It may be worth a try if you’re a tea person! BF is making me some right now… :)

Is it Saturday night already? Uugh.  The only good thing about this is SNL…

Back to work for me- hope you’re all enjoying your weekends!

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