Results Update!

I found my scale in the moving mess, set it up in my bathroom, and…..

150.6 pounds!

That’s a new record for me, making a total of 61 pounds lost.  Woo!

Turns out moving, organizing, and having to cover more ground in my big new house is a good work out!  I guess I should have seen this coming when my pants were sliding off as I ran through the grocery store to get the last missing ingredient that I needed.

Hooray! Just wanted to share – if I can do this, ANYONE can!

The First Year of Healthy Living

The last week of the year has a lot of celebrations for our family – Christmas, my “healthy” brother’s birthday, New Year’s, our wedding anniversary, but this year I have a new one to celebrate.

A year ago my mom took this picture of me and Jay as we headed out for our anniversary date.

I saw this picture and my life changed.  I was trying to look so lovely that night, but in the picture all I could see were chubby cheeks, chubby arms, and a waist hidden by oversized, uh, well, you get the picture.

This picture made me want to cry, and I think that I did cry is some quiet, personal moments.  I vowed to go home from this vacation, weigh in, and start some kind of plan to lose weight.  When the post-holiday weigh in threw me well above the 200 mark, I knew serious action had to happen.

This picture changed my life.

I changed my life.

No trendy programs or gimmicks.  I just chose to be healthier – it was just that simple and now I’m 60 pounds lighter.  One year later, and this is my anniversary date picture:

Here’s to many more years of healthy living and skinny picture making!  Click HERE to read my weight loss success story – if I can do this, anyone can!

Results Update – the PLAN is going smoothly

Last week I posted a small PLAN for maintaining your weight through the holidays (or possibly even losing some).  My personal goal was to maintain in the low 150′s then reevaluate my goals in the New Year.

So far, so good! (You know I didn’t even eat one of those Wonder Bars that I made for caroling?)

I weighed in at 151.4 yesterday morning!  How are the rest of you Mommas doing?  There’s still time before the big feast day, so do you best and enjoy the time with your families!

A Triumphant Moment in Shopping

I did a little shopping this weekend.  A precious little.  I was hoping to find a killer outfit for Jay’s upcoming work Christmas Party bash.  There’s a rather snooty strip mall near where I live with a long string of higher-end clothing stores including an Ann Taylor.

If you know me, you’d know that the price tags in there would normally send me into a coma, but thanks to my Healthy Brother who loves to give Ann Taylor gift cards, I was trying my luck.

I found a shirt that I really enjoyed.  It made me feel like a spunky new character on a girly TV show.  This shirt to be exact:

Only the medium was too big.

A medium was too big at Ann Taylor!  Yippee!

I grabbed a small and it fit, I was working it.  I would have bought it too, except for a slight sleeve malfunction that made my unmentionables quite visable, and well, mentionable.

Darn the luck.

I left the store feeling blue, but also feeling proud of myself.  As I walked by the store fronts of the rich and slender, I realized that there wasn’t a single store among them where I couldn’t find something that would fit me.  Until I got to the Lane Bryant.

That’s the one store that would have nothing for me and yet at the beginning of this year I was thinking it was time to resign myself to only shopping there, that I was just a big girl and I’d have to just accept that.

I’m so glad I didn’t accept it.  I’m so glad that I made the changes to lose weight and be healthier.  I started this journey to be a better mom physically for Cee, but at this point the journey has been for me too.  I feel better – during the activities of the day and about myself in general.

60 pounds gone.  I can hardly believe it.

If I can do it, anyone can.

If you want to read more about how I lost the weight without diet plans or fad programs, click on the link for My Weight Loss Success Story under the Featured Articles section on the side bar.

Latest Weight Update & Some Plateau Talk

Hi Everyone!

I was just so excited to share my news that I couldn’t wait – this morning’s weigh in put me at a new record low of 151.4!  That means I’m finally down 60 pounds since starting this lifestyle change back in January.  I bet I never would have believed it if I could have told myself that back then.

My current goal is to get down to 145 before the New Year.  It’s a push for me to be below 150, but I want to be as healthy as possible before considering another pregnancy to hopefully avoid the complications I had last time with Cee. (No, I’m not saying that we’re in full baby-making mode, but it is in the future for us and I want to be my best BEFORE the time comes.)

These last few pounds (and the ones to come I’m sure) have been hard ones.  I’ve plateaued in two places, first at 156, then at 152.6.  Plateaus are frustrating – it feels like no matter what you do you can’t change, which causes lots of people to give up and get slack with their healthy habits.

Let’s take a sec to talk about why plateaus are actually positive.  You’ve been so good, and so consistent with your healthy lifestyle that your body has gotten used to what you’re doing.  If you were being inconsistent (starving and binging, not sticking to exercise plans, etc) your body would respond inconsistently with weight jumps and maybe even some other negative health problems.

A plateau means you’ve been doing well, but now it’s time to kick it up a notch.

What I’ve been doing to shake up my routine:

1. Back to journaling.  In the start I recorded everything I ate, but as I got down to my target weight I trusted myself more and let go of the writing.  With my new goal, I needed to be extra accountable, so I picked up my notepad and pen once again.
2. Keeping it fresh.  I’ve been pushing myself more and more to eat fresh fruits and veggies during the day.  Cutting back on processed foods (even healthy ones) cuts out lots of sodium, sugar, and calories that aren’t necessary.  I’ve been eating lots of apples, natural applesauce, pears, bananas, red grapes, cabbage, zucchini, broccoli, spinach, carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and I’m seriously FULL all the time.
3. New exercises!  I’m a bike rider – every night I’d hop on my exercise bike and go for a half hour, 40 minutes, an hour, but still I saw no changes in the scale.  To shake things up and use some other neglected muscles I’ve been doing Pilates (you can watch them for free on Netflix, woo!), and during the day I’ll do push-ups off of the wall, crunches (lots of versions of them), and use my little 5 pound weights.  I think it has helped me to break out of my rut – my sore muscles are the proof that I’m doing things that I’m not used to!
4. Healthy-Up Dinner a little too.  My plan has always been to have healthy days and normal dinners to keep things normal for my family, but that doesn’t mean I can’t do little things to make my dinner healthier.  When making something a little fattier, I also steam lots of veggies as the side dish, but I eat a big helping of them first, before having a bit of the main course.

Thanks for sharing this journey with me!  If I can say Adios to 60 pounds, I’m confident that anyone can meet their goals.

Post-Vacation Weigh In & Traveling Tips

Today I did the unimaginable… I made it through a vacation without gaining a single pound, quarter pound, or ounce (at least to the degree with which my scale is accurate).

The morning we went to get on the plane I weighed in at 158 even (I know a little up from my 155 average which worried me) and this morning I stepped on the scale with the same result, 158.0!

Now, this isn’t to say that while away I hid by myself in a room with a bag of baby carrots and a bottle of water and prayed for the temptation to stop.  I did have some treats, I did have TONS of fun, but I tried to keep myself in check and I couldn’t be more proud of the results.

Here are some things to think about for Healthy Traveling:

1. Weigh in before and after – Weigh yourself the day you leave, this will give you a clear frame of reference for how you did over your vacation.  Don’t weigh yourself while you’re gone – all scales claim to be 99% accurate, but they also seem to be calibrated differently.  Jumping on someone else’s scale could make you scream (How did I gain 6 pounds on a 3 hour flight!!) or cry (How did I lose 6 pounds on the 3 hour flight!).  Stick to your scale because it is the one that is true to your progress.
2. Plan for the plane – More and more airlines are cutting the free snacks which makes them more and more lenient with what you bring on the plane to eat.  Plan some healthy and portable snacks that will save you from falling in the trap of airport goodies and prices.  Some ideas are to bring bananas, low-cal crackers, grapes in a baggie, baby carrots, or even 100-cal snack bags.  If you do have to have an airport meal, be smart about it.  Don’t just jump in line at the Sbarro’s, but see who offers fruit, salads, and other healthier options.  I had a delicious salad wrap with no dressing and a Vegetable Sandwich at our two stops and was so happy with my light choices.  Not flying?  Rest stops can be even more junk-food treacherous than airports, so be prepared with food and even bring a small cooler in your trunk if possible.
3. Access your new surroundings – Are you camping, staying with family, at a hotel?  Upon arrival find out what you’ll have to work with – can you have some fridge/freezer space?  Is there a microwave?  I always try to have at least a mini-fridge in my hotel rooms so that I can keep some healthy breakfast and snack options.  Knowing what is at your disposal in your new environment will make staying on track all that easier.
4. First stop – the grocery store!  If you have kids, you’ll probably need to go there anyway for milk and other kid stuff, but go for you too and go ASSAP.  Buy things that will work according to your assessment of the new environment and buy things that will be good to throw in your purse while you’re out adventuring.  Being as healthy as you can be during the day and the ‘snack’ times will give you a bit more wiggle room during party times.
5. Volunteer to cook – I love sharing recipes with my parents, so I will often volunteer my services as the chef when we’re together.  Say to your host, “Grandma, Grandpa, Brother, Sister-in-law (whoever), I’m sure you want to play with child 1, 2, 3, etc. so let me make dinner tonight while you have fun.”  That’s a hard one for any relative to resist and in that situation I have complete control over what I eat for meals and I can make them as healthy as I want them to be.
6. Eating out is part of the vacation – I know that lots of times being able to eat something is part of the vacation.  I love food and understand your sentiments exactly, so know beforehand what you just have to eat on your trip and plan accordingly.  Jay and I love pork burritos from Cafe Rio – a chain that hasn’t made it down here to TX yet.  We planned a date to go there while in Idaho and I anticipated this by having a very low-cal, healthy breakfast before our lunch date.  It turned out to be such a HUGE meal that we didn’t eat anything else for the rest of the day.
7. Gift food and treats – lots of times while visiting others they’ll want to gift you food.  “I baked you these cookies,” “You’ve just got to try this….” just to name a few of those common situation.  It is OK to say “No, thank you.”  People don’t get offended by that phrase, but if you are worried about hurting feelings, then simply explain yourself.  If others know that you’re trying to be healthy they will generally support you and even give you compliments.  I do still remember that ‘Having a treat is part of vacation,” so if you do indulge be sparing and when possible share the treat with others.  (I plan to talk more about gift food in another post).  Another plan of attack is to pick your own treat. While at the store get something that you like (but that isn’t TOO bad) as a safety blanket – having a 60-calorie fudgecicle is better than a slice of pie a-la-mode.

All of that being said, I’m still feeling the junk food from the trip.  I didn’t gain weight, but I think I did lose some health on this trip, so I’m going to go hard core this week with healthy eating.  If I come up with new snacks or tips I’ll be sure to post them.  My weigh in today was 158, we’ll see where I can get by the weekend.

Experimenting in Footless Exercises

It’s been over a week – nine days of sitting and eating.

You know something? It’s a lot easier to throw a fun size bag of Doritos to the couch then it is to throw a plate of broccoli.

Sitting and being bored makes me want to eat: candy, chips, ice cream, chocolate (which could get lumped in with candy, but is so important that it deserves its own category), and all other bad things that I love.

One week, and though the scale hasn’t changed much (155.8 this morning) I feel like the 211 pound woman that started this healthy lifestyle journey.

What was becoming firm is now squishy.

Now it sags – at least in my mind.

So, I’ve been experimenting, trying to find ways to exercise without using my feet that will counteract some of the bad eating and try to get me mentally back to a healthy gal.

The first fabulous foot-free exercise is Office Chair Crunches:

1. Put calves and feet up on the seat of a swivel office chair (about shoulder width apart if the seat is wide enough).
2. Do a set of normal crunches (15-20 or more if your abs can take it)
3. Do a set of twisting crunches when you bring your right elbow to your left knee – use the swivel in the chair to twist your abs as you make this motion.
4. Do another set of twisting crunches on the other side.
5. Do pelvis lifts – using your calves and shoulders to support you, lift up your bum/pelvis until your body is straight, keep abs (or core muscles) tight during the exercise.
6. Repeat the whole series until you are pooped.

I’ve also been using my weights for my arms whenever I get the chance, but if you don’t have weights, I did come up with another mom-friendly resistance exercise:

The Ball Squeeze

1. Find one of your child’s balls with lots of resistance, but that isn’t un-squishable.
2. Hold the ball between your hands in front of your chest with your elbows sticking out at 90 degree angles from your body.
3. Push your hands together as though trying to push them through the ball.
4. When you feel resistance in your arm and chest muscles hold the squeeze for a few seconds and then release.
5. Repeat for a set of 10-15, rest, then do more sets.

Weight Update from the Couch

The day of my foot surgery I weighed in at a new personal best: 152.8!  I wanted to know where I was before starting this whole ordeal so I could track how I’m doing.  After 3 straight days of sitting on my couch and cramming my face with whatever food I could throw from my kitchen to the couch I was starting to worry, so this morning I hopped on the scale.

Some people say that they ‘hop on the scale’ when really they gingerly step on it, awaiting the dastardly verdict.  I literally hopped on my scale – one foot crashing down right in the middle.  My darn toe hit the person setting button, which made it go into some odd mode which didn’t actually weigh.  So I hopped again, up and down right on it.

I don’t think I’ll be doing this again until I can step, I don’t know how much of a beating my scale can take and I really don’t want to have to replace it.

Anyway, to my shock and horror, 3 days of trash eating and inactivity = 3 pounds on me.  I’m back to 155.4, a weight that I know well, my plateau right down to those 4/10ths of a pound.

I had just barely beaten 155.4 and now this.  That’s ok.  I’m determined to do my best, and I even flamingo-footed it in the kitchen this morning in order to make a nice healthy breakfast for myself.

My goal now is at least to maintain this weight until I can return to regular activity.

Breakfast and Updated Results

This is what I ate for breakfast:

Watermelon season is on baby!  They are cheaper than cheap right now in TX, all the more reason to treat yourself with one.  I was surprised at how full I’ve gotten on watermelon this week!  It’s much better than a bowl of cereal with less calories and less fat.  My watermelon was full of great nutrients, it’s sweet, and it’s full of the water that we all really need during this last hot spell of the summer.

Oh, and this morning I weighed in at 153.4!  A new personal best.  I’d love to get to 151 for my best friend’s wedding later this month.  That would give me a total of 60 pounds lost, but the pounds aren’t flying off the way they used to, so I’m not going to sweat it and just do my best.  My goal is to be healthy, not to be skinny – with that in mind I’ll always eat, but try to eat right and exercise, but not overdo it.  Let those pounds fall where they may!

Figuring Out the Weight to Be

When I made the choice to lose weight and be healthier I set the goal to lose 17 pounds of baby weight and get back to my pre-pregnancy weight.  The problem was that that weight wasn’t healthy.

Once I reached that goal, I felt empowered to keep changing and I set a new goal to get to 170 before we moved to TX.  That would have meant a substantial weight loss of 41 pounds, but even that weight wasn’t healthy.

I looked up an on-line Body Mass Index calculator to find what weight range would be considered normal for me.  Getting into the 150’s meant being “normal” and for someone who’d never been at a normal weight, it became the goal I just had to achieve.

This last week I had my yearly physical with the doctor.  Fully clothed, on my period, and with wet hair I weighed in at 157 pounds.  I felt incredible.

Then I met with the doctor.

He was proud of me for the progress I’ve made, but told me that I really should loose another 10-15 pounds.  My heart sank – I thought I was normal.

The doctor said that the BMI scale doesn’t take enough variables into account.  Being a woman, having a broad bone structure, and other factors need to be considered and having examined me, that was his suggestion.

The lesson I learned from this is to use the BMI to get an idea of what is healthy for you, but once you start getting to the finishing line you should fine tune your ideal weight with a doctor.

Yesterday I weighed in at 154.4 pounds, my personal best.  The final few pounds will certainly be the hardest, but we’ll see if I can follow doctor’s orders and get down around 145.

*As a side note that isn’t really weight related, my blood work came back perfect with the note: “Excellent, no changes needed.”  Hurrah for being healthy!