Progress Pic

Progress Pic
I hope to do another one of these with more recent pics soon!

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Work It Out!

It hurts to type this post. Actually, typing is okay, lifting the laptop is the hard part. Needless to say, I've been doing some hard workouts this past week. I met with my new trainer on Wednesday. Thinking it was going to be a sit-down and let's talk about your plan meeting, I threw on some shorts so she could measure me easily. Little did I know, we did a full-blown workout for the first 45 minutes and did a little talking (well, huffing for me) at the end. I didn't realize how strength training and weights could affect a person. Situps, squats, crunches, planks, triceps dips, bicycle kicks and the list continues. Immediately after she left, I drank a quart of water and passed out on the couch. The next day I could not sit down without a scrunched up face and wobbly knees.

Now, I knew I was getting someone who was going to push me and make me do things I never wanted to or even thought I could, but let me tell you I am in P-A-I-N. We also worked out on Friday. Friday was the worst. I met my trainer at the gym not really knowing what to expect. Once we got in, it was straight to an elliptical. Ok cool, not so bad. Then we went to a weight bench or some contraption that looks like a weight bench, but you do situps on it. TONS of situps and crunches and more situps with weights and more crunches with weights. I wanted to DIE. Then we moved to some machine where you hold yourself up on your forearms, then lift your legs in front of you. And of course, more planks and side planks and treadmill inclines of 8 and above. I wanted to puke by the time we got on the elliptical for a "cool down." Of course I recognize that all exercises I described are not ground-breaking or innovative, but to a body that has never done them with any real effort before, it is more than tough.

With all that said, I have to be honest. I have not met my goal of 30 minutes of exercise per day. I physically could not move on Thursday and again yesterday. Today though, I am jumping back on the bandwagon. Obviously, a walk is in order. So even though I have not been on point with my goal of 30/30, I have successfully completed 6 consecutive days of food tracking (today will make 7)! I have more to say on the nutrition front, but I'm saving that for another post to come. Anyway, it's a lazy Sunday, so I am going to be just that, lazy. Enjoy your day people!

ps. TRUE BLOOD premieres tonight! WOHOOO!

Monday, June 20, 2011

Let's Get It Started!

Well hello world :)




I have so much to say and so little time! Today was a busy day as Monday's usually are, but I didn't let that stop me from starting my weight loss journey(for the last time). As you may know from recent posts, I have been teetering back and forth between calorie-counting or Weight Watchers PointsPlus plan. Well, the DECISION (taking ques from LBJ) is made!.......

CALORIE-COUNTING wins! I thought long and hard about this and though I wanted to do WW again, I thought that is exactly why I shouldn't do it. I got too comfortable. I knew how I could eat just little bites without tracking, I knew I could just "eat right" for a couple days before the weigh-in and be fine. I wasn't making healthy decisions because it was good for me, but because it was good for the weigh-in and I am so done with that. Now, that's not to say I won't be doing something like a weigh-in on my calorie-counting plan, its just that this time I have the bigger picture in mind. I say all this with conviction, but I know living it will be a little different-harder I mean.

So now that I know WHAT I am doing, let's talk about HOW I am doing it. I took Nadine's advice (hey girl) and signed up for MyFitnessPal.com . So far so good. They give you badges and weight loss tickers and all kinds of fun things that I'll eventually link to this blog after a few weeks of playing with it. Not to mention they literally have a TON of foods listed in their database. I can also add my own recipes and pretty much calculate calories for anything. Now, with the nutrition portion handled (well, on track I should say) I am going to up the ante with the exercise.

I have a personal trainer now. Expensive. I know. But, I am saving money by not going to WW meetings or using their Website and also being sucked into buying any of their yummy treats that are always "on-sale" during a meeting. Yep, even THEY want you to eat a little processed food. I am also saving money in the long run from buying plus-sized clothes (heck YES they cost more!), paying for more gas (it costs to haul a heavier me around), and even cutting back on eating out so much. Overall, I think its going to be worth it.

Finally, I have been right on track with my exercise everyday. Now, has the past 7 days of exercise been particularly challenging? No, but I have managed to do it. Mostly walks around the track at the school and even walking a new grocery store my friend and I found for about 2 hours with a cart full of fresh and nutritious goodies. However, I know I need to do better. Any my trainer comes tomorrow. Great. I'll let you know how that goes! I have so much more to say, but I'll save it for another day because as much as I thought I wasn't writing, this sure is a long post :) See ya soon!

Monday, June 13, 2011

Willing and Able...but Ready?


That's me looking frumpy in Roma!

So anyway, I have committed to a new weight loss journey and to blog about it...Now where do I start? I have read so many blogs, books, magazines, and listened to so many stories it's hard to decide how I will begin to conquer this journey. For example, I went to a conference this past weekend and there were two sessions (I attended both of course) that illustrated a Student Affairs officer's journey to their goal weight. One person did Weight Watchers, another person had gastric bypass. Bypass is not an option for me for many personal reasons, but also financially, I just can't. So, Weight Watchers...though I have done it before, I am nervous that I may not be able to commit. However, I don't think it's the WW plan that makes me hesitant. I read or heard somewhere that it takes about 7 times for someone with an eating disorder to be successful in their recovery (ok calm down, I am not saying I have a disorder). I just find that highly interesting because although a person wanting to lose weight may not be disordered, it still takes many tries to be "successful" i.e. keep the weight off for good. I guess this is about the 6th try, hopefully the last!

At this point whether it's try 6 or 8 or 29 I have to ask myself, why didn't I continue on the last time I lost weight? Whatever way I choose to do this journey can I stay the path long enough to get to my goal? I think this time the answer is yes, but I need to KNOW it. And that's where I need to change what I have done all the times before. That's where my "obsession" with all things weight-loss related is going to help me. I've learned so much and though I still have plenty of questions, I know some of the things I've done wrong in the past...

I never set small attainable goals along the major journey. I rewarded myself with food whenever I had a good weigh-in. I took "breaks" from my "diet" on vacations, weekends away, and any other time I did any little thing outside of my routine. I basically set myself up to fail. Naturally, I want to be super-dramatic and awe-inspiring here and say "THIS TIME I WILL NOT FAIL!" However, I also want to keep my realist perspective. So, I will say that this time I know I will have days that I will feel like a failure. I will have days I just want to quit and I will have a day that I will believe I have failed. However, I will not fail to keep believing in myself this time. I will not fail to recognize a bad day or bad couple days and persevere. And thankfully, you all will be here to help me :)

With all that ^ being said, what will I do to make this journey work for me this time? I'll list a few things I plan on trying...

1. 30 days of 30 minutes of physical activity - I saw this challenge on another site and I think it's a good way to get in a routine, but still be able to adjust between a 30 minute walk and 30 minutes of straight cardio without any days off in the schedule.

2. Calorie-counting of some sort (I haven't decided officially, but I am leaning toward Weight Watchers again...if anyone else has suggestions please comment and let me know)

3. Hold myself accountable here by tracking my exercise minutes...and yes my weight too..with at LEAST 2 posts per week.

I am going to try the above three things for the next 30 days. I'll then evaluate and decide my next courses of action. Good news already-I started my 30 days of physical activity today with a walk around the track.

So, in the next few days I will be posting a few pics, adding an exercise ticker, and yes, putting my weight on this site. I need some time to prepare for all that. You know, grocery shopping, organizing all the information I have gathered in the past couple months as well as taking a mental holiday to prepare myself. I'll see you again soon!

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Baby, I Was Born This Way!

I have been thinking of writing a weight loss blog for such a long time and I am finally putting my fingertips to the keyboard and doing it… I think. Recently, my significant other has mentioned my obsession for all things weight-loss-related and has challenged me to stop thinking about it, reading about it, obsessing about it and to just DO IT. The thing is, as much as I think he just wants me to just shut up about “getting thin,” I know he wants me to go back to the way I got healthier about a year ago.

In April of 2010 I found myself at one of my heaviest points (not THE heaviest, I’m not exactly sure what the ACTUAL heaviest number I ever was, so I go with the following) 261 pounds. Now, I’d love to say I just felt sick of being that size, or that I was totally unhappy, but those things alone couldn’t motivate me then. However, it was a small bet between my boo and I that sparked my original interest in all things weight-loss oriented. I joined a gym, started cooking healthier, and eating out less and I kicked his but and took his name! Ok, that was super corny ☺ Anyway, I worked very hard with a great nutritionist (Yey Sharleen!) and eventually did WeightWatchers for a little while. I got down to about 220 pounds. Unfortunately though, life happened after the bet was completed and I collected my winnings. I moved to a new apartment, the cold weather set in, you know 1000 more excuses as to why I have not continued this journey to my ultimate goal… a size 10 (more to come on that later).

So, was I born this way as I so proudly proclaim in my best GAGA voice? Maybe, but probably not. I have never been a “thin” or “skinny” person, but let’s be realistic here—Nobody comes out of the womb obese, but people do learn “fat” habits quickly. In fact, I can’t remember a time in my life when I wasn’t at least “husky.” I have always been a fat kid, fat girl, fat teen, fat college student, and now a fat adult. And yes, I have lost some weight, but not enough to lose that “fat” title in my opinion. Now I know I am going to hit some nerves by using the “fat” term, but I have to be honest with myself and I think getting all the negative energy and negative connotation out in the open with the term is going to help me on this journey. I think I can and I WANT to change the way I feel about saying “fat” and hopefully my journey outlined here will help someone else (yes I know that is a bit lofty, but I’m ok with that). And finally, I need someone or something, even if it just a blip on the World Wide Web to help keep me accountable.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Heyyyy! I'm Back Y'all!

I know it’s been such a long time since I’ve been here. So much has happened, I hardly know where to begin. I think the main thing that has happened though is that I have accepted my new location and have begun to, well no, I am enjoying a lot of the perks and great little jewels that New York City holds. Now don’t get me wrong, I am still a suburban princess; I love a good driveway, a nice parking lot, and of course a yard, though I don’t have any of the above to call my own. Well, except the parking lot I share with my fellow STJ co-workers. I think it’s safe to say I have adjusted, and that in itself is another New York “first.”

So, a few details about what’s new with me. I changed jobs from a Judicial Coordinator to a Residence Director (interesting, I know). I got a two-bedroom apartment (not that important to some, but in NY space is VALUABLE) and I have a wonderful man in my life. I met this person soon after I re-located to New York. We had a couple dates and literally, we have been together ever since. So far, we have survived a couple family outings, a disastrous Christmas vacation and a long summer vacation and we didn't kill each other. Overall, I think it's going well…and that’s the last I’ll say about him. I am sure he will hate that he is even mentioned here, but in an upcoming post I’ll let him know why ☺

I guess that leaves only one more thing to discuss. I am turning my New York “Firsts” blog into a blog about the first time I am documenting make my struggle, no actually my success with my weight loss goals public. I have read so many blogs over the past couple months that have really inspired me. I hope they won’t mind me mentioning them here: www.alltheweigh.com and www.blackgirlsguidetoweightloss.com and www.mindingmyweigh.blogspot.com and many more that I’ll put on a list.

Wow. I said it. Now, I guess it’s just time to live it. I hope I will keep my two documented followers (hey Brit and Ry Ry ☺ ) and maybe a couple more people will join. Ok, now I am scared…