Today's weigh in: 129
Feeling sore in muscles I didn't even know I had. I got that "Golds Gym Cardio Workout" for the Wii yesterday, thought it was fun, and played for probably a lot longer than I should have. Ow...
Friday, April 24, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Day 22
Today's weight: 130
Again. I'm feeling better than I did in the beginning, and while there's not a huge difference, I think I'm looking better too. So it wouldn't be a huge loss if I stayed where I am now. I just don't want to. And I don't know what I can be doing better. Stupid diets.
Again. I'm feeling better than I did in the beginning, and while there's not a huge difference, I think I'm looking better too. So it wouldn't be a huge loss if I stayed where I am now. I just don't want to. And I don't know what I can be doing better. Stupid diets.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Day 21
Today's weigh in: 129
Woot! I have lost a tiny bit of weight. Finally. If nothing else, I've noticed that I have a lot more energy, which is a great feeling. I'm just hoping the weight loss turns out to actually be possible. Come on, 128!
Woot! I have lost a tiny bit of weight. Finally. If nothing else, I've noticed that I have a lot more energy, which is a great feeling. I'm just hoping the weight loss turns out to actually be possible. Come on, 128!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Day 20
Today's weigh in: 130
So maybe the answer is to just stop eating entirely. I ordered another game for the Wii that focuses on cardio, because it's always nice to give myself another cardio option. Between running, walking the dog and biking I've managed to keep myself fairly well entertained. But everyone knows that anything is more fun when you're getting points for it. Not that it really matters, because I am never going to lose another pound. it's quite frustrating.
So maybe the answer is to just stop eating entirely. I ordered another game for the Wii that focuses on cardio, because it's always nice to give myself another cardio option. Between running, walking the dog and biking I've managed to keep myself fairly well entertained. But everyone knows that anything is more fun when you're getting points for it. Not that it really matters, because I am never going to lose another pound. it's quite frustrating.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Day 18
Today's weigh in: 130
Yeah, I'm pretty much never going to lose any more weight. I'm feeling pretty low about it. But at least I'm not gaining weight, which I know can be an issue if you're working out a lot, so I have that going for me. I'm going to tell myself that it's because muscles are developing, and soon I'll start losing weight again because muscles burn more calories than muscle. And I'm going to go on believing that even though I'm really not doing anything to develop actual muscles. So there.
Activity Log:
- 30 minutes Wii Fit
- 1.5 miles walking shelter dogs
Food Log:
- 1 cup of Earl Grey tea
- 1 bowl of Grapenut Flakes
- 1.5 cup of strawberries
- 1 PB&J on wheat bread
- 1 serving of roast beef
- 1 dinner roll
- 1/2 cup of corn
Yeah, I'm pretty much never going to lose any more weight. I'm feeling pretty low about it. But at least I'm not gaining weight, which I know can be an issue if you're working out a lot, so I have that going for me. I'm going to tell myself that it's because muscles are developing, and soon I'll start losing weight again because muscles burn more calories than muscle. And I'm going to go on believing that even though I'm really not doing anything to develop actual muscles. So there.
Activity Log:
- 30 minutes Wii Fit
- 1.5 miles walking shelter dogs
Food Log:
- 1 cup of Earl Grey tea
- 1 bowl of Grapenut Flakes
- 1.5 cup of strawberries
- 1 PB&J on wheat bread
- 1 serving of roast beef
- 1 dinner roll
- 1/2 cup of corn
Friday, April 17, 2009
Day 17
Today's weigh in: 131
I'm stopping the separate logs - it takes too much time, and I don't really have all that much to say. I'm feeling very much like I'm stuck in a rut and I'm not sure how to get out. This might just be my weight. I may not be able to go any further than this. Oh well - I'll stick with it and we'll see. It's not like it's exactly hurting me to be healthy all the time.
Activity Log:
- 30 minutes Wii Fit
- Washed/Waxed car (I'm counting it because I'm sore all over now)
- Chased 3 separate dogs down the block 3 separate times (don't even ask)
Food Log:
- 1 cup of Earl Grey tea
- 1 bowl of Grapenut Flakes
- 3 slices of raisin toast
- 1/2 a grapefruit
- 1 piece of matzoh
- 2 chicken enchiladas
I'm stopping the separate logs - it takes too much time, and I don't really have all that much to say. I'm feeling very much like I'm stuck in a rut and I'm not sure how to get out. This might just be my weight. I may not be able to go any further than this. Oh well - I'll stick with it and we'll see. It's not like it's exactly hurting me to be healthy all the time.
Activity Log:
- 30 minutes Wii Fit
- Washed/Waxed car (I'm counting it because I'm sore all over now)
- Chased 3 separate dogs down the block 3 separate times (don't even ask)
Food Log:
- 1 cup of Earl Grey tea
- 1 bowl of Grapenut Flakes
- 3 slices of raisin toast
- 1/2 a grapefruit
- 1 piece of matzoh
- 2 chicken enchiladas
Food Log 16
- 1 cup of Earl Grey tea
- 1 bowl of Grapenut Flakes
- 1 pop tart
- 2 pieces of raisin toast
- 1/2 cup of prunes
- 1/2 Matzoh PB&J
- 3 stuffed manicotti
- 1 small garden salad
- 2 cups of 7Up
- 1 bowl of Grapenut Flakes
- 1 pop tart
- 2 pieces of raisin toast
- 1/2 cup of prunes
- 1/2 Matzoh PB&J
- 3 stuffed manicotti
- 1 small garden salad
- 2 cups of 7Up
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Day 16
Today's weigh in: 130
So, Day 15 got lost in there. It was kind of a stressful day. It involved some eating of sugar cookies. That probably shouldn't happen again But then, today involved the drinking of soda and the eating of WAY too much manicotti, so apparently I'm just really slipping here. I'm just kind of frustrated in general. I'm tired of avoiding cookies already, and while I do enjoy the exercise - it gives me something to do with my day - I really don't know that I'm going to be able to lose any more weight. It's not coming off as quickly as it did in the beginning, which, I know, is normal, but it's no less frustrating. Is it wrong to want to look tan and thin and perfect for my graduation next month, and not to want to have to do a thing to get there? And in all honesty, I don't know what I good weight for me would even be. My youngest sister weighs 105 pounds. 105 pounds! What the hell? I keep coming back to that. She's only about an inch shorter than me, if that, and she may have a slightly smaller frame, but I honestly don't think she does. She just looks awesome. Not, like, scary, unhealthily thin or frail, just pretty much perfect. I don't want to get down to her weight - I do think that would be unhealthy for me, but I don't even know that I can get down to 120. I don't even know that I should. I don't know what I want. I just want to stop feeling so disgustingly fat all the time. I've lost 8 pounds. Shouldn't I feel better?
So, Day 15 got lost in there. It was kind of a stressful day. It involved some eating of sugar cookies. That probably shouldn't happen again But then, today involved the drinking of soda and the eating of WAY too much manicotti, so apparently I'm just really slipping here. I'm just kind of frustrated in general. I'm tired of avoiding cookies already, and while I do enjoy the exercise - it gives me something to do with my day - I really don't know that I'm going to be able to lose any more weight. It's not coming off as quickly as it did in the beginning, which, I know, is normal, but it's no less frustrating. Is it wrong to want to look tan and thin and perfect for my graduation next month, and not to want to have to do a thing to get there? And in all honesty, I don't know what I good weight for me would even be. My youngest sister weighs 105 pounds. 105 pounds! What the hell? I keep coming back to that. She's only about an inch shorter than me, if that, and she may have a slightly smaller frame, but I honestly don't think she does. She just looks awesome. Not, like, scary, unhealthily thin or frail, just pretty much perfect. I don't want to get down to her weight - I do think that would be unhealthy for me, but I don't even know that I can get down to 120. I don't even know that I should. I don't know what I want. I just want to stop feeling so disgustingly fat all the time. I've lost 8 pounds. Shouldn't I feel better?
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Food Log 14
I actually tried to count all my calories for the day. Several things were pretty much just wild guesses, and I'm definitely not going to make a habit of this calorie counting thing - god, what a hassle. But I think today was a relatively average day, and it came out to be roughly 1800 calories or so, so I think I'm probably doing okay.
- 1 cup of Earl Grey tea
- 1 pop tart (which, it turns out, does have trans fat. Lame.)
- 1/3 cup of dried apricots
- 5 celery sticks with peanut butter
- 1.5 cups of brown rice
- 1 Quesadilla with mozzarella
- 1 plain tortilla
- 1 cup of cottage cheese with jelly
- 1 garlic bread stick
- 1 cup of Earl Grey tea
- 1 pop tart (which, it turns out, does have trans fat. Lame.)
- 1/3 cup of dried apricots
- 5 celery sticks with peanut butter
- 1.5 cups of brown rice
- 1 Quesadilla with mozzarella
- 1 plain tortilla
- 1 cup of cottage cheese with jelly
- 1 garlic bread stick
Activity Log 14
Didn't do anything major today. I want to try to go for another bike ride tomorrow, but I'm not too sure the weather is going to cooperate, so I may have to put that off for later in the week. Also, I wasn't sure that the Wii Fit was actually doing anything for me anymore - I don't get sore after using it like I used to. So I spent the entire half hour doing the strength training exercises. We'll see if I feel any of it tomorrow.
- 30 minutes Wii Fit
- 1.5 mile walk with the Fuzz Face
- 30 minutes Wii Fit
- 1.5 mile walk with the Fuzz Face
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Day 14
Today's weight: 130
Today marks a very important occasion. My weight has dipped, ever so slightly, below the 130 pound mark. I NEVER, under ANY circumstances, want to weigh more than 130 pounds, ever again in my life. There is no reason for it, and there is no excuse for it. I am all grown up, with grown-up parts that are all fully matured, and I really should be able to keep my weight pretty stable from here on out. If I am moderately responsible, I should be able to keep myself below 130 for the rest of my life. There are exactly 10 pounds more to go before I hit my goal weight, but I am happy to have successfully reached the half way point.
so, the other day I was on www.mypyramid.gov, trying to figure out about how many calories a 5'5" 21-year-old female who gets between 30-60 minutes of moderate exercise a day should be eating. Apparently, the answer is about 2200. I read something somewhere that mentioned that if you wanted to actually lose weight, you should probably be eating about 500 FEWER calories on average than recommended. So today I took a stab at figuring out how many calories I had eaten to see if I was meeting the goal of taking in about 1700 calories. I think today was a pretty average food day - maybe I ate slightly more than usual, but not by much. There were a few food items that I had to make educated guesses for as far as total calorie count, but my best guess for the day came to around 1800 calories, give or take. Not bad, and definitely below my recommended calorie intake, but maybe I could cut back ever so slightly to maybe move the process along a little faster. But I certainly don't want to hurt myself, and I'm not going to just not eat if I'm hungry, so we'll see how it goes. I guess I'm just glad to see that I'm not exceeding my recommended calorie intake. I'm on the right track.
Today marks a very important occasion. My weight has dipped, ever so slightly, below the 130 pound mark. I NEVER, under ANY circumstances, want to weigh more than 130 pounds, ever again in my life. There is no reason for it, and there is no excuse for it. I am all grown up, with grown-up parts that are all fully matured, and I really should be able to keep my weight pretty stable from here on out. If I am moderately responsible, I should be able to keep myself below 130 for the rest of my life. There are exactly 10 pounds more to go before I hit my goal weight, but I am happy to have successfully reached the half way point.
so, the other day I was on www.mypyramid.gov, trying to figure out about how many calories a 5'5" 21-year-old female who gets between 30-60 minutes of moderate exercise a day should be eating. Apparently, the answer is about 2200. I read something somewhere that mentioned that if you wanted to actually lose weight, you should probably be eating about 500 FEWER calories on average than recommended. So today I took a stab at figuring out how many calories I had eaten to see if I was meeting the goal of taking in about 1700 calories. I think today was a pretty average food day - maybe I ate slightly more than usual, but not by much. There were a few food items that I had to make educated guesses for as far as total calorie count, but my best guess for the day came to around 1800 calories, give or take. Not bad, and definitely below my recommended calorie intake, but maybe I could cut back ever so slightly to maybe move the process along a little faster. But I certainly don't want to hurt myself, and I'm not going to just not eat if I'm hungry, so we'll see how it goes. I guess I'm just glad to see that I'm not exceeding my recommended calorie intake. I'm on the right track.
Food Log 13
I was doing so well today until I got this ridiculous craving for a snack of some kind around 11 at night. I wasn't even hungry, I just really needed to eat something. So I finally broke down and ate probably about 1/4 a cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips. They're probably not the worst thing I could have gotten, especially considering that my family ate all of the carrot snack packs that I bought for myself, but I should probably avoid them in the future.
- 1 cup of Earl Grey tea
- 1 bowl of Grapenut Flakes
- 1 hard boiled egg (which I just discovered are actually amazingly good for you. weird.)
- 1 blueberry yogurt
- 1/2 peanut butter and jelly sandwich on Matzoh
- 1 plate of pasta with meat sauce
- 1 small Popsicle
- 1 cup of herbal tea
- 1/4 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup of Earl Grey tea
- 1 bowl of Grapenut Flakes
- 1 hard boiled egg (which I just discovered are actually amazingly good for you. weird.)
- 1 blueberry yogurt
- 1/2 peanut butter and jelly sandwich on Matzoh
- 1 plate of pasta with meat sauce
- 1 small Popsicle
- 1 cup of herbal tea
- 1/4 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
Activity Log 13
Today was good in the exorcise department. I picked up a jump rope at Rite Aid the other day, which I finally started using. Also, I started out my cardio with a timed run, and ran a mile in 9 minutes and 53 seconds. It's definitely not my best, but I'm glad I was able to get it in under 10 minutes, and I'll try to improve from there.
- 30 minutes Wii Fit
- 1.5 mile run / power walk
- 5 minutes jump rope (which is so much harder than it sounds!)
- 30 minutes Wii Fit
- 1.5 mile run / power walk
- 5 minutes jump rope (which is so much harder than it sounds!)
Day 13
Today's weight: 131
Oddly enough, my weight didn't change even the slightest little bit between yesterday and today. While this is still the least I have weighed in a long time, I'm still hoping that I can get below this now that the Passover weight is gone. I don't know - we'll have to see how the next few days go. I'd be kind of sad if this was the furthest down I can reasonably get it. There are always unreasonable options, such as simply not eating anymore or running 15 miles every day, but I just really don't want to go there. And if I did, I'd just end up gaining it all back anyway.
But if I do have trouble losing more weight after this point, I may want to take another look at my eating habits. I don't think I need to do much more in the exercise department, but just keeping a log of what I eat isn't really the end-point in a diet. That was really just to help me keep track of where I could start to do better if I need to. Over the next few days I think I'm going to need to decide whether I need to make major changes to my eating habits.
Oddly enough, my weight didn't change even the slightest little bit between yesterday and today. While this is still the least I have weighed in a long time, I'm still hoping that I can get below this now that the Passover weight is gone. I don't know - we'll have to see how the next few days go. I'd be kind of sad if this was the furthest down I can reasonably get it. There are always unreasonable options, such as simply not eating anymore or running 15 miles every day, but I just really don't want to go there. And if I did, I'd just end up gaining it all back anyway.
But if I do have trouble losing more weight after this point, I may want to take another look at my eating habits. I don't think I need to do much more in the exercise department, but just keeping a log of what I eat isn't really the end-point in a diet. That was really just to help me keep track of where I could start to do better if I need to. Over the next few days I think I'm going to need to decide whether I need to make major changes to my eating habits.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Food Log 12
I kind of slipped with the sweets yesterday, but hey - it was Easter. Give me a break.
- 1 cup of Earl Grey tea
- 1 bowl of Grapenut Flakes
- 1/2 a turkey sandwich
- 1 chocolate chip cookie (and it was soooo good)
- 2 almond roccas
- 5 sticks of celery with peanut butter
- 1 hard boiled egg
- 1 cup of Earl Grey tea
- 1 bowl of Grapenut Flakes
- 1/2 a turkey sandwich
- 1 chocolate chip cookie (and it was soooo good)
- 2 almond roccas
- 5 sticks of celery with peanut butter
- 1 hard boiled egg
Activity Log 12
Nothing too drastic yesterday. I had part of my day taken up by going to see Avenue Q with some friends, and the rest of it taken up by family, so it was hard to get in even what I did manage.
- 30 minutes Wii Fit
- 1.5 mile walk with the Fuzz Face
- 30 minutes Wii Fit
- 1.5 mile walk with the Fuzz Face
Day 12
Today's weigh in: 131
I completely forgot to blog yesterday, which isn't good, but I did exorcise and keep track of everything that I ate, so I'll just be filling out two entries today. Not the end of the world.
So, yesterday I finally took off the rest of the Passover weight, which is good, and I'm back down to where I was on Tuesday. Nothing all that drastic to report. I'm still mostly keeping with the diet (except for one cookie, which I think is okay. and feel good, so yay for me!
I completely forgot to blog yesterday, which isn't good, but I did exorcise and keep track of everything that I ate, so I'll just be filling out two entries today. Not the end of the world.
So, yesterday I finally took off the rest of the Passover weight, which is good, and I'm back down to where I was on Tuesday. Nothing all that drastic to report. I'm still mostly keeping with the diet (except for one cookie, which I think is okay. and feel good, so yay for me!
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Food Log 11
Didn't go nuts today, but still probably ate more than I should have. I'm feeling kind of wonky, which could be the result of the probiotic pills killing off extra yeast in my system, which apparently releases toxins which have flu-like symptoms. Awesome.
- 2 cups of Earl Grey tea
- 1 pop tart
- 1 cup of tortilla soup
- 1/2 a matzoh peanut butter and jelly sandwich
- 1 (last) slice of kugel
- 1 chocolate milk shake
- 2 cups of Earl Grey tea
- 1 pop tart
- 1 cup of tortilla soup
- 1/2 a matzoh peanut butter and jelly sandwich
- 1 (last) slice of kugel
- 1 chocolate milk shake
Activity Log 11
Couldn't even get in my whole Wii time today with all the family interruptions. I'll try to do a little extra tomorrow.
- 15 minutes Wii Fit
- 1.5 mile walk with the fuzz face
- 15 minutes Wii Fit
- 1.5 mile walk with the fuzz face
Day 11
Today's weigh in: 132
It went down ever so slightly, but it's kind of holding where it is. If I want to get rid of it, I am definitely going to have to work harder than I did today. I just really need my whole family to not be around all the time. I need some me time to work out. Just one more day. Just one more day.
It went down ever so slightly, but it's kind of holding where it is. If I want to get rid of it, I am definitely going to have to work harder than I did today. I just really need my whole family to not be around all the time. I need some me time to work out. Just one more day. Just one more day.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Food Log 10
Today I discovered that there are 50 calories in 1 macaroon. That's just sick. It's freaking bite-sized! How the hell can it have 50 calories?! Needless to say, I think I'll be avoiding them from now on. I'm really terrified to think about how many calories were in the kugel I was eating.
- 1 cup of Earl Grey tea
- 1 bowl of Frosted Mini Wheats
- 1 (50 calorie) macaroon
- 3 pieces of Matzoh
- 1 serving of taco casserole
- 1 carrot snack pack
- 1/2 grapefruit
- 1 cup of Earl Grey tea
- 1 bowl of Frosted Mini Wheats
- 1 (50 calorie) macaroon
- 3 pieces of Matzoh
- 1 serving of taco casserole
- 1 carrot snack pack
- 1/2 grapefruit
Activity Log 10
Today was a little more than average on the exercise front. I will be so happy when spring break is over so I can do everything without people watching. Just a few more days.
- 30 minutes Wii Fit
- 1.5 mile run
- 10 minutes arm work
- 30 minutes Wii Fit
- 1.5 mile run
- 10 minutes arm work
Day 10
Today's weigh in: 132
I didn't really drop a whole pound today - just enough to round down. Sorta. It was actually a little disappointing. I'm worried that I may have already lost the easy weight.
My younger sister (the not fat one) is only about an inch shorter than me (if that) and she told me the other day that she weighs 105 pounds. That was disheartening. I will never be that thin again. Will I be happy if I can get back to 120? And what if I can't? I've started feeling kind of disgusting if I feel full. I know that's not healthy, and the last thing I should do is starve myself - that's terrible for your metabolism - but I just really want to get as much off by summer as I can.
I'm going back to Ithaca in exactly 1 month for my graduation ceremony, and it probably doesn't matter, but I wanted to look my best for that. I'm praying that I can get down to 125 by then. I don't know if I can or not. I mean, I've only been doing this for 10 days so far, and I've lost a bit in that time. Maybe I can take the rest of it off in a month. Really, if I get it off before Florida, that is the ultimate goal, but I'd kind of like to just have a stable routine down by then - not necessarily a weight-loss kind of routine that will just get messed up during the week-long drive. I dunno. We'll see. Just not feeling so great about it right now.
I didn't really drop a whole pound today - just enough to round down. Sorta. It was actually a little disappointing. I'm worried that I may have already lost the easy weight.
My younger sister (the not fat one) is only about an inch shorter than me (if that) and she told me the other day that she weighs 105 pounds. That was disheartening. I will never be that thin again. Will I be happy if I can get back to 120? And what if I can't? I've started feeling kind of disgusting if I feel full. I know that's not healthy, and the last thing I should do is starve myself - that's terrible for your metabolism - but I just really want to get as much off by summer as I can.
I'm going back to Ithaca in exactly 1 month for my graduation ceremony, and it probably doesn't matter, but I wanted to look my best for that. I'm praying that I can get down to 125 by then. I don't know if I can or not. I mean, I've only been doing this for 10 days so far, and I've lost a bit in that time. Maybe I can take the rest of it off in a month. Really, if I get it off before Florida, that is the ultimate goal, but I'd kind of like to just have a stable routine down by then - not necessarily a weight-loss kind of routine that will just get messed up during the week-long drive. I dunno. We'll see. Just not feeling so great about it right now.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Food Log 9
Today's menu was surprisingly short, but honestly not because I was purposely holding myself back. I just really wasn't hungry. Weirdest thing.
- 1 cup of Earl Grey tea
- 1 bowl of Grapenut Flakes
- 1 bowl of chili
- 1 slice of kugel
- 1 cup of Earl Grey tea
- 1 bowl of Grapenut Flakes
- 1 bowl of chili
- 1 slice of kugel
Activity Log 9
Did a little more today in an attempt to make up for yesterday, but I didn't go overboard. I'll take off the extra weight eventually - I just need to be patient and try my best to stick with a routine.
- 30 minutes Wii Fit
- 10 mile bike ride
- 1 mile walk
- 30 minutes Wii Fit
- 10 mile bike ride
- 1 mile walk
Day 9
Today's weigh in: 133
Yes, back up to 133. I guess it's not as bad as it could have been. Yesterday didn't exactly set me all the way back to where I started. And besides, normal weight fluctuation might have accounted for it anyway. But it's still always disappointing to see the numbers go up instead of down, and the little Wii Fit weight-tracking line make that steep incline. It'll be okay. I'm hardly a hopeless case yet.
My younger sister went off to fat camp last summer (she really WAS fat, in a bordering on obese way, not in a needing to take off a little extra college weight way), and she came back with stacks and stacks of information on nutrition, which I have borrowed and started going through. So far it doesn't seem to be anything I didn't already know - common sense stuff about not eating more calories than you burn and avoiding cookies, but I'll keep plugging through it to make sure that I'm fully equipped to make better food choices down the line.
Yes, back up to 133. I guess it's not as bad as it could have been. Yesterday didn't exactly set me all the way back to where I started. And besides, normal weight fluctuation might have accounted for it anyway. But it's still always disappointing to see the numbers go up instead of down, and the little Wii Fit weight-tracking line make that steep incline. It'll be okay. I'm hardly a hopeless case yet.
My younger sister went off to fat camp last summer (she really WAS fat, in a bordering on obese way, not in a needing to take off a little extra college weight way), and she came back with stacks and stacks of information on nutrition, which I have borrowed and started going through. So far it doesn't seem to be anything I didn't already know - common sense stuff about not eating more calories than you burn and avoiding cookies, but I'll keep plugging through it to make sure that I'm fully equipped to make better food choices down the line.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Food Log 8
Well, this is really just almost embarrassing to post. I don't always need to be in strict diet mode - in fact, I really have been eating whenever I'm hungry. But I really do need to watch it with things like this. Tonight was too much. I'm still feeling sluggish and uncomfortable. Shouldn't happen again.
- 1 cup of Earl Grey tea
- 1 bowl of Frosted Mini Wheats with 1% milk
- 1 piece of Matzoh with cheese
- 1 snack-sized pack of carrots
- 4 celery sticks with peanut butter
- 1 hard boiled egg
- 1/2 cup of Horoset
- 1.5 pieces of Matzoh
- 1 bowl of Matzoh ball soup
- 1 serving of string beans
- 1 serving of Kugel
- 1 slice of apple matzoh cake
- 1 macaroon
- 2 chocolate-covered gel candies
- 2 glasses of wine
- 1 cup of Earl Grey tea
- 1 bowl of Frosted Mini Wheats with 1% milk
- 1 piece of Matzoh with cheese
- 1 snack-sized pack of carrots
- 4 celery sticks with peanut butter
- 1 hard boiled egg
- 1/2 cup of Horoset
- 1.5 pieces of Matzoh
- 1 bowl of Matzoh ball soup
- 1 serving of string beans
- 1 serving of Kugel
- 1 slice of apple matzoh cake
- 1 macaroon
- 2 chocolate-covered gel candies
- 2 glasses of wine
Activity Log 8
Well, the exercise portion of the day was fairly average, considering that I spent most of my time cleaning up and helping to prepare for Passover. I might want to do something a little extra for tomorrow though, to help work off the binge. Maybe another bike ride?
- 30 minutes of Wii Fit
- 1 mile walk
- 30 minutes of Wii Fit
- 1 mile walk
Day 8
Today's weigh in: 131
The weight actually did go down ever so slightly from yesterday - it was below the 131 mark, but it wasn't far enough below to justify rounding down. Just wanted to let that be known.
Today was Passover, meaning that I managed to eat more in one meal that I have for the last 2-3 days combined. It was pretty much disgusting, and I felt awful afterward. Great food, but I was definitely full after the soup course. At least it gave me an excuse to get a walk in, which I hadn't really had the time for with all the preparation.
So, today was pretty much a fail all around, and I'm curious to see what happens tomorrow because of it. It's sad that I really can't eat that way anymore. I used to do it all the time. So that's what the rest of my life is going to be: counting calories and watching my diet closely so that I don't gain an obscene amount of weight just by living a normal, American lifestyle. That's kinda depressing.
On a less depressing note, I got a packet of probiotic pills today, which I guess are supposed to help kill-off excess yeast and promote "healthy digestion." I'm starting to get quite the cocktail of dietary supplements, here. Is there really such a lack of basic nutrition in my food that I need to be taking all these things to make up for it? I dunno - I guess we'll see if they help.
The weight actually did go down ever so slightly from yesterday - it was below the 131 mark, but it wasn't far enough below to justify rounding down. Just wanted to let that be known.
Today was Passover, meaning that I managed to eat more in one meal that I have for the last 2-3 days combined. It was pretty much disgusting, and I felt awful afterward. Great food, but I was definitely full after the soup course. At least it gave me an excuse to get a walk in, which I hadn't really had the time for with all the preparation.
So, today was pretty much a fail all around, and I'm curious to see what happens tomorrow because of it. It's sad that I really can't eat that way anymore. I used to do it all the time. So that's what the rest of my life is going to be: counting calories and watching my diet closely so that I don't gain an obscene amount of weight just by living a normal, American lifestyle. That's kinda depressing.
On a less depressing note, I got a packet of probiotic pills today, which I guess are supposed to help kill-off excess yeast and promote "healthy digestion." I'm starting to get quite the cocktail of dietary supplements, here. Is there really such a lack of basic nutrition in my food that I need to be taking all these things to make up for it? I dunno - I guess we'll see if they help.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Food Log 7
Today I turned down ice cream in favor of celery. Something truly miraculous has happened.
- 1 cup of Earl Grey tea
- 1 bowl of Frosted Mini Wheats with 1% milk
- 2 pop tarts
- 1 plate of spaghetti with tomato sauce
- 3 celery sticks with peanut butter
- 1 cup of Earl Grey tea
- 1 bowl of Frosted Mini Wheats with 1% milk
- 2 pop tarts
- 1 plate of spaghetti with tomato sauce
- 3 celery sticks with peanut butter
Activity Log 7
I felt really good today, but I tried not to over do it with the exercise. I want everything I do to be sustainable, and hundreds of crunches and jumping jacks all the time really isn't. Not that I can't do them every once in a while, I just want to make sure that I'm not going crazy until the weight comes off, and then just stop everything. Though I did do a little extra on the tread mill.
- 30 minutes Wii Fit
- 1.75 mile run
- 30 minutes Wii Fit
- 1.75 mile run
Day 7
Today's weigh in: 131!
I'm really liking this whole exercise thing. It seems to be working. I have officially proclaimed myself Miss Fitness. There's still a ways to go, but I'm feeling awesome and full of healthy energy.
Still keeping with the no-yeast thing. It's been somewhat hard to avoid, like, sandwiches, but it's just for a few more days.
Basically, if things keep going at this rate, I'm not going to have to keep this up for very long. I really am prepared for this to not be a slow process. Or for the rest of the weight to refuse to come off. I was kind of expecting it. Not that I'm complaining, I'm just a little surprised at how easy this has been. As of right now, I'm about ready to call anyone who has ever struggled to lose weight a lazy whiner. I'll take that back as soon as I see this getting hard.
I'm really liking this whole exercise thing. It seems to be working. I have officially proclaimed myself Miss Fitness. There's still a ways to go, but I'm feeling awesome and full of healthy energy.
Still keeping with the no-yeast thing. It's been somewhat hard to avoid, like, sandwiches, but it's just for a few more days.
Basically, if things keep going at this rate, I'm not going to have to keep this up for very long. I really am prepared for this to not be a slow process. Or for the rest of the weight to refuse to come off. I was kind of expecting it. Not that I'm complaining, I'm just a little surprised at how easy this has been. As of right now, I'm about ready to call anyone who has ever struggled to lose weight a lazy whiner. I'll take that back as soon as I see this getting hard.
Food Log 6
I wasn't really as hungry today as usual, but I also did a little less exorcise, so I probably just didn't really need as many calories to stay full. I'm trying to stay away from yeast for the week (just in time for Passover) as a kind of detox. I have some probiotic pills on the way to help with pretty much the same thing. Eventually I will probably get back to normal eating habits, but as long as I stay away from the cookies, everything's good.
- 1 cup of Earl Grey tea
- 1 bowl of Grapenut Flakes with 1% milk
- PB&J on Matzah
- 4 pot stickers
- 2 cups of brown rice
- 1 cup of Earl Grey tea
- 1 bowl of Grapenut Flakes with 1% milk
- PB&J on Matzah
- 4 pot stickers
- 2 cups of brown rice
Activity Log 6
I'm a little concerned that I've been trying to do an amount of daily activity that I can't possibly sustain. I realize that I'm on a weight-loss kick and all, but shouldn't I be trying to make lifestyle changes that are more or less permanent? So I did a little less today, but I still got in some exercise, and really, as long as I'm active for an hour every day, I'm probably doing fine.
- 30 minutes Wii Fit
- 1.5 mile walk with the Fuzz Face
- 30 minutes Wii Fit
- 1.5 mile walk with the Fuzz Face
Day 6
Today's weigh in: 132
Everything is going very well. I'm feeling great, and so far I've had no trouble keeping up with everything. Nothing really big to report except that the numbers keep going down, which can only be good! I'll try not to be too disappointed when they go up again at some point.
Everything is going very well. I'm feeling great, and so far I've had no trouble keeping up with everything. Nothing really big to report except that the numbers keep going down, which can only be good! I'll try not to be too disappointed when they go up again at some point.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Food Log 5
I had one kind of calorie splurge for the day, but overall I have been keeping with the diet mindset pretty well. It's just hard when I need snack foods. Need to find healthy snack foods.
- 1 cup of Earl Grey tea
- 1 bowl of Grapenut Flakes with 1% milk
- 1 chocolate milkshake
- 1 plate of fish and chips
- 1 cup of cottage cheese with jelly
- 1 cup of Earl Grey tea
- 1 bowl of Grapenut Flakes with 1% milk
- 1 chocolate milkshake
- 1 plate of fish and chips
- 1 cup of cottage cheese with jelly
Activity Log 5
I felt good about the exorcise I got today. I still did the full Wii Fit thing at home, being awkwardly watched by my younger sister, but I did get out of the house. I'm not sure I can do it again tomorrow (they're all on spring break), but I'll try to find something. And maybe Wii Fit before they wake up?
- 30 minutes Wii Fit
- 15 mile bike ride
- 30 minutes Wii Fit
- 15 mile bike ride
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Day 5
Today's weigh in: 134
Well, I went up a pound, but that's totally expected. I'm afraid that it's going to be hard to get down to 130 or below. I read something a while back that said that the better shape you were in to begin with, the harder it was going to be and the longer it was going to take to lose weight. Now, I'm in the worst shape I've ever been in, but in all honesty, that's not really that bad in general. So, it may take some extra effort to get down to where I want to be, but it's been going down for the most part so far. We'll see how it goes.
On the dietary supplement side, I haven't noticed any effects at all from the acai berries. No boost in energy, sped up metabolism, cleared up skin or general feeling of detoxification. I'll keep taking them until the bottle runs out. I don't really know how long you should usually wait before you start noticing that something is working, but I noticed a difference with the Fish Oil after just a few days, so I'm thinking these things are really nothing special. We'll see what they do with some time. Otherwise, a friend mentioned that he's been taking Coconut Oil, which seems to have had some interesting detoxifying effects. I may give that a try.
Well, I went up a pound, but that's totally expected. I'm afraid that it's going to be hard to get down to 130 or below. I read something a while back that said that the better shape you were in to begin with, the harder it was going to be and the longer it was going to take to lose weight. Now, I'm in the worst shape I've ever been in, but in all honesty, that's not really that bad in general. So, it may take some extra effort to get down to where I want to be, but it's been going down for the most part so far. We'll see how it goes.
On the dietary supplement side, I haven't noticed any effects at all from the acai berries. No boost in energy, sped up metabolism, cleared up skin or general feeling of detoxification. I'll keep taking them until the bottle runs out. I don't really know how long you should usually wait before you start noticing that something is working, but I noticed a difference with the Fish Oil after just a few days, so I'm thinking these things are really nothing special. We'll see what they do with some time. Otherwise, a friend mentioned that he's been taking Coconut Oil, which seems to have had some interesting detoxifying effects. I may give that a try.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Food Log 4
It looks like I ate more today than usual, but it was healthier than the pizza and cupcakes, and I only ate one dinner, so I'm going to call it a success. Besides - it's not about eating less. It's about eating better.
- 1 cup of Earl Grey tea
- 1 cup of peppermint herbal tea
- 1 bowl of corn chex with 1% milk
- 1 peanut butter and jelly sandwich
- 1 banana
- 1 bowl of cottage cheese with jelly
- 1 serving of meat loaf
- 1/2 cup of peas
- 1/2 cup of mashed potatoes
- 1 hard boiled egg
- 1 piece of friendship bread
- 1 cup of Earl Grey tea
- 1 cup of peppermint herbal tea
- 1 bowl of corn chex with 1% milk
- 1 peanut butter and jelly sandwich
- 1 banana
- 1 bowl of cottage cheese with jelly
- 1 serving of meat loaf
- 1/2 cup of peas
- 1/2 cup of mashed potatoes
- 1 hard boiled egg
- 1 piece of friendship bread
Activity Log 4
I've got to get out of the house tomorrow. I should still Wii Fit, but I might just do a body test and skip the training. It's so awkward when everyone is home. I'll go for a bike ride instead.
- 30 minute Wii Fit
- 2 mile walk
- 100 jumping jacks
- 10 minutes of arm work with the free weights
- 30 minute Wii Fit
- 2 mile walk
- 100 jumping jacks
- 10 minutes of arm work with the free weights
Day 4
Today's weigh in: 133
Well, I have dropped 5 pounds in 4 days - there must be something to this exercising every day thing. I'm expecting a rebound at any time - I've really never dropped much below this weight, even during my brief fitness periods in the past.
But I've been good. I've made actual dietary changes, which I had never bothered doing before. I've seen a lot of diet advice that talks about "changing your relationship with food." I never really thought that my relationship with food was in need of changing, but there's probably something everyone can do. I'm trying to think of food differently. Food isn't a form of entertainment. It is a source of nourishment for the body. So if what I am eating is not fulfilling that purpose, then I shouldn't be eating it. That goes for both eating when I'm not really hungry and eating foods that generally have no nutritional value.
So I've stopped eating piles of cookies as a snack food, and I've tried to stop wandering into the kitchen when I'm bored looking for something to eat that will keep me occupied for a few minutes. I really don't want to do anything that involves counting a lot of calories. That just seems like a miserable way to live. I have a pretty fast metabolism - I can eat a lot in a day. I'm just trying to change WHAT I'm eating.
As for the exercise front, it is extremely awkward to Wii Fit when the entire family is home. And the tread mill is completely out of the question. I guess it wouldn't kill me to go to the gym every now and then, when I'm getting really bored of what I can do here.
But yes, so far, so good.
Well, I have dropped 5 pounds in 4 days - there must be something to this exercising every day thing. I'm expecting a rebound at any time - I've really never dropped much below this weight, even during my brief fitness periods in the past.
But I've been good. I've made actual dietary changes, which I had never bothered doing before. I've seen a lot of diet advice that talks about "changing your relationship with food." I never really thought that my relationship with food was in need of changing, but there's probably something everyone can do. I'm trying to think of food differently. Food isn't a form of entertainment. It is a source of nourishment for the body. So if what I am eating is not fulfilling that purpose, then I shouldn't be eating it. That goes for both eating when I'm not really hungry and eating foods that generally have no nutritional value.
So I've stopped eating piles of cookies as a snack food, and I've tried to stop wandering into the kitchen when I'm bored looking for something to eat that will keep me occupied for a few minutes. I really don't want to do anything that involves counting a lot of calories. That just seems like a miserable way to live. I have a pretty fast metabolism - I can eat a lot in a day. I'm just trying to change WHAT I'm eating.
As for the exercise front, it is extremely awkward to Wii Fit when the entire family is home. And the tread mill is completely out of the question. I guess it wouldn't kill me to go to the gym every now and then, when I'm getting really bored of what I can do here.
But yes, so far, so good.
Food Log 3
So, it turned out that tonight's little outing included dinner, which I was not aware of, and so to avoid being rude, I ended up eating two dinners tonight. Not the best way to start a diet. And then there was the beer. So yeah, not chalking today up as a great victory. Will try to do better tomorrow:
- 1 cup of Earl Grey tea
- 1 bowl of corn chex with 1% milk
- 1 egg sandwich
- 1 banana
- 1 plate of pasta with white sauce
- 1 slice of garlic bread
- 1/2 chicken caesar sandwich
- 1 bag of potato chips
- 3 beers
- 1 cup of Earl Grey tea
- 1 bowl of corn chex with 1% milk
- 1 egg sandwich
- 1 banana
- 1 plate of pasta with white sauce
- 1 slice of garlic bread
- 1/2 chicken caesar sandwich
- 1 bag of potato chips
- 3 beers
Friday, April 3, 2009
Activity Log 3
Keeping up the exercise pretty well so far. This usually drops off after the fourth or fifth day, so hopefully I can keep up the motivation and stick with it.
- 30 minute Wii Fit
- 1.25 mile jog
- 10 minutes of arm work with the free weights
- 50 crunches
- 30 minute Wii Fit
- 1.25 mile jog
- 10 minutes of arm work with the free weights
- 50 crunches
Day 3
Today's weigh in: 134
So I'm totally back on track, which makes me happy. Of course I know that it could jump up a couple pounds at any time, because that's normal, especially because I've been doing a little resistance training too. But it's always nice to see the numbers fall.
I'm a little uncertain about how to go about tonight though. I'm going to a bar with a friend of a friend's, and drinks = mucho calories. We'll see how it goes.
I need to find some things to add a little variety to my work outs. I could go to the gym, but then I'd have to use gas to get there, and it's a whole big problem. Again, we'll see how it goes.
So I'm totally back on track, which makes me happy. Of course I know that it could jump up a couple pounds at any time, because that's normal, especially because I've been doing a little resistance training too. But it's always nice to see the numbers fall.
I'm a little uncertain about how to go about tonight though. I'm going to a bar with a friend of a friend's, and drinks = mucho calories. We'll see how it goes.
I need to find some things to add a little variety to my work outs. I could go to the gym, but then I'd have to use gas to get there, and it's a whole big problem. Again, we'll see how it goes.
Food Log 2
I don't know if today's diet was better or worse than yesterday's, but at least I've been snacking less. And I completely avoided the angel food cake brought over by a friend of the family's, so I think today was a major success in the food department.
- 1 cup of Earl Grey tea
- 1 bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats with 1% milk
- 1 banana
- 1 hard boiled egg, salted
- 1 cinnamon raisin bagel with butter
- 1 (last) slice of that veggie pizza
- 1 piece of friendship bread
- 1 cup of Earl Grey tea
- 1 bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats with 1% milk
- 1 banana
- 1 hard boiled egg, salted
- 1 cinnamon raisin bagel with butter
- 1 (last) slice of that veggie pizza
- 1 piece of friendship bread
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Activity Log 2
Well, I was super sore today after nearly killing myself yesterday, but I focused on the muscles that didn't hurt as much, and still got in a pretty good work-out:
- 30 minutes on the Wii Fit
- 1 mile walk with the Fuzz-Face (my cocker spaniel, Columbus)
- 100 jumping jacks
- 50 crunches
- 30 minutes on the Wii Fit
- 1 mile walk with the Fuzz-Face (my cocker spaniel, Columbus)
- 100 jumping jacks
- 50 crunches
Day 2
Today's weigh-in: 136
So I re-lost most of yesterday's weight. I know - I know, normal body fluctuation and all, but it definitely had me freaked. Of course, working myself into a frenzy about it may not have been the healthiest thing I've ever done. I'm sore pretty much everywhere today. But anyway, I'm working on it.
Today I got a bottle of Acai berry capsule things that I ordered last week (from Amazon - not one of the 3,000 scam websites that offer you a "free" sample if you agree to let them charge you $100 a month in subscription fees). I'm hoping that various dietary supplements are the answer to my problems.
The Acai capsules are interesting - they don't taste like anything, which I appreciate, and they're smaller than other things I'm taking, which is nice. I haven't noticed any effect after taking the first pill, but then, I wouldn't expect to. I'll give them a few weeks and see what happens. But they're supposed to be super good for you, so hopefully I didn't waste $7 here.
Besides those, I've been taking multivitamins and Fish Oil for a couple weeks now. The fish oil was mostly to clear up my skin, but it claims to promote "healthy circulation" in general, and that can't be a bad thing. Unfortunately, those really do taste like fish, and they're ENORMOUS.
So yes, no other big weight-loss thoughts for today. I'm thinking I might want to find a jump rope. That might be more enjoyable than doing hundreds of jumping jacks at a time.
So I re-lost most of yesterday's weight. I know - I know, normal body fluctuation and all, but it definitely had me freaked. Of course, working myself into a frenzy about it may not have been the healthiest thing I've ever done. I'm sore pretty much everywhere today. But anyway, I'm working on it.
Today I got a bottle of Acai berry capsule things that I ordered last week (from Amazon - not one of the 3,000 scam websites that offer you a "free" sample if you agree to let them charge you $100 a month in subscription fees). I'm hoping that various dietary supplements are the answer to my problems.
The Acai capsules are interesting - they don't taste like anything, which I appreciate, and they're smaller than other things I'm taking, which is nice. I haven't noticed any effect after taking the first pill, but then, I wouldn't expect to. I'll give them a few weeks and see what happens. But they're supposed to be super good for you, so hopefully I didn't waste $7 here.
Besides those, I've been taking multivitamins and Fish Oil for a couple weeks now. The fish oil was mostly to clear up my skin, but it claims to promote "healthy circulation" in general, and that can't be a bad thing. Unfortunately, those really do taste like fish, and they're ENORMOUS.
So yes, no other big weight-loss thoughts for today. I'm thinking I might want to find a jump rope. That might be more enjoyable than doing hundreds of jumping jacks at a time.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Food Log 1
So I'm trying to get a look at what I eat regularly, to see what I can do about my current diet. I don't drink soda or eat fast food, which would be the easy things to cut out if I could, so we'll look elsewhere. Not that it's hard to see the problem areas in today's menu:
- 1 cup of Earl Grey tea
- 1 bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats with 1% milk
- 1 banana
- 1 cheese sandwich (2 slices of provolone on wheat bread)
- 1 (last) German chocolate cupcake
- 2 slices of veggie pizza
- 1 cup of Earl Grey tea
- 1 bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats with 1% milk
- 1 banana
- 1 cheese sandwich (2 slices of provolone on wheat bread)
- 1 (last) German chocolate cupcake
- 2 slices of veggie pizza
Activity Log 1
Today I did quite a bit more exercise than on a normal day, due to my minor freak-out over regaining more than half the weight I'd lost over the course of 4 months:
- 30 minutes on the Wii Fit
- 4 mile bike ride
- 200 jumping jacks
- 10 minutes of arm work with the little 3 pound free weight
- 50 crunches
- 30 minutes on the Wii Fit
- 4 mile bike ride
- 200 jumping jacks
- 10 minutes of arm work with the little 3 pound free weight
- 50 crunches
Day 1
So, here I am.
I really never thought I'd get here. I've been so thin all my life - a rather perfect blend of genetics and athletics that kept me looking like a super-model throughout high school. And then college hit; a wave of stress and inactivity that lasted four years and added almost 20 pounds to my frame. All the while I would get on mini exercise kicks, telling myself that this was definitely the time that I was going to get back into shape. That I was in perfect shape all through high school, and I should easily be able to get back to that place if I put just a little effort into it. But those kicks never lasted. I always gave up on the treadmills and the little dieting tricks. "I'll get back to it," I thought, "just as soon as I'm done with ________ and I have a little more time."
No, I'm still not "fat." I'm technically still within my "healthy weight range," whatever that means, but it's really not about a number on a scale. I don't feel right. I'm supposed to have more energy than this. I don't look right. I'm not supposed to have these extra folds and curves. This just isn't me.
So what, after 4 years of stop-and-go weight loss, has finally gotten me on a "go" kick again?
Florida.
After spending years in the horrible frigid wasteland that is Upstate New York, I decided to attend a graduate school program near Orlando, FL. I've never actually been there, coming from a hometown in California myself, but I've heard the climate is actually warm there. People are discouraged from wearing gigantic, heavy layers that cover the nice build-up of fat they have accumulated during the gorging that goes on between Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. So I'm going there. I'm starting something new, and I want to look and feel my best for this upcoming stage in my life.
And what perfect timing. With the economy in the crapper, I have found myself unemployed for the time being. It's not the end of the world. I think of it as "taking a semester off" before going away, getting my MBA, and doing something amazing with my life. So I have this wonderful chunk of time until I begin the cross-country drive to whatever comes next, where I'm really not doing anything. I might as well take the time to do something nice for my body, which has been so kind in supporting me during all of the crap I've put it through.
So here's where I am today:
I am a 21-year-old female standing 5 feet, 5 inches tall, with a slender to medium frame. At the end of my last semester in December '08, I weighed an unacceptable 140 pounds.
That's when I got a Wii Fit for the holidays, and started playing with it at irregular intervals. That's also when the last of my going-to-school-full-time-while-working-three-jobs stress ended. So, with the help of those two factors, I lost 5 pounds as of yesterday. My weigh-in yesterday morning had me at 135 pounds. It wasn't great, but I was feeling pretty good about my odds of getting the extra college-weight off.
So good, in fact, that I felt it was somehow acceptable to go to the pasta-party being held for my younger sister's high school swim team last night, and eat my freaking body-weight in German chocolate cupcakes.
This morning's weigh-in? 138 pounds.
And that's why I'm starting a blog.
I leave for Florida on August 18th, 140 days from today. In that time, I am going to lose 18 pounds, and get back the the 120 pound me that I left back in the high school swimming pool.
Isn't that an awful lot of time? Yeah, probably. But as you might have been able to tell, I've never been on a diet before. I haven't the first idea how to do this, and I'm expecting slip-ups along the way. I want to take it slow. I may reach my goal before then, but then I'll have to find ways to keep the weight off during what is sure to be a stressful time in grad school. And it's just as likely that I'll have a really hard time losing 18 pounds by August. My mother tells me that those last 10 pounds are not to be underestimated.
So here's where I keep track of everything. This blog will be my exercise log, my food log, and my thought process log as I see what I can do about looking my best for two long, hot years in Florida.
Here goes nothing.
I really never thought I'd get here. I've been so thin all my life - a rather perfect blend of genetics and athletics that kept me looking like a super-model throughout high school. And then college hit; a wave of stress and inactivity that lasted four years and added almost 20 pounds to my frame. All the while I would get on mini exercise kicks, telling myself that this was definitely the time that I was going to get back into shape. That I was in perfect shape all through high school, and I should easily be able to get back to that place if I put just a little effort into it. But those kicks never lasted. I always gave up on the treadmills and the little dieting tricks. "I'll get back to it," I thought, "just as soon as I'm done with ________ and I have a little more time."
No, I'm still not "fat." I'm technically still within my "healthy weight range," whatever that means, but it's really not about a number on a scale. I don't feel right. I'm supposed to have more energy than this. I don't look right. I'm not supposed to have these extra folds and curves. This just isn't me.
So what, after 4 years of stop-and-go weight loss, has finally gotten me on a "go" kick again?
Florida.
After spending years in the horrible frigid wasteland that is Upstate New York, I decided to attend a graduate school program near Orlando, FL. I've never actually been there, coming from a hometown in California myself, but I've heard the climate is actually warm there. People are discouraged from wearing gigantic, heavy layers that cover the nice build-up of fat they have accumulated during the gorging that goes on between Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. So I'm going there. I'm starting something new, and I want to look and feel my best for this upcoming stage in my life.
And what perfect timing. With the economy in the crapper, I have found myself unemployed for the time being. It's not the end of the world. I think of it as "taking a semester off" before going away, getting my MBA, and doing something amazing with my life. So I have this wonderful chunk of time until I begin the cross-country drive to whatever comes next, where I'm really not doing anything. I might as well take the time to do something nice for my body, which has been so kind in supporting me during all of the crap I've put it through.
So here's where I am today:
I am a 21-year-old female standing 5 feet, 5 inches tall, with a slender to medium frame. At the end of my last semester in December '08, I weighed an unacceptable 140 pounds.
That's when I got a Wii Fit for the holidays, and started playing with it at irregular intervals. That's also when the last of my going-to-school-full-time-while-working-three-jobs stress ended. So, with the help of those two factors, I lost 5 pounds as of yesterday. My weigh-in yesterday morning had me at 135 pounds. It wasn't great, but I was feeling pretty good about my odds of getting the extra college-weight off.
So good, in fact, that I felt it was somehow acceptable to go to the pasta-party being held for my younger sister's high school swim team last night, and eat my freaking body-weight in German chocolate cupcakes.
This morning's weigh-in? 138 pounds.
And that's why I'm starting a blog.
I leave for Florida on August 18th, 140 days from today. In that time, I am going to lose 18 pounds, and get back the the 120 pound me that I left back in the high school swimming pool.
Isn't that an awful lot of time? Yeah, probably. But as you might have been able to tell, I've never been on a diet before. I haven't the first idea how to do this, and I'm expecting slip-ups along the way. I want to take it slow. I may reach my goal before then, but then I'll have to find ways to keep the weight off during what is sure to be a stressful time in grad school. And it's just as likely that I'll have a really hard time losing 18 pounds by August. My mother tells me that those last 10 pounds are not to be underestimated.
So here's where I keep track of everything. This blog will be my exercise log, my food log, and my thought process log as I see what I can do about looking my best for two long, hot years in Florida.
Here goes nothing.
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