197.7!!!!!!!!!! 2.3 pounds this week, and FINALLY out of the 200's!!!! And grand total of 29.7 pounds since September, and 19.3 pounds since January! I really buckled down this week, because I was SO close to breaking 200 last week. But it feels so good to lose that much weight in a week that I think I'm going to do the same this week! Plus, being that it's summer, it's bathing suit season. So the more I stay on track, the more confident I feel about the way my body looks now.
I think that's the biggest difference I notice. Yeah, my clothes fit better, and I'm starting to buy smaller sizes, and that feels great. But I'm just more confident in general - I wear stuff I wouldn't have worn last year. Last night I went to the Sex and the City 2 midnight premiere, and I wore a gray dress with bright red 3-inch heels. And I didn't care if anyone thought I was overdressed. I just liked what I had on, so I felt great.
In other news, my mom and step-dad have recently purchased a Wii Fit! If you've never been on one, they're actually really cool. I house sat for a friend over Christmas, and they let me use theirs. I've been anxious to get one of my own ever since! It has yoga, strength training, cardio and balance exercises. The yoga, I think, is particularly cool, because it measures your balance and steadiness while you do each exercise - to make sure you're doing it right. The cardio doesn't get my heart rate up nearly as high as I'd like, but it's still stuff that's fun to do. I'm so excited to be able to do yoga in my house, and have strength training exercises I don't have to go to the gym for. Not that I'll stop going to the gym, but it will be nice to be able to mix up my workout a little bit. Plus, they have fun fit games!! I'll let you know how it goes!! Thank you all for always supporting me!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
The Importance of Milk
I drink a glass of milk every day with my breakfast. I LOVE milk - I probably drink it more now than when I was a kid. Now, milk is super important for me because people (especially women) that take thyroid medication are at high risk for osteoporosis. But it's also REALLY important for people who want to lose weight or maintain their weight! In addition to calcium, milk also contains these essential nutrients: protein, potassium, phosphorus, riboflavin, magnesium and vitamin D. Who can argue with that good stuff?! Weight Watchers recommends 2 glasses of milk per day - or 2 servings of dairy.
Some people believe that drinking milk can make you overweight - this is a HUGE myth!! In fact, having enough calcium in your diet can help weight loss maintenance and helps boost your metabolism. It is important, however, to drink fat free or 1% milk instead of 2% or whole milk. I know, milk lovers, skim milk "tastes like water" - but it's MUCH better for you than milks that are higher in fat. Ween yourself off slowly - if you can only get down to 1%, you're taking in a lot less fat than those who drink whole milk!
Here are some other perks of including 2 glasses of milk per day in your diet:
It prevents osteoporosis (everyone knows!) but also, hyper tension and colon cancer.
It can reduce tooth decay.
It helps you feel fuller longer - who doesn't want that!
Don't like milk? If you're a coffee lover, putting milk instead of cream in your coffee or latte is a great way to add a serving of milk! Also, cottage cheese and non-fat yogurt are loaded with the same dairy protein as milk.
Other great ways to get calcium:
1. Sprinkle a small amount of shredded low-fat cheese on . . . well, anything!
2. Stir some plain non-fat greek yogurt into many recipes for dairy-based dip, low-fat cream soup, or spicy Indian dishes to add creaminess and texture.
3. Wrap some sliced low-fat cheese around asparagus spears, turkey breast, roast-beef or string beans.
4. Use low-fat fruit-flavor yogurt as a topping on angel food cake, a bowl of berries or low-fat granola
So make sure you get that dairy in your diet!!
Some people believe that drinking milk can make you overweight - this is a HUGE myth!! In fact, having enough calcium in your diet can help weight loss maintenance and helps boost your metabolism. It is important, however, to drink fat free or 1% milk instead of 2% or whole milk. I know, milk lovers, skim milk "tastes like water" - but it's MUCH better for you than milks that are higher in fat. Ween yourself off slowly - if you can only get down to 1%, you're taking in a lot less fat than those who drink whole milk!
Here are some other perks of including 2 glasses of milk per day in your diet:
It prevents osteoporosis (everyone knows!) but also, hyper tension and colon cancer.
It can reduce tooth decay.
It helps you feel fuller longer - who doesn't want that!
Don't like milk? If you're a coffee lover, putting milk instead of cream in your coffee or latte is a great way to add a serving of milk! Also, cottage cheese and non-fat yogurt are loaded with the same dairy protein as milk.
Other great ways to get calcium:
1. Sprinkle a small amount of shredded low-fat cheese on . . . well, anything!
2. Stir some plain non-fat greek yogurt into many recipes for dairy-based dip, low-fat cream soup, or spicy Indian dishes to add creaminess and texture.
3. Wrap some sliced low-fat cheese around asparagus spears, turkey breast, roast-beef or string beans.
4. Use low-fat fruit-flavor yogurt as a topping on angel food cake, a bowl of berries or low-fat granola
So make sure you get that dairy in your diet!!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Weigh-in day 14
200.0 GRRRRR! SO close! In 2 weeks, I lost .2 pounds. Now, I haven't been diligent about logging my points OR going to the gym. So, on the upside, I have learned to change my eating habits enough that I can maintain my weight without working out. But, I really wanted to be out of the 200's!
So, hopefully this will motivate me to be a more diligent dieter this week. I think I got used to eating how I ate when I was working out. And now I'm eating about the same amount, but not getting to the gym as often. Which could explain why I haven't been losing weight very quickly lately.
The reason I haven't been getting to the gym is because I am no longer allowed to be on my mom's family gym membership. Apparently, even though I live with her, I'm too old. A month after your 24th birthday, according to Ft. Sanders, I'm officially an adult. Now, my sister is going out of town for the summer for an internship, so I will be able to use her card. But eventually I'm going to have to go gym shopping. My restaurant has a deal with the YMCA downtown where I can be a member there for $49/month. Now, I'm not sure how long I'll be at the restaurant (I like it, I just don't want to be a waitress forever!), but I know I hope to be moving a lot closer to downtown sometime this year. So that might be a possibility. If anyone knows of a cheaper gym, though, let me know!
Despite the fact that I basically maintained my weight the past 2 weeks, I have seen things in the last few weeks that have made me proud. I fit into a size 14 dress for my cousin's wedding. I bought a size medium dress in February that didn't quite fit, but it was the only one because it was at a secondhand store, so I bought it anyway. And I managed to fit into it for Cinco de Mayo! In fact, I had to buy new work pants because mine were so loose. Now, the size 14 jeans are a little tight, but they do fit. All my clothes are fitting better, in fact, and I have the confidence to wear things I didn't before. All around, it's really nice.
As always, thank you for your support!!
So, hopefully this will motivate me to be a more diligent dieter this week. I think I got used to eating how I ate when I was working out. And now I'm eating about the same amount, but not getting to the gym as often. Which could explain why I haven't been losing weight very quickly lately.
The reason I haven't been getting to the gym is because I am no longer allowed to be on my mom's family gym membership. Apparently, even though I live with her, I'm too old. A month after your 24th birthday, according to Ft. Sanders, I'm officially an adult. Now, my sister is going out of town for the summer for an internship, so I will be able to use her card. But eventually I'm going to have to go gym shopping. My restaurant has a deal with the YMCA downtown where I can be a member there for $49/month. Now, I'm not sure how long I'll be at the restaurant (I like it, I just don't want to be a waitress forever!), but I know I hope to be moving a lot closer to downtown sometime this year. So that might be a possibility. If anyone knows of a cheaper gym, though, let me know!
Despite the fact that I basically maintained my weight the past 2 weeks, I have seen things in the last few weeks that have made me proud. I fit into a size 14 dress for my cousin's wedding. I bought a size medium dress in February that didn't quite fit, but it was the only one because it was at a secondhand store, so I bought it anyway. And I managed to fit into it for Cinco de Mayo! In fact, I had to buy new work pants because mine were so loose. Now, the size 14 jeans are a little tight, but they do fit. All my clothes are fitting better, in fact, and I have the confidence to wear things I didn't before. All around, it's really nice.
As always, thank you for your support!!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Self Assessments
I can't remember the last time I believed someone when they told me, "You are beautiful." I am lucky in a lot of ways. I have people in my life that tell me I'm beautiful. Family, friends of my parents, and friends of mine always seem to be boosting my self-confidence. But I never believe them, no matter who it's coming from or how sincere they mean it to be. In fact, it usually just makes me even more aware of how un-beautiful I feel. And I always find a reason for their compliment not to be true. They're just being nice, they're just saying that, they have an ulterior motive, they're required to say that because their a family member/boyfriend/friend, they're just saying it because I'm dressed up, they're just saying it to flatter me because they know I've lost weight and they want to be nice, if they saw me without all this makeup they wouldn't think that, there's other gorgeous girls here and they don't want to make me feel bad, or they're just plain lying. In Sex and the City, the character Miranda, the one I identify with most, is seeing a guy who told her, "I think you're very sexy." And she can't believe him! She says to her friend Carrie, "Smart, yes! Funny, but never sexy. Sexy is what I try to get them to see me as once I win them over with my personality." Sometimes I think that's my mantra in life. I've been lucky enough to have wonderful men in my life, but I never understood why they wanted to be with me. And I know I've pushed many of them away because I don't feel like I deserve them.
Isn't is amazing that all it takes is ONE person's opinion to make you think you're not worth anything? And sometimes it's just the way you interpret their statement that makes it negative. I remember being a kid and watching my dad carry my younger sister around on his shoulders. I always wanted the same attention, to feel like I was just as special as she was. So I would want to be picked up too, to be carried around. And he would often say, "Oh no, honey, you're too heavy." And even as a kid, I felt big in a bad way and unspecial. Less special. I remember being in my bathing suit for swim team picture day and putting on a brave face and smiling and laughing with my friends. But I was always secretly hoping in the group picture that they would put me on the 3rd or 4th row so no one would look at my thighs. My individual picture was a horrible experience every year, and my parents would always (proudly) frame the picture and put it on display. I hated seeing that picture every day. In my high school swim team picture, they put me on the front row. Then they blew up the picture, framed it and put it on a hallway wall in my school. Every time I walked past that picture, I prayed that people didn't know it was me because all I could see was my fat. In fact, I think one of the reasons I gave up swimming is because I never felt comfortable on a team where everyone was tiny.
I was telling my dear friend this the other day, and she said she felt the same way. I think she's gorgeous and I always have, and I know her husband tells her every chance he gets how beautiful he thinks she is. And the fact that she doesn't think she's beautiful either makes me wonder what the HELL is wrong with the world today. What is getting put in the heads of KIDS to make them think that they're not good enough? Is it because they see their mother's dieting and working out constantly? Is it because the ONLY thing they see on television is people who look like they only eat lettuce all day? I know why America is unhealthy physically - but why are we so mentally dependent on food?
I'm not saying this because I want pity. In fact, if everyone of you who reads this (who knows how many that will be), comes and tells me that you think I'm beautiful, it will only make me more aware how screwed up I am. I'm not saying to stop saying it, but I just have a hard time finding it true. And I'll start to think I'm being placated. So why am I saying this? I'm saying this because I'm trying to explore why I got to this weight. What is it that made food my comfort for almost EVERY emotion I can think of, especially the negative ones. I can't go through this process without digging deeper and at least starting to realize why I feel so inadequate, so unworthy of the things that make life great.
Isn't is amazing that all it takes is ONE person's opinion to make you think you're not worth anything? And sometimes it's just the way you interpret their statement that makes it negative. I remember being a kid and watching my dad carry my younger sister around on his shoulders. I always wanted the same attention, to feel like I was just as special as she was. So I would want to be picked up too, to be carried around. And he would often say, "Oh no, honey, you're too heavy." And even as a kid, I felt big in a bad way and unspecial. Less special. I remember being in my bathing suit for swim team picture day and putting on a brave face and smiling and laughing with my friends. But I was always secretly hoping in the group picture that they would put me on the 3rd or 4th row so no one would look at my thighs. My individual picture was a horrible experience every year, and my parents would always (proudly) frame the picture and put it on display. I hated seeing that picture every day. In my high school swim team picture, they put me on the front row. Then they blew up the picture, framed it and put it on a hallway wall in my school. Every time I walked past that picture, I prayed that people didn't know it was me because all I could see was my fat. In fact, I think one of the reasons I gave up swimming is because I never felt comfortable on a team where everyone was tiny.
I was telling my dear friend this the other day, and she said she felt the same way. I think she's gorgeous and I always have, and I know her husband tells her every chance he gets how beautiful he thinks she is. And the fact that she doesn't think she's beautiful either makes me wonder what the HELL is wrong with the world today. What is getting put in the heads of KIDS to make them think that they're not good enough? Is it because they see their mother's dieting and working out constantly? Is it because the ONLY thing they see on television is people who look like they only eat lettuce all day? I know why America is unhealthy physically - but why are we so mentally dependent on food?
I'm not saying this because I want pity. In fact, if everyone of you who reads this (who knows how many that will be), comes and tells me that you think I'm beautiful, it will only make me more aware how screwed up I am. I'm not saying to stop saying it, but I just have a hard time finding it true. And I'll start to think I'm being placated. So why am I saying this? I'm saying this because I'm trying to explore why I got to this weight. What is it that made food my comfort for almost EVERY emotion I can think of, especially the negative ones. I can't go through this process without digging deeper and at least starting to realize why I feel so inadequate, so unworthy of the things that make life great.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Weigh-in day 13!
Okay, so this post is late, BUT I did actually weigh-in on the correct day and . . . . .200.2!!! I've hit my 10% weight loss goal, which means I lost 10% of my body weight!! Two weeks ago I was 202.5, and that was before I went back to Texas and ate pretty badly. I'm slightly frustrated that I'm not quite yet in the 190's, but hitting 200 is a big deal for me. I NEVER want to see that number again!!
The entire month of April, I basically just tried to maintain. There was a lot of traveling and my birthday, house-sitting, etc. so I just decided to do my best to make good choices and work out when I could. April 7th I weighed in at 204.1, so that means I managed to lose about a pound a week! This is the huge thing about that - I'm managing to change my eating habits. Without really watching my points, I still managed to lose weight at a healthy (but not snail) pace. This is not a diet for me - this is me making myself healthy and happy for the long haul.
Here's some perks of losing JUST 10% of your body weight:
1) A healthier heart - you lower your cholesterol and blood pressure, which are two major risk factors for heart disease.
2) lower risk of type 2 diabetes - you improve your body's ability to use the insulin it already makes.
3) mental edge - it can give you the self-confidence and motivation to keep going! Take the time to congratulate yourself for this - it's a big accomplishment! Success builds on success - if you don't celebrate your successes, you'll forget how much you've accomplished.
4) you have more energy and you'll feel better!
Thank you all for your support! I REALLY will try to be better about posting now that I'm wanting to really get serious about keeping track of my points again. Don't be afraid to hold me accountable! Love you all!
The entire month of April, I basically just tried to maintain. There was a lot of traveling and my birthday, house-sitting, etc. so I just decided to do my best to make good choices and work out when I could. April 7th I weighed in at 204.1, so that means I managed to lose about a pound a week! This is the huge thing about that - I'm managing to change my eating habits. Without really watching my points, I still managed to lose weight at a healthy (but not snail) pace. This is not a diet for me - this is me making myself healthy and happy for the long haul.
Here's some perks of losing JUST 10% of your body weight:
1) A healthier heart - you lower your cholesterol and blood pressure, which are two major risk factors for heart disease.
2) lower risk of type 2 diabetes - you improve your body's ability to use the insulin it already makes.
3) mental edge - it can give you the self-confidence and motivation to keep going! Take the time to congratulate yourself for this - it's a big accomplishment! Success builds on success - if you don't celebrate your successes, you'll forget how much you've accomplished.
4) you have more energy and you'll feel better!
Thank you all for your support! I REALLY will try to be better about posting now that I'm wanting to really get serious about keeping track of my points again. Don't be afraid to hold me accountable! Love you all!
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