Losing..

While I'm trying to lose weight, I realize this is SO not an easy thing.. and after weighing myself tonight, I'm not sure I plan to continue with this form of my diet..  I am having a hard time remembering to eat the oatmeal and yogurt.. and I've noticed that I'm not counting my carbs like I should be.. I also am not liking that I seem to "think I know" how many carbs are in stuff.. After looking up how many were in a banana, I was shocked!  Holy cow!!  23 grams in 1 small banana!!  That's 1/3 of my daily carbs..  Not cool!

I realize that my weight tonight is prolly off from what it will be in the morning, but I was shocked to see I'd GAINED 5 lbs since Monday.. WTF?!  Yeah, I'm not even waiting til Monday to switch.. I'm starting TOMORROW (since I'm not eating anymore tonight)..  I can do this, and I know that all that I do now will help me in the future..

Now, my weight gain could be from the stress I'm keeping inside because I lost my morning job on Monday.. :(  I can't afford to be without a job for long, as I don't have any savings yet (I know, it's a big issue I plan to tackle as soon as I get a better job).. She said she'd re-hire me once she got more kids, but with everything still up in the air, I'm not sure I can afford to wait for her.. So I'm applying to hospitals around me, or I will as soon as I get my resume revamped.. Good gravy, my resume is just horrible.. lol.. This puts the new gym membership in the toilet.. and probably my new tanning bed membership.. and this makes me more motivated to find a job..

I've got my stuff out on my chair to make sure I wake up and go out to walk or run.. I've noticed if I say "I'm going to go running later", I chicken out.. So I'm going walking tomorrow morning, and if I happen to run, so be it.. If I don't, I will eventually..  I just have to keep telling myself that..

Oh, and can I just say that finding that I'd lost 2 followers in less than 12 hours kinda sucks.. :(  I hope you come back, but understand if you don't..

I Broke Down..

and FINALLY tried out my ShakeWeight..

I'm sure most of you are like, "Wait, hasn't she tried it already?!"  I blogged about it a long time ago, but I never actually tried it.. I know someone asked why I couldn't use it without the DVD, and I don't think I ever answered.. The DVD gives you a 6 minute workout that, if you do it daily, should get your arms bangin'.. And I can say that I agree.. I finally decided enough was enough and put it in to do.. Not watch, but do!  I kept thinking it couldn't be too terribly hard to follow the first time around, and I was right..  It's pretty simple, and looks easy.. I was wondering why she kept saying to feel the burn, in the beginning.. Then after thinking that, I felt what she was talking about..

6 Minutes!!  That's all it took to make my arms feel like jelly.. BUT it's only when I use my arms that they feel that way.. plus, it's a nice feeling.. :)  If you have been wanting to try it, but don't know anyone that has used it, now you know me!  lol.. and I recommend it.. I will try to continue to do this daily and post weekly pics of my arms, along with my bi-weekly measurements.. hopefully I will remember to post them.. lol

It's OVER!! WAHOO!

THE INDUCTION IS OVER!!  Happy Dance!! 

Alright, so I just have to celebrate the fact that while I did slip up a day or two during these two weeks, I didn't go off the deep end when I did and still lost 9.2 lbs!  While it's not the double digits I was hoping for, I'm very proud of myself bc I've lost a significant amount of inches.. Wanna see?  Here ya go..

Week:	6/13	6/27	7/4	7/11	7/18	7/25	8/1	Difference
Neck:	15	15						0
L Bicep:	14	14						0
R Bicep:	14	13.5						-.5
Bust (w/ bra on):	47	44						-3
Waist (@bend pt):	44.5	39.75						-3.75
Hips:	50	45						-5
L Thigh:	29.5	28.5						-1
R Thigh:	28.5	28.5						0
L Calf:	17.5	16.5						-1
R Calf:	18	16.75						-1.25
Body Fat:	36.5%	33.25%						-3.25%
Weight:	245.0	235.8						-9.2

TAKING my sexy back..

Screw BRINGING sexy back.. I'm taking my sexy back.. I can't really explain why I've felt so sexy the past week, and hopefully for a long time from now, but I'm seriously happy about it..

I can say that while I gained weight, I 'let myself go'.. I didn't color my hair, I didn't care about hygiene every day (usually every other), I didn't care that I was pale.. but since starting this Induction, 2 weeks ago tomorrow, I have started caring again.. My hair is one color again, I'm tanner than ever, and I even got my nails did yesterday.. I feel my sexy self is worth the money.. :)

I also know that since FEELING sexy, I've actually started to try to dress sexier (when I can).. and guys have noticed.. yay!  I'm not sure where THAT will go, but honestly, I don't really care..

That's something I wanted to touch upon.. Has anyone else hit a certain age and something just snapped??  Since I've turned 27, my personality has changed significantly.. in a good way.. Things I used to do unconsciously, like rules I'd put upon myself, are now gone, for the most part.. I'm not sure why, but honestly I hope I never go back to doing things like that again.. i'm liking this new self.. :)

Tomorrow is my weigh in for my Induction total.. and I plan to do measurements also, to see if what i'm seeing is real.. lol.. so ttfn! 

Well, WTH?! lol

Well, huh.. how in the world did I forget to blog for 8 days?!  Oops.. All I can say is that I got so busy that I just forgot.. lol.. story of my life, right?!

Alrighty, so this Induction Phase is almost over.. Monday starts my own plan.. :)  So far, I've lost 9.8 lbs.. and while I'm super happy to have those 9.8 lbs gone, I'm kinda kicking myself for not getting the whole 10 lbs.. bc that'd put me at 1 lb a day loss.. But who knows, maybe by Monday's weigh in I'll see the 14 lbs I want to see.. lol.. I can't be too mad, bc I did "cheat" on Wednesday and have dinner at my bro's house to celebrate Father's Day.. I didn't go overboard, but I had baked beans and a HUGE baked potato, plus chicken and my summer jello my mom makes.. lol.. not too bad, but still it was more carbs than I was supposed to be eating that day..

My plan that will start on Monday is the following:

** 1 Light Yogurt daily

** 1 serving of oats daily (in the form of oatmeal or oatbran muffins)

** no more than 60 additional grams of carbs a day (not including the yogurt or oats)

** 1 meal time of eating whatever I choose per week (such as a birthday party, dinner out, etc.)

Now, on to the TMI part of this post.. Consider yourself warned:

I am really surprised to not have had any issues with constipation this time.. Honestly, I haven't been eating my veggies like I should (we all know cooking is not my fave thing to do), and that's what keeps you regular, from what I understand.. lol.. But this is a GREAT thing.. my belly is happy!!  WOOHOO!! 

I'm Still Here..

I'm still going strong too.. I've been on this "diet" for 4 days now, and while I still want chocolate, it's not a dying urge to eat it.. lol.. and after weighing myself before my shower earlier, I am definitely thinking it's worth it.. I am already down 6.2 lbs.. and yeah, this might be water weight, but it was there before and now it's gone..  OH!  The kicker in this loss?!  It's that TOM for me.. Which means that I am (normally) retaining water.. ugh!

But it'll be nice to see the total weight loss after 2 weeks.. Which is when I will be stopping the Induction, and after that, I'm going to try something different from the typical Atkins stuff.. I'm going to incorporate light yogurts, light oatmeal (aka non-sugar loaded), and I will not exceed 60 grams of carbs on a daily basis.. I will also allow myself one "meal time" where I can eat whatever I want (ice cream, pasta, alcohol, etc.), and I will have one day where I eat "Induction-style", where I eat no more than 20 carbs that day..

We will see how this all works out, as I hope that this mash-up of the Atkins Diet, Southbeach Diet and Dukan Diet will work and help me get off this weight.. I've noticed when I do sneak a gummi bear or a random sniff of chips, they don't taste/smell as good as they used to to me..  and I'm liking that.. I don't think anyone understands how much carbs I ate before starting this.. The only protein I ate within the last 5 days before starting this was on pizza crust or bread.. THAT is not cool..  Honestly, I can eat a tube of Ritz crackers without blinking.. and still be hungry.. it's disgusting!  and hopefully I won't get to this point ever again!!

Well, off I go to boil 2 dozen eggs to make tuna fish and for snacks.. yummy!!

Alternative Exercises..

Okay, so I just realized that I forgot to blog about the new exercise toy we have in my house.. and it's self-explanatory so it doesn't have a DVD with it!!  lol.. I got my mom a 5lb weighted hula hoop for her birthday (she asked for it, so I didn't get smacked)..

Seriously, even if you haven't hula hooped in years, I'd recommend this.. it hurts for a bit, but my mom has lost about 10 inches off of her stomach area since using this at Curves about 6 months ago.. I like it because it doesn't just make your tummy go down, I have to start so high up that my back fat starts to go away.. :)  So if you are looking for a new toy to add to your exercise regimen,  I really suggest you look into the weighted hula hoops (and maybe starting out at a smaller hoop?!)

NOTE: I wrote this because I wanted to, not because I was compensated to do so.. Oh, and if you wanna help a girl out and click on the Amazon link (even if ya just click on it), I'd be ever so grateful.. :)

Day 1 Wrap-up..

Well, first off, let me say THANK YOU for all the wonderful comments.. I appreciate all of them.. and HS, I was thinking of doing exactly what you suggested.. I believe that the Oat Bran they make you take daily is a good idea (within moderation), and after the Atkins 2 week Induction period, I plan to introduce days of "no" carbs (2 a week) in between days where I mix in veggies, fruits and low-fat yogurts (the foods I CAN NOT live without).. We'll see how this goes and will tweak it here and there.. :)

Now, onto my daily goals for today.. I got 3 out of 3!!!  WOOHOO!  I don't think I've done that in forever!!

** Eat breakfast-- I got in 2 hard boiled eggs.. not much, 

but for not eating breakfast in ages, it's a start..

** Join Ideal Fitness-- Almost talked myself out of this one.. So glad I didn't.. 

I went ahead and joined, but won't have to pay the fees until Friday (payday).. 

While I didn't stay very long, I didn't really expect to..

** TRY to run for 5 minutes-- I ACTUALLY DID IT!!  I'm so proud of myself.. 

Just had to zone out while doing it, and I made it through.. :)

I'm okay with only doing 1 mile today.. I'll be adding more steadily..

Now, I'm thinking I'm going to go search for some food.. I'm thinking Turkey Smoked Sausage and cabbage.. or maybe a hamburger patty without a bun.. hmm.. decisions, decisions..

Day 1 Continued..

Well, my measurements are posted on my Weight Statistics page for the starting.. It's so weird how different the R and L sides are.. lol..  But I wasn't surprised to see that I'd gained 5 lbs in the past 10 days.. I've been eating carbs like they were the only option, so this is a good thing I'm doing..

My goals for today are pretty simple:

** Eat breakfast-- Still not sure what this is going to be, but I'm thinking.. lol

** Join Ideal Fitness-- I got a coupon for a free week membership.. 

by the time that's over, I'll have the money to put towards an actual membership.. :)

** TRY to run for 5 minutes-- Pretty much a test for myself..

I'm going to do better about keeping everything updated around here.. and hopefully I'll gain your trust (or whatever you want to call it), seeing as I really wouldn't believe a word I say anymore if I were you.. So here's to new beginnings and weight loss..  :)

Have a good day, I'll be back later to tell ya how my gym trip went..  

Day 1..

Well, while this should have been happening on the 1st of June, I'm glad it's happening at all.. So, it's officially day 1 of my re-start.. and I've decided to be smart about the Dukan Diet and bought the book to make sure I do it correctly.. so as of right now, I'm doing the Atkins Diet Induction to start losing weight..  After noticing that I was eating WAY too much carbs in a day, I knew I needed to cut them out to get them out of my system..  I hope you will support me while I attempt to do this my way.. :)

I have enough meals waiting for me to keep me going to about a week (that's when turkey sausage and tuna fish will become SERIOUSLY gross to me.. lol), and instead of the daily salad, I will be subbing that with cabbage.. I can't do salad on a daily basis.. I don't like it enough.. While I am going to try to do a salad at least once a week, I hope to bump this number up as I continue this.. :)

So I had my dad help me with my measurements, and have done a spread sheet like I saw Sabrina use a while ago.. thanks, Sabrina! :)  As soon as I weigh myself in the morning, I will post it on my Weight Statistics page..  and of course, post about where to find it once it's up.. :)  My body fat percentage is being calculated by the Navy standard, in case anyone cares.. lol

Well, I'm off to bed.. crossing my fingers I haven't gotten to 250 in the past 10 days.. eek!

New Photos..

JUST A WARNING>>> I AM WAY FAT.. THESE PHOTOS SHOW THAT.. BEWARE!!

Taken 5/30.. You can see my 10ish lbs gain..
ugh!

Take 5/30.. This one made me mad..
I can't believe I got this bad..

On 5/26.. my last full calorie Big Red..
Buh-bye Big Red..

When Is Comfort a Bad Thing?

Here's the post I was talking about a few days ago.. CM reminded me that I forgot about it.. lol..

We all want to be comfortable.. Women will wear seriously high shoes.. Men will wear nice clothing.. but the majority of us will remove all that uncomfortable stuff as soon as we hit the front door.. Now this is just talking about physical comfort.. Emotional and mental comfort is a whole different ball game..

My body isn't comfortable being fat.. During my recent 15(ish) pound gain, I noticed that my stomach wasn't happy.. my skin itched.. and I was having headaches more than I normally do..  It eventually got acclimated to being that much bigger, but that made me wonder why I let myself gain that back..

Then I realized something.. I became MENTALLY comfortable.. way too comfortable.. I think this happens quite frequently with overweight people.. After a certain weight/point/stage, we become comfortable with our 'fat self' and make our lives easier to accomidate our added weight.. We stop looking in mirrors, we start looking for function over fashion (to a certain extent) in clothes, and we realize that we haven't seen certain people in months for one reason or another..

I know I haven't had fun hanging out with my skinny friends in a LONG time.. sorry ladies.. but anytime I get asked to go dancing, I know I will be leaving before 12am bc I'm so aware of how guys AREN'T looking at me and how they are staring at my skinny friends..  Am I alone in this way of thinking? I don't think so..

Men prolly have it worse, as they (from what I understand) revolve around sports, and you can only do so much in a bigger body.. but as a woman, I know it sucks for me.. Well, I'm done being comfortable in this fat body!  I hope my resolve lasts for as long as it takes me to lose 65 more lbs.. as I am running out of fat clothes and I can't wear skin tight clothes with a belly (without one, now that's another story.. hehe)..

Weigh In..

So while I weighed in on Monday to start over, I still plan to keep my weigh in's on Friday..  so I went to the scale HOPING to see a smaller #.. and was shocked to see that I weighed in at 240.0!!  Wth?!  While I realize that there is probably a small difference bc of changing scales (I weighed on Monday on my bff's scale), I weighed myself last night and it said 243.2, so it's somewhat accurate..

I'm still shocked.. and totally happy-dancing right now.. :)   I attribute this loss to two things: drinking lots of water and keeping track of what I put in my mouth.. so i'm starting off good, now just to keep going in this good direction..

Plans..

I tend to do lots of "planning".. Have you noticed yet?! ;) But while I have every intention to do them, somehow I let myself get away with not doing the things I PLAN to do.. Like yesterday's goal of finally breaking out my Shakeweight and trying it out.. yep, that didn't happen.. Why, you ask?! Because the 1st game in the NBA Finals (with my fave team, the Dallas Mavericks) was on.. and I couldn't miss it..

Nice excuse right?! lol.. but today's daily goal was to get "back in touch" with my Camelbak water bottle.. and drink 4 bottles full today.. Well, I think we will be back to BFF's in no time, and I am currently on bottle 4.. :) So today is a success in that part.. and I do intend to go home and break out the DVD for my Shakeweight..

I have another post to do later today, it's about being comfortable.. Would do it now, but it's kinda long, and I'm almost done with work.. TTFN.. :)