Drop 150

Healthy You Challenge Update

2010-04-12T20:37:00.004-04:00

What can I say? This weekend was a food disaster, but I completed my third full 5K with a personal record. And I finished 5 miles on Sunday. I'm chugging along with training for my 10 miler in May. I have a 10K this Sunday. Not going to stress too much about the over-eating for now. Have told myself I'd stay away from the scale until May 3rd, but I would like to know that I'm not getting any bigger between now and then. Need to refocus on healthy foods. And stay away from the following: cheese tortellini, cheese hoagies, and brunch of all stripes.

Water with Links

2010-04-06T19:26:00.008-04:00

Poll: Do you have an exercise rest day?

Self Care for Arch Pain (or is it just me?)

Overweight? Want to run a half-marathon in November? Here's what you need to do to get started.

Workout music ideas from Starling Fitness.

Roni from Roni's Weight discusses the all-too-common All or Nothing Mentality.

Healthy You Challenge Update

2010-04-04T19:43:00.002-04:00

Checking in on my three goals for this week:

1. I followed my training schedule, only missing one workout (2 miles on Friday didn't happen).

2. I didn't average 2500 calories, but closer to 2700.

3. I stayed away from the scale

I need to keep working on getting my food under control, but I'm more than happy with how hard I'm exercising. Going to regroup and focus on averaging under 2500 calories for the week.

Over Eating Triggers

2010-04-03T19:12:00.005-04:00

Thinking back over the last few months, (and even the last few years), I'd say the following situations account for the majority of times I have over eaten.

1. Boredom accompanied by extra cash.

2. Being tired when I get home from work.

3. Failure to plan meals and snacks.

4. Putting off going to the grocery store.

5. Drinking alcohol, especially at bars.

6. Waking up with a major hangovers

7. Being offered free food

8. Traveling

March Miles

2010-04-01T21:37:00.006-04:00

That's how many miles I ran and walked in March. Thirty-five! I tracked them at Map My Run, which was a lifesaver for figuring out how long my lunch walks are (1.42 miles!). These include 4 miles in the rain (properly attired or course), 3.1 at the 5K, and 2 while my friend was in town this weekend. It feels so good seeing progress like this, even though I'm avoiding the scale for a bit. April's off to a good start as well, two down, dozens to go!

Healthy You Challenge Update

2010-03-28T17:12:00.003-04:00

Here are my stats from this week. Activities were great. Food was out of control. Have worked out consistently for three weeks in a row, which is good progress. Went running yesterday even though I had a friend in town. Did yoga twice.

Goals for this week:

1. Follow my training schedule ( Yoga today, 4.2 miles Monday, yoga Tuesday, 2 miles Wednesday, 2 miles Friday, 2 miles Saturday with yoga)

2. Average under 2500 calories

3. Stay away from the scale

Second 5K--A Little Walk, A Little Run

2010-03-21T16:00:00.005-04:00

I finished my second real 5K this morning in 56:21, which is 14:39 faster than last time. Bonus, my knees don't feel sore at all, which they did before. And yes, only twenty-four people finished after me, but who cares? I beat my previous best.

I am doing another one on April 11th and hope to finish in under 50 minutes.

Diet Coke with Links

2010-02-07T19:18:00.006-05:00

From How Stuff Works, where does the lost weight actually go?

Printing calories on the menu may not change adult choices, but may change the choices we make for children.

Via Science Blog, Mizzou continues the search for low cost soy meat substitutes.

A truly fabulous Eggplant Lentil Salad recipe.

And from Runner's World, the 10 Laws of Injury Prevention for runners.

Measurement Update

2010-02-06T12:55:00.006-05:00

Apologies for the rudimentary table. My old laptop broke in December, and I got a new one a few weeks ago. However, I haven't added Excel yet. This was made in the text editor that comes with all Macs. Not exactly stylish, I know.

The bottom line from these numbers is that while I gained back about 9-10 lbs, my clothes are still fitting pretty much the same. My jeans are a bit snugger, but wearable. I'd like to be a size down by the end of March, when it's time to bust out the spring clothes.

Back on the Wagon

2010-02-05T20:58:00.004-05:00

November, December and January were dark days. Filled with takeout food for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and fourth meal (thanks Taco Bell). Some of this can be explained by severe winter moodiness, complete lack of exercise, and general total laziness. But I started getting back on track January 24th, and now with two solid weeks behind me, I feel comfortable enough to openly recommit here. To help keep the motivation, I signed up for a 5k on March 21st.

I gained some weight back. Clocked in at exactly 300 lbs on Tuesday. So move the dial back to 20 lbs lost total. I'm going to stay focused on healthy eating and working out (which I've done consistently since starting up again). The plan is to go running 3 times a week and do yoga 3 days a week.

10 lbs to go until the next pictures. We'll get there this time, I promise.

A Question

2009-11-04T21:56:00.002-05:00

Q: What happens when a couple have two macbooks but share a charger, and the one who (technically) owns the charger leaves town for two weeks?

A: The one who is left at home prays her 2 hours and 45 minutes left of charge makes like Macabe oil. And then orders a charger off Amazon (cause it's like 40 bucks cheaper than at the mac store) and waits for it. Patiently. Sort of.

So I'll post my weigh in and the measurement updates I promised, once I have it. Until then...

I am an obsurd little bird, that's for sure.

Great Britain declares 320 pound Woman too Fat to be a Mom

2009-11-01T11:27:00.006-05:00

I know this made the first round in the middle of the week, but my head has been fuming since I first heard this story. Great Britina, WTF?!?

An obese couple’s seven children are all to be taken into care after their newborn daughter was removed over fears she would become dangerously overweight.

Three children had already been removed by social services before the infant was taken from her mother within hours of her birth.

Now her ‘heartbroken’ parents have learned that their three other children will be taken away from them too.

They say the children of the so-called 'fat family' are being removed over fears they would also become clinically obese.

Read more.

So if I had decided to have a child in May instead of lose weight, Great Britain thinks I would have been too fat to be a mother?!? WTF! I mean I was (and still am) fat, but I wasn't too fat to be a good mother. If I want to lose weight, then I want to lose weight. But I wasn't too fat to function, or a bad person or unfit to reproduce. Gahd.

Healthy You Challenge Check In #24

2009-10-27T22:01:00.002-04:00

Starting Weight (5/13/09): 320 lbs.
Last Week's Weight: 293 lbs.
Current Weight (10/20/09): 291.2 lbs.

Weight lost this week: 1.8 lbs.
Total Weight Lost: 28.8 lbs.

1.2 lbs until 30 lbs lost!!!!

Will post measurements tomorrow.

Pescetarianism, Three Months Later

2009-10-25T09:33:00.003-04:00

In July, when I decided to quit eating meat, I told myself that I would do a three month trial. See if I could make it on days when it was hard, but not make it seem like I didn't have an out if I changed my mind. Well, Wednesday marked 3 months and except for the dreaded mid-flight cobb salad incident, I haven't eaten any meat at all.

I thought I was beyond serious temptation, until R got beef and broccoli yesterday. It smelled so good! It made my stomach gurgle and my mouth water. I kept staring at it. I didn't eat it, but it was a good reminder that I will probably still be tempted by meat now and then. I have stopped eating it--but I haven't forgotten how good it tastes! So I have to be vigilant.

The three months have taught me that:

1. This is something I can totally do.
2. I make healthier choices when I don't eat meat.
3. Nine times out of ten the decision is really, really easy.
4. I will be shocked when it's hard. But when it's hard, it will be harder than I expected.

Healthy You Challenge Check In #23

2009-10-20T22:32:00.004-04:00

Starting Weight (5/13/09): 320 lbs.
Last Week's Weight: 293.6 lbs.
Current Weight (10/20/09): 293 lbs.

Weight lost this week: 0.6 lbs.
Total Weight Lost: 27 lbs.

Next week I'll post new measurements. For now, some non-scale victories:

1. I can touch my thumb and index finger around my wrist.
2. My si 16 jean jacket fits in the shoulders again (can't button it yet, but it's cute enough to wear).
3. Favorite black Avenue leggings getting lose in the caves.
4. On Sunday, I bought a size 20 dress off the rack at Ross without trying it on. It fit perfectly.
5. Got two orders of fish tacos on Sunday. Only ate one of them.
6. Got an excellent night's sleep last night. Superb.

Riesling with Links

2009-10-19T21:40:00.010-04:00

1. I bet the new Ghostface Killah album will sound even better on the treadmill.

2. Truths you know and should hear again. From dietblog.

3. You should be reading Who Ate My Blog?.

4. Fatshionista will be on the radio tomorrow!

5. McDonalds is strangling America. From strangemaps.

I Feel Fat When...

2009-10-18T19:36:00.003-04:00

1. I'm wearing clothes I think are ugly.
2. I'm wearing baggy clothes--even cute ones.
3. I get an uncontrollable urge to gorge on food even though I'm not hungry.
4. I get an email that someone has posted a photo of me on facebook.
5. I'm sitting in a tiny car.
6. I'm trying on clothes in awful dressing room lighting.
7. At the doctor's office.
8. I'm at the hair dressers with wet hair.
9. I order a large amount of takeout food.
10. I get chub rub.

Healthy You Challenge Check In #22

2009-10-14T22:09:00.005-04:00

Starting Weight (5/13/09): 320 lbs.
Last Week's Weight: 294.4 lbs.
Current Weight (10/8/09): 293.6 lbs.

Weight lost this week: 0.8 lbs.
Total Weight Lost: 26.4 lbs.

Hmmm...between the wine tours and breweries, this last week clocks in at my worst nutritional week since I started. But I lost more than last week, so who knows. But I won't take the .8 lbs lost for granted, and this week I'm totally off vacation mode and back on plan. Plus I have an extra few doses of relaxation stored up from the trip.

Healthy You Challenge Check In #21

2009-10-12T19:47:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the very, very belated post with last week's update. I kept sleeping in too late to weigh-in (I don't do it with wet hair, period). But I got the numbers on Thursday morning, and then promptly went out of town. Which will make tomorrow's weigh-in spectacular, I'm sure.

So here we are:

Starting Weight (5/13/09): 320 lbs.
Last Week's Weight: 295 lbs.
Current Weight (10/8/09): 294.4 lbs.

Weight lost this week: 0.6 lbs.
Total Weight Lost: 25.6 lbs.

My First 5K--Check

2009-10-03T13:54:00.003-04:00

I finished my first 5K walk today. And it was a blast. Everyone was walking pretty slowly, but it surprised me that my natural walking pace was faster than a lot of the people around me. I started out toward the back of the pack and finished somewhere in the middle. The event didn't keep time, but I had my heart rate monitor on, so I know my time was 1 hr and 10 minutes, with 656 calories burned.

Normally when I work out, I go to the gym by myself, get my workout done, and head out. The festive atmosphere and the buzz of everyone moving together towards the same goal made the same work easier and more exciting at the same time. I loved it.

So now I've got to start working the Couch to 5K program (and not quit for the like ninth time), so I can run a real 5K race. There's one the Saturday after Thanksgiving that's pretty much the last one near Philly until next year, so I have to start this week if I want to run a 5K in 2009. I have 8 weeks to get prep, so it's on.

Healthy You Challenge Check In #20

2009-09-29T18:58:00.005-04:00

Starting Weight (5/13/09): 320 lbs.
Last Week's Weight: 296.4 lbs.
Current Weight: 295 lbs.

Weight lost this week: 1.4 lbs.
Total Weight Lost: 25 lbs.

Yay yay yay! 25 lbs lost. That is all.

My First 5K

2009-09-27T16:53:00.005-04:00

I did it. I registered for my first 5K yesterday. It's a walk, not a race, so they won't be keeping time and I can go at my own pace without feeling the least bit guilty. One of my co-workers asked me to sign up because his father died of diabetes when he was young. I hesitated at first because I can't run very far at all. When he told me it was just a walk, I got really excited. Of course, not excited enough to actually go through with registration until last night. Baby steps.

I'm really stoked. To get in the mood, I did two miles at 3 miles an hour on the treadmill today. Not very fast, but steady. When I finish this walk, I hope the experience will get me enthused about public events enough to train for a 5K run.

If you're in the Philly area and you want to check it out, the website for the event is here.

Win a $50 Alight.com Gift Certificate

2009-09-26T19:45:00.007-04:00

Danielle from Elle in Wonderland is giving away one $50 gift certificate to alight.com. I personally have never ordered clothing from the site, but I have had my eye on a few dresses from the website, specifically:

Teal Argyle Dress

Dinner Mint Dress

Fab-blue-ess Dress

Under Cover Dress

The contest closes October 2nd. To enter to win, leave a comment on Elle in Wonderland post. Good luck!

Pescetarianism, Two Months Later

2009-09-24T19:49:00.005-04:00

Tuesday marked two months of eating strictly pescetarian, and except for the accidental cobb salad, it was really easy. I feel great. It's hasn't been hard at all. There's always something to eat at restaurants, even the most carnivorous out there. I really have to say that it's a eating habit that suits me well. Not too much sacrifice, but enough that it's meaningful and healthy.

The weirdest time was at a wedding I went to recently where there wasn't a vegetarian or fish option, so I ate a lot of mashed potatoes. And yes, I do get miss pepperoni and chicken fried steaks. There are days when my protein intake is too low. Overall though, I'm more than content with the transition. I'm going to give it one more month before I decide if it's a long-term change, but things are looking that way.

Healthy You Challenge Check In #19

2009-09-22T19:46:00.002-04:00

Hmm...calories were better but not great. Exercise didn't happen. Gotta get back to the gym this week. But I feel really good, and I wasn't hungry this week like I was last week.

Starting Weight (5/13/09): 320 lbs.
Last Week's Weight: 298 lbs.
Current Weight: 296.4 lbs.

Weight lost this week: 1.6 lbs.
Total Weight Lost: 23.6 lbs.

Happy to see a loss after stalling out last week. I'm so close to 25 lbs lost, and I want a new HYC button for the side bar. But I'll have to wait at least one more week for the upgrade.

Fuel

2009-09-20T19:13:00.009-04:00

A new restaurant opened up in my neighborhood in Philly recently. It's called Fuel, and it's really, really delicious. The schtick of the place is that everything on the menu is under 500 calories. And everything's less than $9.00 too, which is great. In the super-health conscious age, I love that a place like this finally came to my neighborhood. My first time there, I had a tomato, basil, and mozzarello pesto sandwich on whole wheat. Last night, I ordered delivery and got a salmon and cream cheese sandwich on wheat. Salmon sandwich delivery? I'm completely smitten.

Having a place like this nearby is going to make it so I can order take-out every once in a while without blowing my calories for the day, and I can meet R for a completely guilt-free dinner. It's such a good idea thatI can't believe there aren't more places like this.

For anyone near Philadelphia, here's the menu. And if you know any other places in Philadelphia that are similar, please let me know! I'd love to try them.

New Template

2009-09-20T12:34:00.001-04:00

Love it? Hate it? Formatting strangely on your computer? Leave comments or suggestions about the new template here.

Tea with Links

2009-09-19T12:40:00.005-04:00

Today I'm making a pot of darjeeling tea whilst I catch up on the nets.

I made an Italian tomato soup called Papa al Pomodoro, last night, and it was crazy delicious. The recipe was from this month's issue of InStyle magazine, but this blog post goes has the recipe along with links to how to peel and seed the tomatoes.

An delicious and easy recipe for a nonfat yogurt dill dip for veggies that I've made a few times over the last couple weeks. Easy and delicious. From Fitsugar.com.

And here's a recipe for Palak Paneer that I'm definitely going to incorporate in my menu the next time I go to the grocery store.

If you love Mad Men as much as I do, then you should check out Slate's TV Club on the show, which is essentially a long dialogue between several Slate writers dissecting and analyzing each episode. Thoroughly entertaining.

Fiber. It's important.

And finally, SNL on Joe Wilson's "You Lie" (and stick around for the awesome James Carville sketch).

Healthy You Challenge Check In #18

2009-09-18T20:42:00.002-04:00

Sorry this week's update is so late. I weighed myself Wednesday morning; however, Wednesday night I went to a play and last night I went to dinner so I neglected blogging. I apologize. However, I did get to see Jerry Springer star in the musical Chicago, which was a sheer delight.

To the weigh-in:

Starting Weight (5/13/09): 320 lbs.
Last Week's Weight: 298 lbs.
Current Weight: 298 lbs.

Weight lost this week: 0 lbs.
Total Weight Lost: 22 lbs.

So no change this week. Frustrating, but not that big of a deal. Just gotta keep on truckin.

Meausrement Update

2009-09-12T15:16:00.001-04:00

Healthy You Challenge Check In #17

2009-09-09T11:17:00.004-04:00

Starting Weight (5/13/09): 320 lbs.
Last Week's Weight: 299.8 lbs.
Current Weight: 298 lbs.

Weight lost this week: 1.8 lbs.
Total Weight Lost: 22 lbs.

After days of eating wedding and vacation food, I have absolutely no idea how I lost any weight. My goal was to maintain, and at the very least no go back over 300. But yay, I lost 1.8 lbs this week. I'm thrilled, except that there's this nagging feeling in the back of my head telling me it will probably catch up to me next week. This coming week I have to be extra careful to make really good choices. I avoided a stall-out this week (even when I deserved one), but this week has to be about good eating, 2200 calories or less, and tons and tons of veggies.

Next week: updated measurements!

3 Fall Trends I'm Totally Stoked About

2009-09-08T22:20:00.017-04:00

So Labor Day is over, along with one day to sleep off the hangover (whether literal or figurative). As much as I love summer, I'm getting really excited for fall. So excited that I jumped the gun on one of these trends, because I just couldn't wait until the weekend was over.

1. Belted Waists--this trend is so plus-size friendly. Instead of being one giant boob/torso/belly monster, you give yourself some definition and highlight your awesome curves. Once October rolls around (and I have some cash to spend) I'm going to be getting these two looks from Jessica London. I already have them added to my digital shopping cart, just waiting for the day when I can click the check-out button.

This one is the Shawl Collar Dress with Patent Belt, although I'm going to opt for teal.

This is the Sweetheart Neck Jacket Dress, and it just screams elegance at work. I can't wait to pair it with calf-high boots.

2. Red--Since I'll be broke after getting the two dresses above, I'm excited that red is this fall's hot color, because I can pull out this red cowl neck dress I got at Lane Bryant last year. I can subsitute a belt for the fabric chord to change it up a bit.

I also finally jumped on this clutch from GetReadySetGo that I've had my eye on for three months.

3. Dark Matte Nail Polish--This is the one that I just could not wait for. I'm currently wearing OPI's new "Susie Skis the Pyranese," described as a dark gray-blue, which makes my shorter-than-average nails look more substantial and elegant than normal. I also want to try OPI's dark emerald "Here Today...Aragon Tomorrow" and Essie's twilight blue "Midnight Cami." And of course, this fall I intend to go at least a week or two in solid black. I've never liked dark nail polish before. I've always been a french/purple/red kind of gal, but I'm ditching that this season to explore the deeper hues.

A Fat Reminder

2009-09-07T23:54:00.004-04:00

Skinny people generally imagine that the fat person's brain works like this: a fat person floats along through life until they are informed that they are fat through some humiliating incident or another. This incident forges within them a resolve to lose weight. The person then either loses weight or goes into denial until the cycle repeats.

Now I don't know about other fat people, but for me this is the opposite of how my brain works. Every time I get embarrassed or humiliated, I deal with it. It doesn't make me want to lose weight. Instead, I get prouder of my emotional fortitude, smarter at coping, more adept with my personal solutions to the fat person's dilemmas. It's when I feel truly beautiful, shiek, well-dressed, and glamorous that I am most inspired to eat healthy and work out more. Momentum goes both ways.

Today I had one of those fat reminders. I flew to Malibu for a wedding, and both flights on Saturday went perfectly. My first flight today was the same. However, on the very last leg of my journey, I found myself in an airplane seat with a seat belt that wouldn't fasten. Three flight and the seat belt snapped easily, flight number four and it wouldn't budge. Worse, the two other passengers in my row were already seated, so I had to try and try to get it to close, sucking in my gut as far as it would go, wishing I could just disappear. My biggest fear was that the flight attendant would come by and say something before I was able to get it to fit. Finally, after an indemnible period of time, I heard the tell tale "click" that meant I wasn't the fattest woman on the planet. Poof, in one humiliating episode all the hours and hours of feeling gorgeous at the rehearsal and the wedding were gone. Everything that had me feeling so good the past month had vanished with it, and I felt like just another fat girl trying to fight the whole world for her right just to exist in peace. I spent the five hour flight avoiding the people in my row and flipping through my copy of Vogue pretending that any of the items in it might fit.

Tomorrow is weigh-in day, and after a very decadent four day trip, I doubt there will be any good news. However, I need to remember that I feel bad because of the stupid seat belt, and not because of anything else. One day I'll get on a plane and the thought that it might not snap won't even cross my mind. Until then, I gotta keep on chugging and not let stupid crap like this keep me down.

Vintage-Inspired Must Haves!

2009-09-02T22:51:00.005-04:00

I have become totally obsessed with Mad Men, and thus I've been itching to get my hands on some lovely vintage pieces so I can rock it like Joan and Peggy. Of course, excellent plus-size vintage can be hard to come by, so I'm thinking of going in a different direction.

The vintage-inspired Daddyos.com selection is breath taking. How, after two solid years as a plus-size internet shopping fiend, have I not discovered this website before?

I've got my eye on three, and, while they are pricier, they are simply fantastic. I don't know which one (or two) I'll end up buying this fall, but here are the three I will be drooling over until my October bonus check clears.

These can be paired with sweaters for work or are perfect for going out as-is. They come in sizes up to 3x, but that means different things for different dresses. Fortunately, each dress lists measurements for each sizes. And since I can't afford any of them for two months, I have plenty of time to drool over each dress on the website while I make up my mind.

Healthy You Challenge Check In #16

2009-09-01T21:24:00.003-04:00

Drank too much in New York this weekend (and ate too much pizza), but this week was still an awesome week. I've been cooking a lot of new recipes, and I've got photos to share whenever I get the photos uploaded.

To the numbers:

Starting Weight (5/13/09): 320 lbs.
Last Week's Weight: 301.8 lbs.
Current Weight: 299.8 lbs.

Weight lost this week: 2 lbs.
Total Weight Lost: 20.2 lbs.

How stoked am I? Twenty pounds gone and the first digit on the scale was a 2! This has been my favorite weigh-in day by far.

Healthy You Challenge Check In #15

2009-08-26T20:07:00.003-04:00

R's birthday ended in ice cream cake, so you can probably guess what day that was. Other than that, I ate a little more every day than I meant too, but I got my exercise in too.

Now for this week's weigh in:

Starting Weight (5/13/09): 320 lbs.
Last Week's Weight: 303 lbs.
Current Weight: 301.8 lbs.

Weight lost this week: 1.2 lbs.
Total Weight Lost: 18.2 lbs.

Onward and downward.

Tea with Links

2009-08-22T14:03:00.006-04:00

Just catching up on the internets and sipping some tea. Oh Sundays are so wonderful, aren't they?

I've been dying to make these Sweet and Sour Cucumbers from fitsugar.

I've also had my eye on this Pesto Squash recipe from allrecipes.com. Although on this one, I would cut the pesto in half.

Does it cost too much to be thin? (From The Daily Dish)

Without healthcare reform, health insurance premiums could double by 2020.

Yes, alcohol affects your sleep, but you probably didn't know that.

Healthy You Challenge Check In #14

2009-08-18T21:15:00.003-04:00

It feels really good to have my activity minutes back up for the whole week. This morning at the gym, I rocked out on the elliptical to the latest Gossip album and had a great time. In a gym. Before 7am. Having fun. What's happening to me?

Now for this week's weigh in:

Starting Weight (5/13/09): 320 lbs.
Last Week's Weight: 304.8 lbs.
Current Weight: 303 lbs.

Weight lost this week: 1.8 lbs.
Total Weight Lost: 17 lbs.

I'm so close to being out of the 300's I can taste it. The 300's can kiss my ass.

Smart Shopping Checklist

2009-08-17T20:37:00.007-04:00

Yesterday I went to the grocery store near my house, and it took hours. Hours and hours and hours. I knew what I needed for the most part; however, between quitting meat, avoiding high fructose corn syrup, trans fat, trying more organics, etc., it takes so long to evaluate any new item I might want to try. Each product needs it's own deliberation. Either I can buy only things I've already bought and evaluated in the past, or I need to block off my entire Sunday afternoon for food shopping.

Neither of these plans seem exciting. I want to try new foods, but I want to get out of the store in a reasonable period of time. So I need a good checklist that I can take with me and go over quickly with each new food I encounter. I'm not talking about a grocery list of foods to buy. I usually go with one in hand. I'm talking about a list of questions to ask myself before I plop something new (or something old that I haven't had in a while) in my shopping cart.

Drop150's Smart Shopping Checklist:

1. Does it contain high fructose corn syrup? If yes, don't buy it.

2. Does it have trans fat or list "partially hydrogenated," "hydrogenated vegetable oil," or "shortening" on the ingredients list? If yes, don't buy it.

3. Is there a reasonable organic alternative?

4. Is it pescetarian? (Does it have meat, gelatin, animal fats, cochineal, rennet, or Carmine (Cochineal, E120, Natural Red 4, or C.I. 75470)? If yes, don't buy it.

5. Does the cheese contain enzymes are microbial or vegetable-based? Other cheeses might not be pescetarian.

5. Are the eggs from cage free chickens?

6. For dairy, is there a soy alternative?

7. Is there a whole grain version?

What are the questions you ask yourself when you shop? What other foods or ingredients do you avoid? Please share so I can refine this list before I try it out in a few weeks.

Hi Ho Hi Ho (It's Back to the Gym I Go)

2009-08-15T19:44:00.003-04:00

After weeks and weeks of pretending the gym was an optional experience, I finally made my way back on Sunday. And, of course, like everything else when it comes to health and weight loss, doing it was a thousand times easier than I thought it would be and the satisfaction I got from having gone was worth a whole lot more than the enjoyment I would have gotten from sitting on the couch all day long. Which was what I wanted to do. Why is it that my lazy impulse is stronger yet less satisfying?

Not only did I finally return to working out, but I went back again. And again. And again. I worked out five times this week, as if I'd never stopped. I even went three times BEFORE work. I've never voluntarily worked out early in the morning before. I felt like a warrior. I felt like a normal human being who prioritizes health and wellness. And on Friday, when the girl at the front counter saw that I'd come in early three times, well that felt good. Like I wasn't just doing the right thing, but I'd entered the world of people who do the right thing. It was a fabulous feeling.

Here's my workout schedule for the next few weeks:

Sunday: gym
Monday: rest
Tuesday: gym
Wednesday: gym
Thursday: rest
Friday: gym
Saturday: gym

Of course weekends when I go out of town, I will have to make an adjustment. But I want to stick to this schedule as closely as possible for a month before I re-evaluate.

(And yes, that's a picture from my gym. I love it's vibe, and I thought I'd share.)

Progress Photos: 15 Pounds Lost

2009-08-12T20:40:00.001-04:00

320 lbs. (May 14th, 2009)

304.8 lbs. (August 11th, 2009)

Healthy You Challenge Check In #13

2009-08-11T20:52:00.007-04:00

Man I feel so on plan right now. I replaced my morning breakfast cart bagle with a whole grain one and am measuring my own cream cheese. I added a morning snack of fruit to my routine. And I made it back into the gym! Twice! All of this feels great. Of course, the number on the boosted my satisfaction even more:

Starting Weight (5/13/09): 320 lbs.
Last Week's Weight: 306.6
Current Weight: 304.8 lbs

Weight lost this week: 1.8 lbs.
Total Weight Lost: 15.2 lbs.

I'm 10% to my goal! Which means progress pics. I took them today, but you'll have to wait until tomorrow. If you can wait that long.

From This Morning's Post Secret

2009-08-09T10:12:00.003-04:00

I think we all feel this way at times. Not that I'm looking for anyone, but what happens if you lose all the weight and it isn't what you thought it'd be? That's why you have to lose weight for a plethora of reasons, and they can't be to get a guy or gal or to prove someone wrong, etc. There have to be internal reasons as well as external, otherwise the process is just too scary.

For Dinner: Avocado Tacos

2009-08-08T19:01:00.002-04:00

Avocado, bell pepper, corn, garlic, cilantro, red onion, and lime juice in whole wheat tortillas with organic mozzarella cheese.

Garlic Squashes "Death Signal"

2009-08-07T21:50:00.007-04:00

This information seems like a good thing to know:

"Much has been made of the benefits of eating garlic, but often left out of the discussion is what kind of garlic to eat. Is fresh-crushed better than paste or pre-peeled cloves? What about garlic powder? How about just popping a garlic pill?

A study by researchers at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine suggests that for certain elements of cardiac health, fresh-crushed is better than processed.

[snip]

The researchers found that while both slurries provided some cardioprotective benefits, the hearts of rats that had eaten the fresh-crushed garlic had less damage and better recovery after blood flow was restricted for 30 minutes. Among other things, the fresh-crushed garlic was better at suppressing chemicals that act as a “death signal” for heart muscle cells."
-Henry Fountain, New York Times

Tea with Links

2009-08-05T21:40:00.005-04:00

I'm drinking some green tea and trying to catch up on some on the blogs, so I thought I'd post the links to some of the good stuff.

It may be good advice, but the thought of it makes me sick to my stomach.

Someone who's doing an awesome job.

Nothing sounds more fantastic than a Bollywood Flashmob.

A total bummer: Wal-Foods

I really should get into coupons more. Hot damn.

Healthy You Challenge Check In #12

2009-08-04T22:35:00.003-04:00

This week was about kicking butt and feeling good. I got my first weight-loss compliment from a coworker, so that felt good. And now for the weigh-in results:

Starting Weight (5/13/09): 320 lbs.
Current Weight: 306.6 lbs

Weight lost this week: 0.9 lbs.
Total Weight Lost: 13.4 lbs.

1.6 lbs to go until I post progress pics!

Pescetarian Noncommittal

2009-08-03T20:28:00.003-04:00

I put the tiniest tippy toe in, by giving myself a two week Pescetarian challenge. Today is the last day, and I have to say it's been great.

For those unfamiliar with pescetarianism, it's basically a the halfway house between full fledge omnivores and vegetarians. You can still eat seafood, but no land mammals. So far I've had seafood about twice a week, mostly at restaurants. I'm not commenting on morality or politics, just mentioning this because I've discovered a few things:

1. It was much, much easier than I thought it would be.
2. It made eating within my calorie goals a lot easier because it cut out some of the most calorie dense foods.
3. Between cutting out meat and getting better sleep, I've felt truly energetic all day.

So in light of how easy this adjustment has been, I'm going to continue the challenge for two more weeks. But I'm not going to make any plans for after that. So I'm considering myself briefly pescetarian noncommittal. Which, when combined with being a secular progressive, seems like a lot of syllables to describe a fairly simple lifestyle: veggies, fish, and universal health care.

Meausrement Update

2009-08-01T16:18:00.002-04:00

The first time I took my measurements, I used ribbon and then measured the ribbon, but this time I had an actual measuring tape. So take these results with a grain of salt. I'll update them again in six weeks.

A Tale of Three Jeans

2009-07-31T22:03:00.004-04:00

Last year when I started eating right, I lost enough weight to need a smaller jeans size in March. I was stoked. So I went to Lane Bryant to trade in my size 22s, only to discover that they had initiated the new "Fit Right" system and I couldn't literally "go down a size." In fact, I had to learn the whole new fangled system.

So after trying on all blue, red, and yellow fits in all sizes, I emerged from the store with a Blue 3.

Fast forward to October, 2008. I'm on a trip to New York and it's the first really fall weekend. Chilly enough that I brought along the jeans I'd been ignoring for the summer. I'm in my friend's tiny apartment, in the worlds tiniest bathroom, and I try to put on my jeans. I jump and bend and pull and huff and puff, but lo! My jeans didn't fit anymore. They were mercilessly too small.

Argh. When I got back home, I marched to Lane Bryant to do the humiliating thing and buy bigger jeans. My skinny jeans (skinny being used loosely) were no more. But since I'd never had Blue 4s before, it wasn't quite like buying my fattest jeans again. I had no idea what my previous 22 translated to.

Things were all well and good until Christmas vacation, when even the 4s turned their back on me, and I moved up to Blue 5s. 5s! The number, which meant nothing by itself, was TWO sizes up. So if I'd gone up two sizes since I was my smallest, that was no good.

So I'm chugging along, and one day I put on my 5s and they are tight. Almost so tight that I want to die. When I wore them, they rubbed my tummy raw.

Well, today I put on my 5s and they fit loose. Not loose enough to move down a size, but they fit normally again. This is progress.

I want back in those 3s! I want to be where I was when I gave up last time. I want all that progress back! And I'm going to get it.

Portabello Mushrooms for Dinner

2009-07-30T21:30:00.003-04:00

With olive oil and organic cheese. Yum yum yum yum yum.

I've been making an effort to get to sleep by 10 or 11 for the past two weeks. My days have gone much smoother as a result. I don't know how long I can keep it up, but I'm off to bed!

Healthy You Challenge Check In #11

2009-07-28T20:58:00.007-04:00

I know, I know. You're thinking:

What the hell happened to weeks 8, 9, and 10?!?

Well to sum it up. Week 8 was good. Weeks 9 and 10 were bad, bad, bad, alcohol drenched guacamole filled poor decisions. Oh, and I went on vacation with my old college buddies:

And my vacation diet was beer and avocado salad.

But I'm back. I'm on plan. I feel awesome. And I finally have a real, live weigh in to report. Drumroll, please:

Starting Weight (May 13, 2009): 320
Current Weight: 307.5

Total Weight Lost: 12.5 lbs.

Losing twelve pounds in eleven weeks is totally weak sauce, but I don't know if I gained some back during my two week lag or if I just wasn't ever pushing myself as good as I did last year. But I'm not going to dwell on that. I know my exact weight, and I can only chart my progress from here.

And I get my first real HYC badge weight loss badge!

I'll post progress photos at fifteen pounds. So you'll have to wait a little bit longer, but hopefully it won't be too long!

Healthy You Challenge Check In #7

2009-06-30T20:31:00.001-04:00

Haven't been weighing myself lately. Will start doing that next week. Also, I'll post some progress photos. Going to bed now to nurse my cold.

T-Shirts for Sale!

2009-06-29T23:33:00.006-04:00

I mentioned before that I was working on silk screening t-shirts by hand as my summer project. I really enjoy doing it. It's relaxing, and I get to work with inks.

I put some of the shirts for sale in my Etsy store. I have sizes S-XXL available. If someone would like a larger shirt or custom color combination, hit me up on twitter.

I'm going to make another design this weekend, and I'll put them up when they're finished.

Size Chart:

S: Chest 34"-36" Waist 30"-32"

M: Chest 38"-40" Waist 32"-33"

L: Chest 42"-44" Waist 33"-34"

XL: Chest 46"-48" Waist 36"-34"

XXL: Chest 48"-50" Waist 40"-42"

Healthy You Challenge Check In #6

2009-06-28T19:26:00.000-04:00

Plugging along.

Plus Size Fashion Review: Odelia Dress

2009-06-28T18:03:00.005-04:00

I blogged about my shopping planning, but never reported back what I got and what I liked. So I thought I'd pick an item that I thought was kind of a gamble and share my shopping experienced.

One of my friends got married yesterday, and the wedding was picnic casual. After getting inspired by this post from The Pretty Pear, I ordered the Odelia Dress in black and white from B & Lu:

Here's me wearing it at the wedding:

I love it so much. It's light and airy, and has a great shape. I'm 5'10" so I knew it would be shorter on me. Leggings did the trick. I felt stylish, but not fussy.

Cost: $54
Fit: True to the size chart
Shipping: $9 Came a few days earlier than expected.
Compliments: Felt comfortable all day long, even on a very long day with a 2 hour car ride, a wedding reception and picnic, and to a club. Stayed cute and didn't lose it's shape by the end of the day. Lightweight material is sturdy.
Complaints: threads are pulling through the button holes. I will need to push them through and cut them off.

Healthy You Challenge Check In #5

2009-06-21T15:20:00.002-04:00

Wow this check in is late. Sorry to be awol for a week and a half. I got a new job, and it's sucked away all my free time.

Going back to work has had an interesting affect on my weight loss goals. It's made it easier to eat right because I'm so much busier that I don't get bored and eat. Alternatively, I haven't worked out except for the walking that I do on my commute because I'm gone 12 hours a day. Over the next few weeks, I'll tweak that balance a little more.

This weekend I've been working on a new art project. I'm hand silk screening t-shirts. I've never done it before, but I'm loving it! Over the next few weeks, I'm going to put a few shirts up on Etsy. I'll post the photos here when I do.

Starting Measurements

2009-06-12T12:16:00.003-04:00

Belated, but here. My measurements:

Bust 49"
Chest 42"
Waist 48"
Hips 57.5"
Neck 16.63"
Forearm 14"
Wrist 7.63"
Upper Arm 17.25"
Calves 21.5"
Thigh 33.5"

I'm not going to update them every week, but I will try to update them once a month or so.

Popping My Etsy Cherry

2009-06-11T00:21:00.007-04:00

Monday I discovered Etsy.com. I know, I'm very late to the party. After like seven hours of browsing on the internet, I jumped.

First, this awesome Upcycled vintage mustard yellow purse. I'm so in love with this. First, the color is perfect to wear to work, but hip enough to wear with casual outfits, too. Second, the hand detailing is beautiful, and small enough to keep the purse looking professional, but interesting and pretty. I saw it on Monday, and placed it in my cart, going back and forth over whether or not to get it. Finally, I decided that I'd never spent that long contemplating my love of a purse. It had to be a sign. I can't wait for it to get here! Rachel, the artist, has tons of other awesome upcycled luggage and bags. Check her out!

Second I bought this beautiful swallow headband. This one was love at first sight. There's another one available in the artist's shop here.

I also adore this Pemberly necklace, but it'll have to wait until next month. Maybe I'll send the link to R for my birthday. It's next month, and he always asks me for a list of ten ideas.

Healthy You Challenge Check In #4

2009-06-09T23:38:00.003-04:00

This was a bad week. I didn't exercise when I knew I should be. Not exercising gave me a lot of extra free time, most of which ended with bad food decisions. Also was feeling kind of down yesterday and today. I don't know what about, but it all seems to be connected. I also could not fall asleep last night. Frustrating. Everything feels blah and frustrating.

R comes home from work and he's got another fifteen hundred calories for the day, meanwhile I'll have four hundred left. I've been getting jealous of the way he's able to eat big dinners. If I don't eat every few hours, I feel really ill.

The scale still says "OL." I'm a little disappointed, I'll admit it. If I had had a good a week as last week, I might have made it under 300. Four weeks was the earliest possible week that I thought I might crack it. If I'm still over 300 next week, I'm going to be frustrated. Need to focus a lot of energy and take advantage of week five. I need to make it count!

Last week I said I'd post my measurements to keep track of, but for the life of me I can't find any of my four or five tape measures. Tomorrow I'll bust out the yarn and ruler. Somehow that seems much less sexy. Oh well. Too tired to mess with it now, but it will definitely be posted tomorrow. I know y'all can't wait.

Gonna finish watching the Colbert Report and try to get some sleep tonight.

So as to not be entirely doom and gloom, I am very proud that I ate within my calorie limit today after going over it so many days in a row. It was a struggle, but I won.

Win a Pair of Tights from We Love Colors!

2009-06-09T10:13:00.006-04:00

Between now and Friday, June 19th, you can enter to win a free pair of tights from We Love Colors by heading over to the awesome Elle in Wonderland and leaving a comment about what color and style you'd want if you win. We Love Colors tights are awesome, and they have sizes for girls up to six feet tall and 375 lbs.

(h/t The Pretty Pair)

Big Girls Need Cute Clothes, Too!

2009-06-07T11:01:00.010-04:00

You don't start living healthy, and then wake up three and a half weeks later strong and svelt. No, if you start out at 320 lbs, then three weeks later you wake up slightly lighter (maybe 10 lbs or so), but still very fat. And still in need of that specific shopping acumen that helps a fat girl focus her efforts on the stores and websites that cater to her.

I've been thinking about new clothes for the last few days because I (hopefully) will be starting a new job next week. Thus, I need to get new work clothes for summer. I need business casual, but flattering and young.

I've talked before about Old Navy's activewear (which is awesome). I can usually wear and XL or and XXL, depending on style, direct from the store. However, their website has tons of plus size stuff. I love online shopping, so I don't mind this so much. Although I do think their sales would go up if they carried the plus size stuff in the store.

I especially like these:

Lane Bryant is every large girl's friend or foe depending on the latest store arrivals. I feel like most of their stuff for this summer sucks, but there are a few cute looks for work:

And I LOVE this dress, but I would definitely need to try it on first:

Eh, I'd probably need to drop 30 or 40 pounds before this would look cute. But I'm definitely going to try it on next week.

Torrid is great for fun, casual looks, but they have a great basic pair of kitten heels in black I need. I have them in red, and I love them! At 5' 10", I need kitten heels!

And I want this dress for summer date nights:

I love the idea of these dresses (paired with a sweater) from b&lu, but I don't know if I could pull the trigger and get them:

And from Avenue, I love these tops and skirts:

Well I don't know what I'll end up being able to afford, but the pre-shopping internet search is my favorite part of the process anyway. There's no dressing rooms, and you can pretend that you can afford EVERYTHING. Of course, when there's actual money involved it will be a different story.

If you know of any great stores that have online ordering for Plus Size clothes that I haven't listed, please share your tips in a comment!

France Sparkle Bubble Godliness

2009-06-05T21:12:00.003-04:00

Those were the only clues I gave R. When he got home to a very clean house with Indian Food takeout and a bottle of champagne he was quite surprised. And I felt so very sexy, I was surprised.

I am trying to lose weight. But I am doing that by eating right and working out. Doesn't mean that I can't dress up as a french maid, clean the house, and then surprise my boyfriend. I am sexy at 320 lbs. I will be even sexier as I lose weight. But R loves me, no matter what. I needed to remind myself of that. And tonight was a great night to be reminded. Next week I feel bad about my weight. Tonight I will feel happy to be alive.

Healthy You Challenge Check In #3

2009-06-02T19:47:00.003-04:00

Scale still says "OL," so I don't know exactly how much I've lost. I know I'm losing, but will just have to stay in the dark until I hit 300. I'm liking this more and more. I won't count any weight lost until I've lost twenty pounds, and every day I can concentrate on healthy living instead of what the scale said that morning. It's peaceful.

Found myself wanting a snack because of boredom, so I stuck in a whitening strip. No food or drink for an hour. Aw shucks. This might be a mental trick I pull from time to time. It seemed to do the trick quite nicely.

Back injury is re-affirming it's place in my life. Have a doctor's appointment for Thursday to adjust medications. I've been staying away from the gym until I get the new meds. The pain was just getting so out of control. Will make my triumphant return to the gym on Thursday. Plan on wearing my gym clothes to the appointment, just so I don't allow myself to reconsider on my way home.

Went to Qdoba yesterday. Thought I could make better choices, but I didn't. I just love guacamole too much. Will stay away from Qdoba for the time being.

Next week I'm going to start posting some measurements. I need to get a tape measure first, but I am going to the store tomorrow. Also need better kitchen knives and a chopping board if I'm going to continue cooking more at home. It's amazing, when I think about how much money I've spent on take-out over the last six years. I could have a kitchen to make Emeril jealous! But instead, I've got an extra hundred and fifty pounds and Pizza Hut is doing quite well. Wonder if R and my's grocery shopping has put any local delivery food places out of business. Not probable, but definitely possible.

Hey, Guess What? You're Fat!

2009-06-01T20:30:00.003-04:00

They haunt you. They humiliate you. They live on, to be replayed over and over, long after everyone else involved has forgotten. And every fat person has one. Hell, every fat person has a baker's dozen. The Fat Memory.

What is the Fat Memory? The day that you realized your love for turtle cheesecake? Your first trip into a Lane Bryant? Nope. The Fat Memory is a time when you were sailing along, fine and dandy, happy to be alive, and then SMACK! You get reminded that you are FAT, and therefore you should be ashamed of yourself every moment of every day, and how dare you forget that and live you life as a normal person can. The Fat Memory usually occured in public, amongst friends, where you are at your most comfortable, so the SMACK! hurst much, much worse.

I have many Fat Memories, but one haunts me a little more than the others.

I was a sophomore in college. It was really sunny and bright outside--the first week after spring had really set in. I was hanging out with one of my best friends. We had a club meeting to go to later that afternoon, but we were just enjoying the weather. She drove us to McDonalds for soft serve ice cream cone--her idea, not mine. She had worked at that McDonald's in high school, and the ice cream was part of the way she celebrated every spring. We ate them at a park, and then she stopped to go to the post office.

I went inside with her. She paid for her package or letter or whatever, and we walked towards the exit. This guy, maybe in his thirties, who seemed like he might be begging for money started shouting at me.

"Hey lady. Lady!"

I ignored him. I was 19. Anyone addressing me as "lady" clearly wanted something from me, and I refused to let him spoil the wonderful afternoon.

He shouted again. I didn't understand why this guy wouldn't leave me alone. Finally, when it became clear I was not going to pay any attention to him, he shouted at my friend, "Blondie (her) you need to tell your friend something."

She stared at me puzzled. I could feel my cheeks getting really red.

He reiterated his point. That she needed to look at me and tell me what was wrong.

Oh no! I could feel my cheeks completely flushed now. I thought "this guy is going to tell her that she needs to tell me that I'm fat. That I need to work out. That my ass is too big. Oh god oh god oh god."

My friend, still puzzled, looked up and down my backside and said, "Oh. Your pants have come unsown."

I was so confused. I turned and looked. Sure enough, the teeniest strip of my yellow and pink stripped underwear was partially visible through my black pants.

This, which should have been embarrassing enough, was so much worse because of all the thoughts already running through my head. My pants split because I'm fat. Not because I'd had them for years and had to wear them twice a week, but because I'm such a fatty fat fat-ass that clothing cannot contain the sheer mass of my bottom. And my teeny, tiny friend thinks I'm a fat ass who cannot even properly dress herself.

Now, five years later, I think back on that incident and wonder. Did she think he talking about my weight at first, like I did? Or was she simply puzzled. Were all three of us thinking about my weight, or just me? Did I over-react because of other Fat Memories?

For me, this will always be a Fat Memory. I will always get red when I think about it. I'm red right now. I don't know how to put it in context, or to diminish the hurt that it causes. It's just always there. Always.

Always. Always. Always. Sometimes things don't go away, and you can't rationalize them away. Being mature doesn't make them go away. They stay with you. And you relive them from time to time and they hurt all over again.

I am Not at War with My Body

2009-05-31T18:59:00.002-04:00

I am not at war with my body. I do not hate the way I look. When I look in the mirror, I am happy. I do not have a difficult time buying clothes that I like, because I know where to go to find them. I wear my hair in a way I love. I have a boyfriend who loves me and my body. I have great friends. When things go wrong in my life, it is not because I'm overweight. I will not go on a diet. I will not starve myself. I will not exercise in a way that causes injury. I will not fret over how other people see me. I will not be miserable because of my weight. I am a complete human being whose feelings and well being are equal to everyone else's. I am complete just as I am.

When I don't pay attention to how much money I spend, I spend too much. When I don't pay attention to how much I exercise, I don't. When I don't pay attention to how much I eat, I eat too much. When I pay close attention, I make better choices. When I make better choices, I lose weight. My body reacts to my better choices.

But I am a great person on good days and bad days. My body is wonderful on good days and bad days. Choosing to lose weight is not a declaration of war on my body. Or my mind. It's a goal to work towards based on health and wellness.

My Five Best Weight-Loss Investments

2009-05-29T23:54:00.005-04:00

So last January I did the whole weight-loss thing. I learned how to lose weight. I worked out every day. I entered my food and activities into fitday. I started out at 298 lbs and ended at 274 lbs. Then around the end of March, I got lazy. I kept meaning to start over again, but I kept putting it off until one day I was at the doctor's office and the scale read 315. 315 lbs! My jeans didn't fit anymore. I had very few clothes that fit. You'd think this would have been a wake up call, but it wasn't.

That was two months ago. Two weeks ago, R decided to jump back on the health bandwagon, and I followed him. If R, my wonderful, but lazy, boyfriend wanted to get healthy, then dammit, I could do it to.

I may have put on all the weight I lost and then some, but there were several investments that I made last time that have been super helpful this time around.

5. Strength Training Equipment
I got a set of resistance bands that came with a workout dvd and a set of 3lb and 5lb free weights. The cost was pretty small, but, when I get lazy and don't want to hit the gym, I know I have a workout that I can do at home that will still kick my ass.

4. Good Sneakers
Last time around, I injured my shins early by exercising in crappy, unsupportive old tennis shoes. This time around, I know my knees, ankles, shins, and back are protected by shoes that are truly supportive.

3. Bathroom Scale
I may not know my exact weight, due to being too fat for my scale, but it's a great scale that is highly accurate. Down to the .2. The scale was 60 bucks, but if there is one area where I want complete accuracy, it's in finding out how much weight I've lost.

2. Kitchen Scale
Counting calories works for me. I lose weight when I keep good track of what I'm putting in my mouth. So naturally, a great kitchen scale helps me know if I really ate an ounce of chips or cream cheese, or if I went way, way, way over. I chose the Salter 5 lb. Microtronic Scale. (about 60 bucks).

1. Heart Rate Monitor.
This is my favorite device in the whole world. I got a Black Polar F6, which was a bit pricey at close to $100. However, the money was so worth it. The guild of thinking I'm not trying hard enough? Gone. I know what my heartrate is, what it should be, and exactly how hard I'm working. Frustrated when the equipment says I've lost 150 calories? Nope, my HRM tells me how many calories I've burned, and as a fat girl, it's generally WAY more than the bike or treadmill say. Wanna skip the gym and workout at home? Done. I can do a dance for twenty minutes in my underwear in my living room, and the HRM tells me if I'm doing it hard enough to count as exercise. Working out without it is just awful in comparison.

I'm not saying rush out and spend 400 bucks on stuff. All I'm saying is that, if I were to make a choice between investing in one of these items, versus say, a new workout top or saving for one of these babies, I'd pick up one of these. They were integral to my success last time, and now that I'm refocused, they have made getting started again super easy.

Goals

2009-05-28T23:05:00.012-04:00

Inspired by Stephen of Who At My Blog?, here are some goals I have for when I have dropped all the extra weight.

I'd like to:

Ride a rollercoaster without worrying if the seatbelt will click.

Get excited when someone adds a photo of me on Facebook.

Go rock climbing.

Go sky diving.

Go lingerie shopping at Victoria Secret and have no problem finding my size.

This will be my reality if I keep working everyday. No slacking. No giving up. I'm sure I'll come up with more goals over the next two years. I'll post them as I think of them.

Hey, Look at Me, I'm Totally Normal!

2009-05-27T23:36:00.003-04:00

After finishing my workout at the gym, I was feeling fantastic. Or, as I coined tonight in my own head, I was feeling like a phenom, sweating like a fiend. So when I walked out the front door of said gym, the last thing I wanted to hear was someone calling my name. Of course that's exactly what I got.

This may be totally normal where you are, but I live in a large city full of strangers. I don't know that many people in my own neighborhood, and I rarely run into anyone when I'm out and about. Most of my friends live in different parts of the city. My little five block radius from my apartment is generally a Drop 150 safe zone. I can look like a complete fool with no repercussions. Usually. Tonight, sweat dripping down my face, neck, underboobs, armpits, underbelly, and ass crack, I run into two semi-professional acquaintances I haven't seen in a while.

And while I would normally find this mortifying, tonight it totally wasn't. It was actually awesome. Small, awkward chit chat aside, I got caught being part of the active people. The people who care about their health and don't spend every free minute on the couch. It was a wonderful little reality check. If I'm going to be healthy, then people are going to see me trying to be healthy. I can't live life afraid that other people will know I'm eating right and exercising. These things are not punishments reserved for the fattest among us. These are healthy lifestyle choices, and I'm living that lifestyle. One day at a time.

Healthy You Challenge Check In #2

2009-05-26T23:33:00.002-04:00

Week 2 of the Healthy You Challenge for this lady. Let's see, how did I do?

Well, for one, my scale still says that I'm "OL," which means I still weigh more than 300 lbs but less than 320 lbs. Of course, I am not shocked that after only two weeks, I haven't dropped twenty pounds. I feel like I'm on the right path, and I am happy with that.

Here are my stats for the week:

My goal is to eat between 2000 and 2200 calories per day. I went over this goal four days. Surprise! They were the same four days I was on vacation. The good news is that Friday and Monday, I was pretty close to goal. I went over by 18 calories on Monday, and 360 calories on Friday. Both of these days were days when I spent in the car. This is awesome, because even though I ate more calories than I wanted to, that number pales in comparison to what I would have eaten on a normal road trip. Monday even included a Taco Bell stop, and I still was close to goal. That's awesome.

Saturday and Sunday are a different story. Both days I ate more than I burned. By thousands of calories. This is due mostly to beer. Beer, beer, delicioius delicious beer. When I hang out with my college buddies, we drink like sailors on leave in Tijuana. I'm okay with the results, because this is something special that I don't do every day. Plus, I wrote everything down that I ate, and entered it into Fitday as soon as I got back home to hold myself accountable for my choices. I was extremely active all weekend, and I had a fantastic time.

For the week, I still burned more calories than I ate, I worked out five days, and I got back on track after the holiday. All good things.

To Celebrate the Good Days

2009-05-26T11:47:00.009-04:00

"Do not cease to drink beer, to eat, to intoxicate thyself, to make love, and to celebrate the good days."

I got home late last night, tired, dirty, sweaty, and so very happy. After four days of drinking, canoeing, playing on the beach, cooking around a campfire, and hanging out with old friends, I feel rejuvenated and completely at peace.

When I post my check in for the Healthy You Challenge tonight, I'll talk about the food and drink choices I made during the weekend, and how they affected my goals for the week. Right now I just wanted to post some photos from my trip and to relay how fabulous and content I feel. The calorie reckoning can wait until later.

I walked on the beach. I paddled a canoe for hours. I cooked veggies on the fire, and I drank beer from morning to night. I'm tanner, slightly fitter, if not any smaller. And I can't wait until next Memorial Day weekend to do it all over again.

New Workout Clothes!

2009-05-21T23:17:00.003-04:00

One of my absolute favorite shows ever is Gilmore Girls, and, even thought the show has been off the air for several years, it continues to metaphorically rule my world. R once told me that when I try to be cute, I speak like them. Which is probably true. In one of the episodes, Lorelai is invited to go on a fishing date. She's dreading going fishing, until she finds out that there are special fishing clothes:

Lorelai: I look adorable! No one ever told me that if you fish, you get to buy an outfit. I'll do just about anything if I can buy an outfit.

That's pretty much how I feel. If it involves buying new clothes, then I am totally down for any and all experiences. Most of my workout gear is either old or too snug, so that means new workout clothes!

I can't go into just any store and pick up stuff without trying it on. In fact, there usually aren't any pieces even close to my size. But Old Navy XXL fits me perfectly, and I love knowing that if I pick up a pair of yoga pants or a sweater in XXL, it will fit me just great. FYI, even though I olnly started contemplating doing yoga within the last week, I've been practically living in Old Navy yoga pants for about six months. They are so freaking comfortable. Nothing is better than lying on my sofa watching The Daily Show in Old Navy yoga pants. Although, this is the first time I've ever bought Old Navy activewear with the intention to use them while being active. First time for everything.

Here's what I bought:

I can't wait to use them!

Note: I'm going to be AWOL until late Monday due to my camping trip. I'll be keeping notes on everything I eat/drink and workouts. There will be lots of calories and lots of activity time, though I'll try to make sure I'm burning more calories than I eat. Or drink. Mostly drink. See you Monday!

Baby Carrots and Tomatos

2009-05-20T23:44:00.005-04:00

Another day has passed. I didn't workout today. It was my day to give my body a rest. Tomorrow I'm going to do an DVD I have with resistance bands. I love those bands--it's the only time when working out really feels like playing.

Tomorrow is going to be a busy day. I need to go shopping and pick up the supplies for this weekend's camping trip, and then I'm volunteering at a local school. Then it's back home to pack to get ready to leave town bright and early Friday.

Here's a quick snack recipe I made today. It was really simple and delicious, and it only has 235 calories.

Steamed Baby Carrots and Tomatos
9 oz. Baby Carrots
7 oz. Grape Tomatos
1/2 Tbls Butter
Garlic salt, salt, and pepper as desired.

Put everything together in a microwave safe container with a lid.
Microwave for 8 minutes.

The tomatos and carrots were surprisingly good together. Very sweet and filling. I really hate to cook, but steamed veggies are too easy.

Healthy You Challenge Check In #1

2009-05-19T23:44:00.011-04:00

Today is my first Healthy You Challenge Check In. I'm really excited. Here are my stats for the week:

All the numbers come from FitDay. I just entered them in an Excel spreadsheet so I could play with the data.

Obviously today and Satruday weren't great. Both times the calories are way up due to alcohol. Saturday R and I went to a pub with some friends and today we went to happy hour and had Mojitos. I'm not too upset about it. Overall for the week, I think I did pretty good.

Normally this will be where I mention how many pounds I gained/lost this week. Unfortunately, I'm too fat for my scale.

Last year when I started trying to lose weight the first time, I bought this awesome fancy scale. However, I now weigh more than it can handle, and when I step on it says, "OL." Boo-hiss. I know I weight 320 lbs. because I weighed myself at the gym last Wednesday. I don't want to rely on the gym scale for weight-loss though. It only measures in whole numbers and jiggles a little. It's the old analog kind that I absolutely hate. I also don't want to buy another fancy scale. I'd rather spend that money on new workout gear and healthy food. So I'm going to keep monitoring my weight at the gym, but my official Drop 150 posted weight will stay at 320 until my home scale says something other than "OL." Thus my crazy stats will help me stay on target, even while my exact weight is unknown from week to week.

Three Weight-Loss Lessons I Re-Learned Today

2009-05-18T20:53:00.003-04:00

1. My body learns quickly.

Today is day six of my new healthy lifestyle, but my body already wants to be treated like it's been on it forever. It may take two years or more to drop all the weight, and my muscles might not be any stronger, but my body has already adjusted to having nutritious food available every four hours or so. Thus today, when I was in a hurry and left the house with no snack, my body revolted. After five hours, my blood sugar crashed, and I wanted to eat my own hand. Luckily I was in a situation where I couldn't get fast food or junk, but if it had been available, I would have. When I got home, I ate about six hundred calories, but I still don't feel back to my pre-crash self. The whole situation could have been avoided with a banana or yogurt tucked away in my purse.

2. The thought of exercise is always a thousand times worse than the exercise itself.

This morning when we got up, R went straight to the gym. I sat on the couch for an hour, trying to convince myself to go. The hour that I wasted was much less enjoyable than the pleasure I got while working out at the gym. Fulfilling my goals feels so much better than the joys of laziness and procrastination.

3. I need to pay attention to my fiber.

Healthy Living is not just about eating fewer calories or healthier food. It's also about the balance of those foods. My body needs certain nutrients, and when I don't pay attention, I don't get them. Fiber seems to be the hardest. Unless I pay careful attention, I won't get even half of the grams my body needs. Calorie counting is not enough for proper nutrition.

Eighties Movies, Pain Pills, and Yoga Pants

2009-05-17T21:48:00.006-04:00

Fittingly enough, The Incredible Shrinking Woman in on HBO right now, the old Lilly Tomlin movie about the woman who keeps getting smaller and smaller. I remember seeing this movie as a kid, and I always thought I'd enjoy living in a doll house if it ever came to that. Now that I'm a three-hundred pound woman, I feel I have the opposite feeling. The amount of space I take up seems right. I know I'm too big, and I know I'm bigger than most other people. But when I sit down on my couch, or lay down in bed, I don't feel like I'm taking up too much space. It's one thing to want to lose weight, it's another to think about how I take up too much space. Of course I get reminded from time to time, like when I fly on an airplane and have to suck in my gut to get the seatbelt to snap. How I look and how I feel sometimes are so disconnected. I want to look better, but I don't necessarily want to be entitled to less space.

Today was a good day. Met my food targets easily. Lost the motivation to go to the gym, but I worked out at home instead. Comcast OnDemand has great Exercise TV programs. I did one from The Biggest Loser. Broke a sweat right away. It was my first adventure with the dumbbells since returning to healthy living. My arms still burn a little.

My back started hurting from the pilates, and it hasn't gotten much better. I called my pharmacy to refill the pain medicine I used to take. It started hurting in December. From January through March I took perscription meds to reduce the pain and swelling. The last two months it had gone away completely, but now it's back. Ugh. Hopefully, if/when I lose twenty pounds, the problem should go away entirely. The doc said it wasn't caused by my weight, but that it exasperates it. And when my back hurts, I don't want to move at all, which leads to gaining weight faster. It's a vicious cycle.

Tomorrow I'm going to Old Navy to buy some new workout outfits. I have all the sports bras a girl could need, but all my workout pants suck. They're either too old/have bleach stains/have holes/pilling/faded, etc. I'd like to get a few pairs of their yoga capri pants.

I also need to zip over to Target and get a new bathing suit for my Memorial Day camping trip. I may hate being a size XXL or 24 or whatever, but I do love buying new clothes.

Weight Loss Ticker

2009-05-17T16:08:00.001-04:00

Created by MyFitnessPal - Easy Calorie Counting

Week 1: Day 4

2009-05-16T23:35:00.000-04:00

Today has been a peaceful lazy Saturday. I already have twice as much energy as I did before I started working out again. It's nice that even though it takes a long time to lose this much weight, you get little benefits early on.

Today I had 3000 calories because R and I ended up going out at the last minute. I drank six beers, and that ruined my calorie count for the day. However, I didn't eat anything at the bar, even though the people we were there with did. So there's some willpower. I still burned more calories than I ate today, by maybe a hundred calories or so.

I did the pilates dvd again today. Skipped the gym. I will make it back there tomorrow. Promise.

Week 1: Day 3

2009-05-15T21:05:00.004-04:00

Did a pilates dvd and then went to the gym for an hour on the bike. I started doing the elliptical trainer when I got there, but after six minutes I decided to switch. It was harder than I remembered, and I decided to leave that battle for another day. I've been good on food, too. Today I had a bagel, some turkey, a mango Jamba Juice, and some mandarin oranges. I haven't felt hungry, and 2000 calories have been just about right to keep from being hungry but not full.

The boyfriend, who I'll call R from now on, made the most amazing Lean Cuisine that I've ever had. It's called Thai-Style Chicken. The sauce is absolutely yummy. Here's the official description:

"Grilled chicken tenderloins in a Thai-Style red pepper sauce with basil, soy and ginger, served with rice."

Although I think the sauce is a bit coconutty. I'd compare it to Amy's in taste, which is really good for Lean Cuisine. I had already done my grocery shopping for the next two weeks before I tasted it, but next time I buy groceries I am definitely going to load up on these bad boys. Until then, I'll just have to beg R for bites.

Week 1: Day 2

2009-05-14T18:39:00.003-04:00

Rode the bike at the gym for an hour. My feet are sore. I'm sweaty. But I have that energy I get when I start a health kick. The trouble is not starting it; that part is too easy drill sargeant. It's keeping it up after a week or two. And giving up the pitcher of margaritas at happy hour.

Here's a pic of me today. I'll post new ones in July.

Week 1: Day 1

2009-05-13T21:22:00.002-04:00

After a year of stop-and-go weight loss and weight gain, I've decided to commit to losing weight. One hundred and fifty pounds, to be exact. To keep myself motivated and honest, I'm going to blog about it here.

I currently weight 320 pounds. A year ago, I weighed 275. Three years ago, I weight 260. The weight has just piled on over the past six months, and I can't ignore it any more. I'm two jeans sizes bigger than last summer. It's horrifying.

My plan is to do cardio four to five times a week, do resistance training twice a week, and eat between 1800 and 2200 calories per day. So far today I'm off to a good start. I went to the gym and rode thirty minutes on the bike and ate 2100 calories.

Starting Weight: 320 lbs.

Starting BMI: 45.9