...when you finally put your mind to DOING it. I honestly cannot think of a reason why I didn't just DO this last year, why I spent so much time fretting about food or being able to find time to exercise.
It isn't hard. When you're overweight, the only thing that's truly difficult is controlling your portion sizes and going without sugary drinks.
Seriously, it's all in the calorie count. And it's very simple. Find a calorie calculator that will show you how many calories you need to eat each day (I like this one). Me, I shouldn't eat more than 1200 calories per day if I want to reach 165 lbs by mid-March.
When you're used to consuming twice that amount in one day, this does seem like starving yourself. But you're not. You're retraining your stomach to feel full with NORMAL portion sizes in it.
And if you're serious about losing the weight, it doesn't even seem like a punishment.
Case-in-point: On January 1 of this year, when I made my resolution, I weighed 191 on Wii Fit.
I weighed myself this morning and I'm around 7 pounds lighter. Boo. YAH.
Matt needs the computer so he can study but I'll write more soon.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Family Christmas!
Our family decided a few years ago to give up trying to do everyone's Christmas plans ON Christmas day, because all us sisters were trying to be with each other AND with our boyfriend's/husband's (respective) families all within 12 hours. Add in the children and the holiday seemed more like 12 hours of hell than a nice relaxing and fun day.
So we decided we could live with have two Christmas Days. The 25th apart, and another day during January when we could all get together and exchange gifts and eat finger foods.
That day, this year, was yesterday. We went to out mom's studio, because that was the only place big enough, really. I won't go into the details or list all the gifts given, because it doesn't actually relate to my blog. What is relevant is what I put in my mouth and what kind of exercising I did.
Needless to say, I ate a lot of junk. Atleast, it really FELT like I ate a lot of junk. That night, when I wrote everything down, I realized that I hadn't had a ridiculous amount.
A handful of crackers, a couple small bites of cheese, a small slice of salami, a couple small slices of turkey, two apple slices (no caramel dipping sauce!) and one two-inch piece of Rice Krispies treats, homemade. Add in a big diet Dr. Pepper and the calorie count isn't sky-high.
However, earlier that day I had an entire Costco Poppy Seed muffin to myself, and later that night I ate a Fast Break candy bar. That is most likely what pushed my calorie count over, but I'm making up for it today. For breakfast I had one egg cooked over-medium on top of a plain, whole-wheat english muffin. 200 calories and I'm still satisfied even though it's been a couple of hours since I ate.
I read around the internet that drinking 16 oz of water around 10-15 minutes before eating has been proven to help you eat less calories and, subsequently, lose more weight if you're trying to slim down. Because your stomach already has water in it, there will be less room for food. Your brain will receive "I'm full!" signals from your stomach after eating less that you would if you started chowing down with empty tanks.
That being said, I'm definitely going to start trying this, starting tonight at dinner, and at restaurants too. It's easy to order water along with your regular drink, and it doesn't cost any extra! In fact, you could save a lot of money if you replaced all your drinks with water (as long as it isn't bottled!). No more buying 4-dollar fancy coffee drinks from Starbucks, no more soda, cut out sugary "juice" drinks, etc. You'll save around 150 calories per 8 oz (depending on the drink), and after replacing a weeks worth of drinks (about 25) you'll have lost a pound! (In other words, you'll have cut out 3500 calories.) I have a really nice water bottle I use and I try to keep it full all day, I find that I drink atleast one full bottle (24 ounces) in a day, usually two, and a full bottle for every workout I do.
Speaking of workouts I completed week 4 of the 10 Pound Slimdown program! And I did all the workouts for this week on the day the calendar said to, and I didn't skip ANY! Go me! Monday and Tuesday are the last two days of the 30-day program, so I think I'll just go back to day 1 and start the whole thing over. I've lost 5 pounds! I'm loving my arms, and if I flex my calf muscles I can see definition starting to come out there too!
Also good news: the pants I bought a few days before Christmas last year (which were a size 16. UGH!) are a little loose! They didn't fit in the waist to begin with (I have to fit pants to my widest part: hips and butt!) but now they don't stay up at all! Also, both pairs of my old maternity jeans are officially falling apart and cannot be worn anymore, which couldn't come at a better time, because I'm finally shrinking!
I just stepped away from the computer to try on my old size 11 jeans, and I could only pull one of them up all the way. Even if I could wear them, I don't know if I would considering the shape they're in. Once I get down to my goal weight I think I'll throw them all away. I may keep my favorite pair, but the others need to go. I'm only keeping them now to use as a means of tracking my progress. Once I look good in my old jeans, I'll know I did it.
And, having really started to see changes, I'll definitely be keeping it up. It's just a matter of deciding to DO it, and to give it your all.
And, apparently, splurging a tiny bit on special occasions.
Next special occasion: MY BIRTHDAY! I'll be turning 21!
But no crazy drinking binge for me. If I wasn't a mom I'd probably resign myself to getting drunk but I'd rather have a nice dinner with my fiance and go see a good movie, and maybe stop somewhere for a drink. Nothing fancy.
So we decided we could live with have two Christmas Days. The 25th apart, and another day during January when we could all get together and exchange gifts and eat finger foods.
That day, this year, was yesterday. We went to out mom's studio, because that was the only place big enough, really. I won't go into the details or list all the gifts given, because it doesn't actually relate to my blog. What is relevant is what I put in my mouth and what kind of exercising I did.
Needless to say, I ate a lot of junk. Atleast, it really FELT like I ate a lot of junk. That night, when I wrote everything down, I realized that I hadn't had a ridiculous amount.
A handful of crackers, a couple small bites of cheese, a small slice of salami, a couple small slices of turkey, two apple slices (no caramel dipping sauce!) and one two-inch piece of Rice Krispies treats, homemade. Add in a big diet Dr. Pepper and the calorie count isn't sky-high.
However, earlier that day I had an entire Costco Poppy Seed muffin to myself, and later that night I ate a Fast Break candy bar. That is most likely what pushed my calorie count over, but I'm making up for it today. For breakfast I had one egg cooked over-medium on top of a plain, whole-wheat english muffin. 200 calories and I'm still satisfied even though it's been a couple of hours since I ate.
I read around the internet that drinking 16 oz of water around 10-15 minutes before eating has been proven to help you eat less calories and, subsequently, lose more weight if you're trying to slim down. Because your stomach already has water in it, there will be less room for food. Your brain will receive "I'm full!" signals from your stomach after eating less that you would if you started chowing down with empty tanks.
That being said, I'm definitely going to start trying this, starting tonight at dinner, and at restaurants too. It's easy to order water along with your regular drink, and it doesn't cost any extra! In fact, you could save a lot of money if you replaced all your drinks with water (as long as it isn't bottled!). No more buying 4-dollar fancy coffee drinks from Starbucks, no more soda, cut out sugary "juice" drinks, etc. You'll save around 150 calories per 8 oz (depending on the drink), and after replacing a weeks worth of drinks (about 25) you'll have lost a pound! (In other words, you'll have cut out 3500 calories.) I have a really nice water bottle I use and I try to keep it full all day, I find that I drink atleast one full bottle (24 ounces) in a day, usually two, and a full bottle for every workout I do.
Speaking of workouts I completed week 4 of the 10 Pound Slimdown program! And I did all the workouts for this week on the day the calendar said to, and I didn't skip ANY! Go me! Monday and Tuesday are the last two days of the 30-day program, so I think I'll just go back to day 1 and start the whole thing over. I've lost 5 pounds! I'm loving my arms, and if I flex my calf muscles I can see definition starting to come out there too!
Also good news: the pants I bought a few days before Christmas last year (which were a size 16. UGH!) are a little loose! They didn't fit in the waist to begin with (I have to fit pants to my widest part: hips and butt!) but now they don't stay up at all! Also, both pairs of my old maternity jeans are officially falling apart and cannot be worn anymore, which couldn't come at a better time, because I'm finally shrinking!
I just stepped away from the computer to try on my old size 11 jeans, and I could only pull one of them up all the way. Even if I could wear them, I don't know if I would considering the shape they're in. Once I get down to my goal weight I think I'll throw them all away. I may keep my favorite pair, but the others need to go. I'm only keeping them now to use as a means of tracking my progress. Once I look good in my old jeans, I'll know I did it.
And, having really started to see changes, I'll definitely be keeping it up. It's just a matter of deciding to DO it, and to give it your all.
And, apparently, splurging a tiny bit on special occasions.
Next special occasion: MY BIRTHDAY! I'll be turning 21!
But no crazy drinking binge for me. If I wasn't a mom I'd probably resign myself to getting drunk but I'd rather have a nice dinner with my fiance and go see a good movie, and maybe stop somewhere for a drink. Nothing fancy.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Update on the Resolutions
These first two weeks of 2011 have had a few ups and downs, for sure!
I've implemented a lot of the resolutions I set out to achieve and I have been seeing big differences already.
With Matthew, we definitely don't have as many negative interaction. I go out of my way frequently to do nice things for him and I head off arguments by taking care of the things that trigger mean words.
Like keeping our place clean. It's not hard, but it goes undone sometimes and then we both get frustrated, because we both feel the other person is not doing their part. At the moment, I'm a tad behind on the cleaning because I had a lot going on yesterday and our schedule was a bit wayward. Today is the same, but I plan to do pick up once I get home from the studio tonight.
One awesome thing that happened over the weekend is that the Tiger Lilies (my mother's dance troupe) participated in a call-in to secure a spot at one of the biggest belly dance festivals on the west coast and it only took us 20 minutes to get through! We officially have a dance spot and we are going to California on March 11.
That gives me two months to lose a couple pounds. My goal is to be at 165 by that time, which I know is pretty steep but I've made up my mind to do as much as I can to get as close as I can.
Since Jan 1, I've written down everything I've put in my mouth, at what time, and I wrote how I felt after eating. I haven't started to count the calories because I wanted to start listening to my body and eat only when I'm truly hungry, and stop eating when I'm full. I've cut out extraneous snacking, I've scaled back portions, and I allow myself a couple extra bites only occasionally.
Also, I've been following the 10 Pound Slimdown program and the videos are getting easier, I'm almost able to do all the high-impact cardio and strength moves and I only sometimes modify or go slower than tempo.
Together, these changes have made a big difference. For the first time, the bathroom scale I use at my mom's studio has finally budged.
I've lost nearly five pounds! I almost couldn't believe it, considering I had eaten almost a whole burrito from Chipotle not two hours prior to weighing myself - but it's true! According to that scale I'm at 185.5. Considering I had been holding steady at 190 between Halloween and New Years Eve last year, that's pretty damn impressive to me!
I wish I had before and after pictures of my arms, because they are looking more and more toned each week, and I can finally feel my calf muscles again!
All this makes me believe that, if I keep it up, I could possibly lose 15 more pounds. But I'll have to really watch calorie intake/output, eliminate liquid calories, up my cardio, and eat more vegetables.
Totally doable, I think. It'll take willpower, definitely, but if I want this I should just DO it. No excuses. Because the scale and the clothes don't lie, so if I want results I'm going to put in the effort.
I've implemented a lot of the resolutions I set out to achieve and I have been seeing big differences already.
With Matthew, we definitely don't have as many negative interaction. I go out of my way frequently to do nice things for him and I head off arguments by taking care of the things that trigger mean words.
Like keeping our place clean. It's not hard, but it goes undone sometimes and then we both get frustrated, because we both feel the other person is not doing their part. At the moment, I'm a tad behind on the cleaning because I had a lot going on yesterday and our schedule was a bit wayward. Today is the same, but I plan to do pick up once I get home from the studio tonight.
One awesome thing that happened over the weekend is that the Tiger Lilies (my mother's dance troupe) participated in a call-in to secure a spot at one of the biggest belly dance festivals on the west coast and it only took us 20 minutes to get through! We officially have a dance spot and we are going to California on March 11.
That gives me two months to lose a couple pounds. My goal is to be at 165 by that time, which I know is pretty steep but I've made up my mind to do as much as I can to get as close as I can.
Since Jan 1, I've written down everything I've put in my mouth, at what time, and I wrote how I felt after eating. I haven't started to count the calories because I wanted to start listening to my body and eat only when I'm truly hungry, and stop eating when I'm full. I've cut out extraneous snacking, I've scaled back portions, and I allow myself a couple extra bites only occasionally.
Also, I've been following the 10 Pound Slimdown program and the videos are getting easier, I'm almost able to do all the high-impact cardio and strength moves and I only sometimes modify or go slower than tempo.
Together, these changes have made a big difference. For the first time, the bathroom scale I use at my mom's studio has finally budged.
I've lost nearly five pounds! I almost couldn't believe it, considering I had eaten almost a whole burrito from Chipotle not two hours prior to weighing myself - but it's true! According to that scale I'm at 185.5. Considering I had been holding steady at 190 between Halloween and New Years Eve last year, that's pretty damn impressive to me!
I wish I had before and after pictures of my arms, because they are looking more and more toned each week, and I can finally feel my calf muscles again!
All this makes me believe that, if I keep it up, I could possibly lose 15 more pounds. But I'll have to really watch calorie intake/output, eliminate liquid calories, up my cardio, and eat more vegetables.
Totally doable, I think. It'll take willpower, definitely, but if I want this I should just DO it. No excuses. Because the scale and the clothes don't lie, so if I want results I'm going to put in the effort.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
2011 New Year's Resolutions!
Happy 2011 everyone! Don't you just love New Year's Day? It's like the first, unmarked page in a new journal or sketch pad - full of opportunities and possibilities, waiting for you to fill with marks and words and... well, LIFE!
It's also the first day to implement those resolutions... and I have a list of my own I'd like to share with you.
I'd like my relationship with Matthew to have more romance, more fun, more spontaneity and more sex.
I'd like to spend at least one hour each day playing with my son one-on-one without the TV, computer, iPod or cell phone on.
I'd like to lose atleast 40 pounds. I want to fit a size 11 pair of jeans again.
I'd like to blog/journal/write more often. I'd also like to crochet more items and possibly sell them.
I'd like to complete the C25K program, and also the Bridge to 10K program as well.
I'd like to compete in, and at least place in, a bellydance competition this year.
I'd like our house to stay clean - I'd like to pick up daily, do a full-clean once a week and a top-to-bottom deep clean once a month.
I'd like to begin getting our finances in order so that we may move into our own apartment by the end of 2012 (hopefully much sooner).
I have already written these goals down and have started outlining the details so that I may be successful in reaching them.
I know they are all doable. I know I have it in me to complete the little daily tasks that will make this year the best yet.
It's also the first day to implement those resolutions... and I have a list of my own I'd like to share with you.
I'd like my relationship with Matthew to have more romance, more fun, more spontaneity and more sex.
I'd like to spend at least one hour each day playing with my son one-on-one without the TV, computer, iPod or cell phone on.
I'd like to lose atleast 40 pounds. I want to fit a size 11 pair of jeans again.
I'd like to blog/journal/write more often. I'd also like to crochet more items and possibly sell them.
I'd like to complete the C25K program, and also the Bridge to 10K program as well.
I'd like to compete in, and at least place in, a bellydance competition this year.
I'd like our house to stay clean - I'd like to pick up daily, do a full-clean once a week and a top-to-bottom deep clean once a month.
I'd like to begin getting our finances in order so that we may move into our own apartment by the end of 2012 (hopefully much sooner).
I have already written these goals down and have started outlining the details so that I may be successful in reaching them.
I know they are all doable. I know I have it in me to complete the little daily tasks that will make this year the best yet.
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