HECK YEAH! ::fist pump::
This morning's weigh in showed a 1.6 pound loss! That moves me into a new tens place, and it is a new low on the scale. Total weight loss so far is 47.4 pounds.
I am within 10 pounds of my original goal weight, which to be honest was just a number that I picked out of the air. Starting from as high as I did, the goal of getting rid of that much seemed insurmountable. Now that I've made it this far, I'm ready to face the facts and readjust my goals downward a bit.
With those readjusted goals, I've got 49 pounds to go.
Onward and downward!
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Activity victory!
I went roller skating tonight. It wasn't the first time that I had taken the children to this particular rink, but it was the first time that *I* went roller skating with them. Normally I just sit and read my book, but today I got a pair of skates and joined them.
Roller skating used to be my thing! Friday and Saturday nights were always spent at the Skateland, and I was pretty good. Of course, that was 25 years and a hundred pounds ago.
The skating tonight was a lot more work than I remember it, but it was a wonderful time. And for the first time, it really felt like a victory, just getting out there on the skates. I didn't really care what other people thought, that I was a lot more wobbly than I expected, or that my legs felt like pudding when I got home.
I SKATED AGAIN.
I loved it.
My children were delighted.
Tomorrow is a weigh-in day. No matter what the scale says, I feel -- today, at this moment -- that I am winning.
Roller skating used to be my thing! Friday and Saturday nights were always spent at the Skateland, and I was pretty good. Of course, that was 25 years and a hundred pounds ago.
The skating tonight was a lot more work than I remember it, but it was a wonderful time. And for the first time, it really felt like a victory, just getting out there on the skates. I didn't really care what other people thought, that I was a lot more wobbly than I expected, or that my legs felt like pudding when I got home.
I SKATED AGAIN.
I loved it.
My children were delighted.
Tomorrow is a weigh-in day. No matter what the scale says, I feel -- today, at this moment -- that I am winning.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Serving sizes
One of my (very few) rules of eating is KNOW THY SERVING SIZE. Even my children know to check the serving size and make determinations accordingly. We all do it automatically now.
Today I had an individually packaged container of hummus for a post-workout snack, and I logged it into My Fitness Pal. I was shocked to find that the little individual container isn't one serving. It's TWO! I had read the nutrition information, but I suppose I never thought to check the serving size as well because ... hello! ... it's labeled "singles" which to me denotes "one serving." Apparently it doesn't mean that to everyone!
Let this be a reminder to myself: Know the serving size. Don't assume it!
Today I had an individually packaged container of hummus for a post-workout snack, and I logged it into My Fitness Pal. I was shocked to find that the little individual container isn't one serving. It's TWO! I had read the nutrition information, but I suppose I never thought to check the serving size as well because ... hello! ... it's labeled "singles" which to me denotes "one serving." Apparently it doesn't mean that to everyone!
Let this be a reminder to myself: Know the serving size. Don't assume it!
An odd sort of victory
I am a thrift store shopper. I love, love, love the thrifts. I love the "what can I find today" fun of it as well as the bargains, but I never bought clothing for myself there because the plus sizes are hard to find.
We have been moving things around at home, rearranging rooms, and cleaning out unnecessary stuff is part of that. So ... off to the thrift store with 4 bags of stuff. Our thrift gives a 15% off coupon to use in the store as part of the "thank you" for donating. So, of course, we had to use it.
My daughter was looking for a new pair of roller blades, and she found a few pair that she liked. While she sat down to try them on, I looked through the t-shirts I happened to be standing beside. I pulled out one that I liked but looked a little small for me. Size XL. Well, what the heck. The dressing room right there, so I decided to try it on to see how far I had to go.
Aside: Am I the only one who buys "goal clothing"?
I'll be darned. IT FIT. I couldn't believe it. It fit a little closer that I was used to, but I've always worn my clothing too big (so says my neighbor). I bought it, washed it, and wore it yesterday. And I felt perfectly comfortable.
When I started, all of my shirts were 3X, and I was moving into 4X. I had to give those away because they were falling off my shoulders, and I have been making do with some of my husband's old t-shirts in addition to the couple of respectable things I had gotten at the department store. (I didn't think I could get away with a "Come to the Dark Side; We Have Cookies" t-shirt while chatting around the coffee table at church.)
How strange is it that I am thrilled to be able to shop at the THRIFT STORE for my clothing! I am thrilled, I tell you. THRILLED! And I can (at least occasionally) wear normal XL shirts, not the just the ones from the plus side of the store!
SQUEE!!
We have been moving things around at home, rearranging rooms, and cleaning out unnecessary stuff is part of that. So ... off to the thrift store with 4 bags of stuff. Our thrift gives a 15% off coupon to use in the store as part of the "thank you" for donating. So, of course, we had to use it.
My daughter was looking for a new pair of roller blades, and she found a few pair that she liked. While she sat down to try them on, I looked through the t-shirts I happened to be standing beside. I pulled out one that I liked but looked a little small for me. Size XL. Well, what the heck. The dressing room right there, so I decided to try it on to see how far I had to go.
Aside: Am I the only one who buys "goal clothing"?
I'll be darned. IT FIT. I couldn't believe it. It fit a little closer that I was used to, but I've always worn my clothing too big (so says my neighbor). I bought it, washed it, and wore it yesterday. And I felt perfectly comfortable.
When I started, all of my shirts were 3X, and I was moving into 4X. I had to give those away because they were falling off my shoulders, and I have been making do with some of my husband's old t-shirts in addition to the couple of respectable things I had gotten at the department store. (I didn't think I could get away with a "Come to the Dark Side; We Have Cookies" t-shirt while chatting around the coffee table at church.)
How strange is it that I am thrilled to be able to shop at the THRIFT STORE for my clothing! I am thrilled, I tell you. THRILLED! And I can (at least occasionally) wear normal XL shirts, not the just the ones from the plus side of the store!
SQUEE!!
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Weighing in
::happy weight loss dance::
Can you tell? I LOST THIS WEEK! Wahooooo!!
I'm down 2.6 pounds this week for a total of ... dum, dum, duuuuum ... 45.8 pounds! And I hit a new low on the scale. YAY ME!
This week wasn't particularly wonderful on workouts OR food (thank you, Costco, for your yummalicious Very Berry Sundae which my rotten children wouldn't help me eat). To be honest, I think the loss is in part to moving books and furniture around in the house. Seriously, I think that that moving two desks, four bookshelves, and the books in those shelves should count for strength training. And maybe cardio, since we had to move them up and down stairs. Plus cleaning the spaces before and after. WHEW. It has been a very busy week.
I still have quite a bit more to do on the rearranging, so maybe that can help next week's weigh in as well! :)
Can you tell? I LOST THIS WEEK! Wahooooo!!
I'm down 2.6 pounds this week for a total of ... dum, dum, duuuuum ... 45.8 pounds! And I hit a new low on the scale. YAY ME!
This week wasn't particularly wonderful on workouts OR food (thank you, Costco, for your yummalicious Very Berry Sundae which my rotten children wouldn't help me eat). To be honest, I think the loss is in part to moving books and furniture around in the house. Seriously, I think that that moving two desks, four bookshelves, and the books in those shelves should count for strength training. And maybe cardio, since we had to move them up and down stairs. Plus cleaning the spaces before and after. WHEW. It has been a very busy week.
I still have quite a bit more to do on the rearranging, so maybe that can help next week's weigh in as well! :)
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Tools
These are my favorite, most used tools in making meals for myself.
Food scale. It measures in both grams and ounces. I used to use a postage scale and converted from ounces to grams. This is a lot easier on the math!
Measuring spoons. While I have a whole set of those stacking measuring spoons (and measuring cups), the ones which get the most use are the tablespoon and the 1/4 cup spoons. The 1/4 cup one also measures to 1/8 cup.
Measuring cups. The smaller glass measuring cup was an impulse purchase several years ago, but it proved -- even then -- to be very valuable. It measures teaspoons and tablespoons, and individual ounces up to 4 ounces. Incredibly useful. This one is a replacement for the first one, which my daughter broke. It wasn't until then that I realized how much I used it, even before I was watching my food intake. The larger glass measuring cup goes to 1 cup. I do use a larger 2-cup measuring cup, but these are the two that get used daily, and usually at every meal.
The plant. His name is Charles. He's just there for moral support.
Food scale. It measures in both grams and ounces. I used to use a postage scale and converted from ounces to grams. This is a lot easier on the math!
Measuring spoons. While I have a whole set of those stacking measuring spoons (and measuring cups), the ones which get the most use are the tablespoon and the 1/4 cup spoons. The 1/4 cup one also measures to 1/8 cup.
Measuring cups. The smaller glass measuring cup was an impulse purchase several years ago, but it proved -- even then -- to be very valuable. It measures teaspoons and tablespoons, and individual ounces up to 4 ounces. Incredibly useful. This one is a replacement for the first one, which my daughter broke. It wasn't until then that I realized how much I used it, even before I was watching my food intake. The larger glass measuring cup goes to 1 cup. I do use a larger 2-cup measuring cup, but these are the two that get used daily, and usually at every meal.
The plant. His name is Charles. He's just there for moral support.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Weighing in
BAH HUMBUG! PHOOEY! RAWR!
I'd love to report a nice loss -- even a small one -- but I can't. The whole point of this is keepin' it real, yo. So the truth of it is this: I gained 1.4 pounds.
BAH! ARGH! BOO!
I could tell over the last few days that I was losing focus. I've had a few stressful things going on. In the past I've just walked while I mulled things over. Lately I've been sitting on my (apparently BIGGER) behind while mulling.
No more! I am not a quitter! Onward and downward, right?
I'd love to report a nice loss -- even a small one -- but I can't. The whole point of this is keepin' it real, yo. So the truth of it is this: I gained 1.4 pounds.
BAH! ARGH! BOO!
I could tell over the last few days that I was losing focus. I've had a few stressful things going on. In the past I've just walked while I mulled things over. Lately I've been sitting on my (apparently BIGGER) behind while mulling.
No more! I am not a quitter! Onward and downward, right?
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Banana Nut Muffins
I've been making this recipe for years (adapted from a now-out-of-print breads cookbook), so this week when I entered the recipe into the recipe calculator on My Fitness Pal I wasn't expecting good things. When it calculated to be only 112 calories per muffin, I squealed with delight!
The original recipe is as a loaf bread, but those tend to be messier for my little urchins, so I skip the loaf pan and put the batter into muffins instead.
Enjoy!
Banana Nut Muffins
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 egg
4 tablespoons canola oil
1 large soft ripe (or overripe) banana (about 3/4 cup)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Mix in pecans.
In a smaller bowl beat egg with milk and oil. Blend in banana. Add banana mixture to flour mixture.
Spoon batter into muffin cups and bake until done (about 25 minutes). Makes 24 regular sized muffins.
If you opt for the original loaf bread, the cooking time is about an 70 minutes.
The original recipe is as a loaf bread, but those tend to be messier for my little urchins, so I skip the loaf pan and put the batter into muffins instead.
Enjoy!
Banana Nut Muffins
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 egg
4 tablespoons canola oil
1 large soft ripe (or overripe) banana (about 3/4 cup)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Mix in pecans.
In a smaller bowl beat egg with milk and oil. Blend in banana. Add banana mixture to flour mixture.
Spoon batter into muffin cups and bake until done (about 25 minutes). Makes 24 regular sized muffins.
If you opt for the original loaf bread, the cooking time is about an 70 minutes.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Harsh reality
Maybe it's the "I'm back from vacation" slump. Maybe it's just laziness. Maybe it's because I've had multiple people mention how noticeable my weight loss is now. I'm not certain of the reason, but I've been feeling ... lax ... lately. Not on the nutrition really, but in not wanting to take the time, put in the effort of working out. Mid-loss crisis?
So this morning I decided to see where I really stand in the scheme of it all. I did some number-crunching this morning using the CDC website's BMI calculator.
Woooo. That was a huge dose of reality. I may be down almost 45 pounds from where I started, but I still need to lose almost 30 pounds MORE before I can get into the "overweight" category.
That's right. I was 75 pounds into the "obese" category when I started. I don't believe I had ever thought about it in those terms before, probably because I didn't want to see it or face it. And it might have seemed a little overwhelming. Or possibly a LOT. Now it seems a little more manageable since I'm looking at it from the "I've gotten this far" perspective, but still. That's a toddler-sized chunk of weight I need to lose to get there.
So ... I had been floundering and waffling without realizing it. Now the floundering is over, and I have a specific goal. The next hurdle is to get into the "overweight" BMI category, far enough out there that I'll have to work for it, but not far enough to be discouraging.
So this morning I decided to see where I really stand in the scheme of it all. I did some number-crunching this morning using the CDC website's BMI calculator.
Woooo. That was a huge dose of reality. I may be down almost 45 pounds from where I started, but I still need to lose almost 30 pounds MORE before I can get into the "overweight" category.
That's right. I was 75 pounds into the "obese" category when I started. I don't believe I had ever thought about it in those terms before, probably because I didn't want to see it or face it. And it might have seemed a little overwhelming. Or possibly a LOT. Now it seems a little more manageable since I'm looking at it from the "I've gotten this far" perspective, but still. That's a toddler-sized chunk of weight I need to lose to get there.
So ... I had been floundering and waffling without realizing it. Now the floundering is over, and I have a specific goal. The next hurdle is to get into the "overweight" BMI category, far enough out there that I'll have to work for it, but not far enough to be discouraging.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Lunch
Salad greens ~ I think it was the "herb mix"
Cucumber ~ about half of a cucumber
Tomato ~ 1 whole Roma tomato
Strawberries ~ about 5, sliced in half lengthwise
Prunes ~ about 5, cut into quarters
Zucchini, squash, and onions ~ maybe half a cup (?), leftovers from grilling this weekend, grilled with olive oil spritz
Steak ~ about 2 oz, cut into about 1/2 inch cubes
And for the dressing, I used 1/4 cup of Hannah Tabouleh. I don't like salad dressings, and this gives it a great flavor without being heavy.
The bread is ciabatta bread from Trader Joe's spread with a garlic herb goat cheese. Tasty, tasty lunch, all for under 600 calories.
Oh, and there is coffee in that cup. Don't judge me.
Weighing in
Down 1 pound since last week, which brings my total weight loss to 44.6 pounds. Kind of exciting!
My next mini-goal is to get 50 pounds down. I'd like to be there by October 6, but that's a bit ambitious for me. I've been doing some calculations, and I have (over the last year or so) averaged about half a pound a week. It's a bit lower than most people who are actively losing, but I am fine with it.
My activity and intake are sustainable, which is what is most important to me.
My next mini-goal is to get 50 pounds down. I'd like to be there by October 6, but that's a bit ambitious for me. I've been doing some calculations, and I have (over the last year or so) averaged about half a pound a week. It's a bit lower than most people who are actively losing, but I am fine with it.
My activity and intake are sustainable, which is what is most important to me.
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