Floundering

I started to title this post 'struggling' but then I admitted to myself that you can't really call it a 'struggle' if you aren't really trying.

It seems that my cravings have taken over, and I've let them. In each case, I really tried to be on the healthy side of naughty. For example, I wanted Mexican rice. So instead of eating the whole batch as a meal, I made it into a chicken, black bean, veggie, salsa mixture and turned it into 6 meals. No cheese, no sour cream, but still a big portion with a lot of starch. I also went to Taco Bell, but I ordered two tacos off the 'fresh' menu, or whatever their lower-cal menu is called.

And if I'm gonna be completely accountable, I made a batch of snickerdoodles last night, and had a box of Poptarts over a couple days last week - no 'healthy side of naughty' with these - just plain naughty. I don't even really like snickerdoodles! But I had the mix in my cupboards - I think I got them at 50% off holiday items at Target after Easter. BTW, sales are dangerous for the dieter - usually, it's the crap that goes on sale. You'll never see a mescalin mix discount!

I guess I've been eating like a 'normal' person not a dieting person. Maybe I can call this phase my mini-maintenance! Yeah! That's putting a positive spin on not working toward my goal...anyway, I haven't gained any weight, which honestly shocks the hell out of me. I fear the reason for this is that I might have gained fat but lost muscle.

So, I'm going to set mini-goals:
I vow to lose 5 pounds by September 30
I vow to lose an additional 12 pounds in October
I vow to lose an additional 10 pounds in November.

This will get me to a really magical place - 80 pounds lost. Puffy is going to fit super well by November!! Oh, I never shared a picture of Puffy! What the hell is wrong with me?

Also, I teased with Shawna that I was going to put my 'before' picture in the visor of my car as a deterrent for when my car starts steering toward Taco Bell, or the MACdonalds. But, joking aside, I really think I will. Nothing will scare me straight like the Blue Rhino photo.

I Boot-Camped

So, I did it. Attended my first boot camp this morning. Today's activities were not a real stretch for me, so I got all concerned for nothing. I'm sure it won't stay 'manageable' but I suppose the challenge will be good for me.

What did we do? Start with 10 push-ups, 10 squats, 10 crunches. Then take two full laps around the building (a half mile). Then return to the turf and do 9 push-ups, 9 squats, 9 crunches; off to do two more laps, then back for 8 reps, etc.

So the totals on this progressive work out (if someone does it all without shaving things off...eh hem) ends up to be: 5 miles run; 55 push-ups; 55 squats; 55 crunches.

IF, and I'm saying 'if', someone did two full laps the first two times, but then only did one full lap the following times, their total run count = 3.0 miles. If this person also was so slow that they didn't get the last two rotations in, the total run count = 2.5 miles.

Hypothetically.

Funniest Home Videos, here I come!

So, I was jogging on the treadmill this morning, moving at a nice pace, when all of a sudden...! I believe my foot hit the non-moving edge next to the belt. Holy shit! I do not recommend doing that. Thankfully, I caught myself before I was sent ass-over-tea-kettle off the edge like you see in the Funniest Home Videos. But, there was some yelping on my part. Then it happened again. THEN, my now-too-big workout pants almost fell down. I tell ya, I could provide entertainment for that whole gym...

I still have not done a boot camp. I'm admittedly a little a lot nervous about this, even though my teammates who have done it say it's similar to what we've been doing for three months. Yesterday, I didn't have time (appointment at 8:00 in Waunakee), and today I was late and missed warm-up. So I used that as my excuse to do something else. I did running/walking for probably 45 minutes and I'd say running was more than half of that time.

Somehow, I've become someone who can run for 6-7 minute stretches at a time. Never would have thought.

Boot camp tomorrow - no excuses!!

PS. - I meant to post some measurements, just for my own record-keeping. Lost 6 inches around my hips; 3 inches around my upper arm, and 0 inches around my thigh. That last one cracks me up - my legs are not where I carry my fat, that's for sure... Actually, I believe the thigh measurement went down (fat loss) but then went back up (muscle gain). So, win/win.

The dreaded "Before" picture

It's kind of interesting how intimidating posting a 'before' picture can be. But, I promised, so here goes:

 

The 'Before' was taken May 27, 2012                                                The 'After' was taken September 1, 2012

When I was building the side-by-side, I noticed the propane tank in the 'before' photo. Blue Rhino brand...I had to laugh at that one especially considering my blue shirt.

I actually feel thinner than it looks in the current photo. It really shored up my resolve that this has to be a 'during'. Sure it's leaps and bounds better than the 'before' but still not ideal.

Thank you everyone for the fantastic support!

Sweet

Saw this blog post linked from another blog I read. It really struck home - both as someone who feels like everyone in the gym is staring as I gasp and wheeze, but also now as someone who sees bigger girls at the gym to whom I want to say "I was where you are; you can DO it."

 

Anyway, here's the post:

 

Hey, Fat Girl:

 

Yes, you. The one feigning to not see me when we cross paths on the running track. The one not even wearing sports gear, breathing heavy. You’re slow, you breathe hard and your efforts at moving forward make you cringe.

You cling shyly to the furthest corridor, sometimes making larger loops on the gravel ring by the track just so you’re not on it. You sweat so much that your hair is all wet. You rarely stay for more than 20 minutes at a time, and you look exhausted when you leave to go back home. You never talk to anyone. I’ve got something I’d like to say to you.

 

Read the rest of Hey, Fat Girl here:


 

August 31, 2012
Pounds lost in week fourteen = 3.2
Total pounds lost = 53.2  (average of 3.8 per week)

Officially done with the Biggest Loser program. It really went fast, which is actually what I was psyching myself up with at the beginning of the three months. I told myself that three months seems like a really long time to be getting up every day at 5:00, but on the other side of it, it will feel like time flew by. Truth.

The most amount of weight I've ever lost was 60 pounds. This was back in 1989 right before my sister Kristi's wedding. I remember exactly what I weighed (160), and exactly what I wore (size 10-12) when I got there. One-sixty actually seems heavy to me when I hear what friends weigh, but I remember a flat tummy and mostly normal-sized upper arms. I should add, too, that this goal was acheived almost solely by dieting - 750 calorie-a-day, unhealthy dieting. I did very little exercise, mostly walking, I believe.

Anyway...I'm not sure I can get back to that number, but I know I can blow the 60 pounds lost acheivement out of the water. I'm only 7 pounds away from that. And I have another significant goal that I want to hit in bootcamps (which I'm not putting here because I don't want you mathy folks to figure out what I weigh now and subsequently how much I weighed when I started - it's crazy embarrassing...).

SO, I decided that I'm NOT going to take a break. In fact, I believe I'm even going to do my first bootcamp at 6:30 tomorrow morning. Who is this person?

Oh, and I promise I'll get the "Before and After Biggest Loser" photos posted this weekend. And maybe Puffy will make an appearance too.

Warm Green Bean and Tomato Salad

Just made this tonight (needed an all-veg dinner after having a whole bagel for lunch) and I loved it. It's sort of based on this recipe I saw on the Food Network: Green Bean Salad

But, honestly, I get kind of lazy about following a recipe so I decided to wing it. I think the biggest change was that I switched the basil, which I'm kind of 'meh' about, for cilantro, which I'm all 'woohoo' about.

So, here are the ingredients...roughly:

2 C. chopped green beans
1 large garlic clove
About 1/8 C. diced red onion (the chunk of onion I started with was about the size of a golf ball)
1 small tomato, chopped
3-4 T. fat free feta
1 to 2 T. chopped cilantro
1 T. oil
1 to 2 T. wine vinegar
Salt
Pepper
Smoked paprika (if you don't have smoked paprika, just use regular or add whatever you like - cumin would be similar)

I cooked the beans in water on the stove along with the garlic and onion. I didn't want the garlic and onion raw and I didn't want to dirty another pan (see 'lazy' comment above), so I boiled them with the green beans. I 'think' this was successful...I could taste the garlic and onion, but it was subtle.

Anyway, I strained these veggies in a colander and then transfered them to my bowl. While still warm, I added the feta, cilantro, tomato, oil, vinegar and the seasonings.

Total calories is about 250. I was kind of surprised that the calorie count was this high, but the oil accounts for 125 of the 250. And, really, a normal person might only eat half of the recipe...I am not said normal person.