I know I've told many of you before that maintenance is tough. It really is because I've gotten (and many of you have also) to the point where I can eat any and everything. It's really just like before the surgery only now I have better control. I think it really comes down at this point to exercise.
I've been working with my daughter to get her assignments in at school. That's all I'm asking of her this year. You might thing, easy! But it's not. She does amazingly well when she's at my home but sadly she's not always here. I ask her what homework she has, what long-term project she has. I check her homework and help her in areas where she's struggling. We talk about the importance of school and why it's structured the way it is and we discuss ways to finish things you start. Like any child, she needs someone to help her. To sit down with her to do homework. Learn how to organize so she completes assignments on time, how to manage time to get a long-term project done, etc. I understand the concept behind the "Let the child do it herself, if she fails she'll learn" parenting style, I simply disagree with it (as do most experts). I believe a parent is there to guide, to teach. If you never introduce your child to something (in this case a way of doing things), how can you expect them to do anything but flounder?
Anyway, I bring this up because my daughter also wants to get into better shape. She's a typical teen, worried about how she looks in comparison to other girls. She really shouldn't, she's absolutely beautiful. As a parent, I'm highly motivated to give her a sense of determination, an understanding of how to create a habit/routine, to show her how to start (and finish) something. Right now she starts things but has issues with finishing them (i.e., schoolwork, projects, exercise).
At the forum on 11/9/11, I was introduced to Linda. She's amazing. She's run a 10k and a half marathon. Are you kidding me? I was taken back to a few months ago when my daughter and I talked about running a 5k this coming summer. So I asked Linda.. how did you get started running. She told me how she couldn't run very far when she started but she stuck with it. Why does that seem to me a lesson that we can use for everything? Hmmmmmm.
So, how do we get started? I have a few ideas. Stay tuned as this is to be continued soon. Very soon. On this very blog.
Weight Loss
My Playlist
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
November 9th Coming Up Fast
If you don't already know, I've been asked to be part of the RMAP forum on November 9, 2011. Initially I declined but after some soul searching, I decided I needed to accept the invitation. What makes me laugh is that it's been hard creating an outline and providing all the materials Carley wants by 10/26. Ugh. Too much to do, too little time. Wait... isn't it supposed to be Too Many People to Do, So Little Time? How did it change? haha
I hope everyone knows how to get to the RMAP 11/9/11 forum and that you're all going to be there. It might be your one and only time to hear me spill all my knowledge and experience in one setting (as opposed to getting it piecemeal on various forums).
I know I'm the worst blogger ever but I promise I'm going to start doing a better job. Stay tuned...
Monday, March 28, 2011
Weight Gain - Resolution
Okay so I'm back. Sorry for the absence. It's been crazy. Since the last time I posted, a lot has happened. The company I was happy with and working for folded up shop and laid everyone off. I have to chuckle since this is the 2nd time I've been through this. Fortunately I was one of the last ones let go which meant a pretty decent sized severence package. I took five months off waiting for the job I thought I was meant to move on to. A lot of people were shocked when that didn't turn out right. Panic mode a bit. It took me almost 7 months to find a job after that but I'm happy where I've landed.
However, the stress from that and a past relationship not having enough to do other than find ways to annoy me created a year (plus a few added months when I had anxiety from knowing my job was ending) where I was less than ideal with my eating. I'm currently at 247.8 lbs. Gahhhh. The worst part about it is that in some sense I still feel skinny and really I am. So many people have told me that I was too skinny at 207 and that they like me at this weight. 207 was too thin but I still believe that between 215-220 was the right weight for me. My goal weight was 225 and I achieved it but now I'm above it.
I. AM. NOT. HAPPY. Hahahaha.
The question now becomes, what am I going to do about it. Well... hmm. I've been thinking about that a lot lately. I think the biggest change with my weight gain has been my face. So that's an added motivation. *laughs* My recent blood tests have revealed a low level of Vitamin D. Gahhh. That means I'm not going to be absorbing calcium. I need to get better at that. I need to get back to the 70/30 (Protein/Veggies) eating plan. I need to make sure I'm getting my water. And above all, I need to get more exercise. Stay tuned. This will be another journey. Hopefully it won't be a very long one. Goal weight is 220 lbs. That's basically 28 lbs. I'd like to be under 230 by June 1st and at goal by July 1st. Ambitious I know. But we'll see.
So hold on to something and here we go..................
Friday, November 6, 2009
End of the Week Weigh-In
Woo-hoo! Weighed this morning at 211.8 lbs. Yay!!
If you want to know how I got down so quickly, I'll tell you. Each day I focused on not eating simple carbs and drinking more water. I wasn't always perfect but I was pretty good. Each day was better than the last. Evenings were the hardest. So I'm celebrating tonight by allowing myself to let loose... yep! Canyon Inn with friends.
I love the control I have over my eating now. It's nice to have control over my food addiction. It'll always be there and I have to be forever vigilant but I can now win the battle for the rest of my life. They key is to catch yourself anytime you go up too far. For me, I freak whenever I get over 215lbs and I know I'm in trouble if I get over 220 lbs. No way I want to be up 15-20 lbs. The farther you go up from where you want to be the more difficult the journey back. So why allow yourself to go up that far? Right.
If you want to know how I got down so quickly, I'll tell you. Each day I focused on not eating simple carbs and drinking more water. I wasn't always perfect but I was pretty good. Each day was better than the last. Evenings were the hardest. So I'm celebrating tonight by allowing myself to let loose... yep! Canyon Inn with friends.
I love the control I have over my eating now. It's nice to have control over my food addiction. It'll always be there and I have to be forever vigilant but I can now win the battle for the rest of my life. They key is to catch yourself anytime you go up too far. For me, I freak whenever I get over 215lbs and I know I'm in trouble if I get over 220 lbs. No way I want to be up 15-20 lbs. The farther you go up from where you want to be the more difficult the journey back. So why allow yourself to go up that far? Right.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Maintenance Struggles
Alright, alright, alright. I know it's been a long time. I'm sorry. But let me take a moment and share with you a maintenance story. This story is relevant for everyone (gastric bypass or not):
As anyway who has read my blog knows, I've been sitting between 207-215 lbs for a long time. My scary weight is set at 220 lbs. I'm now 2.5 years out from surgery and I'm eating like a normal person. I can eat anything I want. If I eat too much bread, it sits like a dead weight in me and if I eat too much sugar, it gives me a sharp pain inside... but really otherwise I can eat.
PROBLEMS/DISCOVERIES:
1. If I eat sugar my body gets rid of it fast and then I get the shakes until I eat something real.
2. Some of my bad eating habits are rising up again.
a. Eating more at night
b. Eating more than I should
c. Eating when I'm bored
3. It's much more difficult to maintain portion control. I struggle with this a lot.
RECENT EVENTS:
1. About two months ago I hit 220 lbs. Granted I was wearing clothes but it was slap in the face. I spent a week trying to eat better and focusing on the water. It was a quick trip back down to 213 lbs.
2. Recently I weighed (naked) at 217.2. Eek!!! I know to some that will seem silly.. to be freaking out over the gain of 4 lbs but it's traumatic!!!! It's time to jump on it before it gets up any higher. So now I'll tell you the story of the last day or so....
STORY:
Yesterday (11/2), I tried really hard all day to eat better and drink a lot of water. I ended the day having chomped on approximately 1600 calories and guzzling approximately 80 ounces of water. Not too bad.
Today (11/3), I find myself at 10:08am MT having swallowed approximately 200 calories and just starting imbibing my first 32 ounces of water.
Interestingly enough, yesterday was fairly difficult but having gotten through it pretty well, I find that today is much better. The REASON? Because I had allowed simple carbs (breads, pasta, sugars) to get into my diet. Whenever that happens my body acts like an addict (well, because I am) and it throws a temper tantrum anytime I try to get away from those things again. Each day I stay away.. the stronger I get, the less the withdrawals, and the quicker I'm going to lose back down to the range I want to be at.
SAVING GRACE
My saving grace is that I still haven't had any fast food (other than the occasional taco or taquito from Taco Bell since March 2007. In that same time I haven't had any soda pop either. One thing I've learned about maintenance is that it's EASY EASY EASY to start eating bad. That's why you have to catch yourself anytime you gain a few pounds. So you can put back into play all the GOOD habits you learned while losing the weight. It's tough enough at that point. I can't even imagine how tough it would be if I let myself slide 20-30 lbs upward before jumping in. And I don't ever want to find out.
I expect that within a week (to 10 days) I'll be back down around 210-213 lbs. Until then I'm going to be testing my mental strength and reinforcing the knowledge I gained when losing weight: my mind can overcome my body's addiction for food.
As anyway who has read my blog knows, I've been sitting between 207-215 lbs for a long time. My scary weight is set at 220 lbs. I'm now 2.5 years out from surgery and I'm eating like a normal person. I can eat anything I want. If I eat too much bread, it sits like a dead weight in me and if I eat too much sugar, it gives me a sharp pain inside... but really otherwise I can eat.
PROBLEMS/DISCOVERIES:
1. If I eat sugar my body gets rid of it fast and then I get the shakes until I eat something real.
2. Some of my bad eating habits are rising up again.
a. Eating more at night
b. Eating more than I should
c. Eating when I'm bored
3. It's much more difficult to maintain portion control. I struggle with this a lot.
RECENT EVENTS:
1. About two months ago I hit 220 lbs. Granted I was wearing clothes but it was slap in the face. I spent a week trying to eat better and focusing on the water. It was a quick trip back down to 213 lbs.
2. Recently I weighed (naked) at 217.2. Eek!!! I know to some that will seem silly.. to be freaking out over the gain of 4 lbs but it's traumatic!!!! It's time to jump on it before it gets up any higher. So now I'll tell you the story of the last day or so....
STORY:
Yesterday (11/2), I tried really hard all day to eat better and drink a lot of water. I ended the day having chomped on approximately 1600 calories and guzzling approximately 80 ounces of water. Not too bad.
Today (11/3), I find myself at 10:08am MT having swallowed approximately 200 calories and just starting imbibing my first 32 ounces of water.
Interestingly enough, yesterday was fairly difficult but having gotten through it pretty well, I find that today is much better. The REASON? Because I had allowed simple carbs (breads, pasta, sugars) to get into my diet. Whenever that happens my body acts like an addict (well, because I am) and it throws a temper tantrum anytime I try to get away from those things again. Each day I stay away.. the stronger I get, the less the withdrawals, and the quicker I'm going to lose back down to the range I want to be at.
SAVING GRACE
My saving grace is that I still haven't had any fast food (other than the occasional taco or taquito from Taco Bell since March 2007. In that same time I haven't had any soda pop either. One thing I've learned about maintenance is that it's EASY EASY EASY to start eating bad. That's why you have to catch yourself anytime you gain a few pounds. So you can put back into play all the GOOD habits you learned while losing the weight. It's tough enough at that point. I can't even imagine how tough it would be if I let myself slide 20-30 lbs upward before jumping in. And I don't ever want to find out.
I expect that within a week (to 10 days) I'll be back down around 210-213 lbs. Until then I'm going to be testing my mental strength and reinforcing the knowledge I gained when losing weight: my mind can overcome my body's addiction for food.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Weight Gain
Okay, so I'll admit it. This morning I weighed in at 218.4lbs. Wow. That's 11 lbs up from my bottom weight. Why? I haven't been keeping a constant tally (food journal or mental) of what I've been eating. Because of this lack of vigilence, sugars, carbs, etc. have crept into my diet. I've suffered from mental cravings and put my body back on the carb addiction trail.
*SIGH*
So here we go. Crack down! I'm too close to my scary weight of 220lbs and I have my minor revision plastic surgery coming up on August 10th. I want to be down around 210lbs when that happens. It's back to spacing meals out 4-5 hours, eating smarter, drinking more, and making sure I move every day. Stay tuned......
*SIGH*
So here we go. Crack down! I'm too close to my scary weight of 220lbs and I have my minor revision plastic surgery coming up on August 10th. I want to be down around 210lbs when that happens. It's back to spacing meals out 4-5 hours, eating smarter, drinking more, and making sure I move every day. Stay tuned......
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Emotional Grazing
So after the big push to get down as far as possible --which ended at 207 lbs-- I've now gone back to eating like a normal person. I'm back up to 215 lbs. Still 269 lbs down from where I started; however, it's always freaky to gain 8 lbs (which I find so humorous). My biggest problem these days is grazing. I'm always feeling the need to eat something. I know most of the time it's not hunger so it has to be some type of emotional need (stress, fatigue, boredom, loneliness, or something).
Soooooooooooooooooo.... how to deal. Hmmm.
Well, it's a mental thing so again I need to marshall my willpower and get back on track, take conscious control over what I eat and how much water I drink. More exercise would definitely help with this. I have found that when I exercise I have less time to feel the emotional pull of wanting to eat, exercise also gives me a constant reminder of what I'm trying to accomplish and so makes it easier not to sabotage myself. Of course burning extra calories is always good.
So there you have it. Here we go again... on the ride down. Stay tuned and good luck to all of you who I have recently talked to who are pushing to head on the downward slide with me. As always, feel free to reach out if you need support.
Soooooooooooooooooo.... how to deal. Hmmm.
Well, it's a mental thing so again I need to marshall my willpower and get back on track, take conscious control over what I eat and how much water I drink. More exercise would definitely help with this. I have found that when I exercise I have less time to feel the emotional pull of wanting to eat, exercise also gives me a constant reminder of what I'm trying to accomplish and so makes it easier not to sabotage myself. Of course burning extra calories is always good.
So there you have it. Here we go again... on the ride down. Stay tuned and good luck to all of you who I have recently talked to who are pushing to head on the downward slide with me. As always, feel free to reach out if you need support.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Stressful Week
This has been a stressful week and I've found myself grazing at work. ARGH!! I wish I could just take all the bad things at work and throw them away. Other than that, I do great. LOL I still haven't finished my paperwork for the online trainer. I need to do it this weekend among everything else.
This just reminds me that no matter how far you are out, no matter how well you've done, you have to be conscious of what you eat. Every day. If you don't, it's too easy to slip up, to forget for a little while, and before you know it you've gained back a ton of weight. I'm up about 5-6 lbs from my low of earlier. This is a direct result of slacking off in the "being conscious" arena. I'm not fanatic about getting back but I do need to make sure I am more conscious and STOP the grazing. ARGH (again)!!!
BTW, song of the day is by Metric - Gimme Sympathy. To me this song is telling me not to hold myself back. To take risks without worrying about the consequences because it doesn't last forever. Good advice to us all.
This just reminds me that no matter how far you are out, no matter how well you've done, you have to be conscious of what you eat. Every day. If you don't, it's too easy to slip up, to forget for a little while, and before you know it you've gained back a ton of weight. I'm up about 5-6 lbs from my low of earlier. This is a direct result of slacking off in the "being conscious" arena. I'm not fanatic about getting back but I do need to make sure I am more conscious and STOP the grazing. ARGH (again)!!!
BTW, song of the day is by Metric - Gimme Sympathy. To me this song is telling me not to hold myself back. To take risks without worrying about the consequences because it doesn't last forever. Good advice to us all.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Bonding through Exercise
Alright. So here's the scoop: I'm currently at 210.6 lbs. This actually seems to be the ideal weight. It's too much of a push to get below this and as long as I'm eating right this seems to be where my body wants to be. This will change, I'm sure as I finish my plastics but for now I'm good.
I've been out walking and biking a lot lately. I walk 6.5 miles almost every day now. I'm working on getting faster at completing that distance. On top of that I've been getting my daughter and I out on the bikes as much as possible. This past Saturday we rode our bikes over to the movie theaters. At the end of the ride (just before the theaters), there is a relatively big hill. I got up it without much trouble but had to stop and wait for my little one. You could tell she didn't want to do it but I give her credit, she plugged away, and amid cheering from the people at the apartment complex pool as they urged her on, she made it. I was so proud.
Anyway, it's been a hug daddy-daughter bonding experience. It's amazing me how much bonding getting out and doing a little exercise can occur between two people.
I've also been tanning for the first time in a REALLY long time. I don't want to get super dark (and doubt I could if I wanted to) but I do want some color. I thought that I would get a jump start using the salon down the street from me. It's been interesting, to say the least.
Anyway, today I'm filling out the paperwork to work with an online trainer. I'll keep you in the loop as to how that goes. I know we're all always on the look out for something that will help us be successful and maintain that success. It's my hope this will prove to be a powerful tool. As always, tune in for more information on this new adventure.
Take care and have a great Fourth of July.
I've been out walking and biking a lot lately. I walk 6.5 miles almost every day now. I'm working on getting faster at completing that distance. On top of that I've been getting my daughter and I out on the bikes as much as possible. This past Saturday we rode our bikes over to the movie theaters. At the end of the ride (just before the theaters), there is a relatively big hill. I got up it without much trouble but had to stop and wait for my little one. You could tell she didn't want to do it but I give her credit, she plugged away, and amid cheering from the people at the apartment complex pool as they urged her on, she made it. I was so proud.
Anyway, it's been a hug daddy-daughter bonding experience. It's amazing me how much bonding getting out and doing a little exercise can occur between two people.
I've also been tanning for the first time in a REALLY long time. I don't want to get super dark (and doubt I could if I wanted to) but I do want some color. I thought that I would get a jump start using the salon down the street from me. It's been interesting, to say the least.
Anyway, today I'm filling out the paperwork to work with an online trainer. I'll keep you in the loop as to how that goes. I know we're all always on the look out for something that will help us be successful and maintain that success. It's my hope this will prove to be a powerful tool. As always, tune in for more information on this new adventure.
Take care and have a great Fourth of July.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Exercise / Trainers
Mmmmm. It's raining outside so I have the window open. I can't think of a smell I like better than rain. I should put my laptop in a poncho and go out and sit in the rain. I love summer rain. With that said, while I love the rain I do hope it won't rain all weekend. I have been really looking forward to getting on the bikes with Faith and getting out there.
I've had so much work on my plate over the past month that I've had to take a lot of it home with me. It has been that or sleep at work. Fortunately I've been able to watch the HBO series "Weeds" as I've been working. That has kept it from driving me too much insane. Good show by the way. I've made it a priority not to let my work interfere with my time with Faith and I've remained accessible to my friends and family but it has kept me from being able to get out and do a lot.
Anyway, the stress has been difficult to deal with. It's been hard not to fall back on bad habits and from time to time I do. Yesterday, however, I tried something different. Rode my bike over to a nearby park and went around the trail 8 times for a total of 6.4 miles (estimated). I didn't really have the time to do it but it was great. I need to do that more often.
I've also decided to investigate using a trainer. I used to work with this amazing woman. She has a daughter who is trained in physical fitness and martial arts and does personal training (online and in home/gym). I will probably post more about that later; however, if you want to get hooked up, let me know.
Just remember that your weight loss journey is only half of the trip. The other half is learning to live healthy and proper exercise and a good cardio make-up are essential to help you get there.
I've had so much work on my plate over the past month that I've had to take a lot of it home with me. It has been that or sleep at work. Fortunately I've been able to watch the HBO series "Weeds" as I've been working. That has kept it from driving me too much insane. Good show by the way. I've made it a priority not to let my work interfere with my time with Faith and I've remained accessible to my friends and family but it has kept me from being able to get out and do a lot.
Anyway, the stress has been difficult to deal with. It's been hard not to fall back on bad habits and from time to time I do. Yesterday, however, I tried something different. Rode my bike over to a nearby park and went around the trail 8 times for a total of 6.4 miles (estimated). I didn't really have the time to do it but it was great. I need to do that more often.
I've also decided to investigate using a trainer. I used to work with this amazing woman. She has a daughter who is trained in physical fitness and martial arts and does personal training (online and in home/gym). I will probably post more about that later; however, if you want to get hooked up, let me know.
Just remember that your weight loss journey is only half of the trip. The other half is learning to live healthy and proper exercise and a good cardio make-up are essential to help you get there.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Calories / Lagoon
So even though I'm not being as restrictive as I have been, I'm still finding that I'm not eating anything out of the norm. The biggest change really was on Friday when I added a couple of slices of cheddar cheese. This weekend zoomed by and I had to remind myself to actually eat. For Father's Day we spent a few hours at Lagoon. As always I forgot to eat until my low blood sugar reminded me. My daughter and I split a chicken rice bowl at Teriyaki Stik. Some chicken and a bit of rice. That was my deviation for the weekend. The funny thing is I don't really deprive myself (okay, so for my week long experiment I did but not as a general rule). I just watch how much of anything I eat and know where my triggers are.
Anyway...... I weighed this morning at 207.2 lbs. Nice.
Last Friday I also read a few articles which reminded me how easy it is to rack up calories. Amazingly so. This is why it is so important to understand how many calories are in everything. If you can estimate the amount of calories you are putting into your mouth then you are way ahead of the game.
One slice of bread is approximately 100 calories. Buffalo Chicken Salad at Chili's is over 1,000 calories. And so on. Get in the habit of knowing the calories now. It will help you estimate and that will help you tremendously.
Anyway...... I weighed this morning at 207.2 lbs. Nice.
Last Friday I also read a few articles which reminded me how easy it is to rack up calories. Amazingly so. This is why it is so important to understand how many calories are in everything. If you can estimate the amount of calories you are putting into your mouth then you are way ahead of the game.
One slice of bread is approximately 100 calories. Buffalo Chicken Salad at Chili's is over 1,000 calories. And so on. Get in the habit of knowing the calories now. It will help you estimate and that will help you tremendously.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
End of the Week Blurb
For those of you who would like to start running but are struggling with it because it's been so long since you have, here is a website just for you.
http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml
How do you know when you're done with your weight loss?
Well the easy answer is that when your daily caloric intake rises to the point where it pretty much matches up to your daily caloric expenditure, your weight loss stops.
My answer however (which is basically the same as above) is when you try to lose weight and you can't because there's not much fat left on your body and you're exercising and eating enough to keep your body from eating your muscle tissue. This, I think, is what I ran into last week. But we'll see. I seem to have bottomed out weight-wise (which is totally fine because I'm perfectly happy with where I am).
Now if I could just affect the weather by how I eat and exercise that would be great. I need some sunshine this weekend.
http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml
How do you know when you're done with your weight loss?
Well the easy answer is that when your daily caloric intake rises to the point where it pretty much matches up to your daily caloric expenditure, your weight loss stops.
My answer however (which is basically the same as above) is when you try to lose weight and you can't because there's not much fat left on your body and you're exercising and eating enough to keep your body from eating your muscle tissue. This, I think, is what I ran into last week. But we'll see. I seem to have bottomed out weight-wise (which is totally fine because I'm perfectly happy with where I am).
Now if I could just affect the weather by how I eat and exercise that would be great. I need some sunshine this weekend.
Day 7
Okay... hmmm. How to put this. I wasn't perfect today. Damn.
It started off well but my string of perfect days came to an end when I popped like 10 jelly bellies. Then I ate about 10 pieces of licorice and then like 15 small round chocolate candies.
*covers eyes* I hate myself already!
Anyway, the rest of the day went well (that all happened in about a 2 hour period) and I did get on the elliptical and workout when I got home (5 out of the last 6 days). So that did make me feel better. And my water has been phenomenal.
So there you have it. Tomorrow I'm getting back to where I was because I know I won't be perfect at Lagoon on Sunday (well, I might be really close). More updates to come.
It started off well but my string of perfect days came to an end when I popped like 10 jelly bellies. Then I ate about 10 pieces of licorice and then like 15 small round chocolate candies.
*covers eyes* I hate myself already!
Anyway, the rest of the day went well (that all happened in about a 2 hour period) and I did get on the elliptical and workout when I got home (5 out of the last 6 days). So that did make me feel better. And my water has been phenomenal.
So there you have it. Tomorrow I'm getting back to where I was because I know I won't be perfect at Lagoon on Sunday (well, I might be really close). More updates to come.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Day 6
Day 6.
Still cruising. Weighed this morning at 209.6 lbs. Drank lots and waited until 10am to eat 1/2 of my protein bar (150 calories - 7.5g protein). Drank more and then when I got home I jumped on the elliptical. After finishing my workout (at about 3:45pm), I drank a EAS protein shake (170 calories - 20g protein). About an hour and a half later I was actually a little hungry so I ate the other half of the protein bar (150 calories - 7.5g protein).
So right now I'm at 470 calories - 35g protein. At the end of the day I'll be at 670 calories and 50g protein. Add on the little bit of calories that flavoring my water brings and I'm right about 800 calories.
This is actually getting kind of fun. All in all though today was a bit more difficult than some of the other days. I had a harder time getting into the workout (the first 10 minutes is always the hardest) and I had a more difficult time stretching the meal times out (as noted by the 2nd half of the protein bar). But all in all, I'm cruising.
Still cruising. Weighed this morning at 209.6 lbs. Drank lots and waited until 10am to eat 1/2 of my protein bar (150 calories - 7.5g protein). Drank more and then when I got home I jumped on the elliptical. After finishing my workout (at about 3:45pm), I drank a EAS protein shake (170 calories - 20g protein). About an hour and a half later I was actually a little hungry so I ate the other half of the protein bar (150 calories - 7.5g protein).
So right now I'm at 470 calories - 35g protein. At the end of the day I'll be at 670 calories and 50g protein. Add on the little bit of calories that flavoring my water brings and I'm right about 800 calories.
This is actually getting kind of fun. All in all though today was a bit more difficult than some of the other days. I had a harder time getting into the workout (the first 10 minutes is always the hardest) and I had a more difficult time stretching the meal times out (as noted by the 2nd half of the protein bar). But all in all, I'm cruising.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Day 5
It's amazing to me how easy it is to live under 700 calories a day. If you had asked me 2 years ago if I could ever see it happening I would have thought you were crazy. But yet I've been on this kick all week. Today is day 5. Yesterday I ended up with 480 calories (plus whatever little amounts of calories I take in to flavor my water).
I'm now at 211.4 lbs. Yep. That was what I weighed in at this morning. That's almost 9 lbs down from when I hit my scary weight. The push is on to break the 200 lbs barrier. I'm exercising at least 5 times a week too in order to keep my body from breaking down muscle. Add to that the fact that I'm ingesting 20grams of protein immediately after every workout (have to love the EAS shakes).
Some have asked if this is a reaction to what I've been talking about in my personal blog. I guess it is a little bit but I actually started this before that happened. Others have asked how long I plan on doing this. I honestly don't know. At least until I get past the 200 lb barrier. And I don't think I'm opposed to occasionally eating out with friends/family/colleagues but then it would be the only meal of the day (most likely).
The ultimate question is when will this become a habit? After 28 days? Or will it always be something that will require my mental focus in order to happen? I mean it is fairly easy but it does require discipline. I have to watch and remind myself not to just eat because I think it's time.
Anyway, this is proving to be a very interesting experiment. More to come later.
I'm now at 211.4 lbs. Yep. That was what I weighed in at this morning. That's almost 9 lbs down from when I hit my scary weight. The push is on to break the 200 lbs barrier. I'm exercising at least 5 times a week too in order to keep my body from breaking down muscle. Add to that the fact that I'm ingesting 20grams of protein immediately after every workout (have to love the EAS shakes).
Some have asked if this is a reaction to what I've been talking about in my personal blog. I guess it is a little bit but I actually started this before that happened. Others have asked how long I plan on doing this. I honestly don't know. At least until I get past the 200 lb barrier. And I don't think I'm opposed to occasionally eating out with friends/family/colleagues but then it would be the only meal of the day (most likely).
The ultimate question is when will this become a habit? After 28 days? Or will it always be something that will require my mental focus in order to happen? I mean it is fairly easy but it does require discipline. I have to watch and remind myself not to just eat because I think it's time.
Anyway, this is proving to be a very interesting experiment. More to come later.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Eating and Exercise - An Ephiphany
Day four. Okay, so I was thinking this morning that I'm really not eating any different now than I was about 18 months ago. It's really similiar, actually more along the lines of how I should have been eating back then but we won't get into that.
So I've stopped thinking what I'm doing is unhealthy. Can I do it my entire life? Well, I could but I doubt I will. What I'm actually doing right now is eating four times a day. Three times at 200 calories or slightly less and the other is a snack under 100 calories. So that's putting me between 650-700 calories per day. If you add the flavored water, that's between 100-150 calories per day. All in all it boots me under 1,000 calories. But I'm still getting around 60 grams of protein per day.
This all aids in my push for 195 lbs. But how am I going to stay at 195 once I get there? Easy. That's where the exercise push comes in. I'm telling you here and now, right here, that exercise every day is the thing. As Disney puts it: You've got to move it, move it. Okay, so Disney didn't invent that line but I just say Madagascar 2 with a friend and my daughter so it's what came to mind.
I have a lot of goals when it comes to exercise. And let's talk about goals for a minute. I know some of you have talked to me about this in the past. Having an end goal is important but if that's the only goal you have, then your chances for failure are good. You need to have a long-term (end) goal but you also need to have several short-term (stepping stone) goals. Stepping stone goals are your pathway to your end goal. For example, I want to run a half marathon next spring in Ogden. How am I going to get there?? Well, by pushing myself on the elliptical, getting out and biking, starting to run and as my body accommodates, increasing the amount that I do each day.
As I'm a person who likes things to happen overnight (gets me in no end of trouble -- usually with other people), I like to jump into things too fast. This is no exception. But I'm working on holding myself back, being patient, and putting in the every day work that is required to get me to the level I want. Do I have a timeframe? Not really other than next spring. I don't really do timeframes well anyway. But in the back of my mind, I'd like to be tremendously closer by the end of July and that's the push. If it happens, great. If not, well I know I'll get there eventually, you know?
Email me if any of this doesn't make sense to you. I think it's important.
So I've stopped thinking what I'm doing is unhealthy. Can I do it my entire life? Well, I could but I doubt I will. What I'm actually doing right now is eating four times a day. Three times at 200 calories or slightly less and the other is a snack under 100 calories. So that's putting me between 650-700 calories per day. If you add the flavored water, that's between 100-150 calories per day. All in all it boots me under 1,000 calories. But I'm still getting around 60 grams of protein per day.
This all aids in my push for 195 lbs. But how am I going to stay at 195 once I get there? Easy. That's where the exercise push comes in. I'm telling you here and now, right here, that exercise every day is the thing. As Disney puts it: You've got to move it, move it. Okay, so Disney didn't invent that line but I just say Madagascar 2 with a friend and my daughter so it's what came to mind.
I have a lot of goals when it comes to exercise. And let's talk about goals for a minute. I know some of you have talked to me about this in the past. Having an end goal is important but if that's the only goal you have, then your chances for failure are good. You need to have a long-term (end) goal but you also need to have several short-term (stepping stone) goals. Stepping stone goals are your pathway to your end goal. For example, I want to run a half marathon next spring in Ogden. How am I going to get there?? Well, by pushing myself on the elliptical, getting out and biking, starting to run and as my body accommodates, increasing the amount that I do each day.
As I'm a person who likes things to happen overnight (gets me in no end of trouble -- usually with other people), I like to jump into things too fast. This is no exception. But I'm working on holding myself back, being patient, and putting in the every day work that is required to get me to the level I want. Do I have a timeframe? Not really other than next spring. I don't really do timeframes well anyway. But in the back of my mind, I'd like to be tremendously closer by the end of July and that's the push. If it happens, great. If not, well I know I'll get there eventually, you know?
Email me if any of this doesn't make sense to you. I think it's important.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Exercise and Your Self Image
Whew. I am so tired. It was a long (but good) day at work but coming home and working out and then going out for a long bike ride was just what I needed. I feel at peace. I'm still on this controlling what I eat kick. I calculated out that yesterday was around 750 calories (including the flavored water). Today so far I'm at about 550-600. Amazingly enough, eating less has led to more drinking so my water has soared to over 100 ounces.
How long will I do this? I don't know. When I hang with good friends, I pick things up from them. I picked this up from a friend late last week. Apparently its been an unhealthy but rather production tool for them over the course of their life. I wondered if I could do it, could live that way. Guess I'm finding my answer. I don't find it overly difficult, in fact I'm getting pretty used to it. I assume that if I kept it up long enough, it would become habit. Don't know if I want to go that far. But I'll probably continue through the end of the week.
I haven't changed my mind -- I want to push down to 195. That's about 18 lbs from where I am now. I'm exercising and getting in a good deal of protein after I finish so I'm sure the 18 lbs won't come from the used muscle. What I wonder is if I actually have 18 lbs of fat to lose. Guess we'll see. According to the BMI scale, I do.
I'm starting to get into the elliptical too. My next step is to bump it up an extra 15 minutes. Then once I get used to that, I'm going to start running in addition to the elliptical. I don't have a specific timeframe for this (I don't do timeframes) but I'd honestly like to be running 5 or more miles by at least the end of the summer. We'll see. Next summer I want to join some of my friends/colleagues in running the half marathon up in Ogden.
Many of you have stated that you hate exercise. I totally relate and understand. Up until now that is. I think hate of exercise is like hate of math. If you have the wrong mindset, you're screwed. You can't think of exercise as a have-to. You can't think "oh I have to get in shape." Once you make it a have-to, it's downhill.
When I first started this exercise journey, it was painful to try and get myself to do it. As I started realizing where the journey was taking me, that the exercise could alleviate my stress (it really is cathartic), that it was going to help me get to where I wanted to go (which is where I was headed when I started the weight loss), it's all become different now. Granted it wasn't at first but it so is now. I'm exercising every day now. I missed a couple of days last week due to a long date and time with my daughter but otherwise I was there every day. And this week I want to exercise every day and unless something better comes up, I'm there.
Some of you, I'm sure, have this image of yourself in your mind. This image is a toned version of yourself. Well, losing the weight is definitely a start. But any toned person you see isn't just skinny. They have spent time, put the hours in, to exercise. This means working out. Find your motivation. Find your reason. If you like hiking then thrill as your leg muscles get stronger. Start off small. Start with 30 minutes a day. If you don't like going to the gym, buy an elliptical. But do something that makes you breath hard (and sex does count but you have to do more than just sex -- well unless that's your job and you're doing it like 150 times a day) and makes your leg muscles wear out. Then as you get into that, add some weights and crunches. It's all part of the process. You're becoming like everyone else. Take this opportunity to become the person you want to be. Become the image in your head.
How long will I do this? I don't know. When I hang with good friends, I pick things up from them. I picked this up from a friend late last week. Apparently its been an unhealthy but rather production tool for them over the course of their life. I wondered if I could do it, could live that way. Guess I'm finding my answer. I don't find it overly difficult, in fact I'm getting pretty used to it. I assume that if I kept it up long enough, it would become habit. Don't know if I want to go that far. But I'll probably continue through the end of the week.
I haven't changed my mind -- I want to push down to 195. That's about 18 lbs from where I am now. I'm exercising and getting in a good deal of protein after I finish so I'm sure the 18 lbs won't come from the used muscle. What I wonder is if I actually have 18 lbs of fat to lose. Guess we'll see. According to the BMI scale, I do.
I'm starting to get into the elliptical too. My next step is to bump it up an extra 15 minutes. Then once I get used to that, I'm going to start running in addition to the elliptical. I don't have a specific timeframe for this (I don't do timeframes) but I'd honestly like to be running 5 or more miles by at least the end of the summer. We'll see. Next summer I want to join some of my friends/colleagues in running the half marathon up in Ogden.
Many of you have stated that you hate exercise. I totally relate and understand. Up until now that is. I think hate of exercise is like hate of math. If you have the wrong mindset, you're screwed. You can't think of exercise as a have-to. You can't think "oh I have to get in shape." Once you make it a have-to, it's downhill.
When I first started this exercise journey, it was painful to try and get myself to do it. As I started realizing where the journey was taking me, that the exercise could alleviate my stress (it really is cathartic), that it was going to help me get to where I wanted to go (which is where I was headed when I started the weight loss), it's all become different now. Granted it wasn't at first but it so is now. I'm exercising every day now. I missed a couple of days last week due to a long date and time with my daughter but otherwise I was there every day. And this week I want to exercise every day and unless something better comes up, I'm there.
Some of you, I'm sure, have this image of yourself in your mind. This image is a toned version of yourself. Well, losing the weight is definitely a start. But any toned person you see isn't just skinny. They have spent time, put the hours in, to exercise. This means working out. Find your motivation. Find your reason. If you like hiking then thrill as your leg muscles get stronger. Start off small. Start with 30 minutes a day. If you don't like going to the gym, buy an elliptical. But do something that makes you breath hard (and sex does count but you have to do more than just sex -- well unless that's your job and you're doing it like 150 times a day) and makes your leg muscles wear out. Then as you get into that, add some weights and crunches. It's all part of the process. You're becoming like everyone else. Take this opportunity to become the person you want to be. Become the image in your head.
Unhealthy Eating
So yesterday I ended the day at 755 calories. Taking into account the exercise, net calories were just over 200. Hmmmm. And today I'm still at it. I'm almost at 40 ounces of water but other than the water flavoring, I haven't eaten yet.
I know what you're thinking... unhealthy! And you'd be right. But I am exercising control and I want to see how far I can take this. It's only a temporary fling. Plus it reminds me of someone I care about a lot and those memories are good things. I want to spend time in those memories before they start to fade.
There is one additional thing I want to see. I want to see how my body reacts to this. I'm curious if it will fight back and try to keep from losing weight. How long will this battle last? How long will it take for weight loss to occur? Will there be other things that will pop up? When it's done will there be a rebound effect? All good questions and I'm intrigued to know the answers.
I think I have a new way to deal with emotional upheaval in my life. It's as unhealthy as the old one but I can deal with this one better than the old one.
I know what you're thinking... unhealthy! And you'd be right. But I am exercising control and I want to see how far I can take this. It's only a temporary fling. Plus it reminds me of someone I care about a lot and those memories are good things. I want to spend time in those memories before they start to fade.
There is one additional thing I want to see. I want to see how my body reacts to this. I'm curious if it will fight back and try to keep from losing weight. How long will this battle last? How long will it take for weight loss to occur? Will there be other things that will pop up? When it's done will there be a rebound effect? All good questions and I'm intrigued to know the answers.
I think I have a new way to deal with emotional upheaval in my life. It's as unhealthy as the old one but I can deal with this one better than the old one.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Control
So the last two days have been interesting. I've really eating next to nothing (though I've made a conscious thought to get in around 20g of protein after exercise). Where did this come from? I'm emulating a friend for various reasons. I know it's not long term but it's intriguing to explore how much control I now have over this little thing called eating and I plan on exploring it a bit further. So far today, I'm at 280 calories (32 grams of protein) and I expect to get in at least my 64 ounces of water. Add on exercise that is estimated to have burned over 500 calories and I'm running on negative calories right now.
I know, unhealthy. I'll tweak it so it won't be quite this extreme but the point I want to make is that gastric bypass gives you the control. It's up to you to exercise that control.
I know, unhealthy. I'll tweak it so it won't be quite this extreme but the point I want to make is that gastric bypass gives you the control. It's up to you to exercise that control.
Alteration
I'm taking out my last two posts. I have created a separate blog for my more personal ramblings. Bringing my personal and emotional things into this blog just distracts from what its purpose was to begin with. I'm going to strive to keep this blog geared more towards my journey. Since my weight loss portion of that journey is over, I'm now switching to the other portions of my journey that I now need to embark on. Any of you are still welcome to email me or (if you have my number) call me if you have any questions or need some support or advice.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
