1 Year Working on Fat to Fab!!

Well this week hit the 1 year mark, May 21st according to this blog. It's amazing to see all that I've accomplished in just one year. When I started this blog, I don't think I had any idea of how much I would be changing and so how fast it would happen. When I look back over my progress, it's really amazing and I'm glad I can look back because somedays I feel just the same as I did on day 1 (I think it takes time for your mind to catch up with your body).

I'm about to be thinner than I've been most of my adult life and its kind of crazy for me to grasp. I've dreamed about it for so long but didn't know how I was going to make it. I realize now that I've fundamentally changed as a person. Food isn't my enemy and my goals are attainable, not just pie in the sky dreams.

Ok all that aside, my weigh in was yet again great for this week.

Weight: 265.8
lbs Lost: 60!!!!

I ran this week for the first time in YEARS! I didn't think I could do it, but then again, I hadn't tried. I do need to invest in a better sports bra for the girls. :P And some running shoes.

Anyway, this puts me 40 pounds away from goal of 100 pounds. I can't believe it. Feels like I'm gonna get there in no time at this rate. Just goes to show that you can do anything you set your mind to.

Also, you can eat ANYTHING AT ALL if you only eat a little bit of it. I guess that is the hard part, retraining yourself to eat just a LITTLE bit of anything that is really delicious. I do have "trigger" foods that make me want to gorge myself like a Roman Emperor, so I avoid those things now (like bagels, pasta, etc). I have those things maybe once or twice a month.

TRUST ME, being thin tastes soooooooo much better than any food!!!

More updates

I dunno how this is happening, but here is my update:

Weight: 272
Lbs Lost: 54

Measurements
Chest: 46
Waist: 36!!!!!
Hips: 51

LIKE WHOA!!!

New Year and a New Me!

I know its been a while since I've posted. Life has been hectic, school at night, working, my daughter. But I'm happy to say that I'm keeping up all my progress!! The great news is that I'm almost halfway to my goal and I've been doing it naturally. I reached my first mini goal of 40 lbs lost!!!

I'm about to run off to school, so here is my update:

Weight: 279
Lbs lost: 47 lbs
Lbs to 2nd mini goal (-100): 53
Lbs to goal: 78

Measurements (including how many inches I've lost so far):

Chest: 47 (-6)
Waist: 38 (-4)
Hips: 53 (-7)
Thighs: 32 (-5)

Clothings size:

Tops: 22/24w to 14/16w/ XL
Bottoms: Size 22+/ Blue 5 to size 18/ Blue 2

The Old Self Emerging Again...

Once again, good news to report! I've lost 3 more lbs (as of last week, I'm a bit late on the update and I haven't even had a chance to weigh myself yet this week) so that brings my total to:

Weight: 296
Total Lost: 29.5 (ok I'm calling that 30!!!)
Lbs to mini goal: 10.5
Lbs to goal: 96

Measurements:
Chest: 50
Waist: 39
Hips/Butt: 55

Hey? Do you smell that? I do. It's the SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS. Ah breath deep my friends, breath deep.

Survive and Thrive

Hello again! I don't have much time today, but I thought I'd include a weight update:

Weight: 299 <-------- DO YOU SEE THAT?? OUT OF THE 3's!!! For the first time in almost a year!! YAY! I'm never ever going back!
Lbs lost: 26.5
Lbs to goal: 98.5
Lbs to mini goal (40lbs): 13.5

Ok! So now I'm UNDER 100 lbs away from my ultimate goal and a mere 13.5 lbs away from my first mini-goal of 40lbs! I'm gonna treat myself to a new hair style when I reach 40. I really feel like I'm at a pivotal time in my life right now. I'm trying to attack my life from all angles and make it better.

For the record, I DIDN'T have WLS or get a LapBand, I just cut out sugar for the most part which has really killed my cravings and now I eat probably a 3rd-half of what I used to eat. I eat about 1200-1600 calories a day and I'm not really having a hard time fitting within this range (which is probably why the weight is falling off at such a steady pace). I also just started exercising because I don't want to lose weight and then be flabby and I know that will certainly plateau if I don't!

This is Most Curious

So now I'm starting to wonder if I have a thryoid problem or something because I got on the scale today (naked.. wooo) and it said:

Weight: 303.5!
Total weight loss: 21.5 lbs
Lbs to goal: 103.5

Um how is this possible? A tapeworm or parasite perhaps? A broken scale? I don't think so. This scale is brand new. Somehow, weight is flying off me right now. NOT that I'm complaining. I'm just having a hard time believing it. I don't notice the difference in myself, but I guess that's normal for me, because I didn't really notice it while I was gaining.

September Update

Ok my pretties, sorry I haven't been regular with the updating, but life has been CRAZY! Annnyway, I'd been avoiding scales for a while because I was afraid of what they might say, but I have been trying to eat less, eat better and move more. I suppose it's been paying off. Here are the results:

Weight: 312.5
Total Loss: 12.5 lbs.

I'll TAKE it. :) I took my measurements as follows:

Bust: 51
Waist: 41
Hips: 57

I'm happy with the progress and hope to be reporting more falling numbers in the future. Yeah its slow, but at least we're moving downward. Its better than staying the same or gaining.

But we haven't given up YET

Ok ok, so I haven't really been sticking to my program. I KNOW, I suck!!!

In the mean time, I've been seriously considering getting a Lap Band, although I haven't given up on myself yet. I know that if I get the surgery, I will still need to change my habits for long term results.

I am truely struggling with this, but I'm going to keep going and I'm not giving up. I've got a friend that's volunteered to remotely be my personal trainer, so I'm taking him up on his offer. There's got to be SOMETHING that will work for me that I can stick with.

I'm sure I've gained back the 6 lbs that I lost, but here I am, getting back on the wagon.

Try, try again...

When I was a small child, my mother gave me the book "The Little Engine That Could". Up the steep hill, the Little Engine would chant "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can". Simple, yet profound words to live by.

That being said, I didn't get to the gym AT ALL since I got laid off. It just threw my routine into a bit of a tailspin, however things are stabilizing a bit now. I have temporary work and tonight I got back to the gym. I set the treadmill for a 5K (I've never tried that before), but I got there too late and I only made 2.25 miles (Just over one to go). I will get there at some point soon.

My weight update is gonna be short, I will try to put up measurements soon. I am realistic about my expectations. I think this is actually to key to LIFE. Write that down.

Weight: 319.2.

WHAT?? Do you see that? I didn't lose but I also DIDN'T gain, and this is good for me! I wasn't working out, not really even watching what I was eating super closely, but I've made some changes in my lifestyle. I live on soy milk (vanilla and chocolate!) , I've switched butter for spreads made of olive oil, and I've tried to limit fast food as much as possible. Sometimes this is just not possible with my life, but I've been making better choices. Salads with grilled chicken, or a grilled chicken sandwich, no mayo. Once I start getting back to working out, the weight should start coming off. I expect a better showing next week.

Hanging in here...*K8E*

Good News & Bad News

I guess I'll give you the bad news first: On Friday my company downsized and I abruptly and shockingly got the ax. THAT SUCKED. But on to bigger and better things I suppose. *sigh*

The Good News is that I weighed myself (unofficially, of course) and I lost the 2 lbs that I gained back plus another 1! So that makes 6 total in less than 2 weeks, but I will still have my official weigh in on Monday. I don't know why I have my weigh-ins right after the weekend, I must be masochistic.

The other good news is this week I reached my goal of working out 4 times. I will try to get one more time in this week, probably tomorrow.

The BEST workout EVER

Ok so tonight I think I really hit my stride. It is the 3rd day in a row this week working out (GO ME!) and it's definitely getting better, easier. I really needed a tough workout because I slipped up with my eating on Tuesday, so this was my "punishment".

I did my own sort of circuit training:

• 20 minutes elliptical machine: Approx 1 mile
• 40 minutes treadmill: Hills & Valley's
• 25 minutes elliptical: Approx. 1 mile.

• Home Video On Demand: 20 minutes weights: Arms. Envy Girls. They are a bit MUCH, but it's a no frills workout, which I wanted. I can't take that cheery pilates stuff. NO THANKS TO THAT!

I never had a workout this hard, at least not in a very very long time. I drank so much water today, its not even funny. I am really trying to incorporate weight training 3 times a week. So far I am meeting all my physical goals, slowly and methodically. It's WEIRD! Like I noticed this week and my heart rate has dropped a good 10-20 beats during my workouts. Figure that! I took my resting heart rate: 72. I don't know what it was before but I'm sure that 72 is better. (They say between 50 and 100 is average and closer to 80 for the median).

I've never been this motivated before. Having accountability (with this blog) is REALLY working on my mind to keep my honest. I know people are rooting for me, why let them down? But mostly I am rooting for myself. It's such a mind game, I am really finding out.

Hopefully I can balance everything out by the end of the week. I need to get to the grocery store, but I've been avoid shopping because I've just been feeling stressed about money, which is driving me to eat cheap, easy fast food. What a trap!!! Horrible, horrible old ways of thinking. We are going shopping Friday and I can regroup then.

June 2nd Weigh In & Measurments

Ok so this weekend, eh not the greatest. We had a strong start and then I eased up on the weekend. The weather was nice and we saw a couple of movies (I don't care what they say, I liked the Indiana Jones movie).

My news this Monday is bittersweet. I gained 2 lbs, but I lost some inches, so it's a fair trade I suppose. I do feel a bit bloated though (that time of the month). Only thing to do is work harder this week.

Weight: 322.6
Chest: 53
Waist: 42
Hips/butt: 57! (Hubby said I looked good in my jeans this am-- that made it all worth it!)

I pushed myself with my workout tonight. 30 minutes on the eliptical machine, 10 minutes of abs from On Demand and another 10 minutes of cardio dance. I feel great. Tomorrow I am going to try to get in weights.

Jillian's Michael's IS A BEAST!

Ok so last night I just couldn't get to the gym so I ordered up Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred On Demand (we get Exercise TV free On Demand with Comcast). She has 3 different level workouts that you do over 30 days and she claims that you can lose 20lbs in a month (is that healthy??). Well, for her, probably. She is the trainer that WHIPPED people into shape on the Biggest Loser, and I saw her results, so I had faith in her.

And after doing her workout, I can see why. Level 1 is just a 20 minute workout (how bad could that be, right?). HOLY CRAP, I felt more in this 20 minutes then EVERY OTHER WORKOUT I've done so far. She has a 3-2-1 system: 3 minutes of cardio (high impact like jumping jacks), 2 minutes of strength (squats with hand-weights) and then 1 minute on the floor with abs. I was DRIPPING sweat by the end and I am so sore this am. The key is you don't stop AT ALL, you are moving the entire time and your heart rate is elevated the entire time. I could see losing 20lbs in a month doing this everyday.

I Fought The Stairs and I Won, and Demons Surfacing

I get to work this am, extra early and stepped up to my new nemesis: 4 flights of stairs. This may seem simple to some people, but I am not one of those people. Yesterday, The Stairs claimed victory at the 2nd floor and I rode the elevator the rest of the way up, bitterly defeated. This morning, I knew I would face it once again. I started off strong, but at the 2nd floor felt winded again. I breathed deeply for about a minute and continued on 1 more flight. I stopped again to breathe, but then thought "Stop being so easy on yourself and just do it!". So I dug within and powered through. This was a sweet victory.

As I'm embarking on this journey, I am changing, inside and out, and also learning a lot about myself. I am beginning to realize that I carried so much extra weight to keep people at a distance. I am frightened to lose weight and get attention again, and ironically, conversely, I am afraid that I will lose weight and still be invisible. That is something that I am tired of; people looking past me because of my weight.

So who CARES if it's Water Weight ANYWAY?!?

For any people saying, 'Oh yeah, you lost 5lbs, but it's probably mostly water weight anyway'. To that I say "SO WHAT?" Yes, it very well may be some water weight, but it's still WEIGHT. It's not like there is ANY other time that people differentiate between being fat and having water weight.
Its not like people say "No no, you've got it all wrong; that's not a beer belly, that's just water weight." :P

Not LAPBAND: KAPBAND, Weigh In 1

Well kids, I made it through the long weekend with no tragedies!!! I couldn't always stick to my "perfectly healthy balanced organic meals" because that is just not reality. But I WAS able to make some excellent choices while eating out and I really kept track of my portion sizes when I was eating the... less than perfect stuff.

So now I say, I don't have the Lapband, I have the KAPBAND (Katy's Authorized Program).

Here are the results of the last week:

Weight 320.6 (down 5 actually b/c I started at 325.8) I really can't believe this!! In one week!

Bust: 51
Waist: 41
Hips: (To the end of the tape. 60!) Thanks, grandma, for those hips!

I finally wore my pedometer for the first time and I made a real effort to get moving, I put in 9,200 steps (out of my goal of 10,000) , which, to my stride is about 3.25 miles, which is not bad considering that I sit 10+ hours a day at work/commuting/misc.

I'm just trying to MOVE more. I took the steps at work today (Isn't that cliché? Whenever anyone says they are starting a workout plan they always say "I took the steps today"). I work on the 4th floor. So coming in the morning, I could only make it up to the 2nd floor and then I took the elevator up from there. At lunch time, I took the stair down and then I came back up all 4 flights. I took the stairs down at the end of the day. Plus I drink TONS OF WATER all day! I've started filling up 2 bottles at a time!

I am seeing improvements and settling into this plan. Like going to the gym. Good things to come!

Brief Weigh In Blog

Well it's a long weekend. So I was thinking, ok things could slow down a little bit given all the decedent treats that are around. I am finally starting to feel like i have some control over my portions at this point. Eating out has proven to be a breeze, really. We went to Outback on Friday and I had a "appetizer" of seared ahi Tuna thinly sliced with a soy sauce. It came to about 4 oz, a reasonable serving side. I also ordered Whole Grain Wild Rice (although I next time I will get it sans butter) and steamed veggies, which were actually quite good. This meal was tasty and easy to incorporate into my life.

But ok, enough about that right? On to the juicy bits...

My Weight started at? 325 ( I think it was . 4 or something but I didn't count it.
As of tonight, I weighed in at 320.4
Total: =4.5 lbs!

This makes me very happy and make feel like everything I am doing is successful and I'm going keep right along with it.

Don't Marry a Skinny Man if You are Fat

Because they will sabotage you!!!!!! Ok, I said, the good, the bad, and the UGLY. This morning we were running late because we had to get out of the house early, and we didn't have time for his usual waffle. He wanted us to stop for breakfast, so, against my better judgement, we went to Burger King. He got a breakfast meal and I got nothing, and I normally don't eat until I get to work. BIG MISTAKE. Remember Edger Allen Poe's story "The Tell-Tale Heart"? and how his dead wife's beating heart was beating in his ears from under the floorboards?

Same with Burger King. There is was, right next to me, calling to me, neigh, not just calling to me, singing an aria to me. But I resisted.

Until.... I drop him off for work and notice he left the bag... and 3/4s of a small order of hash browns! WHY would he do this to me?? This is like bringing a crackhead to the Crack Mall! Before I could stop myself, I ate it. There, I said it. My name is K8*E and I have a problem.

But it's ok. I am at work now and I'm surrounded by delicious, nutritious goodies. This was a minor setback. But it can't happen again.

Smoked Salmon Extravaganza

I don't know about you, but I love smoked salmon. There's just something about the smokey, oily goodness that grabs you by the senses and doesn't let go. I indulge in this treat whenever possible. Health wise, wild Salmon is high in the good fatty acids that keeps your coat and paws looking polished and keeps your skin young. Some Doctor's have formed entire diets based around salmon. Now I know what your saying, "But K8*E, aren't there Mercury dangers in eating too much fish?". Yes and no. Farm raised Salmon carries a far greater toxic risk than it's wild counterparts. So, stick with wild whenever possible, or limit your farm raised intake.

Here is a low-carb, high protein recipe for smoked salmon that I came up with tonight. I use Cage Free Eggs which include more omega 3's than usual, in addition to the omega 3's in the salmon.

Flying Dragon Egg Salad

4 free range eggs, hard boiled
4 oz smoked salmon, thinly sliced
2 stalks organic celery, thinly sliced
2 tbsp mayo (I used light)
1-2 tbsp Emeril's Kicked Up Horseraddish Mustard
Salt & Pepper

Toss eggs, celery, mayo and horseraddish mustard (adjusting for to your own taste), salt & pepper. Fold with smoked salmon.

TRY this dressing...

So I found this dressing in the "natural" section of the grocery store, Bolthouse Farms Creamy Yogurt Chunky Blue Cheese. It's DELICIOUS and WAYYYYY lower fat than regular dressing. I normally hate low fat dressing b/c A) They have sugar (like I mentioned) and all kinds of crazy ingredients that start with "x" and "z" that I can't even pronounce and B) they normally taste like crap! This is good. YUM YUM on my organic salad with turkey breast and organic baby carrots!

The Sad Truth in America...& Pedometers

So I went to the grocery store last night after working out (wahoo! knocked 5 minutes off my mile and I did some time on the eliptical machine... I'm SORE!), and I just had to pick up a few things, and this is what I found:

ALMOST EVERYTHING IN THE STORE HAS SUGAR IN IT!! In some form. I mean, I was trying to get MUSTARD and a balsamic vinegrette... I could not find ONE w/o sugar in it in some form!!! This is disheartening and made me think NO WONDER America is so obese; we are fed a steady diet of sugar unknowingly from the day we are born! Pfffpt... I'm making my own salad dressing from now on.

In addition to the sugar issue, companies are getting slick with their marketing. They put "All Natural!" on their packaging, BUT this does NOT mean organic, and sugar is natural, high fructose corn syrup is all natural, A LOT of things are ALL natural. Tobacco is "all natural". Do I want to eat it for dinner? Doubtful.

On a side note, I got on the scale last night..... NOTHING. It did not BUDGE. :( I am trying to not let it get me discouraged. Also, I bought a pedometer last night and I just set it up a little while ago. The gold standard is 10,000 steps, so that is my goal. I have no idea where I am even at, so I will keep you posted.

I don't LOVE meat.

So how am I suppose to get more lean protien in my diet? I'm not a HUGE meat fan.

Also... MY JEANS ARE LOOSE TODAY!!!! WAHOO!! I'm currently in a Lane Bryant size 22 jeans, or Blue 5 (which means I have a cuuuurvy figure).

I also need more fiber in my diet. How am I going to do that? This I am figuring out.

Hitting the gym tonight....

This is what I made last night... (My husband, who is skinny, loved it and ate 3 bowls of it! He had no idea it was reduced fat).

Tastey Reduced Fat Chicken Scarpariello recipe

1/2 pound hot and/or sweet Turkey sausage links, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
3 medium garlic cloves crushed
1 large green or red pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium sprig fresh thyme or rosemary
1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes
1 (2- to 2 1/2-pound) rotisserie chicken, cut into 8 pieces, skin removed
**Chili Sauce if you like it hot!!!
Salt and/or season salt

Heat nonstick 12-inch skillet or 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat until hot. Add sausage chunks, garlic, green pepper, onion, rosemary, oil, and salt; cook, covered, 5 minutes to brown slightly, stirring occasionally.Stir whole cherry tomatoes into sausage mixture in skillet; arrange chicken pieces on top. Add chili sauce to taste at this time (I used a heaping tablespoon). Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer about 10 minutes longer (20 minutes if chicken has been refrigerated) or until sausage is cooked through, tomato skins begin to burst, and chicken is hot, turning chicken pieces over halfway through cooking.

Yields 4 main dish servings.

Fat to Phab Day 1

Ok so this is my first journal entry, so I will tell you a bit about myself. I'm a 26 year old female, 5'7" from the East Coast and I'm trying to lose 125lbs naturally. (STILL putting me at 200 lbs, but man, will I look good!). I've gained a bit of weight since the birth of my daughter and also getting a seated job and not moving all day. My strategy is eat balanced, organic, healthy food as much as possible and work out MUCH MORE!

I've been a heavier, big boned girl for a long time, but right now, at my last weigh in, I was 325, but that was over a week ago. I will keep you posted. This is my highest weight ever. So as I'm looking at my food list, I can see a huge room for improvement. Like that bagel at work that tempted me.. DANG IT, I did not need that!!! I resolve that will be my LAST BAGEL for a while.

End of Day Report: I am using http://www.fitday.com/WebFit/PublicJournals.html?Owner=foxeyladyktto track my progress, it's GREAT! I stuck to my goal of 2000 calories (give or take),but after analysing my diet, my fat intake is FAR too high. A bulk of it came from olive oil, great, but a bit part of it came from FULL FAT DAIRY. If I just use 1% milk in my coffee and eat low fat yogurt and AVOID cheese like provolone! (I normally don't eat food that rich, but hey, my 87 year old grandmother is visiting! Special occasion.) I think that small changes can make a big impact.

The best improvement I've made for myself is packing a huge bag of goodies for my week at work. This means that there are no stops in the AM at McD's or Dunkin for breakfast (my nemesis!) and no wondering what I will have around lunch time. Breakfast has been oatmeal or yogurt with organic sugar free chutney (MMMMMMMM), prunes, Crystal Light To Go packets in my water and lunch is a salad almost EVERYDAY and I bring in something left over from the night before. Work is FULL of temptations, but keeping track of what I'm eating (EVERY MORSEL!) is helping me realize that every bite counts. ALL OF IT. So Day 1 of my journal, it was an ok day, exercise and dietary improvements can and will be made and implemented. I feel focused.