I need to knock it off. I've been munching all day. Given, almonds are a pretty healthy snack, but I couldn't stop shoving them in my mouth. I ate half a container of them. I'm experiencing the same thing now with some baked cheddar lays.
I don't know if my body is responding to stress or the cold (since I don't have any heat in my car). Maybe I got a visit from the metabolism fairy overnight. In any case, I need to quit munching.
What do you do to curb your appetite?
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Weigh-In Results
It's Monday, day 366 of my weight loss journey. It's weigh-in time.
2 pounds even. That's a solid loss over especially over Thanksgiving. If I can do the same for the next 25 weeks or so, I'll be a happy camper.
I just want to thank everyone who commented on yesterday's post or sent me a message telling me I'm doing a good job. In fact, I need to thank everyone who has commented on my blog over the last year. You've kept me going.
I just want to thank everyone who commented on yesterday's post or sent me a message telling me I'm doing a good job. In fact, I need to thank everyone who has commented on my blog over the last year. You've kept me going.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
100 Pounds in a Year?
Happy Thanksgiving weekend everyone. I'll tell you more about my weekend a little later, but first, I have a bigger landmark I'd like to talk about.
Today is the 1-year anniversary of the beginning of my journey. 365 days ago I started this blog with a simple and incredibly ambitious goal, to lose 100 pounds over the course of a year.
So, a year later, how have I fared? When I started 52 weeks ago, I weighed 296 pounds. I was ashamed of my weight. I felt unhealthy. And I was extremely frustrated. A year later, I weigh 245.7. I've lost 50.3 pounds. I didn't make my goal of losing 100 pounds in a year.
I started my first post by posing the question, "Am I being too ambitious?" It's a year later and I know the answer. No. If I hadn't set the bar so high, I wouldn't have lost anywhere near the 50 pounds that I lost. It doesn't matter that I missed my goal. My health, my looks, and my self esteem are all 10 times better than they were a year ago.
Where does this leave me now? Well, I'm not giving up on my goal to lose 100 pounds. I'm halfway there as it is. In the next few days I'll put together a new time-line to reach my goal. Over the next few months, I'm going to redouble my efforts and really work for weight loss. It's very clear that I've done some coasting, but I'm going to change that.
I'm also thinking of changing the name of my blog since I didn't lose 100 pounds in a year. Any suggestions?
I have had a busy weekend. On Thanksgiving, we went over to Claire's aunt and uncle's house. I didn't restrict my eating but I logged everything I ate. I noticed that even though I didn't restrict my diet, sometimes writing things down made decide not to eat them. The extra step it took to eat food made me think twice about snacking. For your scrutiny, I present my thanksgiving meal.
3 pieces of my mother-in-law's delicious s'mores fudge. Yum!
3 servings of crackers
2 servings of cheese (cheddar and pepper jack)
1 handful of mixed nuts (almonds, pistachios, cashews, brazil nuts)
3 pieces of almond bark
1 brie and chive biscuit
2 cups of mashed potatoes made with sour cream and butter
2 cups of turkey
1/2 cup wild rice stuffing
3/4 cup bread stuffing
1/4 cup gravy
1 piece of dutch apple pie
2 tablespoons of whipped cream
I also had two blueberry muffins for breakfast that day. The total calorie count was around 3500 calories. That's almost 300 calories below the average American's daily caloric intake. * It is kind of gross that the average American eats more on a regular day than I ate on Thanksgiving.
I woke up early on Friday morning to stand in line for a Black Friday deal on a printer. I was extremely cold. Extremely cold. I think that here in the northernmost contiguous state, we should move Black Friday to August.
After a morning of shopping, I headed to the gym to get the most intense workout I've had in a while. Since the weather has turned inhospitable to my ability to stay upright on a bike, I've started to lose some strength and endurance.
I performed "poor" on the treadmill fitness test. Last time I scored "fair" (which sounds mediocre, but was really a big deal for me). Afterward, I did bench press, curls, shoulder press, and lunges, then spent 20 minutes on the elliptical. I thought the muscles I built in my legs from cycling so much the last few months would help with the lunges. Nope. I can barely walk now.
Yesterday, we went to my parents for Thanksgiving part 2. We had a nice lasagna with wheat noodles, 93% lean ground beef, and cottage cheese. Very healthy. Thanks mom!
I'm really not sure what my weigh in is going to look like tomorrow. I know one thing, no matter what the result, I'm proud of how far I've come in the last 365 days. Let's see what I can do in the next 365.
*I was unable to find a primary source on this number.
Today is the 1-year anniversary of the beginning of my journey. 365 days ago I started this blog with a simple and incredibly ambitious goal, to lose 100 pounds over the course of a year.
So, a year later, how have I fared? When I started 52 weeks ago, I weighed 296 pounds. I was ashamed of my weight. I felt unhealthy. And I was extremely frustrated. A year later, I weigh 245.7. I've lost 50.3 pounds. I didn't make my goal of losing 100 pounds in a year.
I started my first post by posing the question, "Am I being too ambitious?" It's a year later and I know the answer. No. If I hadn't set the bar so high, I wouldn't have lost anywhere near the 50 pounds that I lost. It doesn't matter that I missed my goal. My health, my looks, and my self esteem are all 10 times better than they were a year ago.
Where does this leave me now? Well, I'm not giving up on my goal to lose 100 pounds. I'm halfway there as it is. In the next few days I'll put together a new time-line to reach my goal. Over the next few months, I'm going to redouble my efforts and really work for weight loss. It's very clear that I've done some coasting, but I'm going to change that.
I'm also thinking of changing the name of my blog since I didn't lose 100 pounds in a year. Any suggestions?
I have had a busy weekend. On Thanksgiving, we went over to Claire's aunt and uncle's house. I didn't restrict my eating but I logged everything I ate. I noticed that even though I didn't restrict my diet, sometimes writing things down made decide not to eat them. The extra step it took to eat food made me think twice about snacking. For your scrutiny, I present my thanksgiving meal.
3 pieces of my mother-in-law's delicious s'mores fudge. Yum!
3 servings of crackers
2 servings of cheese (cheddar and pepper jack)
1 handful of mixed nuts (almonds, pistachios, cashews, brazil nuts)
3 pieces of almond bark
1 brie and chive biscuit
2 cups of mashed potatoes made with sour cream and butter
2 cups of turkey
1/2 cup wild rice stuffing
3/4 cup bread stuffing
1/4 cup gravy
1 piece of dutch apple pie
2 tablespoons of whipped cream
I also had two blueberry muffins for breakfast that day. The total calorie count was around 3500 calories. That's almost 300 calories below the average American's daily caloric intake. * It is kind of gross that the average American eats more on a regular day than I ate on Thanksgiving.
I woke up early on Friday morning to stand in line for a Black Friday deal on a printer. I was extremely cold. Extremely cold. I think that here in the northernmost contiguous state, we should move Black Friday to August.
After a morning of shopping, I headed to the gym to get the most intense workout I've had in a while. Since the weather has turned inhospitable to my ability to stay upright on a bike, I've started to lose some strength and endurance.
I performed "poor" on the treadmill fitness test. Last time I scored "fair" (which sounds mediocre, but was really a big deal for me). Afterward, I did bench press, curls, shoulder press, and lunges, then spent 20 minutes on the elliptical. I thought the muscles I built in my legs from cycling so much the last few months would help with the lunges. Nope. I can barely walk now.
Yesterday, we went to my parents for Thanksgiving part 2. We had a nice lasagna with wheat noodles, 93% lean ground beef, and cottage cheese. Very healthy. Thanks mom!
I'm really not sure what my weigh in is going to look like tomorrow. I know one thing, no matter what the result, I'm proud of how far I've come in the last 365 days. Let's see what I can do in the next 365.
*I was unable to find a primary source on this number.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
I'm Back
Yes, I had a crappy weigh-in this week. There were a lot of reasons, but it boiled down to three things.
1. I got sick. This was a big one because I eat like crap when I'm sick.
2. I quit counting my calories. I did this in part because I got sick, but you saw what happened when I counted calories and you saw what happened when I quit.
3. I didn't bike to work on Monday. Whenever I bike to work, I lose a lot of water weight due to sweat. It's been pretty clear since I started biking that I lose a couple pounds of water on my bike.
So what am I going to do? I've logged my calories the past two days and I'll be doing it tomorrow. That's right, I'm going to try to write down everything I eat tomorrow. That's right, I'll be counting calories on Thanksgiving. I'm not going to deprive myself of anything I want to eat, I'll just be logging how many calories I consume.
Wish me luck.
1. I got sick. This was a big one because I eat like crap when I'm sick.
2. I quit counting my calories. I did this in part because I got sick, but you saw what happened when I counted calories and you saw what happened when I quit.
3. I didn't bike to work on Monday. Whenever I bike to work, I lose a lot of water weight due to sweat. It's been pretty clear since I started biking that I lose a couple pounds of water on my bike.
So what am I going to do? I've logged my calories the past two days and I'll be doing it tomorrow. That's right, I'm going to try to write down everything I eat tomorrow. That's right, I'll be counting calories on Thanksgiving. I'm not going to deprive myself of anything I want to eat, I'll just be logging how many calories I consume.
Wish me luck.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Cleaning Out the Closet
I can't take it back, but I'm eventually going to have to deal with this particular behavior.
I had a non-scale victory tonight. I cleaned out my closet and got rid of about 3/4 of my wardrobe because my clothes were too big. This I'd going to save me a ton of time in the morning.
I have a small problem now. I have no clothes.
Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
It's My Life
I used to think there was nothing I could do about my weight. I tried diet and exercise and even slim-fast. I resigned to believing fat was something that happened to me. It was out of my control.
Have you ever felt that way?
Time and time again I resolved to change my weight. To become thinner. To look better. I would become determined and... very little would happen.
I concluded that nothing I did could really push the scale down. I was just destined to be fat. This mentality continued for years until I got so fat I got mad. I was fed up (pardon the pun). I hated how I looked, I hated how I felt, and I hated that I had to present myself to the world as a huge tubby.
Things are different now. I look better, feel better, and feel as though I'm presenting a better me to the world.
I'm not all the way to my goal, but I have definitely learned that I am in control of my weight and my life.
Have you ever felt that way?
Time and time again I resolved to change my weight. To become thinner. To look better. I would become determined and... very little would happen.
I concluded that nothing I did could really push the scale down. I was just destined to be fat. This mentality continued for years until I got so fat I got mad. I was fed up (pardon the pun). I hated how I looked, I hated how I felt, and I hated that I had to present myself to the world as a huge tubby.
Things are different now. I look better, feel better, and feel as though I'm presenting a better me to the world.
I'm not all the way to my goal, but I have definitely learned that I am in control of my weight and my life.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Weigh-In Results
It's Monday! This week I've been counting calories like no one's business using Fat Secret's Calorie Counter app for Android. I lapsed a little yesterday, but not too badly.
I had a pretty epic bike ride in to work this morning. For those of you who don't live in Minnesota, we had a pretty major snowstorm this weekend. The ride was actually pretty easy with the exception of a bike bridge that hadn't been plowed and a patch of black ice. Don't worry, all I suffered was a slightly bruised hip. Note to self: If there's a puddle in the winter, don't automatically assume the wet ground next to it is also made of liquid water. I don't think it will be long before I get the hang of this winter biking thing.
Alright. Let's see how fat I am.
YES!!! Counting calories is definitely the way to go! I lost 3.9 pounds this week and this is the lightest I've been on my journey. I'm only 8.7 pounds away from seeing the 220s. I'm hoping to get there before the new year. I've got a lot standing in my way; Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, etc. but I feel like this is the first reproducible loss in a long time. Next week's weigh-in is going to be great!
This week's winner is Jill Dupuis with a guess of 237.5. Only off by 1.1 pounds. Though you flatter me by guessing lower. Congrats Jill! And although I'm not allowed to give you just the bacon from the chocolate covered bacon prize, I can give you bacon covered chocolate. Enjoy!
I had a pretty epic bike ride in to work this morning. For those of you who don't live in Minnesota, we had a pretty major snowstorm this weekend. The ride was actually pretty easy with the exception of a bike bridge that hadn't been plowed and a patch of black ice. Don't worry, all I suffered was a slightly bruised hip. Note to self: If there's a puddle in the winter, don't automatically assume the wet ground next to it is also made of liquid water. I don't think it will be long before I get the hang of this winter biking thing.
Alright. Let's see how fat I am.
This week's winner is Jill Dupuis with a guess of 237.5. Only off by 1.1 pounds. Though you flatter me by guessing lower. Congrats Jill! And although I'm not allowed to give you just the bacon from the chocolate covered bacon prize, I can give you bacon covered chocolate. Enjoy!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
A Quick One
I just wanted to let everyone know that I am rocking it this week. Today is day 4 of logging my calories and I have been right around target (2400 calories) each day for how much I've been eating. I didn't exercise yesterday, but I went to the gym on Monday and I've already biked to work today. I may hit the gym this afternoon too!
I'm gonna rock the next weigh-in!
I'm gonna rock the next weigh-in!
Monday, November 8, 2010
Weigh-In Results
Monday weigh-in time. Let's see how fat I am this week.
Yup, it's a gain. .8 pounds up. However, I'm not discouraged. I've completed two days of calorie logging and I'm going to do it again tomorrow. I went to the gym tonight. I'm on the right track, I'm just fluctuating a little. I'm going to rock the next 20 days.
No more eating an entire bag of pita chips. No more skipping workouts. No more slacking off. I want to see the 220s by 2011.
Congrats Colleen for guessing closest to my actual weight. Candy will be shot into your mouth at near the speed of light very soon.
No more eating an entire bag of pita chips. No more skipping workouts. No more slacking off. I want to see the 220s by 2011.
Congrats Colleen for guessing closest to my actual weight. Candy will be shot into your mouth at near the speed of light very soon.
A Small Victory
I did it. I logged everything I ate yesterday. I took in 2,620 calories total, which is 220 calories over my goal. It doesn't matter though because I managed to record everything I ate and that's the real victory. I picked up some more jalapeno and cilantro humus and pita chips and managed to eat only one serving! Logging my calories made me aware of what I was doing and kept me from binging. Let's see if I can do this again today.
Don't forget, my weekly weigh-in is tonight. If you want to guess how much I weigh, keep in mind that I weighed 241.7 last Monday. If you win, I'll send you a bag of pretzel M&Ms that have been shot through a particle accelerator in order to rid them of their calories without sacrificing flavor.*
Good luck guessing. See you tonight.
*candy may cause nausea, some forgetfulness, and gastrointestinal black holes. If you experience weightlessness for more than four hours, stop eating the candy and consult a quantum physicist immediately. In the event that you start floating toward the ceiling fans, try burping to return to the earth. Consume at your own risk. 100 Pounds in a Year is in no way responsible for Oompa Loompa related injuries.
Don't forget, my weekly weigh-in is tonight. If you want to guess how much I weigh, keep in mind that I weighed 241.7 last Monday. If you win, I'll send you a bag of pretzel M&Ms that have been shot through a particle accelerator in order to rid them of their calories without sacrificing flavor.*
Good luck guessing. See you tonight.
*candy may cause nausea, some forgetfulness, and gastrointestinal black holes. If you experience weightlessness for more than four hours, stop eating the candy and consult a quantum physicist immediately. In the event that you start floating toward the ceiling fans, try burping to return to the earth. Consume at your own risk. 100 Pounds in a Year is in no way responsible for Oompa Loompa related injuries.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
One-Day Goal
Yesterday I ate close to an entire bag of pita chips and cilantro jalapeno humus. I couldn't stop.
Today's goal: log everything I eat in a calorie counting program. Wish me luck.
Today's goal: log everything I eat in a calorie counting program. Wish me luck.
Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Sleep
I'm exhausted. Plain and simple. Too much to do and too little sleep. I used to think that working out instead of going to bed was a good idea. For the record, it is not. Sleep is a crucial part of losing weight.
Here's a snippet from a 2004 USA Today article:
Scientists have found that sleep deprivation increases levels of a hunger hormone and decreases levels of a hormone that makes you feel full. The effects may lead to overeating and weight gain.
The article also asserts that the rate of obesity in America (65%) mirrors the rate of people not getting a full night's sleep (63%).
I read another study recently that claims sleep deprivation causes the body to metabolize muscle rather than fat. Two groups of people got the same amount of exercise and calories. One group got 8.5 hours of sleep a night. The other group got 5.5 hours. Both groups lost the same amount of weight but half the weight lost in the 5.5 hours of sleep group was muscle.
A problem that plagues many overweight people (myself included) is sleep apnea. This disorder tends to be a double edged sword. For those of you who are unfamiliar with sleep apnea, it's the medical term for snoring. When you snore, you're actually waking yourself up many times each minute (it was over 100 according to my sleep study). Sleep apnea worsens with weight gain. As the previous studies showed, sleep deprivation leads to more obesity. Downward spiral.
If you think you might have sleep apnea, go do a sleep study. The subsequent rest I've gotten because of it was worth the testing. I don't think I would have been able to lose the weight I've lost without treatment.
Everyone else, get a good night's sleep. It will help you lose weight.
http://www.sleep-deprivation.com/articles/effects-of-sleep-deprivation/weight.php
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2004-12-06-sleep-weight-gain_x.htm
Here's a snippet from a 2004 USA Today article:
Scientists have found that sleep deprivation increases levels of a hunger hormone and decreases levels of a hormone that makes you feel full. The effects may lead to overeating and weight gain.
The article also asserts that the rate of obesity in America (65%) mirrors the rate of people not getting a full night's sleep (63%).
I read another study recently that claims sleep deprivation causes the body to metabolize muscle rather than fat. Two groups of people got the same amount of exercise and calories. One group got 8.5 hours of sleep a night. The other group got 5.5 hours. Both groups lost the same amount of weight but half the weight lost in the 5.5 hours of sleep group was muscle.
A problem that plagues many overweight people (myself included) is sleep apnea. This disorder tends to be a double edged sword. For those of you who are unfamiliar with sleep apnea, it's the medical term for snoring. When you snore, you're actually waking yourself up many times each minute (it was over 100 according to my sleep study). Sleep apnea worsens with weight gain. As the previous studies showed, sleep deprivation leads to more obesity. Downward spiral.
If you think you might have sleep apnea, go do a sleep study. The subsequent rest I've gotten because of it was worth the testing. I don't think I would have been able to lose the weight I've lost without treatment.
Everyone else, get a good night's sleep. It will help you lose weight.
http://www.sleep-deprivation.com/articles/effects-of-sleep-deprivation/weight.php
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2004-12-06-sleep-weight-gain_x.htm
Monday, November 1, 2010
Weigh-In Results
Welcome to the weigh-in results show. I overdressed for my bike ride on the way to and from work today so I got a great sweat as well as some quality cardio. I also got to work before sunrise this morning for the first time since I started biking. I'm proud of what I accomplished today.
Speaking of proud of what I accomplished. Let's take a look at my weigh in number.
Six pounds down. My weight has been fluctuating like mad recently and I'd like it to be pointed in one direction. 28 days from now is the 1-year mark on my blog and I want to see results this month. That means exercising nearly every day and counting my calories. Time to kick some butt.
Oh and the winning guess for my weigh-in this week is Anonymous with a guess of 239. Fitting that the author of an anonymous comment wins a prize that doesn't exist.
I'll leave you with a comment left by MizFit.
"Lets.ROCK.These.Next.28."
1 rocked, 27 to go.
Speaking of proud of what I accomplished. Let's take a look at my weigh in number.
Oh and the winning guess for my weigh-in this week is Anonymous with a guess of 239. Fitting that the author of an anonymous comment wins a prize that doesn't exist.
I'll leave you with a comment left by MizFit.
"Lets.ROCK.These.Next.28."
1 rocked, 27 to go.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)