Monday, August 25, 2014

Oh the changes....

It has been FOREVER since I have had a desire to post on here...

That is not to say that little snippits of my life haven't made it out onto the interweb. I utilize facebook A LOT (you can find the link to the right ->)

Anywho...so what has been going on with me?

I came up with a new short term goal for myself.

I want to weigh under 250 pounds by my 30th Birthday!

If I can pull this off I will be around the same weight I was on my 20th birthday will will render my 10 year change curve null and void....which would make me happy!

I would have officially gotten rid of ALL the baby weight from two pregnancies and ten year of being a lazy fat person who tried to convince herself she wasn't lazy OR fat!

I think losing 11.8 pounds in 14 weeks is MORE than doable....I don't want to weigh 250 lbs...I want to be under. This might also sound like a cheater a goal...and easy one to achieve but my weightloss this year hasn't been stellar. On January 1st, 2014 I weighed in at 276.6...Last Friday (8/22/2014) I weighed in at 261.6...That is only 15 pounds for the ENTIRE YEAR. It took me 35 weeks to lost 15 pounds....so my average will not carry me...I will have to work to get this accomplished!

So...I found this great quote on the internet that said.

A goal without a plan is just wish!

I like this....this makes perfect sense...I have talked to people who are like..."I want to lost 40 pounds in _____ time."  I ask them how and they reply. "Meh...It is just my goal."

Well I don't want to WISH to be 11.8 pounds lighter....I am going to do it...and here is my plan!!

Diet:
I have joined WW (Weight Watchers) Online. I know this is just about blasphmey for all of use bandsters out there that have tried this particular diet plan before and have failed...but I have my reasons and they are this:
  1. Counting carbs makes me neurotic - I don't eat fruit, beans, corn, peas, tomatoes, or peanut butter because they have carbs. I can't wrap my head around the HUGE impact they have on my carb count for the day. Then...and then I feel GUILTY for eating a piece of watermelon or pineapple...I mean it isn't like I am going out and eating a chocolate cake, or a donut, or a cookie or even a chocolate bar...I am eating F R U I T!!!!....I need balance!
  2. Balance - As I stated at the end of #1 I need something that allows me to have a life...I can survive on the low carb/high protien life style just fine...as long as I allow myself to eat things I want like pineapple (can you tell the missing fruit part was getting to me)...But I see all these people doing what I view to be much better than me at the whole losing weight thing and I get all CRAZY about what I am eating...then I get down and eat crap and the cycle continues...I need to find a way to make it stop.
  3. WW works for me - When I USE it - I can't stress that last part enough. When I was in high school and I was trying to lose weight seriously for the first time in my entire life...I started on Weight Watchers...back when it was just the points plan. I would weigh in ever Tuesday with my mom and her best friend. I always had Tuesdays off from work and NEVER told anyone why. I managed to lost 26 pounds. Which was 10% of my body weight at the time. I managed to keep that weight off for almost 5 years until I got poor and worked 70 hours a week at McDonald's to pay rent. Then I only lived on McD's food. Gained 20 pounds back...Then I got pregnant. I have tried WW over the years since but I couldn't seem to make myself stick to it. It wasn't that WW failed me it was that I failed me...I didn't keep myself accountable and I didn't let the scale reset my thinking each week. I blamed the system and not the fat chick sneaking french fries and telling herself that if her husband didn't know about them they didn't count...So....
I have learned so much over the last 20 months that I have no doubt I can make it work for me this go around. I am sure that I will have ups and downs but I have learned that quitting because it isn't going fact enough is dumb....because at least it is going!

Exercise - I only have one thing about the WW plans that I dislike...I think WW messes up is the activity. At least for me I always figured that activity was optional. I mean...I could do it when I wanted more activity points so that I could eat more. I was treating myself like a dog. "Good girl, Pumpkin. You went for a walk...now you can have that ice cream cone from McDonald's!"  In general terms that girl doesn't exist any more.  I find being sore and being fitter and being able to make myself go out and run is WAY more of a reward then the ice cream cone or the chips or the popcicle ever were...But anyways...here is my plan for exercise!

Absolute Minimim
  1. Run - Monday, Wednesday, Friday
  2. Strength - Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday (<- This is typically JM's 30 Day Shred)

Ideal plan
  1. Run - Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
  2. Strength- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. 

One of the things I have noticed most between the people whom I have watched over the last two years of their Lap-Band journey and myself is the dedication to physical activity...I mean...They do it everyday regardless if they WANT too or not. They just do it! I have NEVER done this and there is no time like the present to make a change.

Be prepared for some honesty!!
The biggest change in my body both shape and size has come from being more physically active!

Watching what and how much I ate keeps the weight coming down and not counter acting all the benefit I have done while running, lifting, dancing, playing. walking, etc.

I am a smaller size then I was in high school despite the fact that I have 30 pounds heavier...I have a waist and "womanly curves"  as my Dad has put it in some very awkward for both of us conversations :)...These are not things I had when I was 18,19,20,21-27...I have pretty much been a shapeless blob who has just gotten bigger and bigger over the years.

In the last three months I have gone down 2 dress sizes but I have only lost about 5 pounds...but my body is changing...this wouldn't be possible with just the band...this is becasue I have been using the band like a tool along with my weights and my treadmill...

Now I am going to stop half assing this process and see what me and Ronney can really do!

Stay tuned!

(Check out my facebook page....I use it A LOT!)