 |
| This is a milestone! |
I already posted about my milestone, but since this is the official post for the challenge, I'm gonna say it again (plus I like saying it): I'm no longer morbidly obese. I've joined the ranks of the many Americans who are "severely" obese. I hope to join those who are merely obese in a few months.
Eventually, I plan to settle into being "just overweight". I have no goal set to be utterly normal weight or utterly slender or even sorta-skinny. I just keep my eye on "roughly 160 lbs". I may settle down at a higher or lower number. Do not know how I'll feel with the saggy skin and all. I'm already mildly horrified by the looseness of my skin suit, even with the Pilates-regularly-for-2.5 years-muscle under there. And thank God for the muscle!
I started blogging in May of 2007 to try to motivate myself and get support for losing weight. I had a hard time losing weight since ages, but moreso when severely depressed in this new millenia. I treaded a lot of water, but I learned not to totally give up, which is not a "nothing" thing. It matters. Staying in there, still believing you could do it, waiting for something to switch on. It's not nothing.
I've seen bloggers spin their wheels for a long time, then--blam!--they're on a roll and get to or near goal weight and see things differently. They've dealt with issues. They've learned to cook. They've taken up walking or biking or marathoning or weight-lifting or yoga or Pilates. They've found what works for them and their tastes/appetites. They've learned boundaries.
Blogging is a way to express, to learn, to connect, to be accountable. It can be, anyway. It can be painfully obvious when the posts are all lined up by date to see when you are not doing what you need to, when you are slacking. It's also cheering to see results in posts, to see where things got learned. It's great to find camaraderie in the journey. It's AWFUL to see bloggers die--but also motivating. Reminds us time is fleeting and life is short. Shorter and more fleeting if we get some horrid fat-related disease prematurely.
So, I'm really glad I started blogging for weight loss 3.5 years ago. It kept me coming back to see how others were doing even if I was floundering. It kept me from giving up. And it led me to great tips that are helping me. And hell, lots of recipes. And humor. Humor helps. And some tough love that helps, too.
And the whole honesty and accountability I find essential. I put my numbers out there to force me to face them. I started food logging to remind me how much I'm eating calorie wise and to be able to analyze what makes for better "losing". It also makes me think TWICE AND THRICE when I eat if I know I gotta account for it on the scale or in a blog. If you need something to keep you a bit stricter, put your picture, your weight, and your food log right there where anyone can see it. See how that does it for you...
Here is my weigh-in history as it stands on my old blog, Once Upon a Diet, way down the left sidebar:
05/25/04: 299.0As you can see, something clicked THIS year, and the loss is better and more consistent. Whatever it was the clicked is also what led me to start this new blog that is more goal-oriented and accountable.
05/16/07: 285.5 *(-3.5) (-13.5)
05/23/07: 284.5 *(-1.0( (-14.5)
06/06/07: 284.5 *(-0.0) (-14.5)
06/13/07: 282.5 *(-2.0) (-16.5))
07/29/07: 286.0 *(+3.5) (-13.0)
08/23/07: 284.0 *(-2.0) (-15.0)
08/22/07: 287.5 *(+3.5) (-11.5)
08/26/07: 283.5 *(-4.0) (-15.5)
08/29/07: 282.0 *(-1.5) (-17.0)
09/05/07: 280.0 *(-2.0) (-19.0)
09/13/07: 281.5 *(+1.5) (-17.5)
*waist=47 *hips=58 *BMI=45.35
09/18/07: 280.0 * (-1.5) (-19)
09/27/07: 279.6 * (-0.4) (-19.4)
10/04/07: 280.4 * (+0.8) (-18.6)
10/10/07: 277.0 * (-3.4) (-22.0)
10/17/07: 272.6 * (-4.4) (-26.4)
10/24/07: 275.6* (+3.0) (-23.4)
10/31/07: 275.6* (+/-0) (-23.4)
11/07/07: 275.2* (-0.4) (-23.8)
11/15/07: 274.8* (-0.4) (-24.2)
12/05/07: 278.2* (+3.4) (-20.8)
12/13/07: 274.4* (-3.8) (-24.6)
12/19/07: 273.2* (-1.2) (-25.8)
12/31/07: 274.0* (+0.8)(-25.0)
01/07/08: 271.0* (-3.0) (-28.0)
01/21/08: 272.6* (+1.6) (-26.4)
01/28/08: 272.0* (-0.6) (-27.0)
02/04/08: 271.2* (-.08) (-27.8)
02/11/08: 270.2* (-1.0) (-28.8)
02/19/08: 269.4* (-0.8) (-29.6)
03/23/08: 273.0* (+3.6) (-26.0)
04/25/08: 268.8* (-4.2) (-30.2)
Went AWOL, got to 278.8!
06/28/08: 272.2* -------(-26.8)
Waist: 44.5 Hips: 55.5 BMI: 44.5
07/22/08: 275.4* (+3.2) (-23.6)
--exercising as of 6/30, gaining muscle!
07/31/08: 273.4* (-2.0) (-25.6)
09/18/08: 272.0* (-1.4) (-27.0)
10//31/08: 273.0* (+1.0)(-26.0)
11/09/08: 271.8* (-1.2) (-27.2)
01/01/09: 277.8* (+6.0) (-21.2)
02/17/09: 279.6* (+1.8) (-19.4)
06/23/09: 272.2* (- 7.4) (-26.8)10/22/09: 276.8* (+4.6) (-22.2)
10/29/09: 273.8* (-3.0) (-25.2)
11/10/09: 271.6* (-2.2) (-27.4)11/14/09: 268.6* (-2.0) (-30.4)
01/01/10: 267.0* (-1.6) (-32.0)04/11/10: 266.4* (-2.2) (-32.6)
04/21/10: 270.0*(+3.6) (-29.0)04/28/10: 267.0*(-3.0) (-32.0)
06/03/10: 266.0*(-1.0) (-33.0)06/16/10: 263.2* (-2.8) (-35.8)07/02/10: 261.4* (-1.8) (-37.6)
07/10/10: 259.6* (-1.8) (-39.4)
07/25/10: 258.6* (-1.0) (-40.4)
08/14/10: 256.6* (-2.0) (-42.4)
08/24/10: 255.2* (-1.4) (-43.8)
Moved to new blog:
09/03/10: 258.0* (-2.8) (-41.0)
09/10/10: 256.6* (-1.4) (-42.4)
09/17/10: 255.2* (-1.4) (-43.8)
09/24/10: 254.8* (-0.4) (-44.2)
10/15/10: 252.8* (-2.0) (-46.2)
10/22/10: 251.0* (-1.8) (-48.0)
10/29/10: 249.8* (-1.2) (-49.2)
11/05/10: 248.8* (-1.0) (-50.2)
11/17/10: 245.2* (-3.6) (-53.8)
Okay, back to WATER: I'm starting to see water intake as a way to have a sort of gastric band without having one. I mean, it does require learing new eating habits. Instead of chew-chew-chew and such, it's glug-glug-glug. I find if I drink 4 to 8 glasses of water before a meal (not as much with 2, at minimum 4), I start getting those little "I'm starting to get full" stomach stretching signals and I can enjoy a smaller meal and, at times, head off a binge urge. But it must be consistent and it must be all day. Water all day. Water before meals. Water after if I'm craving dessert.
It gives that "stuffed" sensation which so many of us conditioned hypereaters find necessary to STOP stuffing.
The sense of fullness that surgery offers may be at hand with lots and lots of water. It may not be AS effective in cutting down portions, slowing down eating, but it has a very clear value that studies show--What? Didn't you read the recent headlines about water before meals?--and that I and others on this challenge are learning. Fill up the belly with insane amounts of fluids and you can start getting the "I'm full" signal before the food starts to hit the mouth.
And you poop better. Well lubricated intestines. hah.
Okay, so I just had my breakfast and need to log it. Which reminds me. For those of you who have been curious about my WonderSlim adjunct foods--Note: I don't do the WS Diet. I just use their producs, as well as BariWise and Kay's Naturals, all of which I get from Diet Direct or Netrition, low-carb product providers--they have a holiday sale going on. So, not only are the WS Hot Cakes I love on sale by a buck off, and not only can you get the standard 10% off for purchasing 149 bucks or more worth of products, but if you buy 49 or 165 bucks worth (to stock up) and use the holiday codes Holiday10 or Holiday15 respectively, you get either an additional 10 or additional 15 bucks off. So, I'm gonna stock up and get the $10 off and 10% off and $1 per box off. It adds up. I use these religiously and love the Vanilla and CocoMint protein shakes, so worth it for me to get them in here in bulk. Makes breakfast a no-brainer for me. www.dietdirect.com
Now that cooler weather is here, I've also been having soup cravings. I love soup. I buy canned or buy from restaurants, and on occasion have been known to make the Weight Watchers zero to 1 point soup (with tomato juice, chicken broth, and assorted veggies with spices and bay leaves). I really do need to get my crock pot out and learn to make some soups that aren't loaded with sodium. I don't like the bloat I get from canned/restaurant soups, though soups are a filling and easy lunch option. Anyway, must scour the web (and clean my crock pot). I adore bean soups and may make carby room for them. Make for yummy tummy and extra-good poops. heh (more poop talk).
Done with the rambling, on to the food logging:
BREAKFAST:
WS hot cakes with sugar free syrup and 1/4 cup natural applesauce & cinnamon
1/2 cup Egg Beaters with 1 slice 2% American cheese and 1/2 cup mushrooms
2 cups coffee
8 glasses water (4 before and 4 after)
assorted supplements (C, Quercetin, Potassium, Magnesium, Calcium, Multi, D, Fiber)
calories: 454
fluids: 80 oz
LUNCH: (feeling icky, souptime!)
1 cup Amy's lower in sodium Mushroom soup made with 1/4 cup organic lowfat milk
WS hot cocoa protein drink made with 4 oz water and 4 oz lowfat milk
1/4 cup mushrooms (in soup)
1/4 cup mashed potatoes mixed into soup
3.5 BariWise fat free biscotti
6 glasses of water (48 oz)
Calories: 382
Fluids: 52 oz
DINNER:
Big Ass Salad with organic goodies from Co-Op:
Spinach, cucumbers, tomato, 1 hard boiled egg, 1/8th cup blue cheese crumbles
2 tbsp blue cheese dressing, 1/2 haas avocado
1 Supreme Protein bar (small size)
1 cup decaf with sucralose (8 oz)
6 glasses water (48 oz)
various supplements
Calories: 682
Fluids: 56 oz
SNACK:
WS Vanilla protein shake made with 8 oz water
decaf coffee (8 oz)
Calories: 100
Fluids: 16 oz
Total Calories: 1618
Total Fluids: 204
Day's goals for calories and fluid met.
2 comments:
The light bulb went off ! You are awesome, so proud of your success..
yeah, I'd wondered how much total weight loss you had, that is brilliant. It is interesting what you say about water resetting the brain signals, I think is true for me too, I find it really helpful and hadn't thought of it in those terms.
Post a Comment