I've Begun Planning The Challenge for 2012...Cause, Hey, Helps Me, too!

I do get comments from challengers from past and current challenges I've cohosted that these are helpful. Yeah, I find them so. Glad some of y'all do, too.

Today, as I had free time, what with not having hubby to smooch and all, I began plotting the guidelines/rules/whatever for the challenge I'd like to begin on January 1st. Since that's a holiday, most folks are off, and doing an update should be fine. But I'll likely leave the update open through the second for that initial post and linky, cause, well, holiday, right? Hopefully, no one will be hungover. Bad for the liver, body, diet.... 

I figure just like CDCC--14 weeks, a book(s) for issues, updates with weight/goals, a tangible measuring object. I'm writing the rules out.

It will require a bit more than the CDCC, so obviously, those of you who found updating for the CDCC onerous--didn't bother with your reading, didn't bother supporting folks, etc--you will want to skip it.

And, like before, if you quit any of the challenges I was in or cohosted, don't ask to join. I want folks aiming to stick it out--good, bad, or in-between.

I think sticking it out helps. Even if it gets rough, I think just hanging in makes you (and me) not go off plan as much or backslide as much or regain as much. I really believe it keeps you, some part of you, the brain, the heart, IN the fight. That's why I won't allow in folks who quit previous challenges. I want folks seriously trying to overcome issues and fat and habits. It's what we all gotta do to lose and keep it off. STICK WITH IT--even when our mojo goes to crap.

So far, we have 2/3 of the CDCC crew still hanging in there. One third went buh-bye. I'm impressed with the 2/3. Keep going!

Those of you who found Slimmer This Summer or CDCC helpful in any way to your progress, journey, goal-achievements...well, consider it if, after you see the guidelines/rules, you are up to it. I don't care if it's me and one or two other people. Or me and 20 people. Although, I will cap it at a certain number, if interest is high, like 25 or 30, maybe. Heck, I may consider that 12 motivated people who will really be supportive and involved and full of good thoughts for their comrades would be better. Worked for..you know who!  If you have a small crew of folks who are committed, you can change the world.

Maybe I'll pray for just a set of 12--well, eleven plus me--with a fire in their souls for getting healthier, gals who will help me and maybe I can help, too, in this tough quest... and that small crew will NOT QUIT and UTTERLY TRANSFORM...and this will be our Emerge Glorious By Easter Challenge. 

Or whatever less dorky name I come up with.

So, I figure Jan 1st through April 8 (Easter Sunday). Would be nice if we were to have goal Easter outfits. :)  I really think fitting into something so pretty and fresh in a fitter, fresher body for one of the holiest days of the year (for us Christians, anyhow)...an outfit you DID NOT fit into makes you feel victorious. Overcomers!

I'm fine with those who want to lose lots (but realistic lots, not crazy pie in the sky TBL lots), and those who want to lose little, and those who don't want to lose on the scale, but want to maintain and just buff up and get over eating or sedentary issues--hey, even normalish weight folks can be weird about food and exercise.

So, that's my plan. Maybe no one wants in and it doesn't happen. I'm still gonna see January 1, 2012 way slimmer than January 1, 2011. I'm still gonna set goals and see how much farther I can go by Easter Sunday. If I do it alone, I will.

But I like doing it with fellow fatfighters who are willing to be open, honest, vulnerable, supportive, and accountable! It's supposed to be the Christian way...to be real, to fight the good fight, to never give up, and to help others not give up on their journey, too.

Happy Tuesday, peops. Hope some of you will be in it with me. (And yeah, I'll need a co-pilot again, cause it's always good to have someone cover things if "life happens".)

Now, what should I call this thing...what...what....?

Nite...be well...

The Skinny Jeans in October at 179.6; The Skinny Jeans in November at 179.8....Do You See What I See?

Remember the CDCC dress comparison? How it didn't even go over my upper thighs/butt in early October, but went on completely a week ago?

Okay, at that time I also took pics of a pair of newly purchased (on sale, TJ Maxx) skinny jeans. They fit (or rather did NOT fit) like this, even with a compression effect from that tight nike top:

Well, stagnant scale and all, I hit the jeans for a retry. (The tags are on the other side cause I am using a mirror. Hubby wasn't around to do me the favor this time.)

And I got this (excuse the unmade bed):

Dat's right. They went over the thighs, hips and zippered and buttoned up. Yep. Just like the dress. SAME WEIGHT. Different body.

Granted, they are tight as the dickens and I get some serious loose skin muffin-topping going on...and I wouldn't wear them out yet..or even try to sit just now...but they go up,  ZIP, and BUTTON. FREAKING HEY DOODLE DOODLE and who's your momma????

Well, nice. I needed that.

So, remember: If you're exercising, eating right, and drinking your fluids, but the scale is meh, try on your "outfit that doesn't fit". Try on your CDCC dress. Go to the store and try a smaller size, if one doesn't reside in your closet. Your composition may still be altered. Ask Karen--who has gained 10 lbs, but fits in the clothes that fit at her previous, smaller weight. She probably gained a lot of muscle from her recent exercising, even with eating a bit more.

Shifts can happen. If you've been hitting the gym and the walking/hiking trails and you haven't tested it out, test it out. TRY ON THAT THING THAT DIDN'T FIT A MONTH OR TWO AGO.

It might be a nice surprise.

Take a pic. Show us.

Nitey nite.

CDCC Update #11: Still Undecided, Still Kinda Stuck, And When's The Workbook Coming Out?? ; )

Tanita-san: 179.8

Up a little over half a pound.

At one point, after that extra meal late evening stupidapalooza diner visit on Thursday-- after perfectly navigating Thanksgiving proper with the fam--I was at 182.0.

I had allowed myself up to 184 in the refeeding program. But...honestly....

....yeah...I freaked a little bit when I saw 182.

Seriously, I gain at 1700. Daily caloric calculators and reality don't jive when you're metabo is effed up. BUT... I really gain at over 2000 (which was Thursday's final count, around 2200).

I wanted to be patient and let this system heal, but I keep telling myself "Um, I'm gonna go back to my normal 1400 plan." Then I tell myself, "But you got stuck eating low cal." Then: "But I'll get obese again refeeding at 1600, 1700."

I kept wavering back and forth. This is the story of my month.

RIGHT now, this instant, I want to go back to 1400/2 meals. In an hour I'll think: Stay with the high protein metabolism healing refeed.

Back and forth. I want to heal. I don't want to gain. I want to heal. I don't want to gain.

I already know what will happen if I go to 1200 again. I'll lose a bit, then stagnate as I do more metabo damage. I know it.

So, do I alternate 1200 days with 1600 days?

Where is that damn workbook???

Well, mini-freak aside when I saw 182--it was just a 10 second panic and then I calmed down and went about my day--I kept hoping I'd be miracle-healing girl, whose body would respond in weeks, not months or years....I thought I'd beat the odds, and rather than be patient like others have had to and let the body do its thing in due time, I'd shine.

I'm so ordinary. HAHAHAHA! No miracle girl. I didn't lose fast, like others. I don't heal fast. hah. My capacity for hope is huge, though. :D

I guess I'm impatient when I skim closer and closer to that line that demarcates obese from not-obese.

While my body has changed--the pics with the dress prove that--the scale is becoming a land of stagnant expectation.

I fear regain. I fear further metabo damage. I fear stagnancy somewhat less than both those options, and perhaps that's why I'm here.

Quandary.

Well, I am hoping the workbook and online group may give me insights on how to do this better--get leaner without compromising my system or the scale....I just am failing at it now. Impatience is not a virtue, but I want to see progress on the OTHER fronts, not just the dress going up the hips and on the bod. I want to see the 160s and I want to see my torso fat evaporating.

It's a weird thing to experiment on oneself. I did it before, finding a way to eat to help me lose.

Truth is, we become creatures of habit when habits worked well in one arena. I'm really happy to be at this weight. CRAZY HAPPY, which is why my freaks are short-lived, I guess. I'm still in Happyland.

And I want to say, "Just do it the old way."

But when I tried to do it the old way (high carb, low fat) dieting, it didnt' work for me. I did better against the rules/DNA. I did better with higher protein, lower carb, higher fat. So, my brain says, experiment again.Be that guinea pig.  You've done things ONE way, have consequences, so shift gears to do things another way to repair and make way for more progress.

But...er...I want to see loss. I want to see scale progress, too, dammit.

Do I have the faith to continue the metabo program?

Er....I don't think so.

Well, as you can see, I'm really of a split mind. And I have no easy answer today, either.

This has all been a learning journey. It continues to be. It can be energizing and it can be frustrating.

I press on and try to find good footing again. What am I gonna do?

Hell I know. I'm still of two minds. One body, two minds. We'll figure it out somehow. And try not to freak in any but a small way.

I did want to address a couple of things from the comments by Caron and Angela:

Caron: Easy peasy for the cranberries. I used fresh organic berries, followed Melting Mama's basic sugar free recipe that she had on her blog last week, and used Truvia instead of sucralose (my usual sweetener). Everyone raved about it. I loved it. No guilt sauce. Berries, Truvia, water, cook up, pop-pop, 15 minutes or so, cool. Done.

Angela: Yeah, I know. I used to binge on utter crap. Now, I when I overeat or break plan, it's for more fruit or more protein or...as you saw, a spinach omelette and some cut melon. It's a whole different mindset--from binge on fast food to eat more spinach, eggs, fruit, etc. hahahah. It's nutritive. It was too much for my body (I simply can't handle a lot of calories, not even for my size, which is hardly waifish). But it's far better than hitting the sugar, processed, junk, gluten....for sure.


Keep at it, people. Keep fighting and believing. I do. As confused and ridiculous as I may come across right now, it's all part of the journey....we keep at it. NEVER QUIT.

Even if we have to change the ticker and lose a couple pounds on it. Ah, darn. I'll get that 121 lbs lost number back showing on the ticker again. (Angela, that clearer?)

Be well...

Now, to link up and see about breakfast.

When Smart Gals Do Dumb*ss Stuff...ah, well...But I Looked Curly Good!

I got through Thanksgiving and the games/fun afterwards on plan. I took my sugar-free baked apples, sugar-free (and amazing) cranberry sauce (organic, made from fresh berries, and it was the BEST I had in my life, no lie). I had oodles of veggies and good pile of white meat. Took lots of green tea to guzzle. Wore a shaper that was snug to keep me NOT super-filling up. :D

Done good!

And then on the drive home, hubby was hungry, we ended up at a diner at 10pm, and I had a spinach omelette and a fruit cup and decaf.

WTF?

Yeah, well. There you go. I also do stupid-ass diet things.

How does one get through the feast just fine and then ..."Oh, let me eat more!"

A reminder that strategy, for me, must be in place 24/7, not just at those times deemed "danger periods."

Well, we had fun. Unbelievably fine day--cool, low humidity, sunny, breezy.

I hope you had fun, too, and I hope you didn't do some late night noshing like me.

Oh, and me (curls are back) and hubby all spiffied up for the feast-we had a purple/pink/black theme:

Thankful Princess and Prince