Blogging is hard for me. I'm not a writer. I'm a mathematician. Give me numbers and calculations, and I am good. Make me write something, and I run the other way. I just thought the easiest way to share with you this adventure in weight loss, will be to make some fun little lists! Who doesn't love a good list!
Things That I Have Learned While Losing Weight: Part One
1. It's not as hard as I've made it out to be in the past. It just takes discipline!!! Something I don't have enough of sometimes.
2. I love to cook! It is really a lot of fun. I have enjoyed learning new flavors and new techniques. My next goal is to buy a food processor and learn to make my own hummus!
3. Working out is not something I enjoy. I just hate it. End of story.
4. I do hope to like it one day. I've tried losing weight before and nothing works like good old diet and exercise.
5. Skinny people suck! Okay. Not really. My three best friends in my hometown are a size 8 and TWO size 0's. Seriously, how does one become a size 0. In mathematics 0 is the number that indicates the absence of any or all units or the value at which a function vanishes. So how does that become a jean size! :D I'm kidding, I love my friends they are amazing and are an excellent support system. But when we go out and I am sucking down waters and lettuce, while they're chugging on my beloved Dr. Pepper and chowing cheesy goodness, I get a little upset. But, moving on.
6. I have come to terms with the fact that I'll never be able to eat like I have in the past. I'm okay with that, and allow myself the occasional indulgence. Speaking of indulgences, my favorite aunt made my family as sweet potato pie yesterday. SWEET POTATO PIE! That has been my favorite fall dessert my entire life. I didn't have any yesterday, but I'm not making any promises for tonight!
I've tried to lose weight so many times. Nothing has worked permanently. All I want is to be healthy (and to look killer and a short dress!) I want my life. I want to be able to do whatever I want without my weight holding me back. I am sick of planning around my weight. So, I am going to do whatever it takes to take of the weight this time.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Notes From the Anti-Puritan of Food
The past few days interesting things have happened.
One thing I've learned about my own psychology is that when I feel deprived of something I get obsessed with having it. So if I swear off any food, I become fixated on it. It's sort of childish, but it's true. Because I don't like to feel boxed in, in any form. So I've learned to have a little of what I want, count the calories, healthy-side it up, and move forward.
This week I went out to get a fried chicken breast. Yes, fried. I was going to get one piece of chicken and come home to make a few healthy sides. Control the craving. All that. When I got home and opened the box they had given me an entire fried meal. Not the chicken breast I hoped for. I should probably mention I had just gotten home from a stressful, long day at work and was ravenous. Enter chicken strips, potato wedges, and biscuit. It's sort of like the feeling I imagine people have when they find $100 on the sidewalk. You know that's not yours; you know you will not be able to find the person who lost it; you have to question what the right thing to do would be. I devoured it. And it was 880 calories of goodness. Then I went to the gym to burn off most of the extra calories once I had finished thoroughly licking my fingers. The point? Life happens. We don't always eat the celery sticks. It is going to be ok. Because our outcomes are ultimately about trajectory, not each and every point and stop along that trajectory.
Things that have been helpful for me this week:
**Mint Green Tea (tea: 0 calories; 1 tbsp honey: 60 calories)
Hot tea, for me, is a comfort drink. I think my blood pressure drops 10 points just to sit and have a mug. And that's without consideration of the health benefits it touts. My favorite way to have it is with a little honey. If you're not a huge green tea fan, try mint green tea. It has more flavor and zest than most options.
**Lindt Dark Chocolate Truffles (73 calories per truffle)
It's amazing how far one piece of chocolate can go. I have a close guy friend who parks himself on my couch on a regular basis. Lately he has been subject to my new product sampling. Even he only ate 3 truffles (which is a serving) before he was satisfied. And the man can eat.
**Special K Protein Shakes in French Vanilla (180 calories per bottle; 10 oz.)
If you're a fan of malts and shakes, this is for you. The texture is not the same but something about the taste is. And since I've been working out I really feel better having one of these now and then since there's 10g protein. 5g fiber.
**Mini Bags of Popcorn (most brands have a 100 calorie version, mine has 4g fiber)
You can dress popcorn up so easily depending on your mood. A little parmesan cheese. Cayenne pepper or red pepper. Cinnamon. A little imagination and Google will help you out here.
**Wheat Sandwich Thins (100 calories, 5g fiber)
They're so simple but so satisfying. I tried a sandwich thin with peanut butter for breakfast this week. Yes, please! It just works. I bought carving board turkey for the next round.
**Smart Ones Breakfast Quesadilla (220 calories)
It's crispy. It's cheesy. It has tons of flavor. Now, if I can manage not to burn myself out on them.
**Subway Kid's Meal
Some days you want something quick, easy, and small. This is it for me. A 4" sandwich with a bag of apple slices and a low-fat milk. It's enough, but it's not over the top.
**Half a Sandwich and a 120-calorie bag of Funyuns
I stumbled on this childhood favorite by accident. On a particularly busy day, I had to go grocery shopping before I had a chance to eat. So I bought a pre-made turkey sandwich on wheat bread in the deli. And, on a whim, picked up a bag of Funyuns near the checkout. Talk about flavor.
**Mini Bags of Chips
That last one brought up a good point. Pre-portioned bags of chips will always be a worthy buy for me. Like I said, I'm not into deprivation. But there has to be balance, too. I bought the fixings for my lean, vegetable-laden chili this week. And a few mini bags of Fritos. Because who doesn't want a portion-friendly Frito chili pie sometimes?
One thing I've learned about my own psychology is that when I feel deprived of something I get obsessed with having it. So if I swear off any food, I become fixated on it. It's sort of childish, but it's true. Because I don't like to feel boxed in, in any form. So I've learned to have a little of what I want, count the calories, healthy-side it up, and move forward.
This week I went out to get a fried chicken breast. Yes, fried. I was going to get one piece of chicken and come home to make a few healthy sides. Control the craving. All that. When I got home and opened the box they had given me an entire fried meal. Not the chicken breast I hoped for. I should probably mention I had just gotten home from a stressful, long day at work and was ravenous. Enter chicken strips, potato wedges, and biscuit. It's sort of like the feeling I imagine people have when they find $100 on the sidewalk. You know that's not yours; you know you will not be able to find the person who lost it; you have to question what the right thing to do would be. I devoured it. And it was 880 calories of goodness. Then I went to the gym to burn off most of the extra calories once I had finished thoroughly licking my fingers. The point? Life happens. We don't always eat the celery sticks. It is going to be ok. Because our outcomes are ultimately about trajectory, not each and every point and stop along that trajectory.
Things that have been helpful for me this week:
**Mint Green Tea (tea: 0 calories; 1 tbsp honey: 60 calories)
Hot tea, for me, is a comfort drink. I think my blood pressure drops 10 points just to sit and have a mug. And that's without consideration of the health benefits it touts. My favorite way to have it is with a little honey. If you're not a huge green tea fan, try mint green tea. It has more flavor and zest than most options.
**Lindt Dark Chocolate Truffles (73 calories per truffle)
It's amazing how far one piece of chocolate can go. I have a close guy friend who parks himself on my couch on a regular basis. Lately he has been subject to my new product sampling. Even he only ate 3 truffles (which is a serving) before he was satisfied. And the man can eat.
**Special K Protein Shakes in French Vanilla (180 calories per bottle; 10 oz.)
If you're a fan of malts and shakes, this is for you. The texture is not the same but something about the taste is. And since I've been working out I really feel better having one of these now and then since there's 10g protein. 5g fiber.
**Mini Bags of Popcorn (most brands have a 100 calorie version, mine has 4g fiber)
You can dress popcorn up so easily depending on your mood. A little parmesan cheese. Cayenne pepper or red pepper. Cinnamon. A little imagination and Google will help you out here.
**Wheat Sandwich Thins (100 calories, 5g fiber)
They're so simple but so satisfying. I tried a sandwich thin with peanut butter for breakfast this week. Yes, please! It just works. I bought carving board turkey for the next round.
**Smart Ones Breakfast Quesadilla (220 calories)
It's crispy. It's cheesy. It has tons of flavor. Now, if I can manage not to burn myself out on them.
**Subway Kid's Meal
Some days you want something quick, easy, and small. This is it for me. A 4" sandwich with a bag of apple slices and a low-fat milk. It's enough, but it's not over the top.
**Half a Sandwich and a 120-calorie bag of Funyuns
I stumbled on this childhood favorite by accident. On a particularly busy day, I had to go grocery shopping before I had a chance to eat. So I bought a pre-made turkey sandwich on wheat bread in the deli. And, on a whim, picked up a bag of Funyuns near the checkout. Talk about flavor.
**Mini Bags of Chips
That last one brought up a good point. Pre-portioned bags of chips will always be a worthy buy for me. Like I said, I'm not into deprivation. But there has to be balance, too. I bought the fixings for my lean, vegetable-laden chili this week. And a few mini bags of Fritos. Because who doesn't want a portion-friendly Frito chili pie sometimes?
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Yes, it's been two years since we've last blogged. Yes, we have abandoned our new healthy ways, for sinfully delicious red velvet cake and juicy cheeseburgers. It's not fun to admit defeat, but that is what happened. I know in my case, I just quit trying. I wasn't having fun and I didn't want to play anymore. What I needed was someone to give me a swift kick in the bum and tell me to suck it up and do the work.
I have learned that you have to work for what you want. Erin and I both value education, and we had to work hard for our degrees. We are usually go getters. We see what we want, and we go after it. I don't know what happens to us when it comes to weight, but neither of us have conquered that in the past.
What's done is done and the past is not the present. It's time to start living now. I know you are thinking, "Yeah right! What is different this time!?" Lots of things are different. For instance, we have been down this road so many times (yeah, I said lots) and now we are armed with an arsenal of information. We both know what needs to be done. My biggest problem, and I speak only for myself, is will power and motivation. I have all the knowledge on what do to, yet I am too LAZY to do it. I cannot live like that anymore. My weight has held me back in so many ways. Or I should say, I have allowed my weight to hold me back in so many ways. It's sad really.
That is all changing. Over the past month, I have made decisions to get my life back on track. I have given up soda (which if you know me is a BIG deal). I still have the occasional diet soda, but I actually prefer water now. I have begun exercising (not a whole lot, but little by little). I have made life long changes that I can manage, and with those changes I have lost a little weight. That is the key, little by little. One pound at a time.
Like Erin said, we are counting calories now. This is something I can do. This is something we both WILL do.
Stick with us. We will not be back in two years vowing to get back on track. Instead we will be posting pictures of our new looks. We will be celebrating having lost weight and kept it off.
I loved the Japenese proverb Erin left you, so I will leave you with something too. I love football (too much sometimes) my quote is from football coaching legend Vince Lombardi. He knew a thing or two about getting knocked down.
"It's not whether you get knocked down; it's whether you get up." Vince Lombardi
-Al
I have learned that you have to work for what you want. Erin and I both value education, and we had to work hard for our degrees. We are usually go getters. We see what we want, and we go after it. I don't know what happens to us when it comes to weight, but neither of us have conquered that in the past.
What's done is done and the past is not the present. It's time to start living now. I know you are thinking, "Yeah right! What is different this time!?" Lots of things are different. For instance, we have been down this road so many times (yeah, I said lots) and now we are armed with an arsenal of information. We both know what needs to be done. My biggest problem, and I speak only for myself, is will power and motivation. I have all the knowledge on what do to, yet I am too LAZY to do it. I cannot live like that anymore. My weight has held me back in so many ways. Or I should say, I have allowed my weight to hold me back in so many ways. It's sad really.
That is all changing. Over the past month, I have made decisions to get my life back on track. I have given up soda (which if you know me is a BIG deal). I still have the occasional diet soda, but I actually prefer water now. I have begun exercising (not a whole lot, but little by little). I have made life long changes that I can manage, and with those changes I have lost a little weight. That is the key, little by little. One pound at a time.
Like Erin said, we are counting calories now. This is something I can do. This is something we both WILL do.
Stick with us. We will not be back in two years vowing to get back on track. Instead we will be posting pictures of our new looks. We will be celebrating having lost weight and kept it off.
I loved the Japenese proverb Erin left you, so I will leave you with something too. I love football (too much sometimes) my quote is from football coaching legend Vince Lombardi. He knew a thing or two about getting knocked down.
"It's not whether you get knocked down; it's whether you get up." Vince Lombardi
-Al
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Chances
We're back! Almost two years later, but we still came back. Heads in hands. Starbucks at our backs. Same goal in mind.
We considered starting a new blog because, well, who wants to admit they quit and walked away after all that hoorah? But we decided to stick to our original goal: be honest about the struggle and write what's real. So, here's the truth: change is hard. Sometimes it doesn't stick the first, err fifth, time. But our strength comes from not laying down and being defeated. So we're dragging ourselves to our feet and documenting the rest of this story. Because it ain't over yet!
Stick with us as we discover how to continue on this journey, bumpy as it is for all those who choose it. We'll find wit and wisdom to share, alongside the sweat and struggle. Here's to a new day and another chance to tweak it's trajectory.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Breaking Points or Lack Thereof (Erin)
Since we last blogged, WW has been far from our lips.
After going off track again, I stayed that way for a while. Then my brain caught up with me, gradually. Sometimes we don't change because we have a breaking point. It can be more subtle than that. I had toyed with a calorie-counting application for a while. Then, one day, I realized it was working. And I was satisfied. And maybe I could take another step in the right direction. So I joined the gym, too. All of that escalated to a commitment. And, though I've said it more than once, "I'm married to this decision for better or worse." Saying it now feels like being a person who had gotten married more times than Elizabeth Taylor and is now trying to convince myself that I am, indeed, the marrying kind -- despite a failed history. So I say all of this a little sad that I couldn't have succeeded before. But thankful that, as the saying goes, though we can't go back and make a new beginning, we can start now and create a new ending.
The positive note here is that when you do choose health and strive toward living better, some of those changes stick even if you get off the program. I know both Ally and I have an affinity for whole-wheat products now. We also find ourselves more aware of our options.
The down side is that there are consequences. The hill is a little steeper now, but we're climbing it anyway.
Our plan has changed. This time we will be counting calories. It's more straightforward and--in her best valley girl voice--there's an ap for that! So we will be monitoring our intake that way, trying to focus on eating fruit, vegetables, dairy, all the better options. And trying to incorporate exercise. Here's to *muffled number, definitely not second* chances!
-E
Fall seven times, stand up eight.
- Japanese Proverb
We considered starting a new blog because, well, who wants to admit they quit and walked away after all that hoorah? But we decided to stick to our original goal: be honest about the struggle and write what's real. So, here's the truth: change is hard. Sometimes it doesn't stick the first, err fifth, time. But our strength comes from not laying down and being defeated. So we're dragging ourselves to our feet and documenting the rest of this story. Because it ain't over yet!
Stick with us as we discover how to continue on this journey, bumpy as it is for all those who choose it. We'll find wit and wisdom to share, alongside the sweat and struggle. Here's to a new day and another chance to tweak it's trajectory.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Breaking Points or Lack Thereof (Erin)
Since we last blogged, WW has been far from our lips.
After going off track again, I stayed that way for a while. Then my brain caught up with me, gradually. Sometimes we don't change because we have a breaking point. It can be more subtle than that. I had toyed with a calorie-counting application for a while. Then, one day, I realized it was working. And I was satisfied. And maybe I could take another step in the right direction. So I joined the gym, too. All of that escalated to a commitment. And, though I've said it more than once, "I'm married to this decision for better or worse." Saying it now feels like being a person who had gotten married more times than Elizabeth Taylor and is now trying to convince myself that I am, indeed, the marrying kind -- despite a failed history. So I say all of this a little sad that I couldn't have succeeded before. But thankful that, as the saying goes, though we can't go back and make a new beginning, we can start now and create a new ending.
The positive note here is that when you do choose health and strive toward living better, some of those changes stick even if you get off the program. I know both Ally and I have an affinity for whole-wheat products now. We also find ourselves more aware of our options.
The down side is that there are consequences. The hill is a little steeper now, but we're climbing it anyway.
Our plan has changed. This time we will be counting calories. It's more straightforward and--in her best valley girl voice--there's an ap for that! So we will be monitoring our intake that way, trying to focus on eating fruit, vegetables, dairy, all the better options. And trying to incorporate exercise. Here's to *muffled number, definitely not second* chances!
-E
Fall seven times, stand up eight.
- Japanese Proverb
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