weight loss update

i feel like it's been a hot minute since i discussed my weight-loss

so

what better day than hump day

to discuss my lovely lady lumps

amirright?

i took this picture july1st

i only took pictures, because, well, scales are stupid

and you shouldn't rely on them too much to tell your whole weight loss journey

i took this picture 30 days later

and while i couldn't tell you how much weight i lost - which i guess it probably was only 6-8 lbs, i felt so much better

i could SEE the difference, and that was enough to keep me going

at the end of august - i was actually feeling more comfortable about bill taking my picture

my clothes that were beginning to feel binding were loose again - not buy new clothes loose - but feel comfortably loose

by the end of september i was digging through my old wardrobe - actually able to pull out pieces that i hadn't worn in over a year - maybe 2! - and yes, mama needs some new bras.

and while i will never be petite at 5'6 - i was happy to be looking more proportional and my face to have thinned out.  how vain is that?  i couldn't care less about my dimple butt - but please let me only have 1 chin.

i hadn't been able to wear my running shorts all summer to actually run in because they were too tight.

i had some pretty miserable runs in the heat this year

i still have a way to go - i'm down about 2 pant sizes

a lot of my wardrobe still works - as i had refused to buy new bigger clothes

 just found lots of stretchy things to wear

so since starting actively trying to lose weight - it's been almost 4 months

i wanted to post pictures because 4 months of hard work doesn't look super drastic

i'm not down 5 sizes

i'm not at my goal weight

i'm not in my goal pants

but i'm steadily getting there

and from experience - slow and steady is the only way to get there

we're of an age where we watch an hour long tv show and see someone go from morbidly obese to super fit

where pills, shakes, gadgets and gizmos promise to have you where you want to be in a week

we crave that instant gratification

i'm so guilty of seeing the days tick by and the months and thinking "shouldn't i have lost more weight by now?"

in reality the two times i weighed myself this summer - i was right on track

i got weighted at the gynecologist (and was bummed the scale wasn't lower)

i got weighed again a month later for my fitness assessment at work (and was bummed the scale wasn't lower)

but when i looked at the two numbers - i had lost 8 lbs in 1 month - roughly 2lbs a week

that is freaking awesome!

so what i continually have to tell myself and what so many other dieters have to remind themselves

this isn't a quick fix

this isn't "get skinny for the summer"

this isn't "lose 10 lbs so i can eat at thanksgiving" - c'mon, i'm not the only one nervous about the holidays sneaking up am i?

it's a commitment to live and eat healthy the rest of your life

because the only way to maintain and keep losing is to stick with healthy choices

some things i've found true

weight loss is roughly 80% diet and 20% working out

seriously.

working out is great - so many fantastic benefits from raising your heart rate

but at the end of the day, if you want to see constant progress - monitor what you throw down your pie hole

diet /= eating healthy

i've tried sticking to 1200 calories a day

and that absolutely doesn't work for me

i'm hungry and cranky

i try to eat around 1600-1700 calories a day and am still able to maintain losing weight

a typical day of eats lately:

breakfast: bagel with light butter spread and an apple (roughly 400 calories)  i HAVE to have a calorie packed breakfast to get me going and keep me from mindlessly snacking!  but i try to keep the carbs low or whole grain, and i always try and sneak in fruit at every meal

snack: either another apple or a handful of almonds (100-200 calories)

lunch:  lately it's been vegetable soup (200 calories) or hummus and peppers (i'm guesstimating 200 calories?)

snack: cheez-its are all i want these days.  so i count them out and allow myself to have them (300 calories)

dinner: lean pocket/frozen vegetables and noodles with sauce/soup - i've been in a frozen meal mood lately (roughly 300-400 calories)

that puts me at 1300-1500 calories for the day and i usually allow myself a couple of graham crackers and whipped cream for evening snacking - knocking me to the 1500-1700 calorie goal

the key is to measure the portions.  i'm guilty of taking a handful, and then another handful of something and thinking i probably ate 1 serving or 2.  when i actually at 3 or 4.

the other key - as you probably noticed - is to eat all day.  i try and eat every 2-3 hours

i love to snack, and snacking on pre-measured meals keeps me from over eating

also, having snacks on hand at work keeps me from wondering over to the candy jar

my other keys to success lately:

when at a restaurant or dinner party - do not eat the bread, do not eat the chips and dip, do not graze on the appetizers set out - just don't do it.  if you're starving at a get -together, get a small plate of veggies - but stay away from chips and bread.  if you're out to eat, you're probably going to be ordering/eating more food than you would normally make for yourself at home and the meal will probably be cooked in oils and butter you would normally leave out, too.  so spare yourself the extra calories in appetizers that you will more than make up for in your entree

go ahead and order that juicy burger or chicken sandwich - but eat it with a knife and fork.  and take it off the bun.  the buns at restaurants are usually coated and grilled with a nice layer of butter.  which makes them taste amazing.  take one bite if you must, but eat the rest of the sandwich sans carbs.  i do the same thing with tortillas - i just eat the contents. 

my best tip on cooking at home?  plan your meal around a vegetable or bean.  as someone who was vegan for a year, i still find myself drawn to meatless and dairy free recipes

a typical "rachel" meal looks like = grain+roasted vegetable +bean - hearty and satisfying

so that's where i'm at

and i felt like rambling

so there.