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.

 

30 Day Shred - before and after pictures and bonus pictures!

i'm so excited to share today

31 days ago i started jillian michael's 30 day shred

30 days of an intense 20 minute workout

30 days of continuing to track my calories

i never skipped a single day

i even packed along my kindle and weights to the lake to make sure i kept it up (even though there were a few choice words (of mine) about how much 'ish we were taking to the lake)

i didn't weigh myself

and i didn't do measurements

but thank goodness i took pictures

because i can really see the difference.

i could tell my clothes were fitting looser

and i was starting to fit back into some of my clothes that were hiding in my closet

but some days i just looked in the mirror and thought i was staying the same

but pictures don't lie

and by the way i love before and after pictures.  like obsessed with them

uhm...that should say 7-1-13...i was half asleep

i stared at this mashup all night last night

i couldn't believe the difference

my waist is smaller

my belly is flatter

i can gain 3 lbs and get fat face, so i think i can even see the a difference in the roundness in my face

and i can seriously see the definition in my shoulders and bicep - thanks to walking pushups i'm sure...

obviously, i still have some work to do

but for 30 days - i'm impressed!

i'm wearing the same thing in both the before and after

except for my sports bra

when i started out i was exercising in my one larger sports bra i had - i hadn't worn it in years because it was just too big

and at the start of this it was actually fitting kind of snug

by the end of the 30 days, it was much too big - much too loose to do many of the 30 DS moves in without getting hit in the face by a swinging boob

so in the after picture i'm wearing one of my running sports bras - that actually FITS again!

at the beginning on the 30DS i had convinced myself that the top i was wearing was loose and flowy

after taking the before pictures i could see that it was actually clinging to my belly

seeing the after pictures the top looks like it should and is actually getting kind of loose for doing the 30 DS

and by the way - i love the top - it's from old navy and is one of their bubble tanks - it's my favorite thing to run in right now because the tank is loose around my arms so there's no fear of any chaffing in the arm pit arena.

it should also be noted that along with the 30 day shred i was also doing some form of cardio for at least 30 minutes every day - some days that meant the elliptical, walking, running - or a combination

but as a former runner, you can loose weight through running - but you can't change your shape.  meaning you're not going to see the nice muscle definition and toning in the same way as you would by doing weight lifting.

so i guess what i'm trying to say, is that even though i was adding in other forms of exercise - i don't think i would be seeing the changes in my arms and stomach if i hadn't been doing the shred.

so what now?

i honestly loved doing the shred.

i hated it some days, but always loved getting it done

it's a great program - and is just long enough to feel like a great workout without getting boring.

it's hard enough that i'm constantly pushing myself to either perform the moves faster or perform them at the advanced level.

it's also not so hard that i'm just standing there waiting for an easier move.

and i find jillian to be really encouraging.

i also loved running in the morning and having this workout to come home to - i felt like i was really accomplished doing both

so starting sunday i'm going to start doing jillian michael's ripped in 30

it follows the 3-2-1 plan of the shred (3 minutes strength, 2 minutes cardio, 1 minute abs)

and is a 4 week program.

i'm finishing up my couch 2 5k program this week and will begin the half training on monday

i knew i wanted to keep up the strength training while i trained for the half - and jillian's workouts help give me focus - i don't want to lose the hard work i put in the past 30 days - and would love for my under arm flab to shrink!

so that, my friends, is goal #3.

to complete ripped in 30 4 week program

i guess half marathon training is in there too - but it's more of a mid-term goal since it spans 3 months.

my reward for goal #2 (completing the shred and couch 2 5k) was to get a pedicure.  lordy i need one.  but i'm going to take that goal money and sign up for the half marathon (races are $$$)

i'm thinking my reward for the ripped in 30 will be new workout pants.  the ones i'm wearing now are getting too big and my older ones are old...and holey...in the crotch.

so we'll give it another month of getting ripped to really let those pants get too big!

and because bill has been doing this with me - let's see his before and after!

bill has the luxury of being tall.  and relatively thin.

but he has lost what pudge he had around his belly - he's actually lost 12 lbs in a month!

which seems crazy to me! (and also motivating thinking about how much weight i've probably lost if i had been weighing)

i can see that his waist is straight - no love handles and his belly is a lot tighter - when we're doing the shred i can see his abs

i also noticed last weekend at the lake how much more defined his biceps were

it really is crazy to see the differences in just 1 month

i hope you joined in on the 30 DS - and i really hope this encourages others to take the challenge.

it's only 30 days.

imagine where you could be in your healthy journey in 30 days!



 

weighty subject

(this took some courage to put into words all the feels i've got bottled up inside :) )

growing up as an overweight child

with overweight family members

i saw every kind of diet under the sun

from low carb

to vegetable soup diet

to cabbage soup diet

to switching to diet soda

weight watchers

i basically thought going on a diet meant

drinking diet cokes, eating lays baked chips, and snacking on weight watchers approved diet cakes

those were "health" foods.

it wasn't until i was 20

and saw myself eating "health" foods (and lots of alcohol while in college, which didn't help)

and not gaining actual health and packing extra pounds on to a body that was already overweight

that i realized that fad diets aren't an actual diet

and by diet, i mean the definition of -

Noun

1. The kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats.

key word - habitual

fad diets are just that - a fad - and not something most people can maintain the rest of their life

it was the summer before my junior year of college

i was at home living with my mom

and for my whole life i watched my mother be on a "diet"

and never actually change her appearance or her attitude

i knew i didn't want that for myself

i would do what came naturally and i would be healthier

i threw my conventional views of diets out the window

and i essentially put myself on one of another kind

i didn't stop eating carbs

i didn't stock up on diet coke

i didn't stock up on slow churned low cal ice cream

i ate lean meats

i ditched the bun or bread and swapped it for a salad - eating my hamburger sans cheese and bun- with a fork and knife

i ate double servings of green beans

i ate double servings of corn - no butter

when my mom said they were going out to eat, i passed and made myself a sandwich at home.

i drank a lot of water

this was my natural instincts of what "healthy" was and is

my body and mind knew instinctively what i should be eating

i knew instinctively that white bread was bad, candy and ice cream are too

i learned to look at an ingredients list and not just calories per serving

and if i was hungry there's no shame in grabbing fruit

my whole developmental years i had learned with my own eyes that if you want to lose the weight you need to drink a shake for breakfast and a shake for lunch and eat peas and chicken for dinner

don't eat too many bananas because they are high in sugar

if you want to lose weight you have to eat miserable foods and it's ok to eat low fat ice cream, no fat cheese, and extra processed fat-free foods

and throughout those years myself and my family never got any healthier.  some of us may have lost a few pounds by following these methods - but we only gained them back.

but here i was at age 20 throwing caution to the wind, doing what felt right - eating a damn banana whenever i wanted

i never knew anyone who got fat eating bananas

i ate deli meats and cheeses on whole wheat bread.  yes, there's more calories in REAL cheese - but it's REAL food and not severely processed until it's labeled "food product"

and you know what

i was losing weight

the weight came off little by little

but i was sustaining this new lifestyle and for once in my life it all clicked.

i've never really told this story, i mean it was obvious that i lost weight

but the actual journey was something i've kept private.

enough years have passed now that i can reflect

and i just feel angry - angry that this "secret" to weight loss isn't really a secret - it's what we know how to do on our own

it's the same anger i get any time i see a weight loss commercial

or new diet product

or fat free foods that look and taste disgusting - that have corn syrup as the first ingredient and a slew of poly something-or-other sounding ingredients

i know what it feels like to feel desperate to want to lose weight

so desperate that all these "quick" fixes seem like the answer

but i've gone through this journey and know that none of those fixes are the true answer

if you want to see true change in yourself you have to go on this journey too

it doesn't happen in 3 weeks. 

it doesn't happen in 3 months

it's not over after 3 years

it's something you will struggle with the rest of your life - and even after conquering it you will be thrown new wrenches in the mix and you will have to adjust

after falling in love with my husband, i got off track

bless his heart, bill loves bad food.

but since i know this weight loss journey inside and out - i'm here to document those same trials and tribulations again

and with my husband's support, we're making the right choices to live a healthy lifestyle