Reasons to Lose Weight - #11

Here's a reason for ya - this is making me cranky. I don't like being cranky.

Okay, I don't know if this should count as one of my "official" reasons, but I have been alternating between down-in-the-dumps and cranky. I keep thinking that there must be more to it, something else contributing to the mood I've been in for the past few days, but I just can't think of anything. (Though my birthday is coming up - that could be making me cranky too.)

The scale was a little more friendly this morning, but it didn't cheer me up all that much because I'm still on familiar ground - I've been here before. I want to see change. Real change. Not this bouncing back and forth over the same couple of pounds.

Anyway, I've put it out there, gotten it off my chest, maybe now I'll cheer up.

Did my Slim Sculpt DVD last night which uses light weights. I always think that if I'm doing a workout with light weights I won't be working hard enough, but this just kills my shoulders every time. Obviously my regular weight workouts with heavier weights are missing some muscles. I'm going to try and do this DVD more often, until it doesn't hurt so much. That sounds funny, doesn't it? Anyway...I did a few extra moves with heavier weights afterwards to get the biceps, etc. That pads it out to an hour long workout.

Tonight, I'll hit the treadmill again. Or get outside. Either way, there will be a walk/run workout.

Hmm. I think this "getting it off my chest thing" may have worked. I'm starting to feel better already. :)

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Daily Record
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Weight: 142.1

BF: steel cut oats w/brown sugar & milk, cofee w/cream
Lunch: Curried Red Lentil Soup
Snack: PC Vanilla Yogurt w/cranberry granola
Supper: tandoori chicken & basmati rice (leftover), salad

Workout: treadmill - 60 minutes, 3.30 miles
7 x 2 min running intervals

Reasons To Lose Weight - #10

Summer is coming. The weather has warmed up, I'm not having to wear three layers of clothing and bulky sweaters to work every day. Thank goodness.

Now, however, I am starting to think about my summer wardrobe, hidden away in a trunk in the spare room. And I am afraid.

I'm 7 pounds heavier than I was at the beginning of last summer. That may not sound like much, but when you are 5 feet tall, there's not a lot of space for 7 extra pounds to hide out. I'm afraid that my clothes are not going to fit me.

I have reason to be afraid. I have jeans that I was able to wear last summer that are now too tight.

So what do you all think? Can I get rid of 7 lbs before summer rolls around?

Reasons to Lose Weight - #9

I really wanted to write up an interesting, in-depth post on this, but I can't seem to get it together at the moment. All of my brain power is being expended on other things. So...here we go...

I have wondered in the past whether I really need to lose weight, or whether it's just vanity. Yes, according to the height-weight charts & BMI chart I am overweight. But there is some question in my mind as to how well those things work - can you really apply those measures to everyone? For example, they do not take muscle mass into account. Not that I'm a body builder or anything, but I do work out and I definitely have muscles. Also, when I gain weight, it tends to be fairly well distributed - I don't put it on all in one spot. Most people are surprised when I say that I am technically overweight, it seems that I don't really look it.

Enter the Waist-Hip Ratio. This has been around for a while. As a matter of fact, shortly after we were married Moon went to the doctor, and the doctor pulled out a measuring tape, calculated his Waist-Hip Ratio, and told him to lose 50 lb (which he didn't do, by the way). That was at least 5 years ago. Change takes time I guess, because it is still being referred to as "new".

Here are a couple of links that I'm sure explain it all better than I could:

Waist-hip ratio best predictor of heart risk

Bye-bye BMI? Tape may measure obesity better

To sum it up though, the idea is that belly fat is dangerous so a comparison of a person's waist and hip circumference is a better indicator of whether they are overweight. For women, when you divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement, it should come out to no more that 0.8, for men the magic number is 0.95.

So, being unable to resist all these little tests and calculations that tell me how unhealthy I am, I had to try it out. My only reservation here is they say to measure your waist at your navel which is the smallest part of your waist, and for me I don't find that is the narrowest spot. So I compromised and measured right above my navel and came up with: 0.829.

So there you have it - I am still officially overweight, according to the WHR calculation, and that is this week's reason to lose weight.

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Daily Record
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Weight: 142.6

BF: Kashi Granola Bar, coffee w/cream
Lunch: Not sure, meeting a friend for lunch
Supper: Kickin' Chicken, rice, stir-fried veggies

Planned Workout: Lower Body strength & 45 min walk on treadmill

Reasons to Lose Weight - #8

 
I knew it: Don't Stop!

If you are too lazy to follow the link, the gist of it is: some guy (Paul Williams of the University of California at Berkeley) did a study which showed that "interrupting an exercise program can cause you to gain weight that won't come off easily even after you resume training." In order to lose that weight, you will likely have to exercise more than you did in your previous routine. Some handy numbers: People who started running again after a break didn't lose weight until their mileage "exceeded 20 miles per week in men, and 10 miles per week in women."

I've had this fear in the back of my mind for a while now. For a long time, I blamed the fact that I couldn't lose weight on my less-than-regular exercise schedule. Eventually, when I got into a regular schedule I was a little disappointed to find out that it didn't have all that much effect on the scale. But I kept with it, still hoping that eventually the magical-mysterious weight-loss-effect would kick in. Plus, I felt good. It felt like an accomplishment to see my strength and stamina increase, to try out new things. I felt strong. I felt energized. I was hooked.

At some point after this I came across a small article in some magazine or other that talked about getting into the fitness habit for life. Many people struggle with getting into a regular routine, stopping and starting many times. But, according to this article, if you manage to stick to a regular workout schedule for 2 years, you are likely to continue. They called those people "Terminators". At that point, I qualified for that "terminator" status, and I felt proud.

Edit: I did a search on the "terminator" thing and found this: Workout motivation: will you be back?. It's an interesting little article, take a peek.

But the question of weight loss remained. If I hadn't really lost weight when I finally started exercising on a regular basis, what would happen if for some reason I were to stop exercising? Would I suddenly gain all kinds of weight? It was scary to contemplate.

Not that I planned on stopping of course, but you never know what life has in store. For example - the past couple of years I've had. The office I'd worked at for seven years being closed, having to find and start a new job. Suddenly there is a new routine to adjust to, and I had to figure out how to fit in my workouts.

I had been going to the gym on my lunch hour, but that was no longer feasible. So I decided to try exercising when I got home from work. But somehow I just couldn't get into a routine and I was missing too many workouts. So, I started getting up early in the morning. Anyone who knows me would see this as being so far out of character it isn't funny. I do not get out of bed one second earlier than i have to. Just doesn't happen. When I told my Mom what I was doing she said: Wow! You must really be addicted to exercise. I didn't say it, but I was thinking: I'm afraid if I stop I'll gain 50 pounds.

I have since switched to evening workouts. After a while the early mornings started to make me cranky and resentful. As a result, I've been doing longer workouts because I'm not in a rush. I hoped maybe this would finally be the missing piece of the puzzle to start dropping those pounds - more exercise!

Now I wonder if I'm just digging a deeper hole for myself.

Where would I be if for some reason I had to stop exercising? I once managed to injure myself by slipping and coming down on the side of my rib cage against the edge of the bath tub. I had soft tissue damage and probably a cracked rib. Anything other than staying still hurt. It took me a couple of months before I could start easing into activity again.

You never know what's going to happen. I would hate to see my current weight as a starting place to gaining more pounds. 145 is the highest number I've ever seen on the scale in my life - I don't want it to ever go any higher. So, by a twisted and convoluted route, we have reached this week's reason to lose weight: I don't ever want to add more pounds to my current weight. If at some point I were to end up in a position where I could not exercise, and I were to gain pounds that are going to be even harder to lose, I'd like to be starting out at a lower number, thank you very much.

I will take a recommendation from the study. I will try to consistently get in at least 10 miles of walking/running every week, in addition to my strength training (and yoga and/or Pilates when I can fit it in). I am curious to see if it will make a difference.

I just hope that once I lose the weight I can maybe reduce the amount of time I spend working out and still maintain. Cause I just don't know if I can keep up the amount of time I'm putting in for the rest of my life.

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Daily Record
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Weight: 142.2

BF: WW Toast w/PB, cofee w/cream
Lunch: Tortellini Stew
Snack: Yogurt w/raspberries
Supper: ??

Planned Workout: C25K session

Reasons to Lose Weight = #7

Someone posted this on the Weight Watchers message boards yesterday:

Happy Weight

So, I filled it out to see what it would tell me. The result was: 113.6 lb.

My reaction? Happy weight my ass. Nothing about that number is making me happy.

I know I'm missing the point here. The idea is to present a reasonable goal weight. Honestly, that probably is reasonable. That is very likely a good weight for someone like me - 5 feet tall, medium build. If I woke up tomorrow morning weighing 114 pounds, I'd be over the moon.

No, my reaction stems from the fact that it seems so impossible.

Obviously it's not impossible. Other people do it.

Deep down, I'm not sure I believe I can do it. I don't know whether belief is necessary in order to achieve weight loss. This is something I have pondered. Believe it or no, I will keep trying. Over and over.

So, that is this week's reason to lose weight: I want to get to my happy weight. 'Cause who doesn't want to be happy?

How I did yesterday
It was another successful day. I followed my meal plan. I did have a slice of bread with my chili, but I knew I would have something, just wasn't sure what. Still within my points for the day. I drank 2L of water. I did a strength workout plus a short cardio workout.

Today
So much for the clear sidewalks and new-shoe-wearing. It was starting to snow when we left work last night and it snowed all night. Now it looks like we're getting freezing rain. So back to winter boots for me.

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Daily Record
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Weight: 143.1

BF: Toast w/PB, coffee w/cream
Lunch: Tortellini Stew
Snack: Berries & Yogurt
Supper: Pita Pizza

Planned Workout: C25K 2.3

Reasons to Lose Weight = #6

Queenie is a Meanie.

Okay, not really. (Sorry Queenie, I just couldn't resist the rhyme.) But, she is putting me through a painful exercise. Yesterday she challenged the members at Our Wicked Weighs to post a before picture of our abs. Now, mostly I just think this sounds like cruel and unusual punishment...But, then I thought it could help in the motivation department. Maybe.

I work out regularly. I've got the exercise habit, I know I feel better when I'm being active, so that part of the equation is working for me. I like to do a variety of activities. I know I have muscles, somewhere, buried under the...ah...insulation. And it's not like the "insulation" is doing anything for me. It certainly did nothing to keep me warm this winter. After all this hard work, it would be nice if I could actually see those muscles that I've been working.

Since I'm doing the exercise, it seems that food must be the issue. Not that I haven't been trying to eat properly. But here I still am, so obviously I'm haven't been trying hard enough.

I do want to say this: I know there are others out there who have much more weight to lose than I do. Sometimes I feel like I'm complaining way too much over my extra 25 pounds. So, to all of those people out there who are working on losing a larger number of pounds, I salute you! This is hard work and it's not fun.

Does it seem like I'm putting this off? Rambling about anything and everything in order to fill up space? That's because I am. But, I guess if the other ladies over there at Our Wicked Weighs can do it, so can I.

If a picture says a thousand words, then here is this week's Reason To Lose Weight:


Yes, I am that blindingly white.

In Other News
I had posted yesterday that the Boil Water Order had been lifted. When I got in the car on Monday night after work, Moon had just heard them say on the radio that it was over. Yay! But this morning, listening to the radio, they said the order was still on. Went and checked the City of Saint John website and sure enough: The Boil Order had been lifted...Then Reinstated later the same day. Unfortunately we didn't hear about the reinstatement until this morning. After I've been brushing my teeth and washing veggies in water straight from the tap since Monday night. Ugh.

Have now added City of Saint John RSS feed to my feeds in Outlook so I will see these things when they happen instead of relying on the radio. We only listen to the radio on the way too and from work which is a relatively short drive.

Numbers on the gorram scale seem to be moving in the wrong direction this week. Not a happy camper.

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Daily Record
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Weight: 143.6 lb

BF: Grain Shop High Fibre Crisp w/milk, coffee w/cream
Lunch: Tortellini Stew
Snack: Yogurt & berries
Supper: Chili, possibly cornmeal muffins to go with if I feel like making them

Planned Workout: C25K 1.3

Reasons To Lose Weight - #5

A doctor told me to.

I will preface this by saying that I don't visit the doctor very often. In general I'm pretty healthy. Or at least I think of myself as being healthy. I do have asthma and allergies, but they don't trouble me all that much. My asthma kicks in during cold, damp weather or when I stay overnight at my parents' house (sadly - I think it must be because it is such an old house, something must trigger my allergies). So I usually only go to the doctor for something specific.

A couple of years ago now I had called to make an appointment and found out that a new doctor had taken over the practice. When I went in for my appointment with the new doctor, the receptionist weighed me before I went in to see the doctor. This was something new.

I had been wondering about my weight for a while. At the time I was around 136 lb and I had been stuck there for a long time (like, years). I was working out at least 5 times a week. I tried to eat a healthy diet most of the time. I counted calories. The weight wasn't budging. I'd been at this weight for a few years, and I'd started to wonder if this was just where my body wanted to be. I won't say I was happy with that weight. I knew it was outside the healthy weight range for my height. But I was also frustrated with trying to lose weight and I didn't know what else to do. So I wondered if I should just accept it. I hadn't lost any weight, but I also hadn't gained, so maybe I was OK at this weight.

So I went in to see the doctor and we discussed the reason I'd come in; then before I left, I asked him about my weight. He looked at my file, then looked at a chart on the wall and told me to lose weight. He said I should be within 120 - 123 lbs. I presented my defense - I work out, I try to eat healthy but my weight stays the same. He didn't budge. I had to lose weight. He told me to exercise and not eat fast food and I would lose weight. That was the extent of his advice. I found it quite frustrating to be honest.

I also found it interesting that I was the one to bring it up. Obviously he didn't look at me and immediately think: this girl needs to lose weight.

But still, there it was. And around that time it seemed that everywhere I turned I was seeing articles that said being overweight by even 10 pounds was a health risk. So apparently I had to suck it up and keep trying to lose the weight.

Nothing changed for quite a while. Which is not to say that I didn't try, because I did. But I didn't get anywhere.

I'd hate to go back to the doctor's office and step on that scale now. I'm not sure what has happened over the past year that suddenly caused me to gain, but here I am. I have to tell you, 136 pounds is looking pretty good to me right now.

It seems to be getting harder. I'm not sure if it's age-related. But now I am even farther away from where I am supposed to be, where I would like to be. I'll keep trying though.

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Daily Record
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Weight: 142.6

BF: Grain Shop High Fibre Crisp Cereal w/milk, coffee w/cream
Lunch: Tomato Lima Bean Soup
Snack: Yogurt w/strawberries & raspberries
Supper: WW Pita Pizza & salad

Reasons To Lose Weight - #4

Bringing Sexy Back

Recently while reviewing some pictures I’d downloaded from my camera I came across one that Moon must have taken. It wasn’t a picture of me, but I was there in the background, turned at an angle speaking to someone. I saw the picture and I thought “Holy Cow! How does my husband still love me?” Obviously that’s not fair to either one of us. My husband loves me for me, not for how much I weigh.
On top of that, it was an unflattering camera angle. It happens.

But, the truth is, it does bother me that I am no longer the skinny little thing that I was when Moon and & I first met. I don’t exactly feel sexy these days. I miss skinny JavaChick. I know I will probably never be quite that small again, but I can certainly be smaller than I am now.

This also reminded me that many weight loss programs encourage you to take progress pictures. This is something I have never bothered with, I guess I never saw the point. But now it occurs to me that knowing I will be taking pictures might provide that extra motivation needed to keep me on track.

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Daily Record
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Weight: 143.8

BF: Grain Shop High Fibre Crisp cereal w/milk, coffee w/cream
Lunch: Chickpea curry with brown rice
Snach: yogurt & berries
Supper: PC curry sauce w/chicken, cauliflower & bell pepper, PC Garlic Naan

Reasons To Lose Weight - #3

It’s weighing on my mind. It’s always there, hovering. Will I see a loss at this week’s weigh-in? How long will this take? What if I plateau again, and get discouraged again. How can I change up my diet, my workouts, to get results? Anytime there is a social engagement coming up, I am preoccupied wondering: What can I wear that I won't feel fat in?

I’m so impatient. Realistically, I know it takes time, but I want the weight to be gone now! I feel like I’m wishing my life away, each week impatient for weigh-in day so I can advance the ticker, reduce the number of pounds left to lose, adjust my countdown.

It’s like that Quaker commercial, where the women are walking around with a scale dragging from their ankle. It’s a burden I could do without.

After 3 weeks of seeing the numbers on the scale steadily drop, this week those numbers are suddenly increasing again, even though I have been eating properly and working out. I know that ups and downs happen, even when you are doing the right things, but it does wear one down eventually.

Daily Details
I was tired last night, and by the time we finished supper and cleaned up it was getting late, so I did a short workout (30 mins on the treadmill and 35 push-ups for the challenge). Then I had a shower and went to bed. Didn't eat anything extra. Drank all my water yesterday.

Scale was up this morning. This is starting to get to me...up 3 days in a row, and today was a big increase. Grr! At least the weather has finally warmed up a bit.

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Daily Record
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Weight: 143.9

BF: Toasted WW Raisin Bread w/PB, coffee w/cream
Lunch: chickpea curry w/brown rice
Snack: yogurt w/strawberries & raspberries
Supper: Kickin' Chicken (ESBM recipe), rice, veggies

Reasons to lose weight - #2

This is not a new struggle for me, obviously. I keep at it for health reasons, but also – let’s be honest here – vanity plays a part. I don’t like how I look. I don’t like being chubby. So, I keep coming back to the struggle.

Despite what I have just said, during this struggle I sometimes – often even – find myself thinking: but if I lose weight, my clothes won’t fit anymore and I like my clothes. How crazy is that? Yeah, I like my clothes...but let’s face it, I like new clothes as well. I tend to buy new clothes every season (in addition to liking clothes, I also like to shop). Eventually clothes wear out, go out of style, etc. So as much as I like these clothes, it’s not like I am going to wear them forever.

I don’t know if that “but I like my clothes” refrain is an excuse not to try harder. Or something to console myself with because I feel I’m going to fail anyway, but at least I can cheer myself with the fact that I have nice clothes to wear. Regardless, this stops now. Instead, I will remind myself:

1. It will take time to lose weight, so I can enjoy wearing my beloved clothes until then.
2. When I lose weight, it will be fun to shop for smaller sizes.

So that’s it. No more shopping. I certainly don’t need new clothes – I have lots to wear. I will make full use of what I have, until such time as a) they no longer fit me because I have become so slim, or b) I have legitimately worn them out and I have nothing to wear.

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Daily Record
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Weight: 143

BF: toasted WW Raisin Bread w/PB, coffee w/Cream
Lunch: Mexican White Bean & Brown Rice Casserole
Snack: Yogurt & Berries
Supper: ??

Reasons to lose Weight - #1

This morning, I find myself asking: if not now, then when?

I'm wearing a pair of pants this morning that are normally quite comfortable, if not a teensy bit loose. Today, I wouldn't call them tight...but they are definitely snug. No room to grow there, that's for sure.

It has been normal for me to bounce up and down a bit - normally between 130 & 136...but over the past year I have definitely gone beyond that. Can't believe I have found myself at 145 lbs. So it's time to do something before it gets any worse. It's only going to get harder as time goes on. I certainly don't want to gain more.

The time is definitely now.

Daily details...

Count down to treadmill...3 days! Kind of excited.

Weather is still warm; 7 degrees on the way in to work this morning! I only wore 2 layers of clothing to work today and I'm actually comfortable. I know it won't last, but for now I am loving it!

Knew it was bound to happen - scale bounced up a bit this morning, but I am still down from last Friday.

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Daily Record
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Weight: 144.2

BF: Toast w/PB, coffee w/cream
Lunch: Mexican White Bean & Brown Rice Casserole
Snack: Yogurt & berries
Supper: ???