My weight-loss journey - Getting back on track....

[Applewhite]

That DOES look good. Too bad I am too lazy to make it!

[Daligal83]

LOL hike I just wanted to "like" your post like we were on Facebook or something. I'm way too lazy too!

[annie24]

you ladies are funny.

 

non-scale victory! (NSV!) I tried on these size 12 jeans I bought last year through victoria's link removed, and i was too big. they've been in my closet the last year, with the tag still on. i tried them on now, they fit! (albeit, with a muffin top!) but they fit! i think in a few weeks, it will be sans muffin top.

[Applewhite]

^ I just wanted to like that too!

[Daligal83]

Yay annie!! Before you know it they will be too big for you

[sidehop]

A true victory indeed Annie, that's wonderful!

[annie24]

i didn't go to WW last week because i overslept. my trainer says i'm not taking things seriously enough. he's probably right. i'm focused on weight loss, but only 50% focused, it's not 100% focus. but i guess still it's working because i am losing.

 

tonight on his scale i was 187.8 (down 1.4) but it will hopefully be more on saturday morning when i weigh in. wore the new jeans to work today (with a baggy top, of course).

 

depression/anxiety from the job search issues have made me sort of lose my appetite.

[annie24]

strange. I was up this morning to 189. I was expecting to be down. then again, it's my TOM. I guess i was still down 0.2 lbs from 2 weeks ago, but that's not very impressive. i think it's water weight (i hope!!!!) i should have been more careful with some of my eating the last 2 weeks also.

[Daligal83]

Women's bodies can fluctuate up to 5 pounds regularly, it's so frustrating.

[Applewhite]

I know I haven't emailed you. Sorry I guess I keep postponing it because I am not doing so well myself. But I will go to the gym today and every day this week!

 

I just bought myself a new yoga mat + carry on bag. I am excited. I have one at home but this is just for travelling to have handy in my car..

[annie24]

Last week's weight: 189.0

Today's weight: 186.6

Down: 2.4 lbs

 

yay. though i think that this week's loss was actually due to water weight. i should have lost more weight last week but didn't because of my TOM. this week, i didn't eat so well, didn't exercise as much as i should have, but i am 2.4 lbs down, which makes me think it's just water. that means that this week i need to be good if i want to see another loss.

[BellaDonna]

Good for you!!! The number is going down. That is commendable even if you did not have perfect week.

 

Whenever I see the # on my scale go down I am very happy- I don't even care why it went down. lol Down is good.

[annie24]

thanks bella. it's so much easier for me to do well when i did well the week before. it's motivating, you know? i just went through my waredrobe and tried on a lot of clothes i haven't tried in a while. a lot of the 12s fit, but too tight to wear in public. but i know another 10 lbs down, and they will fit perfectly and the size 14s will be in a bin to charity. but i'm just happy that at least i can button them now, you know? a lot of things i bought mail order and still have the tag on them!! when i can wear them for real, i'll cut off the tags. and then work on the size 10s.

[Ellie2006]

I bet that now you're done with your dissertation, the pounds will come flying off. I tend to eat so unhealthily when I am working on something bc I feel like I need to "reward" myself. *sigh*

 

Annie, what do you advise to tighten one's abs? My problem areas are my thighs and my abs.

I would totally go for a liposuction if I werent such a scaredy-cat.

[annie24]

bwahahah! defined abs? me? no. never. lol.

 

i dunno - it is one of my trouble spots - i do bellydance, i suspect that helps just because of how much core strength you utilize and you move those muscles in every which way. i think that is something that can help you out. really any core exercises - there are a lot of muscles there, so i think you have to work them out in many different ways. with my trainer and in bellydance, we do like dozens of different crunches.

 

thighs - there i am (i think) genetically lucky - my thighs aren't my trouble spot. i lose weight there fairly easily - usually walking and biking is enough. i walk a lot, i think that helps. just all my food goes to my belly. squats and lunges help too.

[Ellie2006]

i've heard good things about belly-dancing. the thing is i'm like a stick, no flexibility whatsoever!

[annie24]

it will help!!!! especially doing yoga.

[Daligal83]

The thing is, you have to do cardio along with weight training. You can build up the ab muscles, but you have to do the cardio to make the fat laying on top of the muscles go away as well. Otherwise you won't be able to see those nice new muscles lol.

[annie24]

weight last week: 186.6

weight today: 188.6

gain: 2 lbs!!!

 

eeek!!! don't know how that happened. 2 lbs up?? i exercised 5 times this week. though... i could have been a lot more careful with my food and tracking. i had too many 'treats' this week so i guess they added up. sheesh. going to a party tonight, i know i have to be careful with my food and alcohol. sigh.

[annie24]

Yesterday: 185.8 lbs.

 

The numbers are going down. albeit slowly. slowly slowly. Another wake up call happened this week - I wanted to apply for a certain job with the US government - however, I need to lose about 30 lbs to be able to qualify. yet more motivation to lose weight!!

[Daligal83]

Hey, at least it's going down! I think I weigh the same as I did when I started working out three years ago lol. Don't forget that the slow weight loss is the kind that sticks around long-term.

 

Here's a recipe my sister gave me and I love. If I can muster up the motivation I'm going to go buy the ingredients for this minus the polenta and put it in a whole wheat wrap for lunch this week.

 

Polenta with Black Bean Salsa

This wonderful vegetarian entree recipe can be made in just a few minutes with these excellent convenience products.

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 16 ounce roll refrigerated polenta

• 3 tablespoons butter

• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

• 1 cup chunky salsa

• 1 green bell pepper, chopped

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

• 1/2 cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese

• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Cut polenta into 1/2" slices. In medium bowl, combine black beans, salsa, green pepper, cilantro, and cheeses and mix gently. Set aside.

In heavy nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add polenta rounds; cook, turning once, until golden brown and crisp. As polenta cooks, remove to paper towels to drain.

Place two polenta rounds on each plate and top with black bean mixture. Serves 6

[BellaDonna]

Yesterday: 185.8 lbs.

 

The numbers are going down. albeit slowly. slowly slowly. Another wake up call happened this week - I wanted to apply for a certain job with the US government - however, I need to lose about 30 lbs to be able to qualify. yet more motivation to lose weight!!

 

 

hey Annie. Are you on the new weight watchers? A coworker of mine started and she says it seems to work a lot faster than the old version.

 

I'm on my really strict diet again and it seems to be working fast- but it is very low carb, no sugar, and low fat. I am fighting some pretty stubborn genetics so I have to be so strict with food. I've lowered the intensity of my excercise because I swear the more (and harder) I exercise the more hungry I am and the more I eat like a bottomless pit and tell myself "I will burn it off" when I actually don't. I'm sticking to light stuff now like swimming, yoga, pilates, walking. I was putting my body through high intensity workouts without much to show for it. It was so disappointing.

 

Congrats on the -2lbs and I hope you find the equation that continues to work for you.

[annie24]

wow - i haven't posted here in forever! I am trying to get back on track.... yet again! My weight crept back up to 200.0!!! however, I was wearing jeans, so if i were naked, it would have been probably 198. yikes!!!!!!!!!!

 

Well, that was 3 weeks ago, I've lost 6.2 lbs since, and now I'm 193.8 lbs. The funny thing is, since I've been good about weight lifting, I think a lot more of that is muscle so I'm probably "slimmer" than I was this time last year at 183. Things have been frustrating, between taking anti-anxiety meds (which i am finally off of!) and all of this traveling and such. but I had a few recent 'wakeup calls.'

 

one is that for the first time ever, I had heartburn last week! could be that I ate something strange before bed, but still, it was scary, waking up in the middle of the night with intense chest pain. Of course, being overweight is a risk factor for heartburn. And now I'm planning a fabulous vacation on which I will be on the beach a lot, and I don't want to be too overweight when I go and look at myself in the photos!! of course, I'm not going to be at goal by the vacation, but at least as long as I make some progress....

 

I'm wearing a size 12 right now, it's starting to feel loose, which is good. I can fit into my size 10 jeans with a huge muffin top, lol!! If I can fit into the size 10 nicely by the trip, that would make me happy. size 8, i would be overjoyed!

 

basically, what's been working the past few weeks has been eating way more fruits and vegetables and more cardio, which I have been severely lacking the last 6 months. I've signed back up for dance classes, so I think that will help as well!!

 

something else I read this week was "The China Study." It scared the crap out of me! honestly, most nuitrion books, I don't put a lot of stock in, but this one was written by an academic researcher, who publishes in peer-reviewed journals. so, this guy isn't some quack, he has a PhD in biochemistry, has been a professor and researcher for decades, etc... i trust his results. The overall jist of the book is that most diseases are caused by our diet, and that disease is correlated with eating animal products (dairy, meat, eggs). It's really a very good book, but also really scary. I've been trying to keep some of these principles in mind this week, eating more tofu based foods, less meat, etc... and, i guess it showed on the scale this week! I was a vegetarian before for 4 years, and i was always slim.

 

link removed

[BellaDonna]

I will have to check out that link. Thanks for sharing it.

 

Congrats on the -6.2lbs. That is wonderful. Getting in the groove to lose the first 10 can be the hardest (it always was for me anyways) but you are already making great progress. I know you'll reach your goal.

[annie24]

thanks! and you know what - i need to see a drop on the scale to feel 'motivated.' it was very hard for me to try to get in the swing of things without seeing any progress on the scale. i think that the lexapro wasn't helping. these SSRIs don't help with weight loss at all!

 

speaking of that all, i haven't had my cholesterol levels checked in a while. i should do that.... maybe a few months of eating plant based foods, see what happens....