Happy Halloweekend Everyone!
Well, it's that time of year... The dress rehearsal for the "Holiday Season;" it's complete with costume and everything- a literal dress rehearsal!
How long ago did you buy your candy? (You know, they put it out in August!) Have you already eaten through that bag? Need to buy more? This is the time of year where candy companies make GIANT bags of the mini candy bars and label them "fun sized." We all know they sell this size candy bar all year (for most major candies), but they are in little 10 packs and called "miniatures." For Halloween they are re-titled, "FUN SIZE." (At Easter, they are fun sized and packaged in pretty pastels!) Really, wouldn't a truly fun candy bar be in fact so big that you need to tilt it back to fit it through the door? That is exactly what Chris told us at the WW meeting about his idea of "fun sized", he would have to tilt it to fit through the door. I thought about it. Point well made, that would be fun!
I have previously thought of these "FUN SIZED" candies as eating 4 equals one whole regular sized candy bar. For some that's true, but for others it's really eating 2 full candies! Woops! And while we are passing out candy or sitting by the leftovers on the counter OR sifting through our kids' candy, are we really just eating 1 or 2 or 3 or 4? Nope, we're popping open packages of "FUN SIZED" skittles and M 'n M s and eating them like the candy companies are going to stop making them. Or maybe we are the candy sneakers that sneak a piece here and there or maybe we don't sneak and we just re-visit the candy bowl a few times (or more than a few!)
So, now that I'm actually really looking at everything I put in my mouth, I realize that each "FUN SIZED" candy bar is 2-3 points- now that is for one, when you eat more than one it really equals out to being a little more per additional candy each time in one sitting! So that is about 100-150 calories per candy. When you have only 1320 calories to paryt of your eating plan, that 1 candy really takes a big chunk out of them!
Have you planned what to do with leftover candy? I have a few plans if I have any extra- we are in a very populated neighborhood, so I don't know what we will really have left over, but my plans are...
1. I bought mostly candy that I don't like, but are still popular- no temptation there!
2. Dillon is only 2 so this is his 1st year going trick-or-treating, so I will keep some M n M's and things like that for special treats for Dillon.
3. As for the rest of the candies- well, Steve can take them to work or I will take them to the dorm for the girls!
The plan is to get it out as soon as possible!
So, enjoy your Halloweekend, but don't over do it, every bite counts!
Friday, October 29, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Hold the BLT!
Although I am not a tomato person... I do love me some bacon! However, I am not talking about a delicious sandwich today!
BLT- Bites, Licks, and Tastes!
When you cook and bake, BLTs can add calories to your day that you aren't even considering. A bite of cookie dough, taste testing the frosting... It all goes back to our childhood, when we were kids and mom was baking you were always waiting in the wings to lick the beaters or run your finger across the bottom of the brownie batter bowl! Fast forward to our own adulthood, and here we are sharing this memory with our kids by giving them BLTs and of course, BLTing ourselves! But, think about how much frosting or whatever you are really eating- before you even treat yourself to a cookie or other delicious cooking concoction! Well, I only ate one cookie! (After all the baking, but how many cookies worth of dough did I eat? How much frosting did I eat while baking?)
There's some food for thought, huh?!
Well, Dillon and I made some festive Halloween cookies, bats, pumpkins, and ghosts. Sugar cookies from scratch and frosting from scratch that was first used as is for the ghosts, then dyed orange for the pumpkins, and then to the orange we added as much green and blue food coloring as it took to make the orange frosting a dark gray for the bats!
BLT- Bites, Licks, and Tastes!
When you cook and bake, BLTs can add calories to your day that you aren't even considering. A bite of cookie dough, taste testing the frosting... It all goes back to our childhood, when we were kids and mom was baking you were always waiting in the wings to lick the beaters or run your finger across the bottom of the brownie batter bowl! Fast forward to our own adulthood, and here we are sharing this memory with our kids by giving them BLTs and of course, BLTing ourselves! But, think about how much frosting or whatever you are really eating- before you even treat yourself to a cookie or other delicious cooking concoction! Well, I only ate one cookie! (After all the baking, but how many cookies worth of dough did I eat? How much frosting did I eat while baking?)
There's some food for thought, huh?!
Well, Dillon and I made some festive Halloween cookies, bats, pumpkins, and ghosts. Sugar cookies from scratch and frosting from scratch that was first used as is for the ghosts, then dyed orange for the pumpkins, and then to the orange we added as much green and blue food coloring as it took to make the orange frosting a dark gray for the bats!
Of course we had to top them off with sprinkles!!!
I made 3 trays of these delicious, festive cookies! 1 went to one my best friends and her family, 1 went to our next door neighbors (with 2 kids), the other- we ate some, and the rest I brought to the dorm for the girls! I'm not going to lie, I am SO glad they are out of my house!
SO my parting thought for the evening... The next time you are baking, remember to hold the BLT!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
The Hardest Day of the Week
Well, it's "Weigh-In Wednesday" as I've started to call it. Wednesday is the day of the week my local WW meeting falls on. A few weeks ago, Nicole, our former WW Leader started the meeting with pom poms and stating "point 2, point 4, point 6, point 8, why don't we appreciate?" This was of course referring to only losing small amounts of less than a pound. She wanted to know why we weren't happy with a point something loss, because, after all, it is a loss! And you know, in the end, those small losses still add up!
Let me tell you, that I "only" lost .2 pounds this week, but you know what... It was a great .2 because I am now officially back to my 29lbs. of weight loss!!! Only 1 pound away from losing a full 30 lbs. in 6 months! That's 5 lbs. a month my friends, and if I could keep it up, in May 2011, I will weigh 60 lbs. less! So in keeping with perspective and appreciating every victory, yea for me!!!
I have learned that "losing weight" is not about how much you lose each week, but in appreciating the fact that I have continued to lose weight! WIthout being as dilligent as I could have or should have been for that matter, I have still continued to lose weight! Sometimes I don't feel like I've lost that much or that I don't look that different I think about the fact that I can still wear my size 18 jeans comfortably, well no kidding, I'm getting smaller, they are a whole lot more comfortable! But then, you have one of those "off the scale victories" I talked about a few days ago. My off the scale victory this week: My son "pantsed" me in the grocery store wearing jeans! Yup, he grabbed ahold of my pants and jumped up and then on his way back down, took my pants clear to the bottom of my butt cheeks before I realized what was going on! So, now I have to go buy jeans, the pants we all hate to buy or try on and hate to give up once we find that perfect pair. I have to go buy a smaller size (maybe a few smaller!) because my kid could pull them off of me like they were sweatpants with an elastic waist! In case you were wondering, I'm pretty sure that there was no one else in the aisle with us, at least not that I noticed! If there were, well, at least I had on cute underwear! You know, it all goes back to that whole idea of putting things in perspective!!!
So, Tuesdays I have dorm duty until late, where last night, admitidly, I snacked more than I needed to, but today was "judgement day" and I weighed in, and I still lost! It is the hardest day of the week because it's the day where I find out which direction my journey is going! But in the end whether I lose or gain, I know that I have a new week, with new challenges, and new opportunities. I have another whole week to try again! With weight loss there is no shame in starting over, no shame in recomitting. It's only a shame when you give up and don't try again! So, surround yourself with supportive people, the ones who will be your cheerleaders, not the "diet police," (there is nothing more frustrating than someone saying "are you allowed to eat that!), and try, try again!
Happy Weigh-In Wednesday Friends!
Let me tell you, that I "only" lost .2 pounds this week, but you know what... It was a great .2 because I am now officially back to my 29lbs. of weight loss!!! Only 1 pound away from losing a full 30 lbs. in 6 months! That's 5 lbs. a month my friends, and if I could keep it up, in May 2011, I will weigh 60 lbs. less! So in keeping with perspective and appreciating every victory, yea for me!!!
I have learned that "losing weight" is not about how much you lose each week, but in appreciating the fact that I have continued to lose weight! WIthout being as dilligent as I could have or should have been for that matter, I have still continued to lose weight! Sometimes I don't feel like I've lost that much or that I don't look that different I think about the fact that I can still wear my size 18 jeans comfortably, well no kidding, I'm getting smaller, they are a whole lot more comfortable! But then, you have one of those "off the scale victories" I talked about a few days ago. My off the scale victory this week: My son "pantsed" me in the grocery store wearing jeans! Yup, he grabbed ahold of my pants and jumped up and then on his way back down, took my pants clear to the bottom of my butt cheeks before I realized what was going on! So, now I have to go buy jeans, the pants we all hate to buy or try on and hate to give up once we find that perfect pair. I have to go buy a smaller size (maybe a few smaller!) because my kid could pull them off of me like they were sweatpants with an elastic waist! In case you were wondering, I'm pretty sure that there was no one else in the aisle with us, at least not that I noticed! If there were, well, at least I had on cute underwear! You know, it all goes back to that whole idea of putting things in perspective!!!
So, Tuesdays I have dorm duty until late, where last night, admitidly, I snacked more than I needed to, but today was "judgement day" and I weighed in, and I still lost! It is the hardest day of the week because it's the day where I find out which direction my journey is going! But in the end whether I lose or gain, I know that I have a new week, with new challenges, and new opportunities. I have another whole week to try again! With weight loss there is no shame in starting over, no shame in recomitting. It's only a shame when you give up and don't try again! So, surround yourself with supportive people, the ones who will be your cheerleaders, not the "diet police," (there is nothing more frustrating than someone saying "are you allowed to eat that!), and try, try again!
Happy Weigh-In Wednesday Friends!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
"Too Busy" Is Not a Reason, It's an Excuse
FOREVER I had a list a mile long as to why I was "TOO BUSY" to exercise. Actually, for me it translated to "too lazy," but who real wants to face that reality? I was a stay-at-home mom so "all" of my time went to laundry- I cloth diaper Dillon and the washing process is about 4 cycles of washing, plus all the other laundry, and I made Dillon's baby food, he has never had a jar of baby food. Plus, I had dorm duty, my gosh, I had to stay up until midnight making sure that 20 teenaged girls didn't plot to take over the world! (You know, teen girls are quite crafty!) Then of course there was all the dishes- we didn't have a dishwasher, and Dillon would be crawling soon so the floor needed to always be cleaned! Sound familiar? Yup, life!
Steve always likes to use the phrase: "life's tough, get a helmet!"
Then, when Dillon was about 10 months old, our priest offered me a job teaching Kindergarten at our Parish's school. Well, that just added to all I had to do! (DUH)
Steve always likes to use the phrase: "life's tough, get a helmet!"
Then, when Dillon was about 10 months old, our priest offered me a job teaching Kindergarten at our Parish's school. Well, that just added to all I had to do! (DUH)
Dillon's 1st Birthday Party, 2 months after I started working! My mother-in-law is standing next to me, but gosh, it looks like she's 1/2 behind me!
Good thing Steve loves me, because gosh, I am about twice the size of when he asked me to marry him in this picture!
I got a wii fit, thinking I would lose all my weight and then some! Well, you know, life... I justified not working out because Dillon needed me, or he was upset if I wasn't holding him, or it was so hard to do the wii fit wearing a baby- I had a sleepy wrap, which, Dillon loved, but you know, working out holding a baby made it harder... sigh...
See, all snug as a bug in his sleepy wrap!
I would get on kicks where I'd go and take a nice long walk around the campus everyday, then, life... you know, it gets in the way! Last fall, I returned to my Kindergarten classroom, I had the sweetest students, I had fabulous, suportive parents, and a great teaching assistant; the truly ideal classroom situation. Well, amost every mom in that room was gorgeous, beautiful, and thin, after not one, but two kids! WOW, seriously, if I could post pictures of these beautiful, wonderful, moms, I totally would. Well, I wanted to be like them! Good motivation, huh, these hot moms dropping their kids of to me! Well, actually, it was!
I started bringing healthy snacks to work- setting that good example for my students. After Christmas I even propsed that our school do a "Biggest Loser" competition so that we could keep eachother motivated and healthy- no, I didn't win! As I started taking these little steps toward healthy living, I realized that a real key ingredient I was missing was exercise. But, sigh, life... It was REALLY REALLY hard to fit it in! So, I decided I needed to find ways to fit it in while doing the things I normally did.
Instead of parking as close as possible to a store, you can never find those spots anyways, I looked for the last spot in the parking lot so that I had to walk just that little extra to get to the store. Instead of hopping in the car and driving to dinner at the dining room, I ploped Dillon in his stroller and hoofed it. After work, instead of sitting on the couch watching Dillon play, we played outside and ran around. And then, as I stated in the first post, I decided enough was really enough and I couldn't do it on my own, I joined weight watchers in May of 2010.
Fast forward 1 year and 1 month from that lat picture of my mother-in-law and I to July 2010:
Believe it or not, we didn't plan our outfits ahead of time! Now, scroll back up to the 1st picture of us and then back down again! WOAH! Now I have a waist and my face has a slimmer shape!
(Yes, I know, round is a shape, actually, that is circle...)
Now when Dillon goes down for a nap, I still take the time to relax, catch some tv, and in general not do too much, but if I'm watching tv, I do sit ups at the commercial breaks- as many as I can without hurting myself or over exerting myself.
Dillon and I spent 2 1/2 hours raking leaves and pine needles in our yard this morning before his nap, I have blisters on my hands and I am really exhausted, however, our yard is clear, we go fresh air, and I worked up one heck of a sweat! The yard had to get raked, so I did it, and it was a great work out! Now, none of these things I have talked about are a traditional form of exercise, but on days when I don't have a walking partner or I just am in the mood for a different type of exercise, these things all work!
So, instead of making excuses as to why I cannot exercise, or why I don't have time, I have changed my lifestyle to incorporate exercising and activity into the things I already do or that I have to do. My son weighs 30 lbs. so if I wear him in his carrier while I'm walking, it increases my "workout" or if I pick him up and swing him around while playing with him, or if I chase him or get up and dance to music with him, believe, me, it's a work out!
So, stop making excuses and make progress, make changes!
Monday, October 25, 2010
Taking the time to do the math!
I'm sure that lots of you are aware of substituting applesauce in your baking for the oil/shortening, that's a pretty publicized substitution, but what about cooking, you cannot put applesauce on your grilled cheese skillet!
According to weight watchers, 1 teaspoon of butter is worth 1 point or 52 calories. However, you probably need at least a tablespoon for a grilled cheese, if not more. 1 slice of american cheese is worth 3 points or 156 calories- most people put about 3 slices, 468 calories, we haven't even added in the bread yet! If you use a good wheat bread, it's generally about 1 point a piece. So, let's say to make your grilled cheese you have 3 slices of american cheese, 2 slices of bread, and ere on the side of caution and say 2 tbsp. butter- that equals 13 points on a weight watchers scale, roughly 676 calories. Most adults' caloric in-take is based on a 2000 calorie per day diet, and you have used up more than 25% of that daily in-take on 1 sandwich; that is before you add chips, fries, or whatever you put on the side, or before you dip it in anything- I know some of you are dippers! Not to mention, that's if you only eat one and if you don't eat a piece or two of cheese while you're cooking!)
Now, how can we lighten it up? If you substitute Brummel and Brown, a delicious butter substitute, that actually still tastes as good, but for only 45 calories per table spoon (not teaspoon!)- if you were paying attention earlier, that is less than 1 point per serving ( but we still call it one when we count points!) The low-fat or diet breads can be as low as 2 slices for 1 point if you take the time to read the labels and choose the right one! SO, already, if we use the same numbers as above, 2 tbsp. of Brummel and Brown = 2 points, slices of low-fat/diet bread= 1 point, that's 156 calories and all we have to add is the cheese! If you still use the regular cheese, you've still reduced the caloric in-take considerably! However, if you use 3 slices of low-fat cheese, you're at only 2 points per slice; if you can bring yourself to give the non-fat cheese a try, that's only 1 point per slice! So, let's do the math:
Brummel & Brown+Diet Bread+Regular Cheese= 12 points, 624 calories, not too different from the full fat.
Brummel & Brown+Diet Bread+Low-Fat Cheese= 9 points, 468 calories, a much bigger calorie reduction
Brummel & Brown+Diet Bread+Fat-Free Cheese= 6 points, or 312 calories, less than 1/2 of the calories from the full fat version.
And there you have a healthier version of a yummy comfort food that you can enjoy with a soup, a salad, or even some baked sweet potato fries and even go back for seconds!
According to weight watchers, 1 teaspoon of butter is worth 1 point or 52 calories. However, you probably need at least a tablespoon for a grilled cheese, if not more. 1 slice of american cheese is worth 3 points or 156 calories- most people put about 3 slices, 468 calories, we haven't even added in the bread yet! If you use a good wheat bread, it's generally about 1 point a piece. So, let's say to make your grilled cheese you have 3 slices of american cheese, 2 slices of bread, and ere on the side of caution and say 2 tbsp. butter- that equals 13 points on a weight watchers scale, roughly 676 calories. Most adults' caloric in-take is based on a 2000 calorie per day diet, and you have used up more than 25% of that daily in-take on 1 sandwich; that is before you add chips, fries, or whatever you put on the side, or before you dip it in anything- I know some of you are dippers! Not to mention, that's if you only eat one and if you don't eat a piece or two of cheese while you're cooking!)
Brummel & Brown+Diet Bread+Regular Cheese= 12 points, 624 calories, not too different from the full fat.
Brummel & Brown+Diet Bread+Low-Fat Cheese= 9 points, 468 calories, a much bigger calorie reduction
Brummel & Brown+Diet Bread+Fat-Free Cheese= 6 points, or 312 calories, less than 1/2 of the calories from the full fat version.
And there you have a healthier version of a yummy comfort food that you can enjoy with a soup, a salad, or even some baked sweet potato fries and even go back for seconds!
A Picture Walk to Give You a Perspective
This is me in high school, the one on the left!
My Wedding Day- June 24, 2006 Christmas 2007, 4 months pregnant
June 3, 2008- Hours before having Dillon
3 Months after having DillonJanuary 2009, 7 months after having Dillon
Do you think I EVER saw this person when I looked in the mirror?!
July 2, 2010- 19lbs. lighter
October 2010- almost 30lbs. lighter than May!
Me and My Boys!
The Beginning
Welcome Everyone!
A few words of introduction:
My name is Liz, I just turned 27. I am from Connecticut where I live with my husband of 4 years, my 2 year old son, Dillon, and our Miniature English Bulldog, Chloe; she is 4. We just purchased our first house in April.
I was adopted at birth, so medical history is a true mystery to me, so a part of my quest is to stay as healthy as possible since I am at a medical background disadvantage. My son, and the possibilty of a future child are another reason I am working so diligently to stay healthy. My husband and enjoying life in genreal is a third reason to get healthier. But of course, the most important reason is for me! SInce I have started losing weight I can buy clothes at the store without trying them on and I know they will fit (this is considered an off the scale victory), I can run up the stairs carrying my 30lb. son and not be winded at the top, and I have more energy to do things!
In high school (1997-2001) I was a 3-season Varsity athlete- soccer, basketball, and softball. I played on recreational teams during the summer. My first year of college, I realized very quickly that the people at the small Catholic college I was attending were much more interested in majoring in "Better Living through Chemistry" aka drugs and alcohol than I was. I had a 4.0, I was in the college's musical production, I went to church each week and was a member of the church choir. So, when I wasn't studying I had lots of free time, but most people were off partying. I hit the gym. I woke up at 5:45 and walked across campus to swim at 6am. I would come back from the gym, go to class, and return to the gym to swim at noon. Another class and then back to the gym to swim at 5:00. After the 5pm swim I would go and do 30 minutes on a cardio machine and 30 minutes on a nautalis circut. Needless to say, after a year of this, I was in even better shape than when I was playing 3 varsity sports!
After my freshman year of college (2002), I came home and worked as a lifeguard for the summer at a camp for children with special needs. It was this summer that I met my husband- well, I already knew him, but we actually started dating. Steve was also very into exercise. He had been chubby throughout high school although, quite active, so he was very into fitness. I had decided to transfer to a school in Boston for my sophomore year. The city was great, the school was challenging and fabulous. I completed my sophomore year with flying colors. I was living in an apartment off campus, and I had about a 30 minute commute via the "T." I didn't have a regular eating schedule or a regular exercise schedule because it was "such a hassle" to bring all of my school books and exercise clothes for the day into the city with no real "home base" as I didn't live directly on campus. After my sophomore year, I returned home and again worked as a lifeguard at the camp for special needs children- with my future husband.
My junior year of college, I returned to Boston, but this time lived in an apartment right in the middle of the city in Beacon Hill. This location was ideal and I lived just across the Boston Common from my school! In the spring semester of my Junior year, we competed in the National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC). It was a select group of marketing majors that had to apply and be selected for this course. We had many late nights and long weeks as we pushed to make our advertising campaign come alive. This was my beginning... or maybe I should call it my be-gaining. We were so over-tired and over-worked. We ordered take-out and bought late night snacks at the convenienve store. The philosophy was "if 1 cookie makes me feel this much better, imagine how 6 would make me feel!" Yup, we were all doing it, we ate to stay awake, to keep up energy, to survive. At that point, it was really survival. Steve, his friend, and his sister came up during this crazy push to see a Celtics game, I went with them, and I slept on Steve's shoulder through the whole game! I cannot even tell you who the Celtics played! We survived! We came in 2nd in our region, but our school was so proud that they still sent our team to Dallas for the American Advertising Federation Conference, and to see the finals for the NSAC. The year ended- Thank God! Again, I returned home to work my summer as a lifeguard at the camp for children with special needs- with my future husband! I had started to gain some weight, but not a whole lot. I was back into an exercising routine with Steve and it was coming off again.
Fall 2004, I was beginning my senior year of college, but not just my senior year- my last semester, I was going to graduate a whole semester early! I had more late nights, more crazy eating habits, not too truly weight gaining, but not losing either. Just existing. I finished in December of 2004 with a B.S. in Marketing- concentration in Public Relations and Advertising. (Yea, me!) That Christmas Eve, dressed as Santa, Steve proposed to me in front of all of our friends and family. I had not a clue! This jump started a weight loss kick! I joined a gym and I joined weight watchers. I was doing great! That summer (2005), instead of returning to camp, I was offered a job at a local private high school in the admissions office. I had been working for about 4 months when the director informed me I would be traveling to Mexico to recruit students. I was thrilled because this also meant I would be able to reconnect with my friends in Mexico from high school! This also meant, I lost my way (or should I say weigh). With so many families and friends taking us to dinner, offering us food that we could not turn down to be polite, and drinks that were obligatory celebrations, even trying to track on the Weight Watchers online tool became impossible for me and I just stopped. Well, after 2 weeks in Mexico, I never went back to Weight Watchers, I never went back to tracking my foods, but I did still go to the gym, but not as often as I should have. I was coaching girls' basketball and I was getting in the mix and running drills and things with the girls- exercise, right? And, I could keep up with them!
June 2006, I moved into an apartment in one of the girls dorms on campus. June 24, Steve and I got married and left for a cruise to Bermuda the next day! This was perhaps one of our busiest years. Steve and I were both coaching 2 seperate teams, we were both working full-time at 2 different schools, and I had dorm duty- I was responsible for the girls every other night and every other weekend, which meant I had to stay up until 11pm/12am 3-5 nights a week. And do you remember what it was that I did the last time I had to try and stay up? Yup, I ate! I did gain weight, but not huge amounts, I had little time to exercise.
Fast forward to summer 2007. I decided after 2 years to leave my job in the school building, but not the dorm parent part to persue my Master's Degree in Elementary Education. In Septemeber 2007 I began an internship program at a local school that essentially paid for my entire semester of grad classes. At the end of September 2007, I found out I was pregnant. A true surprise, but a complete blessing! I didn't tell Steve for almost a week after I found out and when I finally did, he was so surprised/shocked that I think he didn't talk to me for 2 days! But, he came around! For the first few months I didn't gain very much at all, in fact one month, I didn't gain anything, but that was okay because I had started off a little heavier. (I should actually call my midwife's office and see what weight I first weighed in at.) I left my internship at Christmas break because with a baby on the way I needed to be earning some money, so I was planning on substitute teaching at the school Steve worked at. January 2, 2008, we found out that we would be having a little boy! (We had already decided on the name Dillon!) So, I was due June 6, 2008. In between January and June, I flew to California, I chaperoned a week-long walking trip of Philadelphia and New York City with 174 international students (at 8 months); I even climbed the "Rocky Steps" at the art museum, and I substitute taught every day that I wasn't on the trip and I had dorm duty every night (yes, you read that correctly, EVERY night) and every other weekend. I stayed busy, but as you do when you are pregnant, I gained weight. In the end, I have no idea how much I gained while pregnant. (Again, I should call my midwife and find out!) On June 2nd I had an appointment with my midwife, she set an induction date for that Friday (my due date), well, Dillon didn't want to be told when to come out, so he decided to make his on plans. On June 3rd, the 1st day in 6 months I hadn't taught, my water broke in the afternoon. On June 4th at 2:27am, Dillon Robert came into our lives.
Over the next 2 years, I have no idea what I gained or lost, only that I had to shop at stores that I felt ashamed of because they were stores that people had referred to as "fat people stores" or the "fat person version of..... (insert store name here). I was SO down on myself and I don't think I really bought any new clothes, with the exception of things for special occassions in the 2 years. Then, in May of 2010, I decided that enough was enough. I re-joined Weight Watchers and I committed hard-core to losing weight.
On May 5, 2010 I weighed in at 223.6 lbs. As I said, I have no idea what that was relative to my first midwife appointment in 2007, but when I saw that, I was determined to not leave myself this way any longer. By June 2nd I was 12.4 lbs lighter, weighing in at 211.2, but in just 4 weeks, had met and exceeded by 1.4 lbs my 5% weight loss goal. By July 7th I had lost an even 20lbs, weighing in at 203.6 lbs. By August 4, I weighed 200.6 lbs, making me 23lbs. lighter. September 1, I FINALLY broke 200, I weighed 199.4lbs. To most, they'd say "um, that's still pretty much 200lbs, but to me, FINALLY being under 200lbs. made me feel like I'd hit the lottery!!!)
Now I am back on dorm duty 2 nights a week and 1 weekend a month, and these nights prove to be my eating downfall and thus have slowed my weight loss process. On September 29 I was 194.6lbs for an even 29lbs. Then came my weekend on duty, the next week I weighed in 1.8 lbs. heavier- back up to 196.4 lbs. I was SO upset with myself, it was such a huge setback to me. I ended up skipping the next week because I was babysitting my friend's son, and i was not stressing myself out to weigh in with 2 toddlers! So, I weighed in again on the 20th of October and I was down 1.6 lbs. putting me at -28.8 lbs, almost back to my -29.
When I lost 25lbs, I donated 25lbs. of food- this is what 25lbs. of weight looks like, now imagine that on your body:
With holidays headed my way, I know that I will need to remember to track and be more diligent about substituting healthier ingredients in my cooking and baking. I have been walking 2-4 miles about 3 days a week with a friend, but I find it a little hard (and I'm a little lazy) about going without her, but some days, I do! I am also going to join Curves, as I have taken the sign that 3 gift certificates equalling 5 free months have come into my life. So, now I am back on my weigh to being a healthier, more fit person!
So here's my question to all the people who wait (weight) for January 1st or more often, TOMORROW to lose weight: WHAT ARE YOU WEIGHTING FOR?! I am not saying you have to do anything that I've done, but think about what will work for you? Find your support, find an exercise buddy, find something that works for you! Don't weight any longer!
A few words of introduction:
My name is Liz, I just turned 27. I am from Connecticut where I live with my husband of 4 years, my 2 year old son, Dillon, and our Miniature English Bulldog, Chloe; she is 4. We just purchased our first house in April.
I was adopted at birth, so medical history is a true mystery to me, so a part of my quest is to stay as healthy as possible since I am at a medical background disadvantage. My son, and the possibilty of a future child are another reason I am working so diligently to stay healthy. My husband and enjoying life in genreal is a third reason to get healthier. But of course, the most important reason is for me! SInce I have started losing weight I can buy clothes at the store without trying them on and I know they will fit (this is considered an off the scale victory), I can run up the stairs carrying my 30lb. son and not be winded at the top, and I have more energy to do things!
In high school (1997-2001) I was a 3-season Varsity athlete- soccer, basketball, and softball. I played on recreational teams during the summer. My first year of college, I realized very quickly that the people at the small Catholic college I was attending were much more interested in majoring in "Better Living through Chemistry" aka drugs and alcohol than I was. I had a 4.0, I was in the college's musical production, I went to church each week and was a member of the church choir. So, when I wasn't studying I had lots of free time, but most people were off partying. I hit the gym. I woke up at 5:45 and walked across campus to swim at 6am. I would come back from the gym, go to class, and return to the gym to swim at noon. Another class and then back to the gym to swim at 5:00. After the 5pm swim I would go and do 30 minutes on a cardio machine and 30 minutes on a nautalis circut. Needless to say, after a year of this, I was in even better shape than when I was playing 3 varsity sports!
After my freshman year of college (2002), I came home and worked as a lifeguard for the summer at a camp for children with special needs. It was this summer that I met my husband- well, I already knew him, but we actually started dating. Steve was also very into exercise. He had been chubby throughout high school although, quite active, so he was very into fitness. I had decided to transfer to a school in Boston for my sophomore year. The city was great, the school was challenging and fabulous. I completed my sophomore year with flying colors. I was living in an apartment off campus, and I had about a 30 minute commute via the "T." I didn't have a regular eating schedule or a regular exercise schedule because it was "such a hassle" to bring all of my school books and exercise clothes for the day into the city with no real "home base" as I didn't live directly on campus. After my sophomore year, I returned home and again worked as a lifeguard at the camp for special needs children- with my future husband.
My junior year of college, I returned to Boston, but this time lived in an apartment right in the middle of the city in Beacon Hill. This location was ideal and I lived just across the Boston Common from my school! In the spring semester of my Junior year, we competed in the National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC). It was a select group of marketing majors that had to apply and be selected for this course. We had many late nights and long weeks as we pushed to make our advertising campaign come alive. This was my beginning... or maybe I should call it my be-gaining. We were so over-tired and over-worked. We ordered take-out and bought late night snacks at the convenienve store. The philosophy was "if 1 cookie makes me feel this much better, imagine how 6 would make me feel!" Yup, we were all doing it, we ate to stay awake, to keep up energy, to survive. At that point, it was really survival. Steve, his friend, and his sister came up during this crazy push to see a Celtics game, I went with them, and I slept on Steve's shoulder through the whole game! I cannot even tell you who the Celtics played! We survived! We came in 2nd in our region, but our school was so proud that they still sent our team to Dallas for the American Advertising Federation Conference, and to see the finals for the NSAC. The year ended- Thank God! Again, I returned home to work my summer as a lifeguard at the camp for children with special needs- with my future husband! I had started to gain some weight, but not a whole lot. I was back into an exercising routine with Steve and it was coming off again.
Fall 2004, I was beginning my senior year of college, but not just my senior year- my last semester, I was going to graduate a whole semester early! I had more late nights, more crazy eating habits, not too truly weight gaining, but not losing either. Just existing. I finished in December of 2004 with a B.S. in Marketing- concentration in Public Relations and Advertising. (Yea, me!) That Christmas Eve, dressed as Santa, Steve proposed to me in front of all of our friends and family. I had not a clue! This jump started a weight loss kick! I joined a gym and I joined weight watchers. I was doing great! That summer (2005), instead of returning to camp, I was offered a job at a local private high school in the admissions office. I had been working for about 4 months when the director informed me I would be traveling to Mexico to recruit students. I was thrilled because this also meant I would be able to reconnect with my friends in Mexico from high school! This also meant, I lost my way (or should I say weigh). With so many families and friends taking us to dinner, offering us food that we could not turn down to be polite, and drinks that were obligatory celebrations, even trying to track on the Weight Watchers online tool became impossible for me and I just stopped. Well, after 2 weeks in Mexico, I never went back to Weight Watchers, I never went back to tracking my foods, but I did still go to the gym, but not as often as I should have. I was coaching girls' basketball and I was getting in the mix and running drills and things with the girls- exercise, right? And, I could keep up with them!
June 2006, I moved into an apartment in one of the girls dorms on campus. June 24, Steve and I got married and left for a cruise to Bermuda the next day! This was perhaps one of our busiest years. Steve and I were both coaching 2 seperate teams, we were both working full-time at 2 different schools, and I had dorm duty- I was responsible for the girls every other night and every other weekend, which meant I had to stay up until 11pm/12am 3-5 nights a week. And do you remember what it was that I did the last time I had to try and stay up? Yup, I ate! I did gain weight, but not huge amounts, I had little time to exercise.
Fast forward to summer 2007. I decided after 2 years to leave my job in the school building, but not the dorm parent part to persue my Master's Degree in Elementary Education. In Septemeber 2007 I began an internship program at a local school that essentially paid for my entire semester of grad classes. At the end of September 2007, I found out I was pregnant. A true surprise, but a complete blessing! I didn't tell Steve for almost a week after I found out and when I finally did, he was so surprised/shocked that I think he didn't talk to me for 2 days! But, he came around! For the first few months I didn't gain very much at all, in fact one month, I didn't gain anything, but that was okay because I had started off a little heavier. (I should actually call my midwife's office and see what weight I first weighed in at.) I left my internship at Christmas break because with a baby on the way I needed to be earning some money, so I was planning on substitute teaching at the school Steve worked at. January 2, 2008, we found out that we would be having a little boy! (We had already decided on the name Dillon!) So, I was due June 6, 2008. In between January and June, I flew to California, I chaperoned a week-long walking trip of Philadelphia and New York City with 174 international students (at 8 months); I even climbed the "Rocky Steps" at the art museum, and I substitute taught every day that I wasn't on the trip and I had dorm duty every night (yes, you read that correctly, EVERY night) and every other weekend. I stayed busy, but as you do when you are pregnant, I gained weight. In the end, I have no idea how much I gained while pregnant. (Again, I should call my midwife and find out!) On June 2nd I had an appointment with my midwife, she set an induction date for that Friday (my due date), well, Dillon didn't want to be told when to come out, so he decided to make his on plans. On June 3rd, the 1st day in 6 months I hadn't taught, my water broke in the afternoon. On June 4th at 2:27am, Dillon Robert came into our lives.
Over the next 2 years, I have no idea what I gained or lost, only that I had to shop at stores that I felt ashamed of because they were stores that people had referred to as "fat people stores" or the "fat person version of..... (insert store name here). I was SO down on myself and I don't think I really bought any new clothes, with the exception of things for special occassions in the 2 years. Then, in May of 2010, I decided that enough was enough. I re-joined Weight Watchers and I committed hard-core to losing weight.
On May 5, 2010 I weighed in at 223.6 lbs. As I said, I have no idea what that was relative to my first midwife appointment in 2007, but when I saw that, I was determined to not leave myself this way any longer. By June 2nd I was 12.4 lbs lighter, weighing in at 211.2, but in just 4 weeks, had met and exceeded by 1.4 lbs my 5% weight loss goal. By July 7th I had lost an even 20lbs, weighing in at 203.6 lbs. By August 4, I weighed 200.6 lbs, making me 23lbs. lighter. September 1, I FINALLY broke 200, I weighed 199.4lbs. To most, they'd say "um, that's still pretty much 200lbs, but to me, FINALLY being under 200lbs. made me feel like I'd hit the lottery!!!)
Now I am back on dorm duty 2 nights a week and 1 weekend a month, and these nights prove to be my eating downfall and thus have slowed my weight loss process. On September 29 I was 194.6lbs for an even 29lbs. Then came my weekend on duty, the next week I weighed in 1.8 lbs. heavier- back up to 196.4 lbs. I was SO upset with myself, it was such a huge setback to me. I ended up skipping the next week because I was babysitting my friend's son, and i was not stressing myself out to weigh in with 2 toddlers! So, I weighed in again on the 20th of October and I was down 1.6 lbs. putting me at -28.8 lbs, almost back to my -29.
When I lost 25lbs, I donated 25lbs. of food- this is what 25lbs. of weight looks like, now imagine that on your body:
With holidays headed my way, I know that I will need to remember to track and be more diligent about substituting healthier ingredients in my cooking and baking. I have been walking 2-4 miles about 3 days a week with a friend, but I find it a little hard (and I'm a little lazy) about going without her, but some days, I do! I am also going to join Curves, as I have taken the sign that 3 gift certificates equalling 5 free months have come into my life. So, now I am back on my weigh to being a healthier, more fit person!
So here's my question to all the people who wait (weight) for January 1st or more often, TOMORROW to lose weight: WHAT ARE YOU WEIGHTING FOR?! I am not saying you have to do anything that I've done, but think about what will work for you? Find your support, find an exercise buddy, find something that works for you! Don't weight any longer!
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