Oops, I did it again!

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

I swore I would never be one of "those" people who were on-again-off-again dieters, fluctuating with continual weight issues, but here I am. I am back up to my starting weight on SparkPeople. It's especially sad because I have officially gained 20 pounds since I quit WeightWatchers in January. I did not like the PointsPlus program (and began putting on the weight when the new program rolled out), so I quit WW and joined SparkPeople in order to "freshen" up my weight loss adventure.

I am not suffering from depression or have unrealistic goals for myself, but I am officially at a loss for why I've packed on the pounds. I'm much more physically active than I was a year ago; I turned vegetarian and have a much more healthful diet; I am less stressed than a year ago; I am a lot happier, and the list goes on. So, why am I gaining weight? I went to the doctor a month ago to get tested for hypothyroidism; test results came back iffy (very low for normal, but still within the normal limits). He put me on a low dose thyroid pill to help boost my thyroid production, thinking that might be the issue. I've been on it for almost 20 days now and haven't really noticed a difference other than increased energy (less fatigue) and healthier skin... but sadly, no noticeable weight loss. So, what now?

I am an open book when it comes to my weight loss journey. I have yet to lie in my diet or fitness tracker. I have read articles and done research. In my reflection, I do need to drink more water and limit caffeinated beverages (coffee in particular). I guess the key to weight loss is to try and rid ourselves of bad eating/drinking habits one by one until we're making smarter choices overall - the problem is that I try to tackle all of them at once, which never works.

The real reason behind my desire to lose weight comes from my desire to become a mother and start a family with my husband. I do not want to start having children until I am at a healthy weight. I want to be able to provide for them and be a healthy mother who makes smart life decisions for herself and her family. I do not want to get pregnant before I am at a healthy (not obese or overweight) weight. This desire does not create stress, but gives me a goal to strive for.

What I am looking for are suggestions... tips... trade secrets... motivation... ANYTHING to get me "back on board" again. Something that can help me reach the goals I KNOW I can obtain. If I lost 40 lbs on WeightWatchers, by golly, I can lose 40 lbs on SparkPeople!

Thanks for all of the support, everyone!

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Back "on the wagon"...

Thursday, July 07, 2011

Ok, so I went "a little" crazy... ok, "a lotta" crazy!

I had two mini-vacations back-to-back and the scale is not looking particularly fabulous... I must admit though, I am back and I'm ready to work!

Two weekends ago, my husband surprised me with a mini-vacation to West Virginia. We stayed in Canaan Valley Resort and Lodge and had a wonderful time hiking trails, horseback riding, swimming and going up and down the skylift (aka ski lift used in summer). I ate extremely well, sticking to my healthy vegetarian options and I worked out like a champ... our hikes were always over 3 miles and contained a crazy amount of hills (not just your average cross-country hike). I was POSITIVE I would have lost 3-4 pounds over those 3 days, but no... sadly, I gained a pound (168)! It was a horrible realization. I spent the next two days being depressed about my lack of weight loss. I tried to analyze my eating and fitness habits, but I couldn't come up with a good enough answer as to why I packed on a pound after being super active for 3 straight days (I drank plenty of water and got plenty of sleep, so it really made no sense).


Hiking in Dolly Sods Wilderness Area

After working myself out of depression, I only had two days to rest before going to a bridal shower in Miami. This time, I was not so diligent in my healthy pursuits. We went out every night, I had alcohol every night, and I didn't exercise a lick (EXTREMELY counter-productive to weight loss, but I was still suffering from the effects of depression from the week before and really didn't care at that point). After a fun-filled weekend with the bride-to-be and all the bridesmaids, I got back home and just stared at the scale (not wanting to get on AT ALL). Finally, I stepped on the scale yesterday morning and it said "170.6lbs"! Words cannot describe my utter astonishment - I am above my starting weight at SparkPeople... why on earth did I do this to myself?


Me with the bride-to-be, Kristin (left)

So, finally I am back and I am going to be honest with my progress. I have recommitted myself to this whole weight loss thing and am determined to lose (not gain) this summer (this is a true benefit to being a teacher, having the time to commit to weight loss). I went to the gym yesterday (and have been choosing smart food options) and this morning I went down to 170.4... I know it's not a HUGE difference, but I am trying to focus on the small victories (which I honestly feel we do not do enough in our lives). Today my food choices continued to be healthy and I am going to a BodyPump class tonight to work on both my cardio and strength training (which was a commitment I failed to follow through on a month ago).

Here's to a new commitment to success!

And the winning Bridesmaids dress is...

Sunday, June 19, 2011

It actually came down to two dresses: option #1 and option #2... I really did not think that those would be as flattering, but man! They were! Option #3 looked great, but the off-the-shoulder straps were going to be a pain. Option #4 looked terrible... for some reason it sagged in the wrong places and was not a flattering silhouette. Option #5 looked nice, but was going to have some serious boobage problems (because of the triangle top), and Option #6 was my 3rd choice - it looked lovely, but not as flattering as the first two.

Here is the runner up (option #1) - the color is NOT flattering but imagine it in cobalt blue:


And the winner is... Option #2 - imagine in cobalt blue as well (BONUS, this is a size smaller than I normally wear!)


I also went to Nine West and found an AWESOME pair of shoes for 60% off (only ran me $33.00) - strappy silver shoes with a nice-sized (but not too high) heel. I will still have to get the dress altered (hemline), but other than that I'm set for my friend's wedding!

Thanks for all of your feedback. It really helped. :-)

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Bridesmaid Dress... PLEASE OFFER ME YOUR THOUGHTS!

Friday, June 17, 2011

Tomorrow I have to buy a bridesmaids dress for my friend's wedding that is in November. I had grand plans as to which dress I would buy in February, but those have been abandoned long ago. Luckily, Kristin (the bride) took a page from my wedding book and is allowing her bridesmaids to wear the dress of their choosing as long as the color (cobalt blue), length (ankle/floor) and material (satin) are the same (THANK YOU KRISTIN). I am partially excited because I have not bought a formal dress since my wedding and am in desperate need of a nice dress for theater events and fancy outings (I am right, smack in the middle, weight-wise, of my college formal dresses and my "fat" formal dresses).

Here's what I am looking for... corset back (that way, if I do lose some extra weight before the wedding, I can cinch it up for a perfect fit), curvy-figured, satin gown for a large-busted me (34D at this point, thanks to my current weightloss, I have gone down from a 38DD, which was just ridiculous on my 5'3" body). I have attached some pictures of my top picks from Alfred Angelo and would love your input. I am attaching an extra pic of myself so you can offer suggestions based on my figure. I'd really appreciate the feedback if you don't mind.

ME!


Dress Option #1

Corset back, ruched waist, sweetheart neck, beading

Dress Option #2

Ruched waist, mermaid cut, sweetheart neck, accent beading on waist

Dress Option #3

Off-shoulder, ruched to one-side, corset-back

Dress Option #4

Old Hollywood, 40's halter, mermaid cut, sweeptrain

Dress Option #5

Spaghetti-strap, v-neck/triangle top, cinched waistline

Dress Option #6

Perhaps my favorite because it looks stellar on the plus-size model; corset back, mermaid cut, ruched throughout torso.

I'd sincerely love to have your thoughts and opinions. I'll also post which dress I chose tomorrow (with pictures!).

Here's a picture of my bridesmaids from my wedding back in 2009... I let them pick out their dresses (knee-length, satin, marine/navy blue). I think they all chose very wisely! My little sister, as my MOH, chose straps to be a nice contrast as well.

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Week 4 Reflections

Monday, May 30, 2011

This has been both a frustrating and fabulous week!


(Dan and I at a minor league baseball game. We brought our own trail mix and water to avoid eating greasy ballpark food).

I have exercised to the point of exhaustion this week, but have enjoyed every second (surprisingly). This week, I participated in 3 (yes, 3) zumba classes, a body pump class, 1 elliptical training workouts, 2 strength training workouts, and a 4 mile hike! All of this exercise has truly helped me deal with the "crap" from the week. It is amazing how exercise has the ability to heighten your mood and help you reflect. After experiencing all of this exercise (and the soreness that it brings about), I have decided I cannot go back to any type of sedentary lifestyle! I feel like I have accomplished something. I feel good about myself. It's a wonderful feeling.


(Picture of our hike on the Underground Railroad)


(The Underground Railroad Trail head)


(A fallow field)

As for nutrition, I didn't do great, and I didn't do bad... just average. I still ate too much fat and not enough protein. Since becoming a vegetarian, I have struggled with getting enough protein in my diet. If there are any vegetarians out there, I'd love to know your secret to protein consumption! I've tried nuts and beans in addition to dark leafy greens, but it seems like I still can't get what my body needs. Other than that, I have renewed my love of fresh fruit and vegetables. Several times for lunch I had raw veggies (and yes, I had light veggie dip as well), salads, and grilled vegetable sandwiches. Also, today after our hike, Dan and I went to a local farm (Larriland farms) and picked our own strawberries. We ADORE pick-your-own produce. There is nothing more fabulous in the world!


(Larriland farms)


(This is about 4 pounds of berries)


(The yummiest berry in the patch)

Walking up to the strawberry patch, I immediately noticed the amazing smell. Why can't we bottle the smell of fresh strawberries on a hot spring day? We were encouraged to try the products (and we did generously) because they use no pesticides on their berries. We picked about 6.5 pounds, and believe me, that was restraint! Normally, I use the fruit to make desserts, which, though quite good, is not the best use of such wonderful products. This time, we're keeping them in the buff... just the way God made 'em! On our way back home we stopped at an organic grocery store we have passed a dozen times. For some reason we actually went in. It was fabulous! It's kind of like Whole Foods, but smaller and with the addition of some artsy beers. This market (Roots) had a wonderful selection of fresh produce and vegetarian/vegan/gluten free options.

All in all, I met my goals this week. I drank 8 glasses of water almost everyday (6 out of 7 days), and I added strength training to my weekly workout routine (3 days). For this week, I am going to really challenge myself. I will drink NOTHING BUT WATER - I know, that sounds crazy, right?! I realize that liquid calories are my worst enemy (especially coffee and sports drinks), so I am going to challenge myself and see if I can drink nothing but water for an entire week. Fitness-wise, I am going to attend another Body Pump class and I am going to challenge myself to try and pick up running 1 day this week. My husband encouraged me to switch up some of my cardio (but I refuse to give up zumba), so I am planning on adding 1 day of running/jogging to my weekly exercise routine. This will definitely be a challenge because I do not find any enjoyment out of running, but I have seen benefits from it in the past (last year I trained to run a 5k and I definitely saw toning in my legs and bottom).

In addition to these goals I am going to add a weight tracker to my reflection page each week. The rationale is that it will give me extra incentive to stick to my goals.
WEIGHT: 168
WATER INTAKE: 8 glasses of water (6/7 days)
EXERCISE: Cardio (6/7 days), Strength training (3/3 days)