OTTAWABOUND's SparkPeople Blog

Swimming away the pounds

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 11:03:29 EST

For the last 4 months I have been taking my 300 lb plus body to the pool.

I didn't want to. I was horrified at the thought of putting on a swimsuit and getting into a pool -- I assumed that everyone would judge me.

The first day I put on the swim suit and nervously walked out of the change room and over to the "kid" steps (I had checked to make sure that there was an alternative to getting in and out via a ladder) I weighed 328 pounds.

Today, I weigh just ove...

Wanted to binge--cut my hair off instead

Sat, 16 Mar 2013 17:11:41 EST

Okay--yesterday I was heading home, exhausted and my husband off on a business trip, and I wanted to binge eat. Why? Because I was tired and a bit lonely, and binge eating is one of the behaviours that "helps" me through those feelings.

So, instead of binging, I stopped off at a hair salon and had a food of hair chopped off. Yeah, a bit drastic and it will be a couple of years before it's an option again. But it did get me out of the mood and I think it looks good--and it was certa...

Down 40 pounds

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 14:26:23 EST

I have dropped 40 pounds since I joined Spark People. So why don't I feel quite as jubilant as I should?

Hint. I joined in January 2010! And at one point I was down 80 pounds.

After a year, I stopped Sparking and started putting on pounds as unhealthy habits came back. The tipping point was a change in my work situation, which put me within easy reach of all sorts of junk food and huge claims on my time, so that the routine I had used to eat healthy and move healthy was...

Healthier

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 13:05:08 EST

I haven't been tracking my food and it seems I will have to, as I have not gone down in weight for two weeks. But I haven't gone up, either.

Also--I've been getting much stronger, physically, from the swimming. Actually did two laps in the pool doing the Butterfly stroke. That was unimaginable to me a month ago. I've added five minutes to my swim, so now I am doing 35 minutes four times a week. And I feel good.

I've noticed that I am much more sure-footed on the icky, sl...

Swimming along

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 11:52:46 EST

I'm 5' 3" and I weigh 310 pounds. That's big. Big enough to put a lot of pressure on my joints when I walk or try to do a fitness class.

And I sweat. A lot. Which I hate.

For a couple of months, I kept seeing an ad on the bus for one of our local hotels, showing a beautiful swimming pool. Come join us, the ad said. Try us free for a week. One day, on impulse, I got off at the stop in front of the hotel with the pool. I went in to check it out. I'm not sure what kind of ...

I forgot how awesome this feels

Sun, 10 Feb 2013 18:07:14 EST

I just reread a bunch of my old blogs and I was so sure that I knew what was what and that I wouldn't be faced with losing weight again.

What I knew was right--change what I ate and how much I ate and work in some activities on a regular basis and the weight comes off and the body gets fitter.

But I managed to talk myself out of doing it. I don't even remember how--probably got busy and tired and felt like there were better things to do with my time.

Starti...

Knee Highs fit--not rolling down to my ankles!

Wed, 9 Feb 2011 05:43:16 EST

Had a Spark moment yesterday! Much of my weight settles on my hips and legs (and upper arms)--so finding tights that are big enough for my hips and thighs but small enough for my waist is almost impossible. And in the past, knee highs, no matter how plus-sized, would simply give up the ghost of their grip around the tops of my calves and roll down to my ankles.

BUT--seems like all my walking has changed the shape of my calves a bit! I now have enough of a narrowing before my knees...

Not Snowbound this Winter--what a difference 70 lbs makes

Wed, 2 Feb 2011 06:23:15 EST

I was just thinking, as I watch the snow fall, that this is the first winter I've lived in Ottawa that I don't feel winterbound. And I owe that entirely to Spark (and my little pull-on ice grips). I did a 5 k walk home last night, and we detoured for 1.5 k to walk along the river and enjoy the dusk. Before, just getting the 4 blocks to the bus was almost unbearable. I'm still super-obese (official weight category), but I can move this body now! It has flexibility and it has strength and it is...

Financial Health, too

Fri, 28 Jan 2011 16:54:04 EST

Last January, I decided to start on a journey of physical health and I'm quite happy with the results. By the end of the year, even with detour, I had lost 20% of my starting body weight (I need to lose almost 60% of the start weight of 348 pounds to reach a healthy BMI). This year, I decided to start on a journey of financial health.

For the past 5 years I've been self employed. I was making about what I made back when I had a salary, but stability was sorely lacking. My husband h...

When the scale goes up--don't go DOWN

Mon, 24 Jan 2011 19:28:04 EST

I was thinking about how the first couple of times I saw a gain, I hated it. I don't LOVE it these days, but it doesn't freak me out, either. It's just part of the process.

So, if you are in your first month on Spark and maybe you've hit TOM water retention, or you had a big salt day the day before weigh-in, or you didn't manage to eat within the suggested range of your nutrition tracker--it's NOT the end of the world. I spent 14 weeks off Spark and chunked on 26 pounds. 13 of whi...

Down to 276 AND I resisted the GIANT chocolate bar

Fri, 21 Jan 2011 07:19:01 EST

Happy week--did my weigh in today and I'm down another three pounds, so that I'm weighing in at 276, which is nicer than last Monday's total of 286. I'm sure it will slow down a bit for next week, but at least I can see reaching my previous Spark best in the not-too-distant future and then moving into new numbers again. I've really discovered that it doesn't feel nearly as victorious the second time around, although perhaps it should, upon reflection...

So--I'm proud that I've met ...

Down 1 Monday, 13 to go!

Tue, 18 Jan 2011 05:59:45 EST

So, now I figure I’m at 13 Mondays (after 14 away from Spark) and the first week back on Spark paid off really quickly with the scale going down 7 pounds. Although much of that was probably water loss because I’m

a) Eating much less sodium as I’m not eating as much preprepared food
b) Drinking 8 to 10 glasses of water a day which actually HELPS get rid of water weight, weirdly enough.

Oh, don’t worry. I’m not deluding myself that the 23 pounds I put on over those 14...

Back, Happy to be Here, and the Weight Gain is okay

Fri, 14 Jan 2011 12:16:36 EST

Just reread my last blog entry of more than 2 months ago.

What the heck happened? Maybe the milestone of 100 pounds coming up scared me? Nope. I let myself forget my commitment to my health.

I got sick.
I got some major rush contracts.
I had financial stress.
It was my birthday. It was my husband's birthday. Then it was Christmas.

AND I started the old refrain--I'll get back on Spark on Monday. So, 14 Mondays later I went from 263 (which was a ...

WooHoo! 85 Pounds Gone!

Mon, 25 Oct 2010 12:26:05 EST

85 pounds are gone. It only took 11 months and a whole bunch of changed habits. 334

On January 8th, my BMI was 59.7.
Today it is 45.5
Another 35 pounds (somewhere between 4 - 6 months away) I will slip below a 40 BMI and I will happily call myself obese, instead of morbidly obese (when I started, I was classified as super morbidly obese)!

On January 8th I could not stand on one leg for more than 2 seconds without starting to fall.
Today I can h...

"NO S--" is Slowly Creeping In--Might be Why I'm losing again

Wed, 20 Oct 2010 12:01:59 EST

About a month back, I read a very slim volume about someone's weight loss journey and system. He said it could be summed up in one sentence with about 2 pages of explanations (but the book was maybe 80 pages, lots of examples of people using it and studies cited).

"No snacks, no seconds, no sweets, except on days that start with an S"

He dropped 50 pounds and has kept if off for years following this method. He also has Special days, like birthdays, major holidays, --but...

I've Broken a Long Time Affair

Mon, 18 Oct 2010 13:50:28 EST

Okay--one week so far and no diet pop! I miss you morning and afternoon (but not so much at night).

I started with Tab, back in the 70's and then graduated to diet coke and diet pepsi. I've pretty much had at least a can of one or the other every day for 30+ years.

I'm in the middle of editing a book on osteoporosis and pop is NOT good for the bones, due to the phosphates. Plus, as much as we try to prete...

First Time Wearing Heels in a Long Time!

Sun, 17 Oct 2010 12:56:15 EST

Last year at the Steel Toes & Stilettos Ball (a benefit for Habitat for Humanity) I wore flip flops, a stretch skirt and a stretch sweater. Because that was the best I could fit into in my wardrobe at 348 pounds. I had a good time but I was definitely aware that I wasn't up to the sartorial standards (most others were in ball gowns)!

This year, I wore a sexy dress, stockings (because I found some that I could fit, thanks to dropping pounds) and heels! I haven't been able to wear he...

The Taxi Driver Didn't Recognize Me

Wed, 13 Oct 2010 15:56:07 EST

Once a week, I walk down to Loblaws (about 2km), the bank, and the library. Then I take a taxi home. After 4 years in the same house using taxis a few times a week (we don't have a car), the drivers for the local company kind of know us.

I got in the taxi and gave my address. The driver kept looking at me in the mirror. Finally, he said
"Excuse me, but have you just moved there?"
"No, we've been there four years."
Then he keeps looking at me some more. At last he sa...

"He Must like Large, Intelligent Women"

Tue, 12 Oct 2010 10:09:27 EST

Was the comment made by the mother of the friend who hosted us for Thanksgiving Dinner on Saturday! My husband is the 'he' in that comment.

Well, good to know that my intelligence was shining through the layers...

It's funny, I don't feel large. I feel light and lithe and lots of other lovely 'l' words. Now, this lady is known for being rather horrible (this was much nicer than anything she said about her children or grandchildren), but it did remind me that, yes, I am l...

Survived Thanksgiving Dinner Yesterday--barely!

Sun, 10 Oct 2010 08:48:09 EST

Was invited to Thanksgiving dinner by a friend who is an amazing baker.

I had my plan--eat my usual breakfast, eat a salad with some tuna before I headed out so that I wouldn't be tortured for the next few hours by the smell of baking and roasting. Couple of bottles of Lime Perrier, check! Gone for a bike ride today? Check!

My strategy at the meal? Harm reduction!
Eat the stuff I really liked (stuffing, turkey breast, gravy, mashed garlic turnips, apple salad) and ...

80 pounds in pictures

Mon, 4 Oct 2010 11:35:52 EST

When I started my Spark journey, the logical part of my brain knew it was simple: consume fewer calories than I used up and I would lose weight. It isn't rocket science. It really is that simple.

BUT--my inner four-year-old had a whole other take on the situation. Give up Nutella? Give up eating whatever I want whenever I want it? No way! Nobody tells me what to do. Get lost!

I made two commitments: track my calories--no matter how unhealthy an eating day--and exercise...

Stop the Insanity!

Mon, 27 Sep 2010 11:20:42 EST

Sorry, Susan, for borrowing your tag line!

Had lunch this weekend with a girlfriend who has a successful business, is a great person, has guys galore asking her out on dates, and who is a valued member of her sport's team. And she spent the entire lunch telling me what a failure she felt like because she had regained 30 pounds that she had lost (on a super restricted diet) last year!

You know what? Millions of years of evolution tell us to stuff our faces. They tell us t...

In the 260's--And I now fit in the seats at the Opera!

Thu, 16 Sep 2010 09:34:33 EST

I'm serious, I'm 4 pounds down since last week and I certainly have NOT eaten at a 14,000 calorie deficit for the week (actually, that would be me eating NO food all week). I'm no sure why this happened, could be fluid, could be finally releasing stuff I've been holding all summer (because I had only lost 4 pounds in the preceding SIX weeks).

I really had started to feel like the 260's was not going to happen. So, despite the fact that I know that numbers are just one measure of su...

What Losing 75 Lbs has Taught Me

Mon, 13 Sep 2010 09:42:23 EST

I have removed 75 pounds since January 8th. I tried to pick up a 75 pound bag of sand this weekend and could barely manage it. My poor knees, ankles, and feet!

The first thing I learned:
I CAN do this.

Losing weight is no great mystery. Eat mostly healthy foods in healthy portions (and 'healthy' is not a stand-in word for huge) and, when I eat empty calories, eat them in very small portions and not very often. Be a little active. For me, that started with walking 5...

Haagen-Dazs Won--Karen One

Wed, 8 Sep 2010 17:47:52 EST

I've really been struggling the last month. I've felt unmotivated to exercise (or, more than I usually do) and a whole lot of cravings that hadn't bothered me since January were back. Nothing snacky was safe in the house.

No wonder my scale hasn't moved in a month.

A super busy work schedule means a lot less time to spend on Spark and, because I'm not eating as well as I would like to or exercising to my weekly suggestion, I don't feel good when I enter my food/exercise...

I Think I'm Skinnier than I am--pictures to prove it!

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 07:32:49 EST

So--my husband took this shot a couple of days ago:

I think I look cute (and I haven't been able to wear this outfit for four years!) but I am doing the artful angles to minimize size.

This gives a better picture of my real size.

Miss Kitt...

Weight Loss Slow Down is Okay

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 13:46:33 EST

I was reviewing my numbers and I see that I have slowed down quite a bit, when it comes to the pounds coming off.

I dropped about 12 pounds a month for the first three months on Spark. Now I'm dropping 5-6 pounds per month. Miraculously, I'm now okay with that. I even had one month where I only dropped 4 pounds and I didn't feel like abandoning all my new habits and because of the old tape of, "What's the point?"

It looks like, at this rate, it will take me another 2 ye...

Cat Vaccuming and Oatmeal--ONE of these things is a good idea!

Wed, 11 Aug 2010 11:09:14 EST

Miss Kitty shortly after I tried to vacuum her--do you get the feeling she wishes she was the size of a tiger?

A friend of mine noticed that a) Miss Kitty was shedding a lot in the heat and that b) she didn't stir when I vacuumed. So he mentioned that he used to have a cat that liked to be groomed with a vacuum and I should try it on Miss Kitty. It seemed like a good idea...

It was not. And I ...

My A** changed shape--with ergonomic consequences

Wed, 4 Aug 2010 14:26:59 EST

For the last 3-4 weeks, I've had a sore posterior after about an hour of sitting at my desk. It's been good in one way, because I get up and do a few leg raises and some wall push ups to get the blood flowing.

And then I had a brainwave. A couple of years ago I had been bothered by my office chair cutting off my thighs, so I tilted the seat downwards. But now I've lost a fair bit off my hips and especially around the ummm, extra fatty bit, so I fill in my chair seat differently. ...

Is Everybody Beautiful? (Re: Spark Article)

Tue, 3 Aug 2010 12:37:35 EST

Short answer--No. And I'm not talking about outside appearance, I'm talking about the internal self.

Long answer follows.

Physical beauty is part genetic gift from our ancestors, part self-care, and part social construct (interestingly, the single cross-cultural, cross-sex universal determinant of beauty is bilateral symmetry--which is a good indicator of healthy genes). Cultures where calories are hard to come by and the majority work with their bodies tend to beautify...

Down 70 pounds

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:47:50 EST

Today marks exactly 29 weeks of Sparking.

And it marks 70 pounds gone.

Week 1 hips were 65 inches. Week 29 hips are 56.75 inches

Week 1 upper arm was 23 inches. Week 29 upper arm is 18 inches

Week 1 upper thigh was 37 inches. Week 29 upper thigh is 30.75 inches.

Week 1 waist was 42 inches. Week 29 waist is 39 inches.

Non-tangible "Measurements" include:

Overtaking a 'normal' guy in his 20's (took me 3 blocks, but I ...

Into the 270's--and Pasta Portioning

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 10:51:26 EST

Last night:
Me: "Honey, how would you feel about cooking up some of that whole wheat pasta I bought?"
In our house, D is the main evening cook.

Him: "Sure, I love pasta--I've been missing it!"

Me: "So, one portion is 50 grams of the dry pasta--here is what my portion looks like." as I hand over about 12 long sticks of fettucine.

Him: "What?!? That's a portion--it's not even worth it!"

Me: "Umm, honey--new healthy diet, remember? If the pla...

Tim Bits Bad--Nutrition Tracker Good...

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 07:35:40 EST

I'm a good Canadian--I looooove Tim Bits (they are the donut holes, for those who live without the Double/Double, eh?).

I was leafing through the paper yesterday and read a little article about the mighty TimBit--50 to 120 calories, depending on the variety. These things are tiny, the size of a round quarter and I used to buy then in the 20 pack size, then work my way through the box as I sat at my desk.

AND I felt virtuous, because they were "tiny, so they couldn't be ...

Pictures--Then & Now

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 11:15:17 EST

I don't have pictures from the start of Spark, because, well--why would I want any record of how I looked was my thought then. But after some time on Spark, and being really inspired by other people's photographs of the then/now variety, I started taking pictures every 10-15 pounds.

This is what I looked like from the front:
FEBRUARY & 330 LBS

JULY 13 & 282 LBS

Yes. She was fat. Just like I'm fat--in fact, she started out a 100 lbs lighter than my heaviest point.

No. She wasn't ugly. She had att...

4 Pizza Boxes--but I still have the power of CHOICE

Wed, 7 Jul 2010 13:19:40 EST

So, four pizza boxes are sitting in our paper recycling bin. Which is collected every two weeks. And, sad to report, 3 of those boxes accumulated over 4 days. Yep--we ate pizza for dinner 3 nights out of 4 last week.

After Six Months of Spark (much healthier AND I have a jawline)

Good news is that I only went over my calories on one of those days. But the bad news is that I went over my sodium conte...

Putting my pants on one leg at a time! And Trampolining!!!

Sat, 3 Jul 2010 13:48:29 EST

This morning, I'm putting on my jeans (which is brand new for me to even wear pants) and I realized that I was standing on one leg and pulling on the other pant leg!!! Some of you reading this blog will know what a huge deal this is--you've had the same experience of always having to be seated when putting on leggings, sweat pants, jeans. etc. When I started Spark I was too heavy and too physically weak to stand on one leg. Now, when I'm on the phone, I stand up and start doing leg raises to ...

5 New Milestones

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 13:46:38 EST

1. On Saturday night, I fit into an old dress that I loved and hadn't been able to wear for at least 4 years. My husband was actually speechless for a moment--he told me seeing me in that dress again really brought home the changes I was making. We had a lovely night in Loge seats for Avenue Q.

2. It's easier to shave my legs now. Seriously! I have more strength and flexibility and can hold them up to get at. Plus there is even a little less surface area, these days.

3. ...

Summer is Tough

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 11:57:18 EST

This might sound kind of whiny, but it is really more of an acknowledgment that I have to realign my expectations. Back in January when I started this, I dreamed about summer--all the fresh produce, not having to worry about slipping on ice, going for a walk without 3 layers of clothing, etc. I thought summer was going to be an easy time to be healthy.

This is not proving to be the case.

It might be that at 6 months, I'm hitting a natural slump--this isn't shiny and new...

Running for the Bus

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 11:31:53 EST

I ran for the bus twice this weekend and caught it!

Okay--so running was actually a very quick shuffle that probably looked pretty funny if anyone had been taping it, but I still caught both buses.

One bus catch saved me a $15 cab fare to the Greyhound terminal. The other bus run, conducted after a brisk walk of a couple of kilometres while carrying a heavy pack, meant that I didn't have to spend an extra hour in Toronto's Union station. And for that one, I had to hustle...

ONE pound up--and No, it's not muscle

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 11:03:35 EST

I was not looking forward to getting on the scale this morning and sure enough, I was a pound up over last week. Ughh! Yes, that was my first reaction. And my second reaction, too. Okay, maybe a bit more R-rated.

Okay--so 289 and 288 don't look that different

So, why was I up in weight? The result of a week of bad eating choices (lots of empty nutrition carbs and salty stuff), going over my suggeste...

60 pounds down AND BMI is below 50!

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 11:38:50 EST

This morning marks 60 pounds lost. Yesterday, at the supermarket, I did spend an enjoyable 5 minutes staring at the Crisco blocks and seeing what 60 pounds of lard looked like! I could have made a lot of flaky pies with what I've burned up since January 8th.

I also noticed that my BMI is now 49.5. Back when I started, it was 59.9. According to one of the medical standards used to categorize us overweight people, I've moved from Super Obese to Morbidly Obese. WooHoo! Although I have...

289 Pounds! Only 1 Pound from Insurability

Wed, 9 Jun 2010 11:03:17 EST

Yesterday, which was my 4th wedding anniversary and 6 month Sparkiversary, the scales read 289 pounds. WooHoo. Somehow being sub-300 finally feels real. There is no danger that the scale will 'magically' swing back to plus 300. And I'm only 1 pound away from losing the 60 pounds that my insurer said I needed to lose before I could get any kind of life insurance.

So, I'm one pound (and one year--because ...

"My wife with the pretty jowls"

Fri, 4 Jun 2010 11:00:37 EST

My husband: "Ready for dinner, my pretty-jowled wife?" he actually meant to compliment me on my re-emerging jaw-line, but had a bit of a word mix-up!

Me: "Smooth-talker!"

It is kind of nice to look in the mirror and see "my" face coming back, though! I've got a hint of a jaw-line and my cheek bones are starting to show, now that I'm past the 25% mark on my weight loss.

He also compliments me often on my new agility and strength, which I have to confess I find...

Unrealistic Goals Set Me Up to Fail

Wed, 2 Jun 2010 10:34:23 EST

Between January 8th and April 1, I dropped 10% of my body weight--34.8 pounds. An absolutely great result that came from eating within my nutrition tracker suggested calorie spread and meeting the exercise suggestion of 15 minutes of exercise a day.

So then I picked June 10th as the date I wanted to lose another 10% by (just under 32 pounds). Not so great. I will not make that goal. That's because I made an unreasonable goal based on my desire to hit the second 10% milestone on th...

Skinny Cow Experiment Bit of a Disaster!

Mon, 31 May 2010 12:35:41 EST

I'm going to have to add the 100 calorie Ice Cream bars to my "not allowed in the house" rule. Damn!

I'm not a saint of food austerity or purity. I still love my junky calories--but I've been careful to limit myself to one or two empty calorie snacks a day, totaling no more than 10% of my recommended calorie intake (and I shoot for about 5%). So, having been experienced no cravings when it came to the 100 calorie popcorn bags, sugar-free hot chocolate, jello pudding cups, etc., I...

280's Approaching! Simple, but not always Easy.

Fri, 28 May 2010 08:21:36 EST

Holy Crow! When I got on the scale this morning it actually wavered at just below 290 before settling in at 291.5 lbs. That seems unbelievable to a part of my brain. I mean, all I have to do is 15 minutes of moderate exercise and eat within the calorie range that Spark suggested and I drop 60 pounds in six months? That seems way too simple...

And then I remind myself that this some of the most simple math in the world. Lose weight by using more calories than I consume. And, when I ...

The Good and the Annoying

Thu, 27 May 2010 10:06:30 EST

The Good

When I was in England, I really felt the benefit of the moderate exercise I've been doing since I started Spark in January. I went over for a wedding and I felt a bit self-conscious, because last time I saw most of the people there 4 years ago, I weighed almost a hundred pounds less than I do now, as I had just come off the Bernstein program. But nobody pointed a finger at me and shouted, "Je t'accuse, fatty!" Everyone was just thrilled to see me, no matter my size. As it ...