TwitLoss - women twittering with purpose

Finding my motivation

2012-02-01T13:04:00.000-08:00

Hello fellow Twitlossers!

So, everyone knows I've been SUPER TIRED lately. With 5am mornings every day and late nights of studying and taking care of my family, it's hard not to be! So where do I find the motivation to work out?

Good question.

I haven't been working out lately. I know, I know. This is a #twitloss post. I'm supposed to be talking about working out and losing weight! Funny thing is that I've somehow managed to lose weight despite not working out. How? Well, I haven't been eating as much because of the lack of time and the fact that I had a massive UTI and suspected kidney stones. I was in so much pain that I was nauseated constantly and eating was so low on my list of priorities that the weight just kind of melted off for a while.

Not exactly the best way to drop weight, but I'll take what I can get for now.

So. Now that the infection is gone and my appetite has returned, how do I kickstart my motivation? MUSIC!

While I'm getting ready before the sun has even made her appearance in the morning, I pop in my headphones so that I don't wake up Monkey or PK, and I shake my booty to my favorite artists. Lately, I've been on a Christian music kick, so I listen to artists like: MercyMe (a lot os MercyMe - they're my favorite) , Casting Crowns, Mandisa, Big Daddy Weave, Jeremy Camp, Newsboys, Sanctus Real, Matt Maher, Chris Tomlin, NeedtoBreathe, Natalie Grant, Tenth Avenue North, Ashes Remain, 33 Miles, Sidewalk Prophets, Kutless, Francesca Batistelli, Third Day, Brandon Heath, & Toby Mac (to see my playlist on YouTube, go here: My KSBJ)

My day doesn't officially start until I've heard the Good Morning song by Mandisa (featuring TobyMac). If I'm in the car, I crank it up as loud as it'll go and sing at the top of my lungs. If I'm in the bathroom, I boogie all over the place and usually end up needing another shower because I end up sweating because I dance so hard. It's such a fun song and it's the BEST way to start your day!

Wave away my yesterday
Cause I'm leaving it behind me.
Hello sunshine, come what may.
I feel something new inside me.
I hear the birds singing
Now my alarm's ringing
Get up, get up, hey!

What music gets you motivated?

It's cold and I'm hungry.

2012-01-11T08:07:00.000-08:00

*waves* Hello! Tyhada's not feeling that great, so I offered to blog for her today. Unfortunately, I woke up to 45 degree weather, so all I can think about it how F'ing cold it is. I live in Texas, where we don't get weather like this very often. Yes, I turned the heater on, and I'm wearing my favorite hoodie, but my knee is angry at me (stupid arthritis) and all I can think about is the pot of chili I'm going to make for dinner tonight.

Doesn't sound much like a #twitloss post, does it?

Well, it does if you make chili the way I do. I don't use ground beef (although PK thinks I do... shh, don't tell him!) and I use a special recipe I found years ago. It's not your traditional Texas chili. Meaning: there are beans in it. PK grumbled about it the first time I made it, but when he took his first bite, he promptly stopped talking because he had his mouth too full of food to speak. Yup, it's that good. It's also pretty healthy, for chili.

Serves: 8; Calories: 295; Total Fat: 8 grams; Saturated Fat: 2.5 grams; Protein: 22 grams; Total carbohydrates: 35 grams; Sugar: 8 grams; Fiber: 10 grams; Cholesterol: 37 milligrams; Sodium: 512 milligrams

Three Bean and Beef Chili

Total Time:: 1 hr 25 min
Prep: 15 min
Cook: 1 hr 10 min

Yield:

10 cups (serves 8, serving size 1 1/4 cup)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced (1 cup)
1 red bell pepper, diced (1 cup)
2 carrots, diced (1/2 cup)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 pound ground turkey
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 cups water
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, seeded and minced (optional - I rarely use this)
2 teaspoons adobo sauce from the can of chipotles (again, optional - I rarely use this)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15.5-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15.5-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

Directions

Heat the oil in large pot or Dutch oven over moderate heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and carrots, cover and cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the cumin and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the ground beef; raise the heat to high and cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until the meat is no longer pink. Stir in the tomatoes, water, chipotle and adobo sauce, oregano and salt and pepper. Simmer, partially covered, stirring from time to time, for 30 minutes. Stir in the beans and cook, partially covered, 20 minutes longer. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

What do you want from your life and how are you getting it?

2012-01-09T21:30:00.000-08:00

We all know that weight loss is never just about the weight. Excess weight undoubtably comes with bad habits and poor choices, likely stemming from issues that none of us really want to face.

But, what if you did face them? What do you have to lose? What if you sat down and made a list of the things you wanted in your life and how you were to achieve them? Maybe the better question to ask is.... what if you don't do that? What are the chances that in 6 months you won't regret that you are still in the same situation or maybe worst? I imagine the chance of you regretting having made that list is much smaller than not, so go on. Do it.

Ask yourself what you want and how you can get it. Write it down and post it where you can see it.
Now make it happen.

I am certainly not perfect. I've had my fair share of slip ups, setbacks, and outright fails on this 2+ year journey toward better health and happiness. Yet, not once have I regretted making the decision that it was time to make my life my own.

What that means for you is likely entirely different than what that means for me. For me it meant finding self confidence, accepting my faults, accepting my needs, and acknowledging that I deserved better than I had. It means pushing myself harder. It means making myself uncomfortable at times in the name of getting what I want and fixing what's wrong. It means patience and finding a peace with the fact that I don't always get what I want when I want it.

So this year, forget New Year's resolutions and instead look at the long term. What do you want and where are you going? How do you get what you want?

Me? I want health, strength, independence. I want to be bad ass. How am I getting there?
-- Weight lifting, it burns fat, builds muscle. I stepped out of the women's gym and into the squat racks and it felt amazing.
-- Eat primal, at least most of the time. Or at least sort of. Basically I'm limiting my grains and dairy.
-- Roller Derby. I've wanted to for a really long time and I kept putting it off. "I'm not strong enough, I can't skate well enough, I'm not skinny enough." To hell with all of that. I want to do it, I'm going to.
-- School. And more school. I've got 5 classes this semester and I'm looking forward to every one.
-- Travel. I have people I need to see, places I need to visit.

See this? This is progress. This is hard work. But still, this is just a number. Life is about more than a number. So yes, make yourself weight goals if you need, but make yourself life goals as well.

Created by MyFitnessPal - Free Calorie Counter

In short, I'm leveling up my life. How about you? Will you join me? Or are you giving up already?

It is a loss, of sorts

2012-01-06T06:00:00.000-08:00

I lost something really big in the last month. No, not a big weight loss month, but I didn't gain so that is good.

After being a pack a day or more smoker for 10 years, I quit. It has been 5 weeks since my last cigarette. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I've only threatened to kill my husband a couple of times, and even those times I really didn't mean it. I wouldn't recommend my method of quitting to anyone.

I didn't set out to quit. I really didn't even want to quit most days. At the end of November, I came down with the upper respiratory infection from hell. I couldn't smell anything. For once that was a blessing, a particularly noxious patient came into the ER, and I was the only person in entire ER that couldn't smell him, and I took his clothes off.

After about a week of cold medicine and sleeping in the recliner because I couldn't breath lying down, I realized that I hadn't had a smoke in over a week. It hadn't killed me or anyone around me. We had all survived a nicotine free week. And then two weeks. Before I knew it, it was a smoke free month.

I didn't eat everything in sight. I didn't gain any weight. Maybe because for the first two weeks the only things I could taste were cough drops and Nyquil. Whatever ever the reason, I'll take it.

Now what am I going to do with that extra hundred dollars a month?

Happy New Year... And stuff.

2012-01-03T19:23:00.001-08:00

It's that time of year... When we all promise we're going to do better on losing weight by dusting off the elliptical (or in my case: moving the boxes that surround it so I don't accidentally kill myself trying to get to it) and eating better. I really do plan on doing these things, but I'm not calling them resolutions.

Why? Because calling them resolutions tends to make me ignore them easier. I'm not sure why but when that one little word is attached to my thought process, it goes out the window. I know, I'm crazy, but it's true. And it seems to be that way for most people as well, seeing as how so many people tend to make and break their New Year Resolutions.

So my lifestyle change that I implemented before the start of 2012 goes like this:

1. Eat better. I don't need to fill my body with all that crap that's only hurting my body anyway.

2. Be more active. Whether its walking or hopping on the elliptical, I need to get up off my ass and DO SOMETHING every once in a while. Arthritis hurts, but it hurts worse when you don't do anything.

3. Do my homework early and often. I'm bad at procrastinating. So, when we cover a new unit in class, I'm going to come home and do the damn flash cards and read the damn chapter. This way I'm doing 30 minutes of work a night instead of 4 hours.

4. Stay on top of all my blogs!! I may be a well-known procrastinator but it's not actually a good thing. Being 20+ reviews behind is BAD.

So there you have it. Be more healthy. Be less lame (and be more punctual... or something, lol).

Happy New Year!!

Getting On Track...

2012-01-02T07:56:00.000-08:00

Well, this will be short cause the muse is riding my ass and there just isn't a whole lot to say. No big sweeping New Year's resolutions or pronouncements. Just a quiet recommitting to loosing weight and being healthier. I am walking on my foot with and without the cast. My knee is hurting from the inactivity of the last 3 months I think, so I get to rehab both foot and knee together. Yay! Not. Anyhoo...like I said. No big pronounceents. I'm just planing on being good to me this year. How about you? Any big resolutions or leaves you're turning over?

In the Holiday Flow

2011-12-21T02:27:00.000-08:00

Greetings, Kittens!

Happy Hanukkah, Blessed Yule, Merry Christmas and a Joyous Kwanzaa to all! I’m happy to say, the holidays haven’t added to the scale. Yay! They haven’t taken the number down either, but considering the abundant treats in every direction, I take it as a win.

I’ve spent the last month healing, with only a setback or two. I believe whatever happened, the inflammation is entirely gone and all the joints and muscles are doing well. I’m definitely grateful.

The setbacks have meant no riding, but hooping has worked well. As long as I pay very close attention to my knee, there have been no issues. I’m hoping the increase in my supplements will lubricate the joint further and I’ll be riding for the new year. I still have my 1000 mile goal to reach, I also have a goal of riding 260-300 of the 366 days in 2012. That’s five to six days a week every week, which is very reasonable. It means before I travel, if I think I won’t have access to a bike, I’ll have to ride daily the four to eight weeks before, depending on how long I’ll be gone. But that’s reasonable as well, since it’s right in the other room.

I’ve been hyper aware of my eating this month, which is awesome. My food journal had started collecting dust and now it’s back on duty. I haven’t sweated the numbers, rather simply wanting to get them down and keep them from being outrageous. Check and check. So I’m all ready to wed that awareness to increased cardio and strength training, and see results astound and amaze.

While the scale has remained steady, I’ve lost noticeable inches the last month and that’s another yay. Yay! I think that my measurements in February will be in more impressive after the increase in sustained cardio and the increase in walking for a full month. Speaking of which *Major Fitness Squee* I get my new pedometer this afternoon, I’m so excited!

I’ve missed fitness walking so much more than I could have imagined. There’s such a longing to have it back regularly, that I’ll happily alter my biking goal if my knee only lets me do one or the other. Between them, I’d much rather get in all my steps and get back the way my body and mind felt when 15-20k a day was the norm. Today I can start that. *Second Fitness Squee*

I’m looking forward to the yearly fitness craze to hit us in January. I have a list of things to pick up when the sales start. I need new handweights and resistance bands, some workout shorts and new shoes. I’m also hoping for a few Wii sports games at a reasonable price. Can’t wait!

What will you all be replacing and stocking up on during the January sales?

Happy New Year!

~X

Onward and Downward?

2011-12-05T06:02:00.000-08:00

Well, as we gear up for the Holidays, I know many of you are staying really focused on your weight loss efforts. I am trying to get refocused as my foot continues to heal. I have another few weeks (about 2.5) until I go back to the doctor and hopefully get told I can walk again. In the mean time I am doing range of motion stuff with the boot off and trying to do some exercises to strengthen my legs without putting weight on my foot. LOL! That gets easier after next week because I start a new job where they have a gym. Yay! I plan on trying to use the machines and getting some muscle tone built up until I can really bust in to some cardio work. We shall see.

Anyway, I hope you all are having a wonderful holiday and sticking to what ever plan of attack you have devised for surviving. Me, I'm just gonna try and control the impulse to eat EVERYTHING. We'll see how that goes. Merry Christmas all!

It's that time of the Year.

2011-12-02T03:33:00.001-08:00

No... not the holidays. The time of the year when every begins to obsess about their diet and losing weight. Note this also occurs immediately before the beginning of swimsuit season. And if you are from down under, these times actually coincide.

I saw a post on Facebook the other day that really resonated with me. It said, "It's not what you eat between Thanksgiving and Christmas that counts, it's what you eat between Christmas and Thanksgiving."

I ate all my favorites on Thanksgiving. I plan on eating all of my favorites at Christmas, too. What I'm not doing is the mindless grazing at parties. There were no late-night leftovers from Thanksgiving. (We ate at my mother's and didn't take anything home with us.)

Healthy eating isn't about deprivation, it is about substitution. Make better choices, eat smaller portions of those can't-live-without-them favorites. I'm substituting royal icing for buttercream on my cookies this year. That is about 100 calorie per cookie savings. What are you doing this year to have your cake and eat it too?

Thanksgiving is for eating!

2011-11-21T15:44:00.001-08:00

Remember when Adam Sandler was funny?

Greetings, twitloss peeps! So it's the week for eating. I'm going to give you some anti-twitloss advice. EAT THANKGSGIVING DINNER. No, really. Look, I get it that we're all trying to be healthier. #twitloss is about losing weight, sure, but not just about losing weight. It's about being healthier for ourselves, our families, all of that feel good stuff we love to embrace, especially around holiday time. Right?

So, I've seen more "swap this for that" and "how to eat without really eating"
articles than I care to and the holiday season is just starting. But, if you're spending all of your time worrying about what NOT to eat, and how not to eat it, how much are you enjoying the holiday? How much are you enjoying the company around you if you're so worried about the calories in two spoonfuls of mashed potatoes vs. two spoonfuls of green bean casserole? And, the reality is, Thanksgiving is ONE DAY. (okay, with leftovers it can be two or three days...although if you're shopping appropriately, you're going to burn a lot of Black Friday!) You're not going to wreck your lifestyle indulging on one day. You're just not. This is, of course, provided you're doing what you're supposed to be doing all the other days. That's the real key, isn't it, though? What are you doing every other day?

Regardless of that, don't let anxiety ruin your holiday. If you haven't been as good and/or diligent as you fell you should have been, re-commit the day after Thanksgiving. And, definitely, re-make some of those holiday favorites so that they are healthier if it makes you feel better. Sometimes, the changes don't taste any different but can make a real difference in the amount of calories consumed. I'm all for that. But getting down on yourself because you want to enjoy a holiday meal with family and friends? That isn't going to make you any skinnier or healthier. If anything, it'll make you eat MORE because you'll feel bad about everything. Cut back on calories throughout the week, work out more after the holiday, there are lots of ways to counteract a big meal on the big day. Just.....take some time off from #twitloss to ENJOY the holiday. It only comes around once a year.

Take a walk afterwards......it does more than sooth a guilty conscience. Look:

Sure, I want to look like this

(in a lovely shade of brown, please, and without seeing my ribs!)

but it isn't going to happen overnight. And it isn't going to NOT happen because of Thanksgiving. It's the work I do all the OTHER days of the year (and genetics) that will determine the outcome. So, have a guilt free Thanksgiving, and burn a ton of calories shopping (or avoiding shopping) over the weekend.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Life is Hard....Food is Easy

2011-11-18T05:25:00.000-08:00

You may or may not know that I have been dealing with a lot lately. For those of you who do not, here it is. On 10/31/11 My baby brother (he was 30) was killed in a car accident. We all have been getting through this the best we can, but for me it was a little harder. I wrote on my personal blog about it a couple of days ago. Since this is what I am dealing with right now, I am just going to put the same post here.

Emotional eating is something that a lot of people on a weight loss journey go through. Whether you are dealing with a loss of a loved one, stress at home or on the job, there is always a choice on how you deal with it. No matter how long you have been in an emotional eating cycle, you can always pull yourself out.

As hard as a weight loss journey is, sometimes you don't prepare yourself for the harder things. For me I expected things to get in the way, to have bumps along the road, to go off course from time to time. What I didn't expect is how I would handle something big, something that I didn't have control over. My brother's sudden death knocked me out, put me flat on my face, and into a almost 3 week secret eating binge.

Life is hard. Sometimes it's so full of B.S. , I can hardly think, let alone stop the things that I do to myself. And let me tell you, me & my family losing my brother is over the top B.S. ! This is where food is easy.

I call it grief eating.

In order to deal with this horrible pain, I've been eating it away. Shoving it so far down inside with all kinds of unhealthy things; I really haven't had time to feel.

When people ask me how I am doing. I say, I'm ok. You see, I can't really "break" down. Well that's not true, I did have one, the day I got the call (thank you Shannan for being there). Since then, there have been none. I have always felt that since I am the oldest, I am the one who has to be strong for everyone else. There has to be at least one person who has it all together and be on their toes for what ever some one may need. Again this is an example of how food is easy. Eating gives you comfort. It never fails, it's there anytime I need it. I don't need anyone to be there for me, I have food.

On Sunday, I recognized what I was doing. I was just sitting on my bed, thinking about my brother, and I had 4 cookies in my hand. Cookies that I had baked, "for the kids". Then I began to feel ill, because I remembered the night before I ate an entire large cheese steak and order of fries.

At that moment, I knew I had to make a choice. I knew I had to reach out to someone. Someone who could relate, another weight loss journey friend. Hoping that they would have some advice on how to get back to where I needed to be.

Tara & Meegan, where right there with a response in a couple of minutes. What they had to say gave me hope and some peace. I was given permission (not that I need it, but I did) to grieve without food. I need to go back to the basics. Start from the beginning. Start logging my food, so I would conscientiously have to decide what to eat. And more importantly, permission to be kind to myself and to my heart.

I have to cope with my feelings and not eat them.

I am mad, and so profoundly sad that I will have to go through the rest of my life with out seeing this beautiful smile in person.

Yesterday, was a new day.
I let myself feel.
I didn't eat excessively.
I logged my food.
I cried a lot.
Today I stepped on the scale.

Life goes on, whether we are actively participating in it or not.
I choose to participate.

"We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey." ~Kenji Miyazawa

Back in the Mix

2011-11-16T14:16:00.000-08:00

Greetings, Kittens!

I'm on the mend and almost normal again. It was nowhere near as quick as I'd hoped two weeks ago. There are still twinges in my lower back, but I've walked unassisted for the last ten days. There have been knee issues, but I can also twist and turn as necessary. I'm calling it full movement restored and going for a short hooping sesssion this evening.

I still don't know what caused it, but for the next couple months, I'm going to lay off of the strength training and mat pilates. I'll use my hoops to tone, and some basic yoga poses to stretch, but I won't do anything that causes stress on my back.

Even for cardio, I think I might stick with the hoops for at least a week and then jump back into riding the bike. I'm wary, but I'm eager, so here's to getting back in the saddle!

100 miles and counting!

~X

Procrastination - I haz it!

2011-11-08T09:15:00.000-08:00

Hello Girls! I have absolutely no progress to post today. Sadly I can't seem to get myself back on track. Seems life just keeps getting in the way. Such is life for a single mom with three active kids I guess.

I have a question for you. What helps you stay focused? I started off this year really strong. I went to the gym 5 days a week and worked out with a trainer 2 to 3 of those days. Since then I quit going to the gym because it was to hard trying to juggle everything.

Anyway this time next month I hope to post good news. I just gotta crawl my way back on track and stay focused. Have a great rest of the week. Talk to you next month!

2011-11-07T05:08:00.000-08:00

I am writing this the night before heading to Vegas. You will be reading it the day after I get back. All bets are off...or on as the case may be. :D But the diet is off and the eating is on! Later this week I go see the doctor and find out how much longer I will be wearing the "Boot of All Evil" (a.k.a. an AirCast).

I imagine next month will be full of stories about how I drunkenly scootered my way around Vegas, but for now I will suffice to catch you all up on my progress. *cough* Okay, so I attempted to do crunches, leg lifts, and push-ups. Then life and schedule intervened and it all fell by the way side. :P When I get back from Vegas I will try to get on the ball and get up in the mornings to take care of business and get my health back on track. Anyway, I still have not gotten on a scale since I can't bear weight on the foot, but my clothes seem to fit. Heh. Okay, I'll stop here so as not to depress everyone, or myself. Talk to you all later!

Halloween... Ha. I Laugh at Your Candy Deliciousness

2011-11-04T07:16:00.000-07:00

Every year the candy comes out earlier and earlier. And every year I buy candy, eat it before Halloween, and have to buy more, but not this year. I didn't buy any candy until Friday. I worked Saturday and Sunday nights, so I was either away from the house or sleeping all weekend. Monday evening I ripped open those bags, selected one fun sized piece for myself, and happily gave it most of it away. I sent my husband and our three kiddos out Trick or Treating. They were back about an hour later. By then, we were starting to run low on candy. It is our first Halloween in a new neighborhood, and I had no idea how many kids we were going to get. Well, I underestimated, way under estimated. There was a mad scramble looking for more candy. We ended up "recycling" 75% of the candy our kids had brought home. I know, I know, I'm a mean Mommy. I was going to take most of it to the dentist's office Tuesday, anyway. This saved me a trip downtown. Most of the candy left, thank God, are things that I don't even like, so temptation avoided.

That leads us on to the next series of temptations...Thanksgiving and Christmas. Thanksgiving is covered. We are eating at my Mom's, and I'm NOT taking home any leftovers. We don't have the logistics of Christmas worked out yet.

Food is such a big part of our holiday traditions. Baking sugar cookies using some cookie cutters that are 75 years old. Recipes written on the same cards for 50 years. I love the traditions, but the memories are what I want us to have, not the calories.

On to the good stuff. I made myself get on the scales this week. Down 10 pounds from last month. Yes. I'm happy with this. For me this isn't about a crash diet, dropping 10% in a month. It is a lifelong journey that I'm undertaking.

So, what about you all? Did you survive the Halloween Candy Trap? Do you have plans to avoid the Turkey Coma on Thanksgiving?

Lia

And I'm back, from outerspace...

2011-11-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been a while since I've blogged here. I can only blame my insane school schedule (15 hours this semester!) and the fact that I'm... well, absent-minded. And a little lazy. Sorry, like George Washington, I cannot tell a lie.

(History geek moment - that was actually never said by Washington. It's credited to Parson Weems in a biography of Washington, which has long been considered a complete fabrication).

Excuse my nerdness.

Anyway. It's been a while. I've been crazy busy with school. I wish I could say that I've been really good about working out, but since I've been so busy with going to class and spending a zillion hours in clinicals and at lab, I've lad less than no time to work out. Which is a good thing, because it means I haven't had any time to shovel food into my mouth, either.

So, the good news is that I haven't gained any weight. The bad news is I haven't really lost any either. I'm holding steady at 183. And I hate it! I hurt my shoulder, my knees and ankle are killing me, so even if I did have time to exercise, I can't. And to top it off, the allergens are wayyyyy up, so I'm coughing up both of my lungs and I sound like James Earl Jones.

Sorry I'm so whiny. I just don't feel well right now and I'm pissed that I can't do anything to shed this weight. I saw an orthopedic doctor yesterday who's going to send me to physical therapy. It's only going to be for my shoulder, initially, but I'm going to force them to help me with my knees and ankle as well. I can be very persuasive when I want to be. :) And I refuse to continue living like this.

Um, Ow!

2011-11-02T00:01:00.000-07:00

Greetings, Kittens!

I hope you’re all doing better than you were yesterday, and will be even better tomorrow! After wrenching my back on Friday, (or late Thursday, I honestly don’t remember in the haze), I’ve been primarily immobile until yesterday. Today I’m even more mobile, with the majority of the pain from my sciatica issues, rather than the dagger-in-the-back issue that had me getting around with a walking stick these last five days.

The whole thing completely sucked, but I made 97 of the 100 miles I wanted for October and I know the moment I can ride again, I’ll easily make 100 miles for November. As much as it sucks and as bad as the pain was, I can look at the bright side of the injury and acknowledge how much I missed daily riding while out of commission. I almost tried to ride while at the height of the pain in hopes that the increase in blood flow to the muscles would help. I don’t know if any of you have ever tried to ride a bike with back pain, but those who have know that I was momentarily delirious.

I snapped back to reality and paid attention to my body and rested so that I could heal. I’ve been downing the apples and 100% juices, and wishing I could stand long enough to make smoothies, to nourish my body and help heal. I don’t know where my weight is since I couldn’t stand on the scale, but I’m confident that I should be stable, if not down a bit. Hopefully, I’ll be able to check tomorrow or Thursday.

At my current rate of healing, I’m aiming to ride again on Friday. Of course, that will be determined by whether or not I still need the walking stick to get around on Friday. I’ve made the general rule that if I can’t walk on my own, pedaling isn’t the best bet—unless the walking is a knee issue. In that case, it helps.

Can I just say that I’m over this whole thing? Being sick, having no energy, being injured, I’m just over all of it. It’s old. Whatever cosmic lesson I’m supposed to be learning, the Universe can just send a memo at this point. I’ll read it, I’ll grok it, we can all move on. *Smile*

A Happy Wednesday to all!

97 Miles & Counting,

~X

Checking In From The Injured Reserves List

2011-10-24T05:14:00.000-07:00

Sorry...DH has had football on all day. :D If you follow me on Twitter then you know I broke my foot late last month. As a result I am not allowed to walk. At. All. That also means no exercise of any real value. At. All. Go me. Needless to say that leaves me on the couch and gaining weight. I do not know how much I weigh right now as I have been unable to actually stand on a damn scale to weigh in. Sigh. I am going to attempt to do some crunches and leg lifts on the floor this week...we shall see how this goes. Otherwise I am out of action.

If you have followed this blog this year then you are aware of the various setbacks I have faced all year. So please excuse me while I go have a freaking hissy-fit.

Okay...that's better. I mean honestly, I can't see 2011 end fast enough. Hopefully my health problems will go with it. Anyhoo. I will let you all know how the exercise attempts go while I wear the "Boot of all Evil" also known as the walking cast that I cannot walk in. Enough whining, I have editing to do. Have a great week!

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

2011-10-21T07:06:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I am Trish and thrilled to be part of the Twitloss community! I have been on my weight loss journey ~~forever~~ for 2 years. During that time I have lost 70lbs. This is me, before and after.

I still have about 35 more pounds to go before I reach my 1st big goal. This last year has been the hardest. I have been working on loosing the same 5-7lbs. Up & Down. It seems the longer your on this journey the harder it becomes. Or maybe....it's because your tired, or you slip into a little bit of laziness. For me, the excitement of it has dwindled down, our schedule has gotten a little crazier and I suffered a hip injury in July during a run. I love running. I am not that good at it, but I love it. I can't run and some of the higher impact exercises make my hip scream. Instead of doing other things, I have been in maintenance mode. Which is ridiculous, because really why would I want to maintain a weight of 213lbs? So many excuses, blah, blah, blah!

A couple of weeks ago I was reading Dr Seuss to my 6 year old son. As I was reading, I had an AH HA moment. The book brought me back to the beginning of my journey. I know you are thinking, Dr Seuss and weight loss? Dr Seuss is brilliant I tell you. Let me just point out what I mean.

This is the 1st little paragraph from Oh, the Places You'll Go!

"Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!

I smiled, Today is MY day (to start again)!

"You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose."

I can steer myself back in the right direction.

"I'm sorry to say so
but, sadly, it's true
that Bang-ups
and Hang-ups
can happen to you."

Oh I am hung up alright!

"And when you're in a Slump,
you're not in for much fun,
Un-slumping yourself
is not easily done."

Oh preach it Dr. Seuss, I'm listening!

"NO!
That's not for you!
Somehow you'll escape
all that waiting and staying.
You'll find the bright places
where Boom Bands are playing."

This is where I am getting all excited. Boom Bands for me, is that feeling you get inside yourself. That, oh I can do this!

"I'm afraid that sometimes
you'll play lonely games too
Games you can't win
'cause you'll play against you."

I am my own worst enemy. I sabotage myself.

"And will you succeed?
YES! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)
KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
SO..get on your way!"

At the end of the book, my son jumped up and went on his way. Me? I sat there, clinging to the book, a little teary eyed and full of hope. I got up and went to the mirror and said out loud "my weight loss journey is my mountain. I can do this, I have done this, I can continue. I am on my way."

Dr. Seuss, Freakin' Genius!

It doesn't matter whether you are like me or just starting, you can do it. You can move mountains, you can have success, just believe in yourself. One small change, day by day and one pound at a time.

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" ~Lao-Tzu

I have a plan, I went back to the beginning! I've started journaling what I eat, getting my 64oz of water in each day, and exercising M-F. YES!

I took my first step. What will be yours?

Spinning Wheel, Gotta Go Round

2011-10-19T04:34:00.000-07:00

Greetings, Kittens!

I’m Xakara, it’s great to meet you! I’m happy to have joined all the lovely ladies here and all of you, on this current leg of my health journey.

I’ve been struggling with repetitive injuries, as well as a downward cycle in my Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. There’s more about my CFS and such on my page, so I’ll spare you the repetition. Needless to say, it’s in a bad place right now, but I’m happily in a much better one.

We all obsess on the numbers, usually the ones on the scale or printed on our clothing labels. I don’t know about all of you, but those particular obsessions have yet to actually help me along. No, I do my best when I get to obsess over different numbers, steps, sets, reps, minutes, miles and miles-per-hour are my golden zone. Since this is an energy game, I have to spend what little I may have on a given day, to reach for numbers that remain real and steady in a way the scale never can. This is what gets me going and keeping me doing so. And this is why, at my lowest point of motivation, and one of my highest points of depression, that I set a goal of riding 1000 miles.

I’ve been riding a stationary bike off and on since June, but chronic knee issues and sudden drops in energy would stall me about three or four days into a new routine. In part, it’s because I’d push too far and too fast, focused only on how soon I could get the weight off and feel more like myself. The other part is that once I find a legitimate reason to skip a day, that day becomes a week, becomes a month, becomes three months with only a handful of workouts. Having to constantly start over and rebuild my endurance meant never really making progress.

It took a moment in September, of looking hard and deep while journaling, to realize that I was in a negative push-crash cycle on two levels. I’d push beyond my current energy levels with the CFS, and beyond what my knees can take with the injuries, which halted my efforts. Every time my efforts were thwarted, I’d get depressed and those days off would grow. It’s hard to struggle over simple things, when I was walking 20-30,000 steps a day as recently as February of this year. That’s just before my knee gave out and the CFS bottomed out as well. No energy, and no ability when the energy was there, well, it wasn’t a pretty sight.

I had to confront the push part of the cycle and why it so easily self-perpetuated. Flipping through journal entries, it became clear that somewhere along the line, I had come to equate getting my energy back and feeling good, with getting the excess fat off as soon as possible. Of course, that’s not at all how it works. As with anyone, fitness and health comes long before any kind of goal weight/size is reached. Building the fitness builds the energy, and everything stems from that. Going back to the tried and true fitness goals and decoupling it from weight altogether was the only way to build at a pace that wouldn’t cause me to crash later on.

To ensure that, I put a few rules in place for achieving my 1000 Miles in a year or less:

1.) Ride every single day. No exceptions!

This is vital. Daily is necessary for me to see these kinds of goals through, rather than put them off to write or because I'm too tired. I have CFS and I'm in a vicious insomnia cycle, I'm always tired. It can't be a reason to do nothing at all.

2.) Ride only as far and as fast as I can that day.

Some days will be 1 mile, some days will be 5 miles, my most current ride was a surprising 8 miles. Whatever I can do in a given day is a good day because it gets done.

~~3.) Do Not talk about Fight Club~~.

3.) Every day is a new day.

A string of 1 mile days has no bearing on how far or fast I ride the next time. It’s all open with the potential to be everything I can put into on a given day.

The above mindset has been working beautifully and I haven’t crashed since I started October 3^rd. Following the rules, after months of nothing consistent, I’m now fifteen days in with daily rides, and I’m 60 miles into my 1000.

I don’t want to give the impression that the scale is unimportant. I weigh daily and chart the ups and downs to see which foods and activities impact it for good or ill. The scale is a very valuable tool, but it’s not my North Star in any of this. By getting caught up in the miles and my speed and how good I feel from the ride, the excess adipose tissue will come off as a by-product. This happened with walking. I got so focused on my daily steps and dancing in 2007, I actually forgot the goal of shedding weight and looked up to be 60 lbs lighter and then 100 lbs lighter.

Always go with what works, right? :)

Thanks for reading and good luck to us all!

60 Miles & Counting...

Dear Diary

2011-10-17T06:55:00.000-07:00

Good morning, twitlosers. Twitloss followers? You know what I mean! It's been awhile since my last confession, right? But, this blog is NEW and IMPROVED with more bloggers, and more fun.
But, like most of my school career, I haven't prepared for class. So this post is mostly going to be things I've been thinking about. Ready? Here we go.....

I actually like working out. Shhhh, don't tell my friend Beth. She told me this would happen, and I didn't believe her. So we can NEVER tell her we had this conversation, okay? I really did think she was full of the crazy when she said it. After all, I've "worked out" before and never came to the realization that I liked it. I certainly wasn't any good at it. I absolutely NEVER looked forward to it. Now, as I'm typing this, I am thinking about how I can't wait until my afternoon meeting is over, I can go home, put on my new shoes, and hit the gym. This is progress, people. Serious, serious progress.

I'm not gonna lie, seeing results helps. I am wearing a pair of pants that had been slated for goodwill because I couldn't get them buttoned, and a sweater that had been hiding out in the back of my closet because it was too tight. The pants now are belted, and are still loose in the waist. The sweater is on the baggy side of fitting. This is definitely motivation. I still have clothes in my closet that I can't wear yet. Those are my next goals.

Did I happen to mention that they've opened a freaking donut shop across the parking lot from me? Um....yeah, I am there almost everyday. The OLD me would be there eating a bunch of stuff without regard to calories. But you know what? It really isn't that hard to keep track of the calories eaten, even when it is donuts. Most of the online calorie trackers have Dunkin Donuts in there, and even though the store isn't a DD, the calorie counts are probably similar for things like glazed, cake, frosted, etc. Once you see how many calories you're eating, that is often good enough to make you turn away from the 2nd or 3rd donut. I never would have believe that either, but it's true.

I guess all of this is a long winded way of saying.....hang in there. Whatever you're doing, it may not seem like it is working, but it is. It seems like it is taking FREAKING FOREVER, I know. Slow and Steady have never been two words I embraced, especially not in this situation. But keep at it. Before you know it, you'll be anxious to get to the gym.

Laugh all you want, it'll happen to you too.....

Happy Monday!

What happened?

2011-10-12T08:01:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. It's been a while. I've got news to share and it's not good news either. :(

For personal as well as financial reasons I had to cancel my gym membership so I'm getting little to no exercise. This is not a good thing. Also I've not been sticking to my healthy eating and my doctor decided it was a good time to adjust my meds so long story short...I've gained all of the weight I have lost this year back except for four pounds.Go Me! Not.

Here's a current pic of me and my oldest son. He attended his first high school homecoming dance on Saturday and we had pictures taken at our local library. He and his date were so cute together.

His father decided to take this pic of my son and me. I didn't realize how much weight I'd gained back until I saw this picture. Needless to say I'm very disappointed with myself.

Anyhow I've decided to give it another try. That's basically all I can do at this point. Keep trying! I know it's not going to be easy but I've got to do something.

I'm tired of being overweight and having a lower opinion of myself. I want to be able to wear a swimsuit comfortably next year without being embarrassed. So I'm back on the wagon.

How is your weight loss journey going for you?

Until next time.....

PS: As of today I have been smoke free for over 10 months now. I am thankful each and everyday that I know longer smoke. At least that is a major accomplishment in and of itself that I've been able to stick with this year. :)

Welcome to fall! How are you going to keep from falling off the wagon?

2011-10-10T23:18:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, the subject is cheesy. That is what happens when I don't post in forever! I'm out of practice. I really have no excuse other than I've been busy, and overwhelmed with so many things if I listed them all out you would get bored and close the page.

Instead I'll skip to the good stuff.... a personal update. It has been 13 weeks since my last update, I've lost 17 lbs and about 5 inches. Even more important is that I've tried new things and challenged myself to new ways of eating.

As September started, I knew it was going to be a rough month. I needed to find some way to balance full time, in person classes, with my kids' schedule as well as deal with some personal relationship problems. It was hectic to say the least. I figured, it is already nuts, why not add one more thing? hah. I joined in with some friends to take part in a "Whole 30" Challenge.

What is the Whole 30 Challenge? You can read more about it here, but basically it means not eating grain, soy, sugar, dairy, or legume. It was really hard, but also really eye opening. I found new ways to eat things, and enjoyed it. I liked cooking for once! Of course by the end of the challenge I hated food and was tired of it, but.... I learned a lot.

And then I stepped off the wagon. I somehow convinced myself that eating that way was too hard and I was too tired. So I gave up and went back to eating the way I was used to. Here I am two weeks later and I feel absolutely horrible. I had no idea how much unclean food affected my mood and motivation, until now. My skin is horrible, I'm exhausted, I'm bloated, I gained 6 lbs back after losing 13 during the month of September. On top of that I'm moody, emotional, and entirely unmotivated.

So here I am, trying to climb back up on the wagon and not give up. I crossed a pretty big milestone, got a tattoo to celebrate it, and then proceeded to self sabotage and slide back down hill. Why? That is the question I have to step up and answer for myself. Weight loss isn't linear and I can accept that and learn from my mistakes.

So, the question is.... what keeps you from falling off the wagon? Or if you fall, how do you pick yourself back up? The key for me is a plan. I'm going back to eating paleo (similar to the challenge I did, but a little less strict) and I'm upping my weight training, while sneaking in some 5K training in when I can.

It was a bit more but I've had a bit of a

One Step at A Time.

2011-10-07T07:01:00.000-07:00

Hi all. I'm Lia. I've been over weight since, well since, forever. If it was only one thing that brought me here, it would be easier to fix. Instead, it comes from a lifetime of decisions and habits, and it will take a lifetime to correct. I could list them...or maybe not. Some things I can change. Some things I just have to accept.

The question is always about motivation. How bad do I want it?

My husband and I adopted three children a couple of years ago. They are a huge motivator for me wanting to lose weight and get fit. I want to be around to see my grandchildren.

Small things can add up to a lifetime of change.

In the last month, these are some of the changes I have made.

I walk down the stairs at work. Elevator to the 5th floor and walk down. I try to walk up sometimes, but my knees don't like that very much. I hope, as the weight comes off, my knees won't protest quite so much.

I make myself drink water. Mountain Dew, not diet, not caffeine free, is my drink of choice. I'm still drinking some Mountain Dew, but not nearly as much as I was a month ago. Every glass of water is basically a -110 calories.

I started walking. For now, just 1.5 miles 3x per week. Now that I can do that without getting winded, I plan to start a Couch to 5k next week.

Some things are easy, and the changes barely noticeable. Sandwich Thins instead of regular bread for sandwiches.

So what are some changes you have made? And how is it working out for you?

Things They Are A Changing....

2011-10-03T18:36:00.000-07:00

Okay so we've been MIA for a few weeks. Sorry! We need to fall back, regroup, and well I have more health woes. (I'll save that for another day and another post.) What I want to do right now is welcome ~~two~~ three new bloggers to Twitloss! *throws confetti*

Please welcome Lia, Xakara, and Trish to the site. Like us, they are romance writers or readers (among other things). I will let each of them introduce themselves in their own posts over the next few weeks and on their bio pages, but we are excited to have them join us!

In addition, we want to give everyone a chance to participate in the community more. So if you have the itch to post, please feel free to contact us via our gmail account (see footer for email) or on Twitter and we will set up a date and time. Grab anyone of us you can see, we can all schedule guests.

Thanks for sticking with us through the bumpy ride lately, and we hope things will get back into a nice steady rhythm You should see posts on M/W/F most weeks with guest posts sandwiched in between or on the 4th week of the month. We look forward to talking health and fitness with you all as we keep on keepin' on!

Twitloss Needs You!

2011-09-15T06:39:00.000-07:00

That's right. We do. See, we started out this blog as a way to share our journey's with you. The reality is, blogging once a week has gotten to be too much for all of us. We love Twitloss, the community we have built, and having the ability to share our struggles and our successes with you all. But, (come on it was hanging there you could all hear it!) we also feel like we are cheating you all by not providing enough content. So, with that said we are interested in bringing on board some additional bloggers. I think some place in the 4-5 range would give us enough content through the month to only have each of us blogging once a month.

If you are interested you can contact us at twitloss (at) gmail (dot) com. Tell us a little about yourself and if you have a sample blog you can paste into the email that would be great. If you have a friend who might be interested please pass this along! Thanks!

Thwarted, Again.

2011-08-25T09:30:00.001-07:00

Sigh.

Left ankle is still nagging me. I've been pushing through, but yesterday it called it quits. No more working out for a few days and no more high heels. *sniff* Now I'm hoping with a few days rest I won't completely undo everything I accomplished...except I had a day full of fail yesterday. I gave blood (that's a win) then proceded to sample EVERYTHING in the freaking cantina (post donation snack bar)--at least once, some things twice. Then went home and had a couple beers...did I mention how badly I fell off the wagon? Then I went to Jack In The Box--wait for it--at 10:30pm. Sigh. Today, despite no exercise, I am aiming to keep my food intake healthy. Hopefully I can rein in my stomach. :-/

Woo! Hoo! 7 Pounds!

2011-08-18T16:06:00.000-07:00

Darn tootin! I have tasted success and now I am hungry for more! I lost 7lbs since August 9th! I have REALLY stepped up my exercise and am using MyFitnessPal app to track my daily calories. If I can keep this up I will be down a full ten pounds next week sometime. *fingers crossed* I am so motivated by my actual weight loss that I easily breezed by donuts and full on bagels in the break room today. It just feels to good to have my pants a bit looser and my step a little lighter to mess it up with food.

In fact, this week I have already worked out 4 times for a total of 140 minutes. :D I plan on hitting it again tomorrow morning for another 40 minutes and then taking Saturday and Sunday off as rest days. Eventually I will work in a weekend workout, but I think I will save that for when I eventually hit a plateau. In the mean time I will be happy dancing all the way home to a healthy dinner! Oh and be sure to check out my weight loss monitor on my about me page...it automatically updates as I weigh in each time.

How was your week? Anyone got anything good to share? Come talk to me!

This Week in Twitloss History...

2011-08-04T08:45:00.000-07:00

LOL! I got nothing. But hey you're here and reading. ;) This week has been a pretty good week, I have moved away from the diet shakes and integrated actual food into my day to day diet! Yay! This also has led to a reduction in the acid reflux for me. I have had two really good days with no need for Tums. :) In addition, I have worked out three days so far and intend to work out tomorrow morning again plus one weekend day for a total of five days of exercise totaling about 4hrs this week. That's right people! And am I motivated to do this? Hell yes! I got on the scale today and am down almost 5lbs from the high number I refused to actually record on SparkPeople. (Shame--I had it.) So I am stoked that I am now under 205! Woot! Woot! I am just hoping this isn't one of those wild fluctuations I get. So, I am eating healthy and working out consistently. I feel better when I am working out, I am starting to realize. Duh. And the DH has even commented that he can see a difference. More than that he's been handsy lately...in the good way. ;)

So come on tell me about one of your successes of late? I love celebrating with others!

Slow and Steady is a mofo

2011-08-02T05:06:00.000-07:00

Good Morning, twitloss followers. Happy Tuesday. I don't really have anything important or beneficial or even helpful to say. But I can almost always do funny. And whiny. Congrats, today you're gonna get a little of both!

Last year when we started this, I swear it seemed like the weight came off SO much faster. I lost 27lbs last year. Now, I gained 20 of them back, so......maybe there is a lesson in that.

This time around, I've lost 13. Since May. Yes, there is a 100% increase in weight lifting this time around, and I can see REAL differences. My clothes don't fit......in a good way. There is muscle definition. I didn't look this good last summer. But the scale was definitely friendlier.

Last week, I lost 1.2lbs. If that isn't enough to make you hurl curses at the scale, you have so much more patience than I do. I prefer 3's and 5's and, hey, I wouldn't even mind a 7 every now and again. 1.2? I'm surprised that was even enough to register. Definitely slow motion. I do wish I could embed that video.....

Anyway, so what's a girl to do, right? I mean, sure you could go crazy, cut your calories down to 300/day, send your body into starvation, wreck your metabolism and move the scale quicker. I mean, yeah, it's an option. Or, I could sprinkle ~~fairy dust~~ Sensa over my food and magically lose weight. Or, I could just do what I've been doing. I actually like working out (never thought I'd say that!) I don't mind counting calories, mostly because I don't see any other way of eating the right amount of whatever the hell I want. Sure, I could cut everything out, eat just stuff that is "good for me" and never worry about it. I've been down that road before, though, and it's a dead end. A shake for breakfast, a shake for lunch and a "healthy" dinner? Yeah, not so much.

Slow and steady is a mofo, but it works. Just.....don't be surprised to hear occasional bitching. This video will help. You're welcome.

An Update and A #Twitloss #Challenge Question

2011-07-28T08:54:00.000-07:00

I am walking around in a daze today. Soon I will be passed out on my keyboard (not unlike my little furry friend - no it is not my cat). I am exhausted! I got up this morning and did 43minutes of TaeBo Sculpt with a 5lb weight. That's right I may not be able to lift my arms over my head to undress tonight, but I got down to business this morning. It seems I will be giving up the diet shakes again since they are giving me acid reflux, but I am doing okay. I was down to 205 on Monday when I weighed in and I hope to see that number continue to drop. I have worked out three days this week for a total of 83 minutes and 1294kcals burned. I try to track my calories eaten, but I am not going to lie...it's hard. Breakfast and lunch are easy, it's dinner that is so freaking painful. Well, here's hoping I can keep the forward momentum and see the lbs continue to drop off...at least for a bit before I plateau.

As soon as MamaKitty is back we will be starting a new Twitloss Challenge...how many of you would be interested in joining in the fun? Leave a comment so we can see how much interest there might be.

losing weight on vacation

2011-07-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

I'm leaving for Italy with PK today, and we'll be running around the country for two weeks. Primarily, we'll be staying in Tuscany in a villa my mother-in-law rented for us with a real live Italian chef that I'm dying to meet and praying will give me a few dozen recipes to bring home... hopefully in English, since my Italian is limited to things like "I'm lost" "Please translate this for me" "My name is MamaKitty, I am 28 years old, I am from the United States, where is the bathroom, and how is that restaurant?" I can say a few more things than that, but not bad for only having 2 months and an audio thing to learn, huh? :)

We'll be making our way to Rome, Venice, and Florence as well to sample the local flavors and, of course, so that I can go shopping. SO EXCITED!!

I know what you're thinking. I'm thinking it too.

"But MamaKitty. You're doing so well! Eating all those carbs is going to KILL your progress!" Well, you're probably right. So, what's my plan? I'm going to eat, of course. But I'm going to eat smart portions... or as smart as I can. And we're going to be doing a LOT of walking while we're there because we're not going to be renting a car and the hotels we're going to be staying in are so close to the attractions that we want to see (namely: the Colosseum) that we're jut going to walk everywhere.

Weight as of this morning: 186.6 LBS. Woot!

Health update - You might have seen on Twitter yesterday that I had a bit of an issue and had to go to the Emergency Room. Yes, it's true. I did. I was wrangling the animals to put in their travel cages and the asshole bird attacked me. She bit into the inside of my thumb several times and caused some nerve damage. I don't know how significant that damage is yet - I have to see a hand surgeon when I get back from my trip. That should be super. I can't feel the tip of my thumb, but from about the middle, down is throbbing ALL THE TIME, and in so much pain I sort of want to puke constantly. PK said we're gonna sell the bird when we get back. If we don't, I'm sticking her in the oven and setting it on broil.

The picture below is obviously not my hand. That'd be gross (no really, it would be - when I say it's shredded, I'm not kidding). The arrow is pointing to where she grabbed me and wouldn't let go.

I dunno...

2011-07-21T08:13:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm here and blogging today because I feel like I should even though I don't feel like I wanna. Mostly because I don't want to veer down the pity path I feel myself heading toward. Mostly cause that means I will just get depressed and well, ya know. Eat something I shouldn't.

Anyhoo, I have worked out twice this week and plan to again tomorrow morning. I have been doing okay in the food department, with a slip on Tuesday cause DH wanted hot wings before his procedure on Friday. (Nothing dramatic, just a colonoscopy, heh.) That said I am still tipping in at 210, yeppers. So, I'll keep at it, but I don't see it helping. Sigh. DH was really sweet last night, he claimed he could see a difference already from the workouts. Yeah, thanks for lying sweetness, but I'm not that stupid. The blond hair, it is dyed.

So, I suppose I will stop here before I cause anyone to feel the need to hurl themselves into a fridge full of cupcakes to try and feel better. (Mostly myself.) Hope everyone is doing well, and if you have a success to share please do. Might as well enjoy someone else's if I can't enjoy my own.

The #Twitloss #Challenge is Over...

2011-07-07T09:39:00.000-07:00

and it was a dismal failure for me. Sigh. I gained weight and lost a whole 1/2" on my thigh...which Iam pretty sure happened because I fail at anything math related. So...who do I send my $5 GC to? :D I am still plugging away at this effort having worked out for 23min Tues, Wed, and Today. Think I'll sleep in tomorrow and try for a 43min workout on Saturday or Sunday. Hope everyone is doing well.

Around the web:

There is a fun reader/writer weight loss challenge going on right now. It's too late to join...but you can play along or just watch it all go down. Check out the Romance Biggest Winner competition.

Challenge Update...

2011-06-30T08:42:00.000-07:00

Today's post is about failing. I, apparently, am an expert in this particular area when it comes to losing weight. In the last (almost) 30 days I have lost a whopping 2 pounds. No people, that was NOT a typo. 2. Whole. Pounds.

Big sigh.

It seems like even when I exercise regularly I don't drop any LBs. So for all my years of dancing, for all the nutrition classes I have sat through, it's not working. I have moments of epic fail...yes beer and dessert are my biggest weaknesses...oh, and blue cheese. But really, it seems like I should have lost a bit more than 2 measly pounds. I dunno. It feels like all I do is expand and honestly I don't know what to do anymore. I try eating healthy, but I always fall off the wagon. I have tried allowing myself what I want in small drips and drabs to stem the tide of WANT!, but no dice. I have tried getting up every day at 4:30am to work out for 43 minutes...and honestly that just leads to exhaustion. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. So, I will concede my loss, my Epic Failure, in the Twitloss Challenge and keep plugging away at whatever in the hell this is that I am doing. And well, if you all keep reading then awesome. If not, I can't say I blame you much. It's not like I am offering any useful advice.

On a totally different and way awesome note. If you missed it this week on Twitter, I have sold my first book! Pop on over to my personal blog (I promise it is a weight loss-whine free zone) and check out the details.

Around the Web in Weight Loss: Saturday June 25th. The "Tiffany kicks ass" version.

2011-06-25T10:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Saturday twitloss buddies! Today is usually reserved for me cussing and crying about doing back to back gym classes (Body Jam followed by Body Pump) but there are some fancy pants instructor classes today so my usual classes are canceled. I'm still going to get some cardio in today, I promise. Actually, I'm writing this on Thursday in an attempt to actually post this week so that entire spiel was a fib.

I am really horrible at blogging lately, mostly because I have no idea what to say. I overanalyze myself and the last thing I needed was to self blog it all out to obsess over! So instead, I decided I'd do a little "around the web in weight loss" type of post. So without further rambling, let's talk about some of the the things that have crossed my greader this week.

Firstly, it is summer, finally. Las Vegas has had a fairly relaxed summer so far (it was only 105 today!) but that still makes cooking almost unbearable. In the past I would just lay about and not eat out of protest, entirely healthy I assure you. /sarcasm. One of the ways I've been avoiding that pitfall is smoothies, and you get bonus points if you can convince your kids they are better than ice cream! I typically do a blueberry/banana combo but I ran across a cherry blend that I am dying to try!

Cherry Chocolate Protein Shake
1.5 C almond milk (I'm going to sub milk and/or greek yogurt)
1 C frozen organic cherries
1 T protein powder (I use hemp vanille protein from Trader Joes, higher fiber and omega counts!)
1 T raw cacao powder
a little honey, cinnamon, ice and one banana
(makes 2 mugs full)

In enlightening and otherwise obvious news: increased consumption of potato chips, sugar sweetened drinks, and meat will make you gain weight over time. However that does not mean you should avoid all things fatty, instead stick to the healthy fats. Weight Watchers has long said that we all need 2 servings of healthy oil a day and I've always nodded my head along with them. Fat is not inherently bad! I dislike their limitation of it being "healthy oil" such as olive, canola, sunflower, safflower, or flax but appreciate their acknowledgement that we can't life a "fat free" life and be healthy. I recently picked up some flaxseed oil to add to my salads, but mostly so I can up my Omega 3 intake. Instead, I've been trying to get my healthy fats through other sources. Hey look, here are some suggestions to help you out.

My best friend and I have been discussing our family food budgets and how we can lower them this month. I stumbled across this Cost of Food estimate by the USDA and was astonished to see the expected 'moderate' budget of a family of four, like mine, was $981 a month. I've been aiming for $125 a week and usually end up closer to $150 if I do really well. When I get some free time I want to go through the food plans used as a basis but for now, I simply found it interesting and worth pointing out. I think I find it most surprising because best friend and I always talk about how eating good healthy food simply costs more, especially once you add in organic and natural products, and yet that plan likely does not include organics or environmentally responsible products. I simply can not afford to eat 100% organic currently, but I try hard to buy local/sustainable/responsible/organic when I can. Coupons help.

I've been a Body Pump convert for what seems like forever. Or maybe it has only been a year? I don't remember exactly and while I have recently branched out to cardio heavy classes like Zumba and RPM, the Daily Burn has it right. Weight training gives me confidence. Building muscle has been one of the biggest changes I've noticed on my body, and what keeps me going every day. I look different and it is hard to deny that when I stare at myself in the mirror. I have a long ways to go but I don't want to just be skinny, I want to be healthy and strong. I want to be confident and self assured. I want to know that I can do whatever I set my mind to, and it is impossible to downplay the role strength training plays in giving that to a person.

Side note: BPA in your canned goods! Actually I'm a little surprised that this is "new" as I've known about it for quite some time. I try to buy canned tomatoes from Eden Organics in bulk from Azure Standard because I read that they have lower levels than most other can linings. You can avoid buying beans in cans by buying in bulk, dry, and then cooking in the slow cooker. Separate out into servings and freeze them until you need them.

Side note, side note: If you are a parent and are not watching Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. You should be. Our children deserve better. Do we really want our children struggle as we are now? This journey isn't easy, I don't wish it upon my children or anyone elses.

If you have made it all the way through this post, you get a cookie! Ok, not really because that wouldn't be very #twitloss friendly. You do however get an update on me. I've moaned and whined and cried over the last few weeks as I felt stuck. I upped my workouts (5+ hours a week, that is 28-30 activity points a week I'm earning!) in order to break a very low weight loss month of May only to have the scale finally move, but slowly. After having a breakdown last week, best friend gave me a mental slap across the face. Again, I'm not eating enough. And I'm not giving myself enough credit, I have probable thyroid issues, I'm still in the first 6 months of a new birth control, my body is adjusting to some pretty drastic lifestyle changes, and we won't even get into the stress and upheaval that is my personal life. I'm not normal and need to stop expecting my loss to be linear. I've upped my activity and lowered my intake.... my body can't possibly recover and build muscle if I don't feed it! This week I made an effort to eat more protein and to eat most of my earned activity points..... and what do you know? I lost 2.8 lbs.

One of these days the saying "it is more than just a number, you are more than just a number" will click. One of these days. I posted something about inches lost not too long ago here. Since then I have measured two more times, once of which was this morning.

	Inches Lost	May	June
Bicep		0.25	0.25
Neck		0.75	0.25
Over Nipple		1.5	0
Under Bust		1.5	0
Waist		2.5	0.75
Over Belly Button		2.5	2
Hips		1.5	0
Thigh		0.75	0
Calf		0.5	0
Totals:		11.75	3.25

Almost 12 inches lost in May, just over 3 in June. Over that same time period I lost 13 lbs (most of which was in June), 37lbs since we first started this blog and the #twitloss hastag, 47 since the very first time I signed into Weight Watchers more than a year ago. My journey is not a quick one by any means, but that just leaves the end rewards all that much more valuable to me.

I'm hungry, but my tummy hurts.

2011-06-24T08:08:00.001-07:00

First thing's first: I started this challenge at 196, and I'm down to 190.4. That's pretty damned impressive, considering I haven't been able to work out until very recently.

Remember the elliptical I kept promising I was going to put together? The one I bought a year ago and it sat in a box in the corner until I put it in the closet "to get it out of the way for now, but I swear I'm going to put it together this weekend/next weekend/next week..."? Yeah, my friend came over last Friday and put it together.

I've only used it twice since then because I've had a lot going on with work and school (omfg, can you say STRESS?), but also, because my stomach's been bothering me so much. The stress doesn't help a lot, but all the meds I'm on don't help matters either. I take 3 pills in the morning, and 5 at night (remember the part when I told you I'm broken? I wasn't lying). All the pills and all the stress have caused my body to... shall we say "back up." I have to add another pill to the cocktail in order to let my body relax and do what it's supposed to, which will then allow me to get back on the elliptical-horse and kick all the rest of y'all's asses in this challenge. ;) (love you all!)

I don't want to get all TMI on you here. And I don't want to make excuses for why I'm not utilizing my beautiful new(ish) elliptical machine. I'm still going to get on it as soon as I'm not doubled over in pain, I swear.

I'm not slacking on the challenge though. I'm still eating right, and eating far less than I was before. I'm drinking a TON of water (practically drowning myself, actually), and walking as much as I can. I lost my pedometer (yes, again), so I can't tell you what I average daily anymore, but I know that it's more than I used to average, which is more than 3 miles.

How are you doing on the #twitloss #challenge?

Fish Burps & A Twitloss Challenge Check-In

2011-06-23T05:09:00.000-07:00

Image via WikipediaPart of my attempt to be healthier includes taking more vitamins. Especially those that can do me some good...like fish oil. The problem with fish oil is that when I burp I small and taste fish. GROSS! Now, I know that this is because I am cheaping out on the supplements I buy. I shop at Costco people, I buy in bulk. I will live with the fish burps and my Twitter peeps will learn to live with my whining on occasion. LOL! According to the NIH Fish Oil in the correct doses is (the ones I am interested in are in green):

Effective for...

High triglycerides. High triglycerides are associated with heart disease and untreated diabetes. To reduce the risk of heart disease, doctors believe it is important to keep triglycerides below a certain level. Doctors usually recommend increasing physical activity and restricting dietary fat to lower triglycerides. Sometimes they also prescribe drugs such as gemfibrozil (Lopid) for use in addition to these lifestyle changes. Now researchers believe that fish oil, though not as effective as gemfibrozil, can reduce triglyceride levels by 20% to 50%. One particular fish oil supplement called Lovaza has been approved by the FDA to lower triglycerides. Lovaza contains 465 milligrams of EP and 375 milligrams of DHA in 1-gram capsules.

Likely effective for...

Heart disease. Fish oil may be effective in keeping people with healthy hearts free of heart disease. People who already have heart disease may be able to lower their risk of dying from heart disease by taking fish oil. Though not all researchers agree, some investigators believe that fish oil may be even more effective in reducing death from heart attacks than a group of commonly used cholesterol-lowering drugs called “statins.”

Possibly effective for...

High blood pressure. Fish oil seems to produce modest reductions in blood pressure in people with high blood pressure. The omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil seem to be able to expand blood vessels, and this brings blood pressure down.
Menstrual pain (dysmenorrhea). Taking fish oil alone or in combination with vitamin B12 seems to improve painful periods and reduce the need for pain medications such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS).
Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. Taking fish oil seems to improve thinking skills and behavior in 8 to 12 year-old children with ADHD.
Stroke. Moderate fish consumption (once or twice a week) seems to lower the risk of having a stroke by as much as 27%. However, eating fish doesn’t lower stroke risk in people who are already taking aspirin for prevention. On the other hand, very high fish consumption (more than 46 grams of fish per day) seems to increase stroke risk, perhaps even double it.
Weak bones (osteoporosis). Taking fish oil alone or in combination with calcium and evening primrose oil seems to slow bone loss rate and increase bone density at the thigh bone (femur) and spine in elderly people with osteoporosis.
Hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis). Fish oil seems to slow or slightly reverse the progress of atherosclerosis in the arteries serving the heart (coronary arteries), but not in the arteries that bring blood up the neck to the head (carotid arteries).
Bipolar disorder. Taking fish oil with the usual treatments for bipolar disorder seems to improve symptoms of depression and increase the length of time between episodes of depression. But fish oil doesn’t seem to improve manic symptoms in people with bipolar disorder.
Weight loss. Some evidence shows that eating fish improves weight loss and decreases blood sugar in overweight people and people with high blood pressure. Preliminary research also shows that taking a specific fish oil supplement 6 grams daily (Hi-DHA, NuMega), providing 260 mg DHA/gram and 60 mg EPA/gram, significantly decreases body fat when combined with exercise.
Age-related eye disease (age-related macular degeneration, AMD). There is some evidence that people who eat fish more than once per week have a lower risk of developing age-related macular degeneration.
High cholesterol. There is interest in using fish oil in combination with “statin” drugs for some people with high cholesterol. Doctors were worried at first that taking fish oil might interfere with statin treatment, but early studies show this is not a problem, at least with the statin called simvastatin. Scientists think fish oil may lower cholesterol by keeping it from being absorbed in the intestine. There is some evidence that using vitamin B12 along with fish oil might boost their ability to lower cholesterol.
Asthma. Some research suggests fish oil may lower the occurrence of asthma in infants and children when taken by women late in pregnancy. Furthermore, fish oil seems to improve airflow, reduce cough, and lower the need for medications in some children with asthma. However, fish oil treatment doesn’t seem to provide the same benefit for adults.

Now, I have shortened up the list from the NIH site, so go check out the link above to see EVERYTHING they list plus some things that Fish Oil won't effect. So...sorry to my Tweeps for the occasional whine. :D

As for the challenge check in...I am back at 204. Sigh. But I have done Tae Bo 4 times for 43min each over the last 4 days. Yay! I think I will sleep in tomorrow. So it looks like my only hope of a win here will be int he inches lost department. Heaven help me I am not loosing any actual pounds. Eh...it is what it is. I think I will be setting a short term goal after this to help me look and feel better before I go to Vegas later this year. So...are you challenging with us? How are you doing? For my fellow Twitloss peeps...how is it going? Any setbacks or hurdles?

Eat and Lose?

2011-06-21T05:42:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been awhile! Dear Twitloss, it's been many, MANY months since my last confession.....

Today's post is sponsored by Debbie Allen talking about the cost of fame.

Iconic, no? It also seems to be correct. Except, instead of fame we're talking a better body. A healthier body? If you follow me on twitter you've been seeing a bunch of workout tweets with crazy calorie burns for the past month. Awesome, right? Well, yes. But, there are still pitfalls lurking to screw with your head (via the scale) and your metabolism. I hate pitfalls.

So, the workouts: I dropped my fancy pants gym (FPG) and joined the Y. Now, I loved FPG, but my employer set up a deal with the Y's around the city for employees and the cost per month is nearly half FPG. For what I was doing there, it certainly wasn't worth double the price. Plus, I can go to any Y in the city AND there is one about 3 minutes from my house. Can't beat that. The one closest to me is pretty small, but they do have some fun classes there, and there is one a little farther away which has MORE classes. I wasn't big on classes at FPG, but they now make up the majority of my workout. The schedule:

Monday -- Zumba! There are two zumba classes, Monday and Wednesday. The Monday class is more latin inspire, the Wednesday class is more hip hop inspired. Both are fun, but the Wednesday class is killer. My knees protested, so Monday zumba it is. Weights before if I can get there in time.

Tuesday -- wildcard. No Y on Tuesdays. I either do something at home (treadmill, exercise dvd, zumba on the playstation, etc) or it's a rest day.

Wednesday -- Step aerobics. I tried this for the first time on a Saturday morning and it was NOT the beginning class. Oops. I stayed for the whole thing. I didn't die. But, I decided the beginning class was really where I belonged. It's still hard as ****. Weights before if I can get there in time. Weights after if I'm not exhausted.

Thursday -- Urban Line Dancing. Dancing is supposed to be fun, right? Um.....last week I burned 826 calories having "fun" for an hour. Bring. It. On.

Friday -- Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Rest day. WHOOOO!

Saturday -- Weights and Cardio at the Y. Treadmill? Elliptical? Stationary Bike? You know.

Sunday -- Usually a rest day, but if the spirit moves me I might walk a mile. An easy day.

It's great fun, but guess what? The scale wasn't moving. No, these aren't olympic sized workouts, but going from relatively nothing to relatively a lot should move the gauge, right? The first week, it was all good. 5lbs down! Then.....crickets. So what could be the problem? I smell pitfall.....

Calorie count could be off -- this is always a possibility. But, I'm using a heart rate monitor, the kind with a chest strap so it continually monitors and you're not stopping to take your pulse, so the count was as accurate as I was likely to get.

Food logging was off -- it's always a possibility that you're eating MORE than you're recording. In fact, it's almost always a SURE THING you're eating more than you're recording. I have a food scale, and I measure things, but I'm not a fanatic. (unless, of course, you think having a food scale makes you a fanatic.....) And, there is always a pinch or a taste here and there, right? But was it enough of a pinch or taste to offset 700 and 800 calorie workouts 4-5 days a week? No.

Hmmmm.....definitely not at a plateau, because I haven't been doing anything long enough to plateau. So, wtf?

I've been a Sparkpeople member since 2007 and I like many things about the site. But, a friend of mine started using LoseIt.com and I joined on there so we could be "friends" and I found it was a stripped down version that I liked. She uses it on her smartphone, I use it over the web. I'm sure there are lots of features I don't use, but it's great for logging food and exercise. I began noticing something, though. It would subtract the exercise cals from your daily allottment.

Say what?!

So, I started on May 19th, Lose It thinks I should eat 1684 cals a day. I like that number. Turns out, though, after exercise, I had a net of 523 calories. Hmmmm. If you think you can do anything on 523 calories a day, you are sadly mistaken. If you keep that up, for say......5 weeks.....then your body will go into starvation mode. Sparkpeople, for all it's good qualities, doesn't make the connection between calories in and calories out. Lose It does it, not only for the day, but tallies it up for the week, which makes it even more plain how I was getting in the way of my own progress.

5 weeks ago: 1,706 calories UNDER my weekly budget
4 weeks ago: 542 calories under
3 weeks ago: 739 calories under
2 weeks ago: 2,661 calories under (someone call a doctor!)
last week: 2,749 calories under

And all of these numbers came with going over daily calorie counts 1 or 2 days a week. Something is definitely not right with that picture.

Now, conventional wisdom would be -- if you're working out and eating fewer calories than advised, you should weigh less. A lot less. That isn't what was happening, though. Instead, my body was all pissed off because it was hungry! There is no way any doctor would tell me to eat 500, 700, 900 calories a day, right? The fewest I've ever heard suggested to anyone was 1200 cals. The amount of calories you're allotted IS the diet. 1200, 1600, etc. It's so much better than the 2000, 3000, 6000 (oops!) you were eating before. So to go below that is just insane.

Now, yes, my clothes fit better. Down a size already. Yes, building muscle. But that would have happened anyway, and I'd probably be farther along than I am if I would have simply eaten my exercise calories. For more on that concept, click here.

So, my goal for this week is to EAT MORE! Yeah, I kinda like the sound of that. Instead of being 800+ calories under budget at the end of the day, I'd like to hit the number right on, or be a little under. Yesterday, I was 158 under at the end of the day.

Is this the answer? Who knows. Maybe the problem is inaccurate logging, or a faulty heart rate monitor calorie counter. But, even if the numbers don't change dramatically, it will be one pitfall overcome.

Happy Tuesday!

Um...it's Thursday?

2011-06-16T15:39:00.000-07:00

Image via WikipediaHoly crap! I just realized it was Thursday and I had not posted. *blush* I have been so busy and well so much going on that it totally escaped me. Here is my current status:

Exercise: 23min of Billy Blanks on Tuesday and Wednesday
Food: around 1300-1500 cals per day
Weight: I was at 201 this morning...so I actually lost a little bit. :D

Not much else to share except I woke up with a headache and have so much going on it is freaking crazy...but I can't share the news really yet. Suffice it to say I should have a big announcement this weekend. (I hope...every time I say that the timeline seems to stretch!)

I hope you all have an awesome weekend, and well sorry this is such a sloppy & slapped together post.

Motivation....how do I get some?

2011-06-15T13:20:00.000-07:00

I'm going to be perfectly honest with all of you. Since I had my surgery I have totally lost my motivation. I've searched for it. Thought I found it a couple times but alas I have not.

I'm kind of in this rut. I don't want to be overweight yet I can't seem to stay on track. I figure something has got to give one way or the other. I could make excuse after excuse but it simply boils down to this: 1) I'm lazy and 2) I want to eat what I want when I want to. There I said it! :(

So I have a couple questions for you. What keeps you motivated? What do you do when you feel yourself start to slip? How do you keep yourself on track?

Getting my challenge on!

2011-06-10T08:30:00.000-07:00

As you know, we here at Twitloss are all competing in a friendly competition with each other. I'm hoping to beat the pants off the other girls (literally - by the time this is over, I'm hoping we all lose at least a pants size, maybe more), but I'm realistic. My knees don't allow me to do as much as the others, but I'm going to give it my damndest! I pulled out the box for the elliptical and opened it. PK has to put it together because I'm mechanically challenged, but if he doesn't get on it, I'm going to try to do that by myself as well (I wonder if I can count that as part of my exercise, LOL). Might as well - I am woman, hear me roar! ...or something.

I went shopping the other day and I bought nothing but healthy foods. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins... all healthy. While I still have some unhealthy food at the house (namely: the ice cream that PK won't let me toss in the bin), I don't have the craving for it. In fact, my current craving is peanut butter. And in small amounts, it's good for you! Win/Win.

How are you gearing up for the Twitloss Challenge?

Consider It Brought - 2011 Twitloss Challenge

2011-06-09T05:33:00.000-07:00

So you may detect a theme here... I'm just sayin' a little smack talk never hurt anyone. ;) By now you are all aware of our 2011 Twitloss Challenge, if not click here. I must say it comes at a seriously inconvenient time for me, what with my annual camp trip coming this weekend; but, I will find a way to prevail. Seriously. So far this week, I did an hour of yoga on Monday and 43 minutes of Billy Blanks on Wednesday, as of this posting I am probably busy sweating my but off to Billy again. Foodwise I am doing okay...there is always room for improvement and I plan to hit the diet part hard next week...right after the camp trip. LOL! Anyhoo! In the mean time I will workout and talk smack as often as possible. I am totally getting one of those cheerleader outfits once I lose all this weight. *snicker* Just for the DH. *Wink*

I started at 204 for the challenge and am hoping to get that down even a little bit. I also took my measures...and well that wasn't pretty either. Like my SparkPeople profile says: I have writers butt and I need to get rid of it.

How about you bee-otches? How's it going so far? Who is dying and who is cruising? Don't be scared to come talk some smack with me. LOL!

Did somebody say Challenge?

2011-06-08T13:00:00.000-07:00

That's right! We said it!

So the girls and I have a little challenge going on.

For the next month we will be competing to see who can lose the most inches and/or weight.

Let me tell ya. This is exactly what I need to get myself motivated again. Since I had my surgery I have came up with every excuse I can think of to stay out of the gym and eat poorly. I'm doing so/so with Weight Watchers but I could be doing better.

I wanted to share another website with you guys. If you have an iPhone or Android you can download the Fooducate app.

I recently downloaded it and am finding it useful. You can scan pretty much any food you want and it will tell you a rating for the item, give you list of alternatives that are better options and so on. You can visit this website here: http://fooducate.com/

Well, that's all for this week. Let the smack talk begin!

Eating out

2011-06-03T05:56:00.000-07:00

I took PK to the doctor yesterday and he had to fast for loodwork. So, of course, he immediately wanted to get something to eat once it was all said and done. Since the doctor had just finished stressing to him that he needed to lose weight, I told him that I wanted fish. Good idea, right? Fish is good for you. Well, you'd be amazed at how much people like to fatten up stuff that's good for you.

We went to a place called Valdo's Seafood House, which apparently also specializes in Mexican food, now that I look at the website. I'd planned on getting a salad, but I didn't want to pay $15 for a salad. So, I got one of their specials - stuffed grilled snapper (recipe from allrecipes).

I was expecting a regular sized portion of fish, some potatoes, and a side of vegetables. What I got was sweet potatoes, garlic mashed potatoes, broccoli, green beans, rice pilaf, fish, shrimp (both stuffed inside the fish and on top of the fish), mushrooms, and a rich creamy fattening (delicious) Ponchatrain sauce (mostly on the side, thankfully). Even PK, who was starving, said something along the lines of "Holy crap, that's a lot of food!"

I didn't finish my food (and I'm now wishing I would've taken a before and after picture of both our plates, because even he didn't finish everything) and ended up needing TWO to-go boxes for everything. That's how much food they gave me. All I kept thinking was "Gordon Ramsay would be ashamed." and "I need to post on Twitloss about this."

We go out to eat a lot. We live in an area with a lot of really awesome restaurants and lately I've been too tired... ok, lazy, to cook. Because we eat out so often, I find it difficult to make good food choices while I'm ordering. It's no secret that I love food. My waistline is evidence enough of that. But in trying to lose weight, I've been trying to make better decisions. Having salad, chicken, or fish instead of the steak or hamburger I really want. Drinking water instead of the margarita that's calling my name.

Yesterday was a big temptation for me. The foods that were on my massive plate were all my favorites. It was difficult for me to put my fork down and say "I'm done" without picking it back up and having "just one more bite". I think next time when I decide that I'm done, I'm going to ask the waiter to box up my food earlier so that the temptation isn't as prevalent.

How do you deal with temptation when you're out to eat?

It's A Good Thing...

2011-06-02T08:25:00.000-07:00

This week was a good week! It was a good one for a couple of reasons. The one pertinent to this blog is, I lost weight! :D Having started out post medical issues at 205 (still not a typo), I am happy to report I am down FOUR FREAKING POUNDS!!!!

That's right, I am at 201. How'd I do it? Hard work. No seriously, like jailhouse type stuff. See, we are ripping up our 2200 sq ft pool deck and replacing it with a newly poured deck. DH decided to save a chunk of change by doing it himself. It has been a slow process in need of some help, so first he dragged some buddies over, and then he dragged me out there.

That's right, my job was to fill the wheel barrow with rock and lug it to the driveway where the dumpster was...and then throw each piece of rock into it. I also spent an hour or so swinging a sledgehammer to help break up the deck. The result was good, but hello can you say HURT?
How about y'all? Any progress this week? Come celebrate your triumphs, big or small, with me!

Lost and Maybe Found?

2011-05-26T07:31:00.000-07:00

Wow, so I am working on getting up to speed on working out. Last week I did yoga and/or belly danced three times. This week I stepped it up and did 43min of Billy Blanks' Tae Bo on Monday and 30min of yoga yesterday on top of helping DH lug concrete on Saturday for 4 hours.

Where does this leave me? I was doing fine until Tuesday night when I discovered my right ankle had swollen up to twice the normal size. Wednesday i did the yoga as a compromise to try and not push so hard. My ankle was a little swollen last night, so I hope this is just my body's attempt to derail my more healthy life style vs. a re-emergence of the clot issue. We'll see.

Otherwise, I am down a pound and DH and I have been eating home and making healthier choices. Here's hoping this works!

Pass the Velcro Please!

2011-05-19T07:48:00.000-07:00

Hi! I'm Dara Young, sometime Twitloss blogger and romance writer. You may remember me because I used to blog here weekly...not so much lately. Someone pass the Velcro please, I need to stick this time. :D So, here is where we stand (in case you missed it) I am 90% clear of the clot. *Happy Dance until overly winded because I am SO out of shape* That means I am off the meds and back to eating healthy.

Now, I will not say all is well, but I will say I am starting to pick up the pieces of the train-wreck that is my health. Here is where I stand:

Weight: 205lbs (no folks, that was not a typo)
Height: 5'9"
Hair: Blonde (that's right...I went blonde cause I can)
Boobs: lumpy (I have cysts, always have always will)
Skin: blotchy and prone to acne (apparently puberty is not over?)
Energy: What's that? Even when I sleep 9 hours I feel tired.
Migraines: Cyclical, but not totally connected to Aunt Flo
Temperament: Bitchy or on the verge of tears

There it is...my health status. I think you get the general gist of things. I have complained about all of this to my doctors, but I am not seeing the response I would like so I am tackling this alone. I will go in to all of this more next time, but needless to say I feel like crap! That said I have not given up...ok, there are moments when I want to, but I talk myself down. Anyhoo, what I am happy to report is that this week I have done pretty well.

Monday I shimmied, belly danced, when I got home from work for about 40min, Wednesday I woke up early and did yoga for an hour, and then this morning I woke up and shimmied for 20min and did yoga for 20min for a total workout of 40min. Yay me! Now, if you subscribe to my husbands line of thinking you might be asking: But did you sweat? Well, no. But I see this weeks victories as being those of combating and winning against being sedentary. I am working up to actual sweat. LOL!

In all seriousness, I am easing in to activities again. I am hoping to start back up slowly with an "easy" Billy Blanks cardio routine once next week and then maybe twice the week after that. See, I don't want to hurt myself because I have never had to exercise with this much weight on me before. It's crazy! So, I feel like I have a plan of action, My eating is better, but not great...there is always room for improvement. In the end, if I can shed a pound (or two) a week for the next month or so, I will feel like I made some progress.

Goal: 1-2lbs of weight loss a week for a total of 5-10lbs lost by June 16th

I am sticking to short term goals for now, I recognize there is a bigger picture, but seriously, I don't have the bandwidth to do more than baby steps right now. As I have been gone, what have you all been up to? Any significant weight losses I should hear about? Got any goals you are working on? Talk to me!

Weight Watchers

2011-05-18T12:07:00.000-07:00

Hello My Peeps!

Very, very sorry for not posting lately. Had my surgery and life just got in the way. Had a relapse and ended up making bad food decisions as well as started drinking soda again. Needless to say, things didn't turn out so well. I didn't gain all I lost back but I gained about half of it. Ugh!

<------ See him? Umm yeah that's Jimmy Thomas in case you were wondering. I know he has absolutely nothing to do with weight loss but gah the man is so sexy. He's also a romance book cover model. His handsome face (and smoking hot body) has graced over 1,200 book covers. *sigh* Just thought I'd share him with you lol He always put a smile on my face when I see his photo.

Ok back on track. Several years ago I joined Weight Watchers and had success with it. I lost over 30 pounds. Before my surgery I was eating healthy, drinking all water with the exception of a glass a milk twice a day. To be honest eating that way was healthy but I didn't seem satisfied at the end of the day. I somehow felt deprived. Anyway, I think that was the problem with my binge eating while recovering after my surgery.

With that said, I have decided to join Weight Watchers again. I will continue to work out with my trainer and do my cardio as well but wanted help with the eating issues. On Weight Watchers I can pretty much eat anything I want but I have to stay within my daily point values. I think this will be much easier for me to stick with. I joined the Weight Watchers Online since I don't have time to go to meetings every week. It costs around $20.00 a month and you get access to all their tools and such.

Moving on....I recently discovered Hungry Girl. Have you heard of her? Here's her website if you want to check her out. http://www.hungry-girl.com/ She has several recipe books out and is appearing on The Food Network during the month of May. Maybe longer. I'm not quite sure on that. You can find out more information by visiting her website.

Her newest cook book is 300 under 300. I purchased it over the weekend. While I did find a handful of recipes that I think I would enjoy, the majority of them had ingredients I don't even eat. Most of which don't even sound good. But if you like things like eggplant, ground beef-style soy crumbles etc then you might want to check her book out.

That's all for now. Here's the damage I managed to do while out after surgery.

Starting weight: 210 lb

Last week: 192.2 lb

This week: 199.4 lb

It's depressing I know. I'm ashamed to say I've gained the weight back (half of it anyway) but on the bright side, I am back on track and hoping to be able to stick with it. Have a great rest of the week.

Health Buddy + walking

2011-04-29T08:30:00.000-07:00

The VA has a program to help with weight loss. Well, 2 actually. The first is called the MOVE program. You meet with a counselor once a month to talk about weight loss, eating right, exercise, etc. They also have group meetings, but I'm not into singing Kumbayah or holding hands with strangers, so I opted not to do that.

The 2nd program is called TeleMOVE. You still meet with the couselor, but you also have more contact with them than in the MOVE program. See that thing to the left? It's called a Health Buddy. Some doctors use it to monitor their diabetes or heart patients, but it can also be used for weight loss. It comes with a pedometer (that I accidentally washed in the laundry the other day - crap) and a scale that's been calibrated to the one they have at their office. You plug the scale into the Health Buddy and once a week you report your weight to the counselor at the VA.

The Health Buddy also monitors your feelings and your pain. It asks you a series of questions each day, and you answer honestly. When I answered that pain sometimes gets in the way of exercising, my counselor called me to make sure I was ok. I am, I'm just having some back pain that's getting pretty bad. I'm going to the doctor about it, don't worry.

So, all of this has got me thinking about how much exercise I actually do. When I still had my pedometer (I'm getting a new one at my next appointment), I became acutely more aware of how many steps I was taking. I started out at around 3000+ steps a day, but managed to work up to 6000+ steps a day (thank God I have good walking tennis shoes). While that's a lot of steps, it's not enough. I need to do MORE.

On my drive home from work, I saw a park with some trails that looked fairly promising (especially since so many other people were walking/running them). So, I'm going to take my track pants to work and change into them before I leave for the day so I can take a brisk walk before I get home. This will only work on days I get off early enough to do so - Monday and Wednesday are out, since I don't get off until 5, but Tuesday, Thursday, & Friday are good. As much as I'm not excited for the heat (I live in Texas and it's the beginning of summer for us... 80-90 degree weather every day, joy), I am excited for the feeling I'm going to get at the exercise endorphins and I can't wait for my jeans to start falling off again. I've been entirely too lazy and that stops NOW!

What steps are you taking towards your weight loss goal?

My Not a Post...

2011-04-27T05:55:00.000-07:00

Sorry...I should post but I am too tired and can't focus. I'll catch ya'll next week.

Will I ever stop coughing?

2011-04-22T08:35:00.000-07:00

I've been sick for the past 3 weeks. At first, it was a sinus infection but then it turned into an upper respiratory infection that wouldn't go away. I can breathe again thankfully, but I'm still coughing and my chest hurts.

Of course with that wonderful stuff, I'm unable to do any exercise. I've been trying to walk more, and my pedometer has me at 6,000+ steps for the past couple days (I usually have around 3,000 at the end of the day) so at least there's that.

I have a doctor's appointment today, and I'm nervous to see the number on the scale when I get there. If I gained more weight, the doc is more than likely going to change my meds again and that's the last thing I want.

I can't wait for this ick to be completely gone. I want to get back on the elliptical and drop this stupid weight!

What do you about weight loss when you're sick?

Where's That Wagon? I Know I Left It Somewhere...

2011-04-21T05:30:00.000-07:00

I'm back! And it feels so good. :) Where I stand medically is the clot is still there, but not as serious as they thought. Bottom line is we are letting the medicine help my body break it down. In two weeks I am going for a follow up ultrasound to look at my leg and see if the clot is breaking down. In the mean time I have been cleared to start walking! Yay!

Here I am back blogging because now have something to talk about again! I had been intermittently trying to walk at work during lunch, but found my leg was swelling too much. The doctor and I decided that walking at night is better so I ca prop my leg up after the exercise. Now I get to the good part, and the crappy part.

The crappy part is that because of the lack of exercise, and really my decreased mobility for a few months, I am starting over. I have lost all the ground I gained and then some. I am currently weighing in at 203lbs. Gah! Here is the good news. I walked 2 days this week so far and plan to walk tonight too!

Monday 1.58mi = 230 cals
Tuesday 1.8mi = 240 cals

So, I am back in business and am looking forward to working up to more valuable exercise. I miss you Billy Blanks!

I'm back....sort of

2011-04-20T08:45:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I know I've been away for a couple weeks. Things have been pretty busy around here. A week ago this past Monday I had surgery to remove a phyllodes tumor from my right breast. Thank God it was not cancerous.

I've been out of the gym for 1 1/2 weeks now and have really been off the band wagon. I have pretty much eaten and drank anything I've wanted and I can honestly tell you that I know I have gained weight. Big surprise there huh? *sigh*

I plan on hitting the gym again this next Monday. I'm still a little sore from surgery and want to make sure I don't have any pain before going back. I'm really afraid to step on the scale. I know it's gonna be bad. My trainer is NOT going to be happy with me. Anyhow, that's all that going on with me. I hope all is well with you.

Guest post by Reena Jacobs

2011-04-15T08:51:00.000-07:00

Last week, I mentioned to Mama Kitty that I was reading a book called Women Food and God by Geneen Roth. I even went as far to say that I might share it with #twitloss. You can do it as a guest post, she suggested, and offered her Friday.

I thought about it for awhile—I hate making commitments—but then agreed. I did want to share what I’d learned. After all, it was a decent read, and if any of you are like me, you hate dieting. In fact, I’m so bad at keeping to diets that the longest I’ve lasted on one was probably about 48 hours.

Quick side trip.

On the way to church this week, I stopped by Subway for a six inch tuna melt on 9 grain oat—add provolone cheese, tomatoes, onions, lettuces, extra mayo, and honey mustard. Not too bad of a dinner—reasonable calories, low fat meat, and a few antioxidants. Yum! I was even hungry at the time.

I hopped in the car with my meal and was on my way. Ten minutes into the drive, my sandwhich was gone, and I was full. Funny thing though, I didn’t enjoy it like I’d thought I would. In fact, I’d hardly tasted it.

So what does this have to do with Women Food and God?

My relationship with food… my encounter with my sub and driving—was exactly what Ms. Roth speaks out against.

In her book, she doesn’t offer a get thin quick scheme or a miracle diet plan. Her method is simple—awareness. What are you feeling, both emotionally and physically? When you reach to finish that 16 oz bag of potatoe chips, even though you just ate 75% of it 15 minutes ago, what is your body saying to you? Is it even hungry? :) Chances are, no. Then why do you want more? This is not a rhetorical question. Seriously. Why do you want to finish the bag? What does the bag represent to you?

For me it offers pleasure. I anticipate the saltiness. I look forward to licking the greasy crumbs from my fingertips. I imagine the goodness in every bite.

The truth of the matter is I’m in love with a fantasy. Unlike many people, I don’t really like potato chips. I just like the idea of eating them. After the bag’s gone, I’m sorely disappointed with the effects.

You see, potato chips sit in my stomach like a pot of fermenting mush. If I eat more than a serving or two, there’s a good chance I’ll be seeing that mush a second time, coming up the way it went down.

So why would I torture myself? The answer: because I’m great at ignoring what my body tells me, has told me in the past. I don’t like being uncomfortable, yet I’ve been known to eat until my belly aches. I hate what over-indulging in carbs does to my bowels but think nothing of devouring half a cake over the course of an evening.

Women Food and God is about getting back in touch with your body… recognizing, understanding, and listening to the clues your body tells you.

Back to my trip to church. There was nothing wrong with the tuna melt in itself. The problem was how I went about consuming it—without any care. Driving down the road while dodging cats intent on committing suicide did not allow the focus I needed to really appreciate my sub sandwich, much less listen to my body. I don't know when I became full. I just know when I was finished, I'd already reached the point of fullness.

For one who enjoys eating as much as I do, it would have made sense to take the time to enjoy the meal and savor every wholesome bite. Not scarf it down without even tasting it. I can’t possibly go into everything I’ve learned in the book with one blog post (even if I didn’t follow the guidelines on my way to church). Other than recommending this book, I will encourage my fellow twitloss buddies to take time to smell the cheeseburger. Experience the texture of those fries. And above all, listen to your body before you take that first bite, and the next, and the next. Understand your emotions, what’s happening psychologically, and what drives you to eat beyond what your body needs. Your transformation into awareness might not happen overnight. One thing for sure, it doesn't hurt to start practicing now.

While you’re doing that, keep this in mind: Losing weight shouldn’t be about deprivation. What you eat and how you eat should be about love for yourself and the body you inhabit. Women Food and God talks about a life changing way of eating... a guilt-free one which makes sense, feels good, and puts away the idea of starvation.

Thanks for having me, Mama Kitty.

Repeat after me.....It's just a number.

2011-04-11T17:04:00.000-07:00

If you follow me on twitter you know that I have been whining and moaning for the last 3 weeks about being "stuck". The scale isn't moving as fast as I would like it to considering this is the longest and most dedicated I have been in months. My daily burn calendars:

Admittedly, in my frustration this week I haven't been tracking food tho I think I've been pretty close to target each day. I'm burning calories like a crazy person. I've made the gym a regular habit that brings me a brief bit of calm during my day and most days I look forward to it. Or at least I do once I'm in my car and on the way there.

All of that and how much have I lost over the last three weeks? 3 lbs. And I think the last half pound of that is thanks to the fact that I spent Saturday sick and throwing up. Oh and I was peeing like a pregnant woman this woman.

In spite of my annoyingly frustrating whines, my friends have been supportive and keep reminding me ... "be easy on yourself, your body is changing, we can see it even if you can't." I've nodded and gone along with it, secretly analyzing everything I am doing and second guessing myself. Am I eating enough? Am I eating too much? Is my heart rate too high when I work out? Do I need more weights? Is it my thyroid? Maybe I really need to suck it up and find meds. Or maybe its the birth control? Its been years since I've been on the pill, surely its delaying my progress.

Truth is, none of that should matter because it isn't about the number on the scale. Or it isn't supposed to be. This is supposed to be about my health. This is supposed to be about how I fit in my clothes and how I feel about myself. A number on the scale doesn't define me and I need to stop allowing myself to fall into that trap. Yes, its a visual marker as to where I am in this journey, but it doesn't automatically equate with failure or success. I could stop eating all together and lose 30 pounds but I certainly wouldn't be any healthier.

Am I getting to the gym regularly? yes.
Am paying attention to what I consume? yes.
Am I letting emotions dictate what I eat and when? no.
Am I doing my best to make good choices? yes.

Those are the markers to my success.

All of that said, this post isn't without some good news. My weight may not be changing but my measurements certainly are. I took them just about 2.5 weeks ago and again this morning.

waist ~ lost 1.5 inches
hips ~ lost 0.5 inch
abs ~ lost 1.5 inches

Maybe I just can't use a tape measure, but I think they are pretty accurate. The fact that I lost all my inches in my midsection gives me some hope I will get to keep some of the curves I actually don't mind. ;)

Now, someone remind me of this post if/when I'm complaining about the scale again next week? Thanks.

Created by MyFitnessPal - Free Weight Loss Tools

Progress

2011-03-30T11:39:00.000-07:00

I have some good news!!!!! The masses they found are NOT cancer. One appears to be a certain type of tumor that will continue to grow and never go away so I may have to have it removed but the doctor is still waiting on some results regarding that.

Here are my stats this week:

Starting weight: 210 lb

Last week: 193.2 lb

This week: 192.2 lb

Total inches lost: 19"

I hope your having a great week. I am feeling much better now that I got my results back.

Weekly Progress and Random Ramblings.

2011-03-27T11:08:00.000-07:00

I posted once before about my love of the Daily Burn iPhone app. I slacked for a long time, bouncing around from eating clean to back to weight watchers.... but I am back with Daily Burn. The truth is, it is the easiest to use and the online account is free if you are happy with the basic features. It has been upgraded and improved a great deal since I last talked about it so take a look. If you are like me and want even more features, they have Pro Lite and Pro plans that you can sign up for a small fee and even get a discount on.

Anyway, one of the things I like about my Pro account is the integration with iCal/google calendar. You can plan your meals, plan your workouts, add notes, etc. It also gives you a quick visual of your week. What my visual tells me? I'm not sure I'm eating enough considering the calories I burned last week. I need to work on that this week. Eating more, healthier foods.

I stepped on the scale briefly this morning to see I was only down 0.4 pounds this week. That seems entirely too little for as much as I worked out, sigh. Technically my weigh in day is tomorrow so I'm not recording until then. I also started a low hormone birth control pill and I'm concerned that will have an effect on my progress... I definitely am a moody moody girl this week.

To end this post on a good note. I remembered to take and record my measurements and did see some progress from last time I took them. Also, my triceps feel pretty kick ass this morning.

I've got a stressful week this week with exams and homework, wish me luck that I don't eat myself into a coma trying to avoid it.

I have many names

2011-03-25T08:05:00.000-07:00

I am a mother. I am a wife. I am a student. I am an employee. I am an animal caretaker. I am a cook. I am a maid. I am a secretary. I am a (bad) accountant.

I have many names. Unfortunately, I only have 2 eyes, 2 arms (with 2 hands), 2 feet, and 1 brain. Despite this (dis)ability, I still have to get everything done, and I'm not sure of how to get it all done without ripping my hair out.

If you follow me on Twitter or read my personal blog, you know it's been quite the week for my poor kitty Ditto. There are a lot of issues going on with him, but nothing that's SO HUGE that we can't handle it. Yes, his bills are high, but we have the money to take care of him while still keeping our heads fairly above water. So why do I feel like I'm drowning and why am I crying ALL THE TIME?

Simple. Stress. I can't handle it. I cry, I scream, I complain a lot. I try to use my old tricks where I write, dance, or sing, but I don't have time to write, my body aches too much to walk much less dance, and... well, I still sing (mostly in the car or in the shower). Singing by itself won't reduce the mountain of stress that's falling on my head.

Normally, I'm an emotional eater. All this crap going on would have me running directly for the chocolate stash (which I threw out yesterday - go me!) but this time around? Not so much. Not because I'm not craving all things bad for me, but because I'M TOO TIRED. My body is drained, my mind is exhausted, and I can't handle it anymore. I haven't been eating perfect (Stouffer's family frozen dinners, mayo & turkey sandwiches, Dominos pizza...) but there's a silver lining in all this that I haven't been eating as crappy as before.

My weight hasn't changed much (according to my scale at home), so I'm praying when I go to the doctor today it's still ok.

How do you deal with stressful situations?

Update

2011-03-23T18:45:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

I have a little news. The doctor had my films read by another radiologist and they both agreed that I should have a MRI done. When I explained to him that I have a metal plate in my neck and that I don't think I can have an MRI again he said he would have to check into that. WTH He's a friggin' doctor. Shouldn't he know these things? I really don't have much faith in this guy.

I'm suppose to have my second opinion on Monday but I am going to have to reschedule since I am having a biopsy on Friday. Actually, they are going to biopsy all three spots. I'm not looking forward to it but the nurse assured me that the procedure is simple and relatively painless. At this point I really just want to find out whether they are benign or not. This has got me so stressed out I just want to know.

Anyway, that's all for now.

Here are my stats this week:

Starting weight: 210 lb

Last week: 196.8 lb

This week: 193.2 lb

I hope your all having a great week. Talk soon....

Break out of your rut and finding new motivation.

2011-03-21T12:38:00.001-07:00

Physically and emotionally, I get stuck in ruts. I get so locked into doing something a certain way that if I can't do it exactly that way I just give up. This is especially true of exercise for me. For months I've been stuck in the Body Pump/Zumba routine. I had days I went to each and if I couldn't go at those set times I just blew it off and didn't. They are great workouts but not if you don't do them consistently.

My solution this past week has been to shake things up. Just get off my ass and go. It doesn't matter if I only get 20 minutes on the treadmill or elliptical, or if I get an hour of Body Pump. I just need to be sweating.

The last week or so my activity was as follows:

March 13th - 1 hour Body Pump + 45 min treadmill
March 14th - 20 min treadmill, 30 min elliptical
March 15th - 1 hour Body Pump + 15 min elliptical
March 17th - 20 min elliptical
March 18th - 10 min treadmill, 30 min elliptical
March 19th - 10 min treadmill, 30 min elliptical
March 20th - 50 min elliptical

Previous to this week I'd only done maybe a maximum of 20 minutes on the elliptical, giving up as soon as my toes went numb. I don't know why this week was different, but I pushed through it and was able to hit 30 minutes and then pushed myself for 50 last night.

Maybe the difference is motivation? Without a doubt I am doing this for myself, but as someone who has issues of self worth.... sometimes that isn't good enough. Sometimes I forget that I deserve this, that I am worth it. It's hard to force yourself to stay on track when you are telling yourself you aren't worth it. In those times I need external motivation, I need rewards. I have a new one that has put a smile on my step and given me a determination I've not previously held. I've done rewards in the past... a pair of shoes here, a tattoo there.... they sometimes work and sometimes do not. This one is different as it's not something I buy, its something less material. A chance to open myself up and explore what I want. It is something I deserve. I'm sorry, I'm probably being frustratingly vague simply because its so personal.

Anyway, because of this new reward, I'm changing my ticker.... I've lost 22 lbs since starting #twitloss, and a bit over 30 since starting this journey on my own previous to that. I want to lose another over the next 3-6 months.

Sometimes things just click. Maybe mine finally has?

Created by MyFitnessPal - Nutrition Facts For Foods

Sorry

2011-03-16T12:02:00.000-07:00

Sorry I didn't post last week. Things have been a little bit crazy. I went in for my well woman appointment because I hadn't been since 2008 (I know - I'm bad). Anyway, I went in to get a checkup and also to let my nurse practitioner know that I found a lump in my right breast. Long story short she sent me for a mammogram since I've never had one. She said that when you turn 40 (I'm 39) women are suppose to get one every year. Yay! Not! She seemed to think the lump was a cyst but wanted me to have the mammogram as a precaution.

I got my results back Monday afternoon. The lump that she thought was a cyst actually turned out to be a mass. I have a total of 3 masses in my right breast and a few cysts. I can't begin to tell you how freaked out I have been since then.

I went late Monday afternoon to see a surgeon. He was over an hour late to our appointment and spent a total of 5 minutes with me. He believes two of the masses are benign but one of them he's not sure whether it is benign or malignant.

He tells me he wants another radiologist to read the films and that he will call me once he has that done. No, I'll go ahead and see you back in a week. Just I'll call you. Obviously I did not like this guy at all. His people skills really sucked and his personality was horrible. I really wish I could find a woman doctor. In fact once I hear back from this guy, I'm going to get a second opinion.

The nurse practitioner told me that I would have to get a needle biopsy done on the three masses and this guy hasn't mentioned a thing about that. I don't know. I'm sort of confused, freaked out and dumbfounded about this entire thing. The doctor tells me "Don't worry about this" but how can I not worry? I have 3 lumps in my breast ranging from 1.1 cm to 2.9 cm's along with several cysts. I think I have a valid reason to worry.

Anyway, that's pretty much what's going on with me. This past weekend I pretty much ate everything I wanted. I've been so stressed out that I really have not been sticking to the eating healthy thing. I'm still going to the gym and Monday I started doing better with my eating habits. I'll just be glad when I know for sure exactly what I'm dealing with here.

Here are my stats this week:

Starting weight: 210 lb

Last week: 194.0 lb

This week: 196.8 lb

writing the weight away

2011-03-11T08:45:00.000-08:00

There was a study recently showing that keeping a food journal can actually help you double the weight you lose. No really. I swear. Don't believe me? Here's the article.

The idea is that you keep yourself accountable with a food journal and it helps you to keep your diet on track. Too many people (myself included) have a habit of cheating, even if it's "just a little bit" (also guilty). So keeping an honest journal (once again: guilty) helps you to drop more weight than you would if you weren't keeping a journal.

Personally, I think this is a fabulous idea, and I'm going to give it a ('nother) try. :)

Spring Break is next week, and Monkey and I are going to be together the entire week. Rather than holing ourselves up in the house (where I will inevitably get bored and hit up the pantry... repeatedly), I'm going to take her to the park, the zoo, the aquarium... ok, maybe not the aquarium. It's expensive and she's afraid of the building. Or the fish. Or something. Ask Trelaina. She'll back me up on this. Anyway, I'll be toting my trusty Food Journal Notebook (as soon as I buy one) everywhere, because I know I'll forget something if I don't carry it with me all the time.

Do you keep a food journal?

Weekly Check In...

2011-03-10T06:30:00.000-08:00

Hello all! Well, since I am not talking about the blood clot, there isn't much to say. :D I am still not really exercising and you ca imagine the eating is kind of out the window right now. I am using the diet shakes again, but that is mostly because I shouldn't have too much vitamin K, and it is really hard to do easy lunches without my standby salad. So, on the upside I may do better because of the shakes. LOL!

As always, I want to remind you all that if you would like to guest blog, just contact us at the email address posted on the bottom of this page. I mean, it wouldn't hurt to have something more interesting to post than my whining about my blood clot. :) Hope everyone is having an awesome week!

I just ate a brownie.

2011-03-07T13:49:00.000-08:00

And after doing so what was the first thing that popped into my head? "Argh, I've been a seriously #twitloss slacker. I need to write something. I totally have something!"

So, here I am.

The last few weeks I have bounced up and down, gaining 5 lbs, losing 5lbs .... really I'm hovering about where I was the last time I posted. And really I have no good reason for it. I sit and think about it and I know that in 6 months I will be sitting in almost the same place, once again thinking about it and wondering why I didn't get my act together the last time. The only difference is that I would have wasted another 6 months of my life

le sigh.

I could come up with an entire list of excuses ranging from school to family problems, but they are all just excuses. I talk like I am putting myself first but really... I'm still laying the guilt trip on and beating myself over the head with sabotage because I seem to think I deserve it.

So, how do I changed it? I actually brought this up with the therapist I am seeing (along with the husband).... and she asked the hard questions. Why? Because I'm scared. What if I get to goal and I'm still not satisfied. What if I put in the effort and I'm still unhappy. Where do I go then? The unknown and the fear of putting in the work and still failing scares me to death. Besides that I still think I don't deserve it. I don't deserve to love myself.

*frown*

I was hoping for an easy answer from her. Something that would click and my world would be better. All she had for me were questions.... What would it feel like to succeed? If I get there and am still unhappy, then what? How am I worse off than I am now? The truth is, I can't be worse off can I? I may be unhappy still but that is no different than now... I'd just be a healthier unhappy.

So. That is my internal challenge to myself. I want to know what it feels like to succeed.

Get back up again

2011-03-04T09:57:00.000-08:00

I've been utter fail at Twitloss this week. Normally, I'll at least try to walk a little or something, but with how bad my back and knees have been hurting, I've been sitting on my butt and twiddling my thumbs... or rubbing my knee and begging God to give me some relief.

I've slowed down on all the eating I've been doing thanks to the Lithium, which is a blessing. But... I've been cheating pretty bad on the kinds of foods I've been eating. Wednesday was such a crap day for me that I had Poofy Cheetos and wine for dinner. Last night I made hot dogs for Monkey and boudin for me. I had a salad beforehand, so at least there's that. But then Monkey & I made brownies and I had 3 small ones.

According to the bathroom scale, I haven't gained any weight, but I haven't lost any either. I feel like I'm stagnating and it's pissing me off.

I have gotten most of the corner I plan on putting my elliptical in cleaned out and am going to make PK take the other boxes that are sitting there away so that I can finally set up the damned elliptical and actually get back on this horse I keep falling off of.

How are you doing with your weight loss journey?

#Clotpocolypse the End is Nigh!

2011-03-03T07:38:00.000-08:00

I swear I will shut up about this soon. The blood clot...is not as bad as they thought. Apparently it is not in the femoral vein, so that means I am back on the Coumadin and waiting for the next 3-6 months. This was all decided by that veinogram the doctors ordered. So, I am hoping to start walking in the next few days. Which is great news! I really am actually looking forward to moving again. The hardest part will be that one of my diet staples- leafy greens -are off the diet for now. Technically I can still have them but I have to eat them consistently and that is not how I usually work. I of course am not cutting all sources of vitamin K out, but I am trying to keep it to small doses so the blood thinners have the ability to work fully. Anyway, that is the latest and I want to say I really appreciate everyone's prayers and good vibes. I hope now life can get back to some semblance of normalcy as I try to get #Twitloss back on track.

I did it!!!!

2011-03-02T14:13:00.000-08:00

Last week I met my goal of running a mile straight without stopping. Although it wore me out, I had the biggest smile on my face when I was done. My new goal is to increase my speed. Right now it's sort of a jog so I'm hoping to increase that into a faster run but it's a mile!!!!!

I know to some of you running a mile straight isn't that much. At the beginning of the year when I started going to the gym I couldn't walk out to the end of my driveway to get the mail and I was out of breath. So I'm really excited and proud of myself that I met my goal. Smoking really messed my breathing up and I'm so glad I don't smoke anymore.

Anyhow, I worked with my trainer today. I'm working with her on Monday's and Wednesday's and starting next week I'm adding Friday to the mix.

Her workouts are really hard but I'm not giving up. I may have to take a second to get my breath but I get right back at it. I loathe doing squats and this exercise called The Plank. If you don't know what that is you can check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHQmRINu4jU

Here are my stats this week:

Starting weight: 210 lb

Last week: 196.2 lb

This week: 196.8 lb

No change weight wise but my trainer assured me that when you strength train you add muscle which of course weighs more than fat so you might not actually drop pounds but you'll lose inches. Monday she's going to take new measurements and I'll get to see how much I've changed in the last month or so.

Hope your having a great week so far.

Clotpocolypse Update...

2011-02-24T05:04:00.000-08:00

Well, I saw the specialist(s) yesterday. It seems that I have not made as much progress as they would like, in fact I haven't really made any progress since the diagnosis. So, the specialist passed me off to another specialist who wants to get a better look at what is going on. He suspects that I have a full obstruction somewhere in the vein. That means I get to have a contrast procedure...yay. O_o

Not the best news, but the first specialist was talking about using a clot busting drug. I guess once they get a look at what's going on they will decide how best to approach the whole situation. The bottom line is, I don't seem to be in the agonizing pain I should be, my leg is still swollen, and there is more bruising appearing down by my ankle now. All in all...not what they want to see. Send me some clot busting vibes, I think I need them.

Moving right along....

2011-02-23T11:51:00.000-08:00

Not much new going on with me. Still hitting the gym 5 days a week. Last week I did strength training on Monday, Wednesday and Friday with my trainer and then cardio on Tuesday and Thursday. I can make it 1/2 mile now running non-stop. Anything over that really kills me. I just gotta keep at it.

Here are my stats this week:

Starting weight: 210 lb

Last week: 199.0 lb

This week: 196.2 lb

Eating wise things are still going relatively smoothly. It's hard sometimes when I cook dinner for the kids and they get to eat fried chicken, french fries and the like and I get stuck with veggies, fruit, lean chicken breast but I just gotta keep telling myself to stick with it. I know it's not going to be easy in fact most days are really hard but I'm trying to stick with it and not ride myself to hard if I mess up.

Hope your having a great week so far.

Someone stop the rollercoaster, I want off!

2011-02-18T16:21:00.000-08:00

As some of you know, I'm bipolar. It's a relatively mild case, but it's still bipolar disorder, and it comes with all the wonderful highs and terrible lows that come along with it. I was diagnosed 2 years ago, but was unmedicated until recently. For a long time, I decided that I was ok without meds because it was such a mild form and I didn't sink into deep depressions or have manic highs all the time (I've learned that this is what all people with bipolar disorder say, no matter how severe or mild their case may be).

PK & I have always had an interesting relationship. We like to tease each other and pick until one or the other is screaming and ready to lose their mind (I swear, we do it out of love... and because I have 4 brothers and I can't resist tickling PK's feet or pretending I'm going to stick my finger in his nose - yes, I'm aware of how weird we are). Well, until a few months ago I was perfectly ok with this. I was used to him poking my arm while I'm writing or touching buttons on my Kindle while I'm reading. It's part of our relationship. But when I started bursting into tears or throwing an absolute fit, I realized that maybe I didn't have my emotions as under control as I thought.

I went to the doctor, and because of the type of birth control I'm on, they could only offer me one type of mood leveler (not an anti-depressant), which is lithium.

Yeah, I had that reaction too. "Oh shit! That's scary stuff!" but in reality, it's not really that scary when you look at the statistics and the results. The reason it's been on the market as long as it has been is because it WORKS. The biggest problem? It makes you HUNGRY and all you want to do it eat (which obviously leads to weight gain).

I went to the doctor last week, terrified that I'd gained 20 pounds, but feeling much better (emotionally) than I have in years. Well, I've only gained 1 pound, and that was mostly because of water retention. WOOT!

So, yay for the rollercoaster slowing down and nearing a stop, AND for only gaining ONE POUND!

How are you doing with your weight loss? Met any goals? Overcome any obstacles?

Hi Everyone!

2011-02-16T11:57:00.000-08:00

I took the plunge. I decided to hire Megan (personal trainer) for six months. I’ll be working out with her two times a week. Figure the money I’m saving since I quit smoking will be well spent on her.

I’m really good about going to the gym 5 days a week but on the two days that I’m suppose to strength train I sort of slack. She’s definitely going to help me with this issue.

Here are my stats this week:

Starting weight: 210 lb

Last week: 198.6 lb

This week: 199.0 lb

That’s pretty much what’s going on with me. I was able to run 4/10th ‘s of a mile straight today (without stopping) which is totally awesome considering I started out running 1/10th of a mile at the beginning of the year. I would like to be able to run 1 mile without stopping by time summer gets here. Anyway, hope your having a great week!

Waves Hi!

2011-02-10T10:16:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to pop in and say hi! Not much new to report health wise (when did this turn in to a health blog?). I am heading back to work next week and just rolling along in my day to day. No more shots (yay!) and my Coumadin dose is stabilizing. Not sure when I get to start "working out" and even when I do it will probably just be walking or stationary cycling. I am pretty sure I will not be doing any activity that could lead to me bruising myself for obvious reasons. So, that's it...talk to you guys again real soon!

Personal Trainers

2011-02-09T13:38:00.000-08:00

Today I had my second workout with Megan, my trainer. I signed up for the jumpstart program and I worked out with her this past Friday. I started getting sick later that night with a sore throat and head cold and by the time Saturday rolled around I was pretty much out of commission.

I was supposed to go to the gym Saturday and do some cardio to help with the soreness but I didn’t make it. I could barely move all weekend. I was pretty miserable with the cold and sore muscles but I sucked it up. Still wasn’t feeling 100% on Monday and talked myself out of going in to do cardio but the voice in my head wouldn’t shut up so I ended up dragging myself there late Monday night. I’m glad I went ahead and went. Only walked 2 miles on the treadmill but at least I did something.

Here are my stats this week:

Starting weight: 210 lb

Last week: 200.6 lb

This week: 198.6 lb

Yay!!! I lost a couple more pounds.

So, that’s pretty much what’s been going on in my neck of the woods. How’s your week going so far?

Here are a few more songs I listen to on my iPod when I workout:

Tonight (I’m Lovin’ You) – Enrique Iglesias (feat. Ludacris & DJ Frank E)
Like A G6 – Far East Movement
More – Usher
Dynamite – Taio Cruz
The Climb – Miley Cyrus

Holy Crap...

2011-02-03T05:23:00.000-08:00

Well, it seems it was a very good thing I finally broke down and went to the doctor this week for my leg issues. After deciding I had not broken my ankle, the doctor scheduled me for a vascular exam to look for blood clots in my leg. Lo and behold, I have a freaking HUGE one in the leg that has been bothering me. Well, what does that mean?

The main cause of deep vein thrombosis -- also called DVT -- is poor blood flow. When circulation slows, blood can pool and more easily form clots -- raising your DVT risk.

Deep vein thrombosis occurs when a blood clot forms in a vein deep inside a muscle in your body. It usually happens in legs, but can also develop in your arms, chest, or other areas of your body. And though DVT is common, it can be dangerous. The blood clot can block your circulation or lodge in a blood vessel in your lungs, brain, heart, or other area. The clot can cause severe organ damage and even death -- within hours.
from WebMD

So needless to say, I had a crazy day yesterday. I dashed out of work around noon thinking I'd have time to eat when I got back from the silly little precautionary test the Dr had ordered. Ha! Instead, I ended up spending my afternoon at urgent care where they ran blood tests and an EKG on me and then gave me a shot and a pill. In addition I received an info dump on the medicines and procedures I would be living with for the next 4 to 6 months. Yeah, that's right. 4 to 6 months.

I get to take a shot of Lovenox 2xs a day until the feel the Coumadin has built up enough in my blood stream to help me. The Coumadin I will take once a day. But wait, I haven't got to the best part yet. Apparently, while we wait for the Coumadin to build up I get to go take a blood test 6 days a week. Yup, every morning before 9:30am, except Sunday. Then once I am off the shots, I get to reduce those lab visits to 2 days a week until they feel I am stabilized. As I stabilize on the Coumadin the visits will tapper down to once a week, then once every two weeks, until I am at once a month. Then I continue at the once a month level until I am off the meds all together, which is whenever the blood clot is gone I suspect. Yeah, that's right I won the freaking medical lottery today.

So, all this makes you wonder...just how big is this clot? Well, apparently its huge. It goes from my inside knee area all the way up to my inner thigh, almost to my groin. That translates to FREAKING HUGE. Needless to say, the DH is freaked out and all worried over me. I am hoping he reins it in, because I can't deal with him and all of this. Sigh. And, of course, I STILL can't exercise for at least another five days. Maybe longer once I see my regular doctor.

They still can't tell me exactly how the clot formed, but suspect that it is a combination of my muscle pulls, my fall at work earlier this month, and my birth control pills. It apparently doesn't help that I'm fat either. Go figure. Well, that's my news folks. Kind of outweighs my weigh-in and general update, but hey the doctor's scale on Monday was not kind to me. (I really wish they'd let me take my shoes off!) I weighed in at 209lbs fully dressed with Doc Martin's on (those are what they look like, I still love those shoes!). Double sigh.

For now I am focusing on getting healthy so I can then start working out and losing this dang-on weight. that means shots, pills, and blood tests for the next little bit. Hope you all had a better day than me yesterday.

Relapse...sorta

2011-02-02T12:06:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! It’s Wednesday again. I got my cardio in for the day. Things had to be re-scheduled with the trainer last week because my youngest son had to get some dental work done. So my new appointment with Megan (trainer) is this Friday.

I’m looking forward to it…sorta. I know she’s going to work me out hard. I really want to get a strength training routine worked out so that I can do it on my own two days a week. She’s going to help out with that along with the nutrition issues.

Here are my stats this week:

Starting weight: 210 lb

Last week: 201.2 lb

This week: 200.6 lb

I’ve managed to lose a little more weight. Not much though. This past weekend was really bad for me. I cheated a little bit more than I have been doing. I felt really bad afterwards too. I will try not to do that again. (easier said than done)

I’ve been doing cardio 5 days a week. I tried to run a little on the treadmill this week. I still can’t run very far but I’m working on it. I’ve also upped my treadmill incline so I’m getting a little more of a workout.

That’s pretty much how things have been going for me.

How’s your week going so far?

Thought I would list a few more songs on my workout list with you.

Shut It Down – Pitbull (feat. Akon)
I Like It – Enrique Iglesias (feat. Pitbull)
Yeah! – Usher (feat. Lil’ John & Ludacris)
Girlfriend – Avril Lavigne
Imma Be – Black Eyed Peas

Myth vs Fact

2011-01-28T09:07:00.000-08:00

Myth #1: Fad diets work for permanent weight loss.

Fact: Fad diets are not the best way to lose weight and keep it off. Fad diets often promise quick weight loss or tell you to cut certain foods out of your diet. You may lose weight at first on one of these diets. But diets that strictly limit calories or food choices are hard to follow. Most people quickly get tired of them and regain any lost weight.

Fad diets may be unhealthy because they may not provide all of the nutrients your body needs. Also, losing weight at a very rapid rate (more than 3 pounds a week after the first few weeks) may increase your risk for developing gallstones (clusters of solid material in the gallbladder that can be painful). Diets that provide less than 800 calories per day also could result in heart rhythm abnormalities, which can be fatal.Tip: Research suggests that losing ½ to 2 pounds a week by making healthy food choices, eating moderate portions, and building physical activity into your daily life is the best way to lose weight and keep it off. By adopting healthy eating and physical activity habits, you may also lower your risk for developing:

type 2 diabetes

heart disease

high blood pressure

Myth #2: High-protein/low-carbohydrate diets are a healthy way to lose weight.

Fact: The long-term health effects of a high-protein/low-carbohydrate diet are unknown. But getting most of your daily calories from high-protein foods like meat, eggs, and cheese is not a balanced eating plan. You may be eating too much fat and cholesterol, which may raise heart disease risk. You may be eating too few fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, which may lead to constipation due to lack of dietary fiber. Following a high-protein/low-carbohydrate diet may also make you feel:

nauseous

tired

weak

Eating fewer than 130 grams of carbohydrate a day can lead to the buildup of ketones (partially broken-down fats) in your blood. A buildup of ketones in your blood (called ketosis) can cause your body to produce high levels of uric acid, which is a risk factor for gout (a painful swelling of the joints) and kidney stones. Ketosis may be especially risky for pregnant women and people with diabetes or kidney disease.

Tip: High-protein/low-carbohydrate diets are often low in calories because food choices are strictly limited, so they may cause short-term weight loss. But a reduced-calorie eating plan that includes recommended amounts of carbohydrate, protein, and fat will also allow you to lose weight. By following a balanced eating plan, you will not have to stop eating whole classes of foods, such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables—and miss the key nutrients they contain. You may also find it easier to stick with a diet or eating plan that includes a greater variety of foods.

Myth #3: Starches are fattening and should be limited when trying to lose weight.

Fact: Many foods high in starch, are low in fat and calories such as:

bread

rice

pasta

cereals

beans

fruits

some vegetables (like potatoes and yams)

They become high in fat and calories when eaten in large portion sizes or when covered with high-fat toppings like butter, sour cream, or mayonnaise. Foods high in starch (also called complex carbohydrates) are an important source of energy for your body.

Tip: The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends eating 6 to 11 servings a day, depending on your calorie needs, from the bread, cereal, rice, and pasta group—even when trying to lose weight. Pay attention to your serving sizes—one serving is equal to 1 slice of bread, 1 ounce of ready-to-eat cereal, or ½ cup of pasta, rice, or cooked cereal. Try to avoid high-fat toppings and choose whole grains, like:

whole wheat bread

brown rice

oatmeal

bran cereal

Choose other starchy foods that are high in dietary fiber too, like beans, peas, and vegetables.

Myth #4: Certain foods, like grapefruit, celery, or cabbage soup, can burn fat and make you lose weight.

Fact: No foods can burn fat. Some foods with caffeine may speed up your metabolism (the way your body uses energy, or calories) for a short time, but they do not cause weight loss.

Tip: The best way to lose weight is to cut back on the number of calories you eat and be more physically active.

Myth #5: Natural or herbal weight loss products are safe and effective.

Fact: A weight loss product that claims to be "natural" or "herbal" is not necessarily safe. These products are not usually scientifically tested to prove that they are safe or that they work. For example, herbal products containing ephedra have caused serious health problems and even death. Newer products that claim to be ephedra-free are not necessarily danger-free, because they may contain ingredients similar to ephedra.

Tip: Talk with your health care provider before using any weight loss product. Some natural or herbal weight loss products can be harmful.

Bottom Line: There is no "quick and easy" way to drop weight. It took you time to put it on, it'll take you time to get it off again. The best way to lose weight is to eat healthy and exercise (talk to your health care provider before beginning any exercise program, and it's best to talk to your health care provider about what kind of foods you should be eating as well).

What are some myths/facts you've heard about weight loss?

Injuries & Fine Tuning

2011-01-27T05:27:00.000-08:00

Weight: 198
Exercise Hrs: 0

Another week...and still no exercise to speak of. Sigh. The leg is improving to the point I am going to try and start riding the stationary bike. Last week when I thought things were getting better...well they were and then they weren't. I wrote the post on Wednesday night and things were getting better. I went to work Thursday and wore heels. Somewhere over the course of the day I managed to strain my ankle causing it to swell up and (since I was doing a fair amount of walking) then my thigh and knee started hurting again. :( My leg was swelling and hurt a lot.

In the end I am just starting to feel better. I went to a conference on Tuesday and walked around for two hours. Then Wednesday I was walking all over the campus at work. So even though I am saying 0 for hours of exercise, I did do some.

Food. Well, I realized that I was being too restrictive which is why I couldn't stick with the diet. I needed more calories per day to be satisfied and not starving my body. After checking out a few websites I bumped my calories up from 1200 to about 1500 a day. A small but very helpful change. Most days I am managing to actually eat fewer calories due to the little bit of "exercise" I am getting. So, there it is. I can't say I am doing well yet, but I think once I can exercise again I will see some progress.

How about you? Any fine tuning to your original plan?

Another week....with results....

2011-01-26T10:50:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! Well, it’s been a week since my last post and I have good news. I’ve dropped a few more pounds.

Starting weight: 210 lb

Last week: 204.6 lb

This week: 201.2 lb

It racks up quickly when you gain it but takes a lot longer to shed it. I’m happy though. I’m still going to the gym 5 days a week and don’t want to go most days but I make myself. I’m pretty much doing all cardio on the treadmill and elliptical.

Today along with my usual 3 mile walk and 5 to 10 mins on the elliptical, I tried to run. I only made it 1/10^th of a mile before I felt like I was going to collapse. I would like to be able to run a mile non-stop by time summer gets here.

I remember Shiloh Walker tweeting that she started running 1/8^th of a mile when she first started and now she can run 3 miles. Also, she’s got a really bad case of asthma. She said “If I can do it, Anyone can do it.” When you say you can’t it just means you don’t want to. (Sorry if I got that exact words wrong Shiloh….I got your point though)

Friday I have an appointment with Megan, my trainer. She’s going to help me set up a strength training routine and also talk to me some more about nutrition. That’s something I’m really interested in learning more about. I’ve set up a quick start program with her. It’s 3 training sessions for $99 dollars.

She was telling me yesterday that she allows her clients to have 4 cheat days a month and also expects them to lose between 6 and 8 pounds a month. So far I’m on track. I only allow myself to have one meal a week that is a cheat. Normally it’s half a cheeseburger with some French fries or a couple slices of cheese pizza. It’s amazing how good it tastes after eating healthy all week. :)

That’s about it for this week. As far as my quitting smoking, I am now 26 days smoke-free. Yay!!!

Before I go....I thought I’d list a few songs that are currently on my workout mix on my iPod.

Hey Baby (drop it to the floor) – Pitbull (feat. T-Pain)
In My Head – Mayday Parade
Boom Boom Pow – Black Eyed Peas
Club Can’t Handle Me – Flor Rida (feat. David Guetta)
We R Who We R – Ke$sha
Break Your Heart – Taio Cruz (feat. Ludacris)
Only Girl (In the World) – Rihanna

What songs do you listen to when you workout?

Failing the Challenge

2011-01-20T05:52:00.000-08:00

Weight: 198
Exercise Hrs: 0
Calories for the week: ????k/9,600k

Well, the week was a bomb. I ate badly thanks to a misunderstanding with DH. Apparently he thought I was only dieting during the week. Pppfffttt. Still not exercising, and yes I gained a pound back. Sigh. Mostly the week sucked because I still haven't exercised, but I hope to get that moving in the next few days. The good news is...I still haven't had a drop of alcohol since the 5th! Woo hoo! Boy am I gonna be an easy drunk on Valentine's Day. LOL!

So, the week wasn't so great for me. But this is a new period and I am going to move forward, stay focused, and try to slowly start my exercise up. The leg is feeling much better and that means I am going to try a slow and easy return to exercising. My first goal is to get on the stationary bike and start pedaling. A few days of that and I think I will be able to move on to Billy Blanks and my regular workout schedule. Hopefully once I do that I will start to see some weight come off. Until then, there ain't much to say except I'm still fat.

So come and share with the group: What challenges have you faced since 2011 started? How have you dealt with them? Until next week, may your weight loss efforts be more fruitful than mine!

Progress

2011-01-19T12:09:00.000-08:00

Hi! I’m super excited today. I’ve lost a little more weight! Although it’s not coming off quickly, it is coming off.

Starting weight: 210 lb

Last week: 206.8 lb

This week: 204.6 lb

I’ve been faithfully going to the gym everyday except for Saturday and Sunday. Those are my two days off. I try to walk the treadmill at least 3 miles each day and do the elliptical 10 minutes or more. Some days I really don’t want to go but I make myself. What’s the saying? No pain….No gain….

Today, I walked my usual 3 miles with an incline of 3 and then I was able to make it 30 minutes on the elliptical machine at a higher setting. I loathe the elliptical but it does work more muscles than just walking.

Anyhow, I’m supposed to work with a trainer again in a couple of weeks. She’s going to help me get a strength training routine together and also answer nutritional questions I have.

After the first of the year I changed my eating habits drastically. I haven’t had fried food in 2 weeks. I drink at least 4 bottles of water per day and I’m eating more fruit and veggies then I ever have.

To try and stay on track, I’ve decided I’m going to have one day a week where I get to eat one meal that’s not strictly healthy. I love pizza! It’s my favorite food ever and I can’t imagine not ever eating again.

Anyway, that’s what up with me this week. How’s your week going so far?

Guest Blogger - @nettagyrl

2011-01-16T06:17:00.000-08:00

Hello all. My first time as a guest blogger, but not new to the blogging world. I am excited about the start of 2011, though it has started off a tad bittersweet for me. My mini personal sadness has created a fire in me. I am turning 40 this year and I want to do many things, such as travel, run a marathon, and just feel better about myself in general.

So I’ve decided it starts with me getting my butt off the couch and exercising and cutting back on alcohol and food. I’ve been on so many diets that I am refusing to call this a diet, instead it is a lifestyle change. I’ve started walking this past week and already I feel tons better. I just ordered the Power 90 exercise dvds and will workout with my 19 year old. I want to do this right. I was on the shake diet in 2005, which consisted of me drinking 5 protein shakes a day for 6 mos. I lost the weight but I was not exercising and I had a serious body image issue. So now I am taking it one day at a time to get to where I want to be.

I am glad to be able to talk about it and bring you along on my journey.

http://zestynachos.blogspot.com
http://eroticinterlude.blogspot.com
http://www.examiner.com/x-5465-Erotica-and-Romance-Books-Examiner

Two Weeks In...

2011-01-13T05:48:00.000-08:00

Weight: 197
Exercise Hrs: 0
Calories for the week: 9,062k/9,600k

Created by MyFitnessPal - Nutrition Facts For Foods

Well, I am still nursing my leg back to health so I have a big fat 0 for my exercise. I of course have walked around work when required which did some light calorie burning, but I have done nothing that I am willing to claim as real exercise. I am hoping to get things started slowly this week. Maybe a walk or bike ride after work...very slowly!

Food-wise I have done pretty well. I must say I missed food! I was surprised at how nice it is to eat lunch and not just slurp it down in 30 seconds. I have stuck with soup and salad this week for lunch and quickie toast for breakfast because I am on a crazy schedule due to training.

The good news is, despite my lack of real exercise I have lost 3lbs! Woot! Woot! It feels good to see progress. It certainly makes the ban on alcohol worth it. I feel like that has made a difference. If I continue to see a decline in weight I may consider extending the ban...well, I'll talk that one over with DH since that would include Valentine's Day. :) Even if I don't extend it, I will be seriously curtailing any drinking and really avoiding the extra calories unless there is a good reason to have a drink.

I am not sure what the calories consumed metric is good for, except showing that I am staying on target. I'll see how that goes and decide if I really want to track it.

MyFitnessPal.com has some great tools for you to use if you are trying to loose weight: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/tools

I think that is all there is to report for now. I will see you all next week, and remember to keep at it!

The Elliptical is evil!

2011-01-12T13:12:00.000-08:00

Yes, you read that right. I have a love/hate relationship with this machine. I finally took the plunge and joined the gym here in town on Sunday. I figure for $10.00 bucks a month it’s going to be worth it. They have all kinds of different machines available provided you go when everyone else isn’t already there. Since I’m a SAHM (stay at home mom), I try to get to the gym between 11:00 and 2:00. It seems there aren’t as many people there during that time.

Anyway, I started working out on Monday and have been everyday since. (I know it's only been three days lol)

Monday, I got to work with a trainer and got all my measurements and my weight etc. The club offers a free evaluation with a trainer once a month for three months. My trainer’s name is Megan and she’s really nice but man did she ever wear me out.

I went from practically no exercise to right into a ½ mile warm up walk, to 10 minutes on the elliptical machine (I’m telling you that machine is evil), to doing free weights, squats and pushups. That woman wore me out within a half hour. By the time I left there, I was covered in sweat, out of breath and ready to crash.

During the time Megan and I were talking, she asked when how often I planned on working out. I told her Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. She proceeded to tell me that I needed to work out 5 days a week and two of those needed to include strength training. There went my plan of getting by with 3 days.

She also gave me some good nutritional information. I have already made major changes with my diet at the first of the year. I quit drinking soda, eating junk food, fried food and overall just about anything that isn’t good for you. I’ve never been much of a breakfast person but make myself eat a big breakfast. I try to eat cereal that is high in fiber, a glass of milk and a piece of fruit. I am eating six times a day. I eat three regular meals and three snacks throughout the day. I can definitely notice that I have more energy which is a good thing and I feel much better.

I have approximately 70 pounds total to lose to get to my goal weight of 140 pounds. Things are off to a good start. On Monday, I weighed in at 206.8 pounds meaning that I have dropped 4 pounds in a week’s time. I just need to make sure I stay on track with both healthy eating and getting to the gym 5 days a week.

Do you work out? How often do you work out and how long do you spend doing so?

PS: Back to the Elliptical being evil. If you’ve never been on one, you need to try it out. The ones we have at my gym not only work your legs and butt but also your arms. Some don’t do the arms. There are a couple like that at my gym that nobody uses. I can only go 10 minutes on a setting of 2 and 2. It totally wears me out. I’m hoping by next week I can make it 15 minutes along with my usual 3 to 4 mile walk. We shall see. Hope your having a great week!

PSS: I am officially smoke free for 12 days now!!!! :D

Eating & losing weight

2011-01-07T16:18:00.000-08:00

I was pondering on what to write about today when Tyhada asked on Twitter which diet she should follow: low-fat, low-carb, or low-calorie? So, thank you Tyhada, for giving me the idea on what to write about today.

Low Fat Diets

When people begin to watch their weight, they typically start buying things marked "low fat" believing that they're going to watch the pounds start melting away. While it is true that you should consume less fat, it's not true that things marked "low fat" are necessarily any better for you. In fact, many manufacturers will put more sugar, sodium, etc into the product in order to replace the taste they feel is missing by reducing the fat content. So you have to watch the calorie content as well as the sugar and sodium content when buying food.

Bottom line: Good idea in theory, but doesn't actually work unless you're counting everything else as well.

No/Low Carb Diets

Cutting carbs is a good way to drop weight quickly, or jumpstart your diet, and/or get over that hurdle if you've plateaued. But if you cut out carbs altogether (for a long period of time), your ketone level can rise exponentially, causing a potentially fatal case of ketoacidosis. Studies have also shown that remaining on the no carb diet for extended periods of time can damage your heart. It can also cause constipation, diarrhea, halitosis (bad breath), headaches, and fatigue, which are relatively minor symptoms in comparison.

When Monkey was 2, her doctor sent her to the nutritionist, convinced that I wasn't feeding her enough because she was slightly underweight. There's a whole story to this, but in an attempt to make a log story short: she's always been a small child, but after a series of bad ear infections that landed her in the OR to have tubes placed twice, she lost a bit of weight and had trouble putting it back on. Anyway. The nutritionist had me give a list of the foods she ate as well as portion size. He determined that the referring physician was "an idiot" and asked me if I wanted to talk about anything else. I asked him about a food plan for me, since I was having problems dropping weight despite exercising and eating right. He recommended a low carb diet. For meals, I could have 45 carbs. For each gram of fiber I ate in the meal, I was allowed to subtract a carb, thereby giving myself a higher amount of carbs per meal if I loaded up on the fiber. For snacks, I was allowed 30 carbs. It may not seem like a lot, but believe me, it is. When you're eating that much fiber, you feel full. While following this diet, I did manage to drop 20 pounds. But I'm not sure it's a diet I could follow forever.

The NuLean diet that I was on over Thanksgiving? It's a different version of the Atkins diet. They give you a ton of vitamins and a protein shake to keep you going, but you're not allowed to be on it any longer than a month at a time. I lost 12 pounds in 2 weeks and dropped like 5 inches, which was great, but I felt like I was starving all the time. Probably because I didn't know that I was allowed more than just lettuce, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and broccoli, but still. Even eating all that fiber, I was hungry. Why? Because I got bored of eating the same foods all the time and my stomach got upset at the mere thought of shoveling more cabbage into my mouth. 2 weeks is the limit for me, and honestly I'd only do it if I was having trouble getting over the plateau again.

Low Cal Diets

The average person burns 2000 calories a day. This person, of course, gets up and moves around occasionally and doesn't just sit on the couch or in bed all day, but you get the point. The law of calorie burning goes like this: if you burn more calories than you take in, you will lose weight. Sounds easy, right? Well, it kinda is...

With the invention of the cellphone/computer app, counting calories has become the easiest diet I've ever been on. Even easier than counting carbs, which I've yet to find an app for. You have to set a realistic calorie per day goal (anything less than 1000 per day is bad for you and can seriously harm your body if done long term) and follow it. When I first started working out with my trainer, he put me on a diet of 1950 calories a day, then reduced it slowly while my body got used to taking in fewer calories. I try to eat about 1650 now, but I've been a bad girl and blaming it on the holidays, so I've been going over that. *shameface*

It's a lifestyle change -- not a diet!

Dieting has become kind of a bad word these days. "I can't eat that. I'm on a diet." Actually, your diet is what your food intake consists of, not what you're eating (example: when Tom Hanks was stranded on that island in Castaway, his diet consisted primarily of fish and crab). Eating a cookie every now and then won't kill you. In fact, if you don't give into temptation now and then, you're far more likely to eat the entire bag of cookies, rather than the 1 or 2 you would've eaten otherwise. So what should you eat? Here's a handy-dandy list that my trainer gave me, with a few of my own comments thrown in (cause I have something to say about everything, don't I? lol)

Meats - you want to stick to lean proteins. Chicken, turkey, fish... some pork. Occasionally. Red meat? Once a week. Maybe. Eating too much red meat clogs your arteries and makes you a walking heart attack waiting to happen. Substitute the ground beef for ground turkey when you want a burger. Only have a steak once in a while. There are thousands of recipes out there to make chicken, fish, turkey, and pork new and interesting while still being healthy. Try them. Oh, and the fish? Salmon is a great source of Omega-3s, but they're also a fatty fish. So no more than once a week. It's a good idea to stick to the white fish like tilapia.

Fruits - Bananas, no more than once a day. They're a good source of potassium, but like salmon, they're fatty. Apples are great, as long as you only eat one at a time. Eating 2 apples is like eating a Hershey's chocolate bar with the amount of sugar contained in them. Yes, it's a natural sugar, but it's still sugar. Everything in proportion. Fruits are good for you, as long as you don't go overboard.

Veggies - You know how your mom always told you to eat your greens? She was right. Green veggies are fantastic for you. They're high in fiber, low in calories and carbs, and give you energy. There are other colors in the vegetable spectrum, of course (purple eggplant, green zucchini, yellow squash...) and you should eat those as well, but be like Popeye and gobble your spinach down so you can grow up big and strong (though not with those weird arms).

Dairy - You need it! But instead of reaching for the whole milk, try cutting it down to 2%. You might not like it initially, but it cuts out quite a bit of milk fat and calories. Cheese is good for you, but don't eat too much of it or you'll stop yourself up. Yogurt is good for your figure as well, not to mention the added benefit of what it can do for your digestive system and your girly parts.

Breads & pasta - Contrary to popular belief, they are not the devil! You just need to stay away from the bleached and enriched versions. You want whole grain wheat bread and pasta. The bread that says "# grain"? (ours is 7) Grab it. Learn to love it. Just don't go overboard cause 1 slice can be 100+ calories. Whole wheat pasta does take some time to get used to, I'll admit. It's a different texture. But it's so much better for you. I've been eating it for about 4 years, and now any time I have regular pasta, I get a stomachache.

Nuts - Raw almonds (ones that haven't been toasted, salted, honey roasted, etc) are good for you. But they're high in fat, so you should stick to a handful at most. They're a good snack in between meals because they're high in protein and fiber, which makes you feel full.

Remember the Food Pyramid? Turns out the guys knew what they were talking about when they created it. Go figure.

I know this was a long post, and thanks for sticking around for it. Next time it won't be as long, I promise!

What kind of "diet" are you following? What are your favorite healthy (and non-healthy) foods?

Reflections, Beer, & Cupcakes...

2011-01-06T04:14:00.000-08:00

It’s 2011, a new year. I am not making any resolutions about dieting and weight loss per se. Instead, I am examining past behavior, seeing where I have failed in the past, and looking for ways to change the patterns that led to failure. In addition, I am planning to make some changes in how I report progress…shoot in how I track progress. Okay, I am actually going to track progress this year. :D

My dad is a historian. As a result, I am a firm believer that a failure to understand history is to doom one’s self to repeat it. I don’t want to keep making the same mistakes, so I must look back and reflect on 2010. Where did I go wrong? What could I do differently and maybe find success? I think there are a few key areas where I broke down or was faced with an insurmountable challenge. I made some bad food choices, I failed to diversify my exercise plan, and I am guilty of using crutches.

First, I have some well documented weaknesses in the food department. Most notably beer and cupcakes. No! I don’t often- well, ever –have them together. Gross! I do like a beer or three with my dinner. As of Monday (Jan 3^rd) I am off the sauce for 30 days. After that I will keep all alcohol to a minimum. I will be very selective about when and what I choose to indulge in. Cupcakes. This one is trickier. I don’t know how to deal with this except to indulge the craving once in a while to keep it at bay. My real weak spot is when people at work drop a dozen in the kitchen. Those are the days I will have to dig deep and suck it up (no, I don’t mean the cupcakes!). I’ll need my #Twitloss community on those days to help keep me focused on the goal.

Second, is exercise. Gah! I detest this. I have to keep a stable of options available to myself to mix it up. So, I am expanding the Tae Bo tapes and Shimmy episodes to incorporate my stationary bike and running. DH is setting up his free weights, so I may throw a little strength training into the mix too. I just need to work out 45min a pop four days a week. That’s the goal.

My last mistake is the use of crutches. Not actual crutches, but metaphorical ones. First the Topamax. As we speak I am weaning myself off it. I have had no weight loss and no reduction of headaches. I have had all kinds of stupid side effects that I will enumerate in another post. (This one is plenty long as it is!) The next crutch to go: Diet Shakes. They don’t work. I am going back to food and focusing on healthy choices. I want more fruits and vegetables, chicken, fish, and whole grains. I am hoping these choices will lead to both weight loss and a healthier me, because right now I am feeling very rundown. I feel physically like a 75 year old despite being only 35. That is not good!

Reporting will also start happening this year. I have a new tool. Ha! I know, I know. I am trying out MyFitnessPal (free in the Android Market). Supposedly it will work with my barcode scanner on my phone and I can track exercise and water intake. I’ll let you know how it goes. My goal is to report each week on total calories consumed vs. total burned and how much exercise I did. At the bottom of this post I will update all of my measurements, show changes from my start in 2010 (don’t expect much), and then provide quarterly updates.

Here is where I stand:

Year	Height	Weight	Waist	Hips	Thigh	Bicep
2010	5'9"	197	41"	47"	28^1/8"	14^1/4"
2011	5'9"	199	40^2/8"	46^1/2"	28"	13^6/8"

So I can't say that 2010 was a wild success for my weight loss efforts, but I didn't do as bad as I expected. And I certainly see it as a springboard into this year.

Now, I've laid out my plan for 2011. How about you? Got any plans for success in the new year?

Happy New Year!

2011-01-05T05:16:00.000-08:00

Hi! I’m new here at the Twitloss blog and really excited to be a part of this wonderful group of ladies.

Here’s a little about me….

I’m a single (divorced) mama with three amazing kids. Yes, they really are amazing. They can drive me crazy in no time flat when they start bickering but I wouldn’t have them any other way.

I’ve been divorced for almost 4 years now. After the divorce was final I decided to lose some weight and get in shape. I joined weight watchers, dropped 30+ lbs and was starting to look and feel better about myself. I was happy with the weight I lost but somehow things have gotten out of hand again and I’ve gained back what I lost and then some.

My awesome BF bought me a Wii Fit Plus for Christmas. No, he doesn’t think I’m fat, he says I could way 600 lbs and he would still love me. (what a guy) I actually asked for him for it since I loathe exercising and I’m hoping the Wii Fit will be fun and I won’t actually think I’m exercising. We’ll see how it goes.

Another tidbit about me is that I use to smoke. I haven’t smoked a cigarette since December 31st, 2010 and although it’s very hard...I don’t ever want to start back up.

I’ve smoked since I was 13 (I’m 39 now) and it’s really taken a toll on my health. I have breathing problems and you would think I would have quit before now. Actually, I’ve quit several times in the past but something always happened and I started smoking again.

This time I really, really want to quit for good. It’s a hasty habit, it stinks, is expensive and I’m looking forward to using the money I save to buy more books. :)

I’ve heard that once a person quits smoking they tend to gain weight and I’m sure this will happen to me but I’m hoping to make better meal and snack choices to keep the extra weight at bay.

So, that’s a little about me. I’m really looking forward to 2011. I want to get healthy, fit and live life to the fullest.

~Tyhada

A New Year...A New Blogger!

2010-12-31T09:46:00.000-08:00

That's right! With 2011 we are adding a new blogger to the Twitloss ranks and expanding our blogging coverage to Saturdays! I am so excited about this. :D Please welcome Tyhada of Tyhada's Place to Twitloss! That's right, yet another of our fellow book lovers has joined us in the fight against flab. You can follow her on Twitter as @tyhada.

In addition to bringing Tyhada on board, we will be shifting our posting schedule around a bit for 2011. So, keep your eyes peeled for your favorite posters on new days, opportunities to guest blog, and of course whatever new and crazy ideas we come up with! Also, we have a 1 year anniversary coming up! It should be a wonderful new year around here, we all hope to see you around.

As always you can contact us with ideas, suggestions, stories, requests to guest blog, things you'd like to hear us talk about, or any old comment you didn't want to post on the site at twitloss (at) gmail (dot) com.

Merry Christmas Eve!

2010-12-24T13:16:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas Eve to my fellow Twitlossers!

I had this post all planned out where I talked about the food we're preparing for the party tonight and how I had every intention of resisting the delicious food that's guaranteed to add inches to my ass and pounds to my body. But I'm not going to do that. I'm not planning to resist. I'm going to indulge my sweet tooth. But I'm not going to overdo it. I've found lately that I can't eat much anyway (which is definitely a good thing), but I've learned that overeating is my biggest problem when it comes to losing weight.

I get comfortable, which is bad. I'm happy with where I'm at weight-loss-wise, and even though I'm still eating healthy foods, I find that I'm eating more than I should, which leads to overeating when I'm grubbing on foods that are bad for me. And before I know it, I'm right back to where I started: eating too much and hating myself for it.

So I'm not resisting tonight. I'm going to sample the foods PK's family slaved over, and on Sunday I'll sample the foods my mom's sisters slaved over. But I won't overdo it, because I hate that overstuffed "I feel like I want to vomit" feeling. I much prefer the "Wow, that was really nummy!" feeling. :)

Merry Christmas, my Twitloss loves!

Pictures

2010-12-17T09:32:00.000-08:00

I posted a "before and after" photo of myself at my old WordPressblog, something I was hesitant to do because I hate having my photo online when it's not locked behind a password or where only my "friends" can see it (like on Facebook), but I had to show my progress. From November of last year to March of this year, I managed to drop 40 pounds and I looked better than I had in a long time.

For a while, I was kicking ass and taking names. I hit the gym every day, I was eating right, and I was feeling great. Then finals for my summer classes kicked in and I took a break. The break was only supposed to last through finals, but it ended up lasting a lot longer. Money got tight, motivation got thin, and I slowed way down. I still ate fairly healthy, but working out was something I now only do in my dreams. And no matter how many situps you do in your sleep, I promise you that your waist does not shrink.

I bought an elliptical machine a couple of months ago. It's still in the box and is now in my oversized "garage" closet because we needed a place for the Christmas tree. Unless we do some major rearranging in the living room, we don't have room for the elliptical. So, I'm going to have PK take the box to his old apartment and I'm going to set it up there. The apartment is in our complex, and I have to go clean out the place anyway, so this gives me extra incentive to get over there.

Anyway. Even though I haven't been working out, I'm still eating far less than I used to. I walk a LOT while I'm at work because we're so busy this time of year. And yes, I did the Nu-Lean program for 2 weeks (something I want to do again after the holidays are over). I gained 2 pounds back after I finished Nu-Lean, but I'm still showing 183 on my bathroom scale at home. I'm ok with that. I'm 59 pounds lighter than I was last year!

I was getting ready for my office Christmas party today and as I was putting on my makeup, I realized that my stomach doesn't wave at me nearly as much as it did last year around this time. It's because of this that I'm even willing to post a picture of me wearing a spaghetti strap shirt - last year, I had all my spaghetti straps hidden in the back of my closet, relegated to being under shirts instead of options for when the Texas heat skyrocketed to over 100 (as it routinely does in the summer). Now, I'm ok with wearing one out. I might not wear it to work or school, but my self-confidence is slowly coming back.

How are you doing in your weight loss journey? Do you have any "before" and "after/current" pics you want to share?

Community

2010-12-15T09:55:00.000-08:00

This will be my last post for 2010. I am taking the next two weeks off and relaxing. Hooray! I just wanted to stop and say what an amazing year it has been here on Twitloss.

I love that both here on the site and most especially on Twitter, we have developed such a supportive and involved group of folks! (#Twitloss) I love watching as someone tweets a success and the group rallies around them to celebrate. More importantly when someone tweets feeling low or like they have failed, I love seeing you rally around her and pick her up. I love seeing you dust her off and tell her it's okay. She'll do better next time, or better yet it wasn't a failure just a minor setback.

I have to say without all of you I would have likely given up on this journey yet again instead of continually fighting back. I would not look away from the weeks where I failed to make my workout goals and look forward to the next week ripe with possibilities. I would not look past the cupcakes to see that healthier options can taste good too! So to all of my Twitloss tweeps and peeps I want to send a heartfelt and deep THANK YOU! Thank you for being you! Thank you for being there when I need you, thank you for being there when others need you, and thank you for asking for help when you need it!

I hope you all have a wonderful and relatively healthy holiday!

All my Twove!
Dara

Quick Check In

2010-12-08T05:39:00.000-08:00

Holy cow it's been busy! I have been trapped (technically I am still there) in training for two weeks. I wrap up this week, and then I can get back to my normal schedule. Last week was a disaster for my workout and my diet. Stupid donuts. So here I am struggling along. Still. Are you all as tired of reading this as I am of writing it? I really want to sit down and be able to write about my successes. I want to shout from the hill tops that I have lost weight and that I am keeping it off.

I suppose if this was easy, everyone would have done it. Sigh. The numbers on the evil little scale in my bathroom are not encouraging, but DH keeps telling me he can see a difference. I dunno. I am probably overdue for a measurement check in, so that will come next week. In the mean time I want to start plotting...I mean planning for success in 2011. How about you? Any plans for successful weight loss in 2011?

Cease and Desist

2010-12-01T05:47:00.000-08:00

Dear Insensitive Co-Worker,

I am writing to ask you, why? Why do you insist on bringing fattening, unhealthy, anti-diet food to work and then leave it in the kitchen? Why do you feel the need to "share" with everyone in the office? I'm sorry that your guests didn't eat all of your corn muffins, dinner rolls, and cookies. It is not my problem that you had a craving for cake and didn't want to eat the whole thing. It is not my fault that your Great Aunt Emily dropped of six dozen of her double chocolate chip cookies. I don't want them! I don't need them! I AM ON A FREAKING DIET!

I must ask you to cease and desist with this behavior immediately. If the urge to "share" overwhelms you- bring fruit! Bring granola! Bring protein bars! But for the hope that one day my thighs will fit into a size 10 again PLEASE DO NOT bring that crap I keep finding in the kitchen.

Sincerely,
Dara

P.S.- I know it's the holidays...I don't care. You bake it. You eat it. I don't want it.

TwitLoss - women twittering with purpose

Finding my motivation

It's cold and I'm hungry.

Ingredients

Directions

What do you want from your life and how are you getting it?

It is a loss, of sorts

Happy New Year... And stuff.

Getting On Track...

In the Holiday Flow

Onward and Downward?

It's that time of the Year.

Thanksgiving is for eating!

Life is Hard....Food is Easy

Back in the Mix

Procrastination - I haz it!

Halloween... Ha. I Laugh at Your Candy Deliciousness

And I'm back, from outerspace...

Um, Ow!

Checking In From The Injured Reserves List

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

Spinning Wheel, Gotta Go Round

Dear Diary

What happened?

Welcome to fall! How are you going to keep from *falling* off the wagon?

One Step at A Time.

Things They Are A Changing....

Twitloss Needs You!

Thwarted, Again.

Woo! Hoo! 7 Pounds!

This Week in Twitloss History...

Slow and Steady is a mofo

An Update and A #Twitloss #Challenge Question

losing weight on vacation

I dunno...

The #Twitloss #Challenge is Over...

Challenge Update...

Around the Web in Weight Loss: Saturday June 25th. The "Tiffany kicks ass" version.

I'm hungry, but my tummy hurts.

Fish Burps & A Twitloss Challenge Check-In

Effective for...

Likely effective for...

Possibly effective for...

Eat and Lose?

Um...it's Thursday?

Motivation....how do I get some?

Getting my challenge on!

Consider It Brought - 2011 Twitloss Challenge

Did somebody say Challenge?

Eating out

It's A Good Thing...

Lost and Maybe Found?

Pass the Velcro Please!

Weight Watchers

Health Buddy + walking

My Not a Post...

Will I ever stop coughing?

Where's That Wagon? I Know I Left It Somewhere...

I'm back....sort of

Guest post by Reena Jacobs

Repeat after me.....It's just a number.

Progress

Weekly Progress and Random Ramblings.

I have many names

Update

Break out of your rut and finding new motivation.

Sorry

writing the weight away

Weekly Check In...

I just ate a brownie.

Get back up again

#Clotpocolypse the End is Nigh!

I did it!!!!

Clotpocolypse Update...

Moving right along....

Someone stop the rollercoaster, I want off!

Hi Everyone!

Waves Hi!

Personal Trainers

Holy Crap...

Welcome to fall! How are you going to keep from falling off the wagon?