I'm Not Faking My Life Anymore - Biggest Loser Episode Review

"I'm not Faking my Life Anymore"- Nicole from the Biggest Loser

I love that quote.

I think anyone who is heavy, can relate to the quote. I know I can.  I hate to say this, but the happiest times of my life were the times when I was at my thinnest. That was when I felt the best about MYSELF. I was more confident and felt like a real person. When I was at my heaviest point - almost 200 pounds- I felt invisible. I felt like no one noticed me. And I started to not care. At all. I picked out clothes that covered my body. Not clothes that looked good. I felt I didn't deserve expensive/nice clothes- I felt no one was looking. And I convinced myself I didn't care.

Watching tonight's episode hit home. 

I was so happy for Nicole, she is the Biggest Loser in my book. She lost 87 pounds AT HOME. That's incredible!  I wish they would have let her stay one more week. I think it would have been good for the show. But her gain just proves that stress can really affect weight loss. . Do I think that is the only reason she gained? I have my theories.   I *think* maybe in preparation for returning to the show she cut her calories way back the week before, and her body rebelled a little bit?  That is my theory. Maybe she was adhering to a stricter diet back home? Maybe they forced her to eat all that Fiber One and she was eating high protein/ low carbs? Who know's? Sometimes the scale does what it wants too...

The Product Placements are getting ridiculous! Come on now! It actually pisses me off. They are totally cheesy and they cheapen the show. I wish they would talk about diet and nutrition a little more, maybe showing the choices the contestants make during mealtime. Then maybe if they have a product in the background it wouldn't be so bad.  

While I was watching tonight's show i worked out for 50 minutes on the elliptical.  It was funny because Nicole talked about seeing herself in the mirror and not realizing it was her at first. The same thing happened to me! I bought a new pair of fitted workout shorts and when I saw myself I had to do a double-take, I am finally starting to notice changes! And it feels good!

Tonight's show was awesome- the best one yet! Tara even name-dropped the company I work for (so try to figure that one out ; ).

I cant wait for next weeks episode!

Until next time, C U lighter!

I have a Confession (part 2)...

I don't always go to my weight watchers meetings.

Eeek! I said it.  Nobody heard that right?

Yes, sometimes I skip my regular meeting when I know I am going to be "up" on the scale. I always make it up later in the week, but on a more favorable day.

I guess that is cheating maybe? But sometimes I think if I go to WW watchers and I have a gain, it will set me back mentally.  Why does it mean so much more when someone writes it in that little tan book? I don't know.  

Anyway, today I woke up and it was one of those days again! I've been doing Wendi's plan and it IS working. But the weekends are killing me! That is when I tend to overindulge and then I don't stick to my plan. When I woke up I knew I had gained (I think it had something to do with the nachos & cheese I had at the movies...) and I DID NOT want to go to WW.  I considered pulling my usual meeting switch-a-roo. 

But today I figured "No, I have to face the music." So I went to my meeting- and I did gain- a 1/2 pound. Nothing major, not a huge setback. But NOT a loss. Surprisingly, I wasn't upset. I was actually really glad I went to my meeting because we talked about how to survive the weekend (and holidays, birthdays, Anniversaries, etc.). Actually, I ended up getting a few good tips from the other members. Like planning out Sat.'s menu on Friday, and writing it in my tracker. Also to drink a lot of water AND to practice the 3 bite method. 

So, I'm glad that I went to my meeting (despite officially "gaining").  And I think that knowing I gained may help fuel a big loss for this week- I'd like to hit 164 by the time I go home April 8th. That way I will have lost a total of 20 pounds since the last time I saw my family. Soooooo...send me some skinny vibes, my friends!!!

Whew... so that was my dieting confession, what's yours?????

Till next time, See You Bitches Lighter!!!

Ode to "Point no.23"

At today's WW meeting I lost .8 & at friday's WW (make-up) meeting I lost 1.8! I can safely say after three weeks on Wendi's Plan -that sh%t works!

However with this new documented loss I drop into the 160's! Awesome! Although, now I lose a point- point no.23. Boy, am I gonna miss that point, I liked point no.23. So I thought I would honor it with a little poem.

Ode to Point No. 23~

You've been a great point

But now we must part,

Like point 21 & 22

you've been here from the start.

In good times & bad

We've stuck together like glue,

When the hunger hit my tummy,

you were there to get me thru.

You came in many shapes

and many colors too,

from a crisp red apple 

to a cup of honeydew.

See as I get myself slimmer

I've needed you less,

And as I continue my journey

WW knows best.

So, dearest point twenty-three

I've finally got wise,

For I'm on this trip

to lose these fat thighs!

Ha-ha, I'm no poet! But if you're on Weight Watchers I am sure you can relate to the "loss of a point".

Till next time...

See Yins Lighter!

The Deed is Done!

I DID IT!

I cant believe it actually! If you would have asked me three months ago if I thought I would ever run a 5k- I would have said "Are you flippin' crazy? Hell no!" That doesn't even sound remotely pleasurable. I was happy with my daily leisurely strolls with the dog. 

Today as I crossed the finish line an overwhelming sense of accomplishment hit me, something I haven't felt in a very, very long time.

The race started at 8:30 am so we had to get up around 6:45 to get there on time. I was surprisingly excited, I actually got up on time!  The Fiance told me he was equally excited. When we got to there the whole crowd was stretching and preparing for the race. Within 15 minutes 800 people were lined up, The fiance and I were in the middle when the shotgun sounded. 

We were off! This was it! 

Earlier in the week someone warned me to keep my own pace and not try to keep up with other runners or I could get tired out really fast. So that is what I did, and people of all ages and sizes were passing me on my left and right. I started slow- just a light jog and worked my way up to something I felt comfortable running the whole race.  The first half was slightly down hill- and the second half was slightly uphill. Pretty much the opposite of the way we had been training. I think it made it easier. As the race stretched on to the second mile, some of the people who passed me earlier were now walking, and now- I was passing them. Gotta admit- that felt kinda good. he-he. I continued my pace. Even if it was slow. : ) By the third mile It was a bit harder, but I hadnt had the urge AT ALL to stop and walk. I felt great. And holy sh*t— Am I starting to, uh, uh... enjoy running?????? WTF??? Has the whole world turned upside??? I couldn't believe it, I was having a great time. There was a feeling of camaraderie running with a group of people (plus I enjoy the people who stand on the sidelines holding YOU CAN DO IT! signs). 

The last 1/4 of a mile I started to get a little teary (WAHHHHHHHHH!!!) . But once I saw the finish line I booked it, and I ALMOST beat a 65 year old man-  so close. 

My final time was , drum roll please.... 37 min and 51 sec!  (these are the official results) Ok, so that's not FAST, I'll admit it, but I jogged- The whole thing- and the next time  (Yep, I said next time) I am gonna to be a lot faster. : )

Enjoy, the picture (unfortunately they didn't take any of us crossing the line) but here I am telling the 5k it ain't got Sh*t on me!!!!

See ya'll lighter!

The countdown is on!

Ok, I have less than three days until the 5k. Last night the fiance and I went for one of our last two runs before the BIG DAY. We decided to mark out a 3 mile path and try to complete it (so far we have just been doing 30-40 min. timed jog/runs). So we drove down the road to mark the mileage. 

It seemed soo far when we drove it that I really wasn't sure if it was something I was prepared for. Equipped with our Ipods we started off... The first mile and a half was more difficult b/c of the slight incline,  when I got to the midpoint I stopped for 10 seconds caught my breath and started back.  Jogging the other half of the way was a breeze, since it was all down hill. I just tried to pace myself -even if the pace was somewhat slow. The fiance had finished at least 5 min. before me and turned around to meet me. As soon as we met I got a burst of energy (where the hell did that come from?) And I started sprinting to the "finish line".  I think it surprised the fiance because he had to then sprint to keep up with me. I was really running and when I finally crossed the "line" I was exhausted. But I made it! In about 31 minutes too! 

I am glad we did that, because now it isn't quite as scary to me and I feel prepared to tackle the "beast".

Even though running is a huge pain in the ass... I can happily report that you can see the changes in your body fairly quickly. It was also kind of funny that on last night's Biggest Loser the contestants had to complete a half marathon. Laura even made the same comment that if you want to lose weight, running is the best way to do it. 

So... a half marathon huh? 13 miles right? Well, maybe that will be the next challenge... ; )

I have a confession to make...

Today I screwed up, and I feel bad about it. I really overate.

The day started off shitty when I woke up this morning and missed my weight watchers meeting. I weighed my self on my own scale and came in at 168.4- almost a two pound loss since Monday! I am pretty confident that Wendi's Plan really works. Nonetheless I missed my official WI. I hate missing my WW meeting, because it just starts the week off on a bad foot.  Now I have to figure out which day I can make it up.

Then the fiance and I got into a HUGE fight and I spent the next few hours depressed and sulking. All I've wanted to do was eat, and there was no way I was going to exercise. Plus I have had a nagging headache all day. 

Needless to say I began to cheer myself up with food. Tonight I ate pizza, wings, and ice cream. And alot of pizza, wings and ice cream. I went WAY over my points today. And I KNOW it was emotional eating. I tried to keep myself in check but that didn't stop the ooey-gooey cheesy delight from calling my name from the kitchen. I couldn't shut it up until I ate my fair share.

Normally I would hate myself for slipping up this bad- I've been doing so good! WAHHHHHHHH.. But I'm just going to go to bed and forget about it.  I am going to wake up like today never happened and I am going to re-commit to WW.  I am sort of confused where to pick up with Wendi's plan, since today is pretty much shot. I guess I'll follow up with a low-point day, maybe it will counteract today... plus it would naturally be a low point day (according to the plan).

I'm NOT going to let this ruin me. I am NOT going to let this slip up hold me back. Mark my words- That I will see you lighter ; )!

Uncle Sam says it's time to lose the weight...

Yesterday I was listening to the radio & I heard something amazing! The IRS is now allowing tax deduction for all doctor approved weight loss-  INCLUDING WEIGHT WATCHERS! 

I was so excited I did my own research and came across this article on the USA today website 

http://tinyurl.com/db3ba2.

Like everything wonderful, there's a few catches. One is you need to have doctor's orders to lose weight because of a medical condition.

During my doctors appointment way back in July I had complained of chest pains and trouble breathing. Together we concluded that if I some weight these symptoms might ease. And luckily after losing the first 10 pounds, they did! Additionally, I have very high cholesterol which she suggested may go down if I lost some weight.  Last Friday I gave Blood and when you donate they test your cholesterol, I'm excited to see if my efforts have paid off. I don't know if any of the conditions count, I will have to do more research.

Although the IRS doesn't really define Obesity it is generally believed to be 30 plus pounds overweight.

You can also read more about the tax deductions on the WW web site http://tinyurl.com/5tq5km.

See you lighter!

The results are in...

This afternoon I went to a make up weight watchers meeting. (I missed Sundays meeting b/c I was was out late the night before and slept through my WW meeting again- I should probably rethink those Sunday 9am meetings) ANYWAY-  I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I had lost (drum roll please ...)  2.4 pounds since Tuesday plus the 1.8 I gained last week, for a grand total of 4.2 in eight days!!!! So survey says, Wendi's plan just might work! I was surprisingly satisfied the entire week, one day I even had to eat 40 points! By the end of the day I didn't really want to eat anymore. I was nervous, how could I have eaten that much and still lost weight? But every morning I did. It was crazy- crazy good!

BTW- If you try this you want to make sure you are tracking everything carefully.

The fiance and I exercised almost everyday & continued training for the 5K, we are up to 3x a week for 40 minutes. As a reward for our efforts we bought ourselves Ipods, which has really helped keep my mind off just how much I HATE running.  Ha-ha.

Oh, and I almost forgot... I earned my 25 pound medal at weight watchers! I am pretty excited.. it really makes the motivation inside burn a little hotter. Now on to the next goal "my 15% loss"- 167 lbs.- right around the corner. Who knows? If I stick to Wendi's plan I may hit it next week- we all need to keep our fingers & toes crossed for that one. ; )

Off the Wagon...

I'll be honest, last week I fell off the wagon- not completely off - more like, I fell off the back end got my pants stuck on one of the spokes and was dragged into the new week. Both Friday & Sat. I drank booze and went out to eat. (Gasp! at Del Taco).  I even slept through yesterday's WW meeting. My personal scale says a gain of 1.8 pounds for the week.  I even feel puffy.

Although I gained this week I am really determined to jump back on the horse and have a big loss next week. Which after doing this program for almost a year I have come to realize usually happens after a week of gains. 

Last week while scouring the internet for good weight loss tips I was re-directed to the The Wendi Plan page (see  www.stormpc.com/ww/wendie_plan.htm). Which basically encourages dieters to alternate the amount of points you use per day, to avoid hitting a plateau. This makes complete sense to me b/c after dieting for awhile it seems like it is harder to have the big loses b/c my body has adjusted to eating less.

Her theory is that our body's are built for survival and that if we deprive the body it will go into a starvation mode- and not metabolize the calories as well.  Therefore if you eat at the high range of your points one day and the low end the next your body never gets comfortable with the same amount of points everyday. Thus creating  amore energy efficient body.

Here is an example of the pattern directly from the site 

(based on a 22-29 point range):

Day 1- 22 pts

Day 2- 28 pts.

Day 3- 23 pts.

Day 4-  36-39 pts.

Day 5- 22 pts.

Day 6- 29 pts.

Day 7- 27 pts.

My daily pts is 23, so  I had to adjust the figures above to one point higher.

Basically your rhythm should look like this: low/high/low/very high/ very low/high/ med. high.

I'm excited to try it, the logic behind it makes sense. What the heck? It's worth a shot, right?

Oh and I got a new haircut and style- something I encourage dieters to do after hitting a goal. Not only is it a nice reward, but it made me notice the changes in my body as well! I am done hiding behind my hair! 

Well, I will update you on Wendi's plan after Sundays weigh-in. Until then, "See you lighter!"