Measure thyself!

Just before going on a short (2.2 miles) run this morning, I measured myself. I usually do it every month, but I hadn't done it since May 15, before the summer program started.

I've gained 5 pounds since May but I've gained SO much more in inches! 1.5" on my waist, 2.5" on my lower waist, 1" on my hips, 1" on my thighs, 1" on my bust, 2" in my chest, 0.25" on my wrist and neck ... everything changes when you gain weight! No wonder I'm having a hard time fitting into my size 4s! I actually can't believe I'm still wearing some of them.

I think I will have to continue this measuring of myself every month even when I'm maintaining. I've put a recurring reminder in my calendar, the 15th of every month. Otherwise it's very unlikely to happen.

The plan today is to eat within my points, or barely over. I am going to dinner with my coordinating lawyer, her husband, my other coordinating lawyer, his wife, and DBF to a gourmet italian restaurant. I want to be good! This week we have two other dinners (not to mention lunch at L'Espalier) so it will be hard to stay within points but I am going to minimize the damage as much as possible by running every morning and making good choices.

Just do it!

After a binge-full weekend (which at least included a 4 mile run) I did actually write down everything I've had to eat today.

It's 7pm and I have 2.5 points left (plus 2 APs from 1 hour of power yoga) and I have already probably exceeded my weeklies this week. No matter, I am getting back on track slowly. I've checked off ALL my fruits and veggies today, ALL my waters, exercise, two dairies, two oils, yay!

And even though I'm up 4 pounds from my lowest (yes, 140 now). I do have to remember how far I've come. That's what the pictures are about. Dec. '06, after one month on WW and the other picture was taken yesterday at the beach with DBF. There is a huge difference and I felt today while doing power yoga. First of all, I looked HOT doing high plank to low pushups -- you could see my muscles! -- I could also do high plank to low pushup! I really have to remember how far I've come and how I never want to go back to where I was.

Tracking on the blog didn't go so well so far :-) I'm just going to leave those posts up anyway, as reminders. I might randomly post a menu for the day, but I won't do it everyday.

I just got a whole bunch of Nike gear that I ordered on sale (running shorts and tops) and I can't wait to wear it all! I love buying cute workout clothes :)

Daily Menu - Day 3

Ugh, feeling a bit sick after yesterday's ridiculousness. We'll see how it goes today.

• Breakfast -- 3 pts
  
• Grande iced nonfat latte, unsweetened (2)
• small banana (1)
• Lunch -- 8 pts
  
• Au Bon Pain split pea with ham soup, small (2)
• ABP baguette (6)
• Snack
  
• ABP small salad, no dressing (0)
  
• Dinner

Water: 32 oz so far

Daily Menu - Day 2

Here we go again, I tried to do better today, but pretty much failed. 43 points total! And the most I've drunk in years. It was a lot of fun though ... I danced afterwards for a while, maybe 1 AP worth :)

• Breakfast - 3 pts
  
• 1 nonfat latte (2)
  
• 1 small banana (1)
  
• Lunch -- out at a restaurant (Sel de la Terre) - 13 pts
  
• diet coke (0)
• 1 cup gazpacho (0)
• 3 oz grilled cod with 1/4 cup barley and vegetables (5)
• bread with butter (3)
• 2 macaroons (5)
  
• Dinner -- out at a restaurant again, with a cocktail hour -- 27 pts
  
• 4 pomegranate cosmos (12)
• 1 kamikaze shot (3)
  
• meat appetizer (3)
• bread (2)
• salmon with barley (4)
• two bites of blueberry cobbler dessert (3)
  

Water: 64 oz
Fruits/Vegetable servings: 5

Daily Menu - Day 1

SparkPeople has a really interesting article today. People who really kept track of what they ate lost twice as much weight as those who didn't. I've really been horrible about keeping track of what I eat, and I think it's given me permission to eat more. So, I'm going to start posting my daily menu on this blog. I'll update the same entry for the day with what I ate during the whole day. The points will be in parens.

So here we go:

• Morning -- 7 pts
  
• Medium non-fat latte, unsweetened (2)
  
• Two WW chocolate chip cookies (3)
• Banana (2)
• Afternoon (mish-mash of free lunch) -- 6 pts
  
• diet coke (0)
• 1 cup of mesclun green and tomato salad (0)
• 1/4 cup of couscous (1)
• 1 ounce chicken breast (1)
• 1 ounce tuna salad (1)
• 1/4 pita pocket bread (1)
  
• 1 bite of dessert mouse thing (2)
  
• Snacks -- 4 pts
  
• coffee with 1/4 cup non-fat milk and 1/2 sugar free chocolate mix (1)
• 1 cookie (from my secretary, which doesn't make it okay :) (3)
  
• Dinner -- 10 pts
  
• 1/4 cup white rice (1)
• 4 ounces of tikka chicken (4)
• 1/3 naan (2)
• 1 samosa (3)
  

No wonder I'm barely maintaining. That's 27 points and I was trying to make good choices!

I did a one hour hatha yoga class (2 APs) and 20 minutes of heavy weight lifting (1 AP). Total damage: 24 points.

Cross-training

I played tennis this weekend for the first time in many years. My right arm is killing me! Everything hurts. My legs are also sore. It might not help that I ran earlier, but I think it was the fact that I was doing something different and using totally different muscles that I'm used to. I have to do some more of that!

I'm still battling on maintaining, so far I've managed to maintain the original 4 pound gain that puts me one pound above what I was at when I started this blog (139). I wish I could muster up the strength to get in loss mode but I'm really content with maintenance at this point. I don't know why I just won't do it. It's not that hard. Maybe I need to think about that some more.

The only bad thing is that the pounds I've gained has shifted to my face! Maybe I'm paranoid but looking a pictures of myself from this weekend it really seems like it (what do you think?) And yet I still fit in my 4P suits and pants.

It looks like DBF and I might be getting engaged soon, and married within a year and a half or so. I really would like to be at my personal goal by then (120-125), which would mean I should get back on the losing wagon so I don't have to rush this at the end (and the whole dress shopping experience would be easier). I really don't want to be that girl who tries to lose for her wedding and then gains it all back. I'd like to be at goal well before the wedding so I can work on maintaining that. I'm not sure of the date yet, but we were tentatively thinking July 2009, which would mean I need to get my butt in gear!

Weekend in Miami

I spent the weekend with my family and managed to not overeat! I also
didn't count anything but I ate in moderation for the most part--baby
steps.
Other than going to the beach in the 6 hours of good weather all
weekend (it was kinda miserable) I lifted weights with DBF and ran 3
miles on separate occasions. My knee wasn't feeling too great but also
not too horrible, it probably needed the workout.

I also managed to do a headstand (against the wall) by myself. Totally
incredible all things considered, but my neck and shoulders have been
killing me ever since, so that may not have been a very good idea.

Bad day -- reframing

I had the best intentions this morning!  I had a good fruit breakfast with some protein, and was prepared for a heavier lunch since I knew I was going to Kingfish Hall (one of Todd English's restaurants) and ordering the grilled lobster and fontina sandwich (the reason I picked it). That would've all been fine (I only ate half of the lobster sandwich even!) but I really didn't need to grab quite as much bread early AND to also eat an ice cream AND a bag of chocolate when I wasn't even hungry. Ugh. My stomach actually feels awful right now.

I've been watching the scale creep up ounces at a time every morning. I need to stop this nonsense. My knee is not 100% better yet so I can't go crazy with the exercise, nor should I really, I can't burn enough calories to make up for what I've been eating! I need to go back to the eating in moderation (no need to finish 1/2 pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream in one day like I did yesterday -- it doesn't matter that it was the "light" version!).

Tonight we're going out again, a 5-hour event where we will be playing "Guitar Hero" at a bar with free food and drinks flowing. I have no need to eat, since I've already gotten all of my calories for the day and then some. I don't want to make this impossible on myself, so if I'm hungry, I will eat something, but only if I'm actually hungry. However, as for drinking, I will be chugging the sparkling water / soda water and lime, which looks like an alcoholic drink but isn't. I may have one drink if I really want it, but it won't be when I first get there, or it will make it more likely that I'll just continue drinking.

I can do this, I really can. I've done this, I've lost 50 pounds. I can keep them off and keep losing. And doing it wasn't even that bad! Just a tiny bit more self-control. I never felt that deprived while I was losing. I can do that again. I need to believe that again.

A Balancing Act

That's what life is, most of the time, I think. That's what weight loss (and weight maintenance, this summer), has been for me. I've been giving my knee sometime to recover from the tendinitis flare-up last week. I think I need to kick it back up today, because the scale was up this morning. I'm thinking a run may be in order, rain or shine, this afternoon. 

Yoga was fantastic yesterday, the instructor once again used me as a model for a few poses (triangle, downward dog, child's pose, warrior I and warrior II) which of course feels pretty damn good. I think I need to do more sun salutations though, it only takes a few days for muscles to atrophy and I really want more definition in mine.

I'm going to Miami this weekend with DBF to visit the family. It should be a good time, but it means I'll have to wear my bikini / bathing suits! I'm hoping we get to go on my cousin's boat, I'm excited and a little freaked about it. Along with my clothes being a bit tight, it might make it easier to eat ealthier :)