Wednesday's Weigh In

Just as I feared - no weight loss this week. Weight gain by half a pound. Blech.

That puts me at 173.5 - sigh. This is one thing I wasn't focused on while not holding weekly weigh-ins: weekly weight loss!

There is a lesson to be learned, besides don't eat 150 grams of Twizzlers in one evening, and that is this: Weight loss is a marathon. Yes, the time at each individual mile counts, but it's not nearly as important as the time at the end! Another metaphor, Natalie? Yep.

I don't know what the numbers said during those 5 weeks - but I know I lost 5 pounds and I have confidence that next week will give me the numbers I'm looking for!

I'm not really sure what all of the numbers means, but I'll learn and pass it on!

Today's Super Scale Numbers:
Weight 173.5, BMI: 29.0, Water: 45.2, Body Fat: 36.7, Bone: 5.0

School stress

Forgive me, Ladies, for I have sinned.

I have a paper due Friday and have been stressed out over it - and eating Twizzlers, Hot Tamales and Diet Coke. Mainly, the staples of all-nighters and energy fixes.

But I walked 4 miles today ... so, you know, maybe it won't be so bad. Right?

Tomorrow's Weigh Day is going to be close ...

My Sunday routine

Oh sweet glorious routine! How do I love thee.

It's Sunday - the day I read most of my assignments for the next week's classes. I go to the grocery store for food for the upcoming week. I plan my meals and talk with Kevin about the nights he will be joining me. I pack my gym bag for the week and do the laundry.

Right now, I'm steaming potatoes for tomorrow's lunch and waiting for low-cal brownies to cool so that I can bag them up for lunch tomorrow as well.

I have a paper due this week and am about half way through it - and I am completely calm because I am starting my week off on the right foot. I will be in bed by 10:30 - with all laundry folded and put away and the school bag packed for the day.

The food I eat is tied to this routine as well. Adding breakfast into my life has probably been the biggest change I've made since starting the 50n50 endeavor. In fact, I attribute most of my weight loss to the fact that I now eat breakfast every day. It's more than that though. When things are really bad in my world, I don't eat for days. I forget. And my body starves. But these days, I plan and enjoy all the food that I eat.

I can tell, on days that I don't plan, that things aren't quite right. Maybe I end up eating potatoes for dinner or I have to resort to yogurt for breakfast (something that is NOT filling to me at all!). Perhaps I didn't plan out the right amount of food for the week and my lunch lacks my usual mid-afternoon snack. I end up eating something straight out of the fridge or cupboards the moment I get home. Something that lacks the nutritious value of baby carrots or the protein of string cheese. Then, it throws off dinner and puts the whole day out of whack.

Self-control, will power, ocd, insanity ... no matter what you call it, I call it necessary for survival. If I were to miss planning my food for a few days I know that I would immediately fall off the wagon, so to speak.

For me, routine is imperative. Routine keeps me balanced and keeps me sane - literally. The greatest mood swings occur when my world order is shaken and out of whack.

It can start off simply - a messy desk makes me less productive - and then it can escalate - a messy house makes it hard for me to concentrate and sees me forgetting little things. Finally ending in disaster - not paying bills on time for several months and avoiding creditor calls while riding a carousel of shame and spiraling ever-downward.

I've alluded to a few times when this has happened, one was fairly recent and I am just now feeling myself free from the disorder and chaos in my mind.

Finally, after almost two years of turmoil, I have a routine.

New motivation and inspiration

I have great news- my husabnd (Ben) has decided to jump on the weight loss wagon with me!! I am soo excited. He has been trying to loose weight for as long as he can remember, but I think this time he is totally committed. He is going to weigh in with me every week!! Yesterday we cooked a huge pot of zero point weight watchers soup so that we can grab a bowl of that when we feel peckish. We have little prizes that we will get if we actually accomplish our goals by April 2011 and maintain our new weight for at least one month (this was my husband’s idea, so I am going with it). He will get a knock off scooter (like a vespa, but not a vespa- too expensive) to get around Brisbane, and I will get a 3 day backpacking trip into the wilds of Australia and a new pack. When I stepped on the scale last week and the number was over 200 for the first time in my life and I was scared- I think maybe he saw this- and he knows that I am scared for his health as well as mine, so maybe that’s why he is joining me. Cheers to a healthier future for us all.

It was under there!

I just made you say underwear!

Yesterday, I had to ask my mom the funniest question: How do you know what size panties you wear?

I felt silly, but I don't really remember the last time I didn't know what size undies to grab. As I blogged a few months ago, none of my underwear fits any more.

But thanks to birthday money from Mom, I went to Walmart and bought a couple of packs of hipsters and boy shorts. I know it sounds funny (1. buying underwear in bulk and 2. Walmart), but desperate times call for desperate measures.

I used to wear 7s ... then found myself needing 8s ... then back to 7s. After reading the back of the packaging (it tells you how to gauge your size!) I decided I am now a 6. A 6 fits sizes 8/10. A 7 fits 12/14. I happen to be a loose 12 now. So, I went for the 6 figuring they will be too small for a bit, but then will be just right! Thank goodness for elastic bands, right?

Anyway, I'm excited for the new britches and can hardly wait to wear 'em!

Small joys, indeed.

Another Victory

Pay attention to this one, because it is MAJOR.

I had a few minutes to kill between appointments today and decided to enter my new data into Sparkpeople to see my changes over time.

I am proud to announce (can you start the drum roll?) ...

... I AM NO LONGER OBESE!!!

That's right ... my BMI is officially 29.8 and I am now considered "Overweight" instead of the "Obese" that started all of this.




Say what you will about the validity of the BMI - and it is a very controversial measurement - I am thrilled to no end!

Sparkpeople.com qualifies the BMI statistic by saying:

There are some drawbacks to using BMI. It is not very accurate for pregnant women, people less than five feet tall, or people who have a lot of muscle mass. For most adults, however, there is a clear correlation between higher BMI and negative health consequences. Just remember, BMI is a guideline to help you decide your target weight.

My new scale also calculates BMI, but I don't remember what it said. Also, it doesn't put the BMI in perspective like Sparkpeople.com - regarding obesity and such. The Super Scale also calculates my Body Fat percentage (I don't know how, probably magic) and this is a number I am going to start focusing on as well.

The war is still raging, but this is one battle I'm thrilled to win!

Weigh Days are back!

I went into today's Weigh Day with mixed feelings.

At first, I was excited because I figured I would be pretty happy with what the numbers said.

However, as the day grew near, I started panicking and watching every calorie - I wanted the first official Weigh Day in more than a month to be significant. I only ate 1000 calories yesterday because of this mentality. Knowing that was too few for my body, I allowed myself a McDonalds cone (150 calories, remember?). So, I made myself walk "the long way" to get the cone - I went a mile out of my way pretty much. The walk felt great and that was one tasty, guilt-free cone!

Anyway, I was also a bit worried to check my email this morning. Several of our Ladies have been going through a lot of life changes and weren't too excited that Weigh Day was nearing. I don't want anyone to get discouraged and quit, so I stressed a bit.

I am proud, however, of the attitude I saw this morning! Tara is re-motivated and Jennifer has a plan for the next few weeks. I will let them post their own blogs about this, but I just want them to know that I am glad they are looking at this with the right perspective. Once their lives settle down, I know they will start seeing serious results!

As for myself, this morning was very lovely. I stepped on the scale and was thrilled to see 173! That puts my total weight loss at 22 pounds in 27 weeks. Technically, I'm 5 pounds behind schedule, but I am completely thrilled with my progress!

Since it's been awhile, I decided to take measurements as well.

Today's measurements:
Waist: 33 inches (not sucking in - at the belly button)
Hips: 43.5 inches
Thigh: 24.5 inches
Calf: 16 inches (they went up last measurement, but from the beginning, there has been progress!
Upper Arm: 13 inches

Also, I was able to do 9 push ups - up from the 4 I could do in September!

I'm not sure how you measure loss in inches ... but if my guess is right, I've lost more than 25 inches!

Measurements taken 9/17/2009:
Weight: 195 lbs (sigh)
Waist: 40 inches (not sucking in)
Hips: 47.25 inches (junk in the trunk, much?)
Thigh: 28.5 inches
Calf: 17.25 inches (a real target area for me ... I HATE my killer calves!)
Upper Arm: 15.5 inches

Say no-no to yo-yo

After a brief Facebook exchange with Tara yesterday, I was trying to think of a way to motivate her and let her know that no matter what her scale says in the morning, she should be proud of herself (and you should, Tara!) just for getting up and standing on that scale.

I understand what Tara is feeling. Life happens and with it, things change - this often includes diet and waistlines. But it's how we handle that change when things settle into the new routine that matters!

This entire project started when I was called "obese" by a BMI calculator online. But it was also at a time when I was finally settling into a routine after a year of insanity.

A year before I started law school, almost to the day, Kevin moved away and I was devastated. There is no way to sugar-coat it - I lost my zeal for life. And I lost my appetite. I didn't own a scale, but all of my clothes were falling off and I went down at least one size. After a couple of months, things worked themselves out (Kevin and I figured out how to make a long distance relationship "work") and I made a wonderful friend in my neighborhood who got me out of bed every day for a morning run/walk.

Then, in January, I quit my job and moved to Kevin's neck of the country. Without a job, I was sitting at home every day, all day. It was cold outside and I didn't know anyone and I became pretty stationary. I didn't, however, notice that I gained the weight back until almost summer, when I was readying myself to start school.

My weight has yo-yoed many times throughout my adulthood - usually linked to my moods. I haven't actually gone on an official "diet" in my modern memory (Please note that my food choices now are a lifestyle change, not a "diet"), but I completely understand when the body changes without your permission!

I received a daily email from Women's Health today with a great message. Entitled "How to Stop Yo-Yo Dieting," this list of 8 tips was just what I want to pass to myself and my fellow Ladies in Weighting!

The 8 tips are so simple - and are being followed by all of us right now!

1. Be Realistic: None of us is on some crazy crash diet - we are all being sensible about our lifestyles.
2. Be Patient: Can't get much more patient than a pound a week!
3. Be Supported: DUH! That's what this is ALL ABOUT!
4. Be Analytical: These blog posts, at least for me, are all about analyzing my moods, my choices and my changes.
5. Be Vigilant: I know not everyone participates in the weekly weigh-ins, for thier own reasons, but for me they are all about maintaining my vigilance. And they will continue when I hit my goals.
6. Be Flexible: I change my foods with the season. You will see more recipes soon!
7. Be Active: Yeah, I don't think any of us can be described as lazy. Abby and her marathon, me and the 3Day, Jen and her diving, Ne and her 40-mile walk and Tara with her 5k runs. We are super women!
8. Be Optimistic: YAY, GO TEAM!!!

Check it out here.

Clock is ticking

I haven't been doing the greatest job of keeping up with the deadline as I would like.

Did you know that March 10 marked the half way point for my 50n50 goal? That means I should have weighed 170 pounds on March 10 and should weigh 169 (by the way, I can barely imagine seeing 160s on a scale!) right now.

Looking back, I know where some problems were. The holidays, while I count as mostly successful, did not yield any weight loss on my part. The success I find from those 5 weeks is that there was no weight gain either.

Then, as I got into the rhythm of a new semester I kept forgetting to weigh. Lastly, I moved and lost access to my scale for the weekly weigh ins.

However, this week I'm getting back on track! Thanks to Miss Abigail, I have a scale. Thanks to Susan G. Komen, I have a workout regimen. Thanks to me, I have motivation. Thanks to you, I have support.

You girls are all rock stars and I know that with each other and focus WE CAN DO THIS!

Happy St. Natty's Day!

What an amazing birthday!

First, my boyfriend gives me a cool pedometer/radio combo that will be awesome at the gym (the tvs are tuned to radio stations!).

Then, we walk the mile up the street to the bars - mitigating those damages - and I start the St. Natty's Day drinking. Then, we walk home and as I entered my house I see streamers on the wall - and suddenly my friends are yelling surprise!

To add icing to my already wonderful cake, Miss Abigail bought me my dream scale! WEIGH DAYS ARE BACK!!!

This scale is like the Cadillac of scales. There are four profile slots and it tracks body fat, hydration level, body mass index and bone mass! Feel free to set a profile on it, Abby!

I will add more when I haven't been drinking for the past 12 hours.

Back on Track

So after many months of chaos I am finally getting settled and am ready to get back on track with my weight loss. YAY!! I have no idea what I weigh right now, but I know it is not good….. The stress that comes along with moving to a different country with only two weeks notice and then getting stuck on the other side of the US for a month with no place to call home except for your in-laws spare bedroom in addition to leaving your job (going from full time to part time) is enough to lead most stress eaters to overeat and lethargically forget about exercise. Ahhhh it was crazy!!! I guess you could say there have been a lot of changes in my life recently. But, after being here, in Brisbane, Australia for a month I am starting to feel settled and am definitely ready to jump back on the weight loss wagon!!

I started today by running/walking two miles around the Brisbane river. Man am I out of shape- 4 months ago I could run 3 miles and now I am only probably running one of the two!! It’s okay though- slowly but surely…. I also started weight watchers today. Not officially or anything like that, but I did do it officially last year through work and so I have all the tools I need to calculate and track my points and today is my day one. I know tracking my points and being held accountable for everything that goes into my mouth will help. My scale is currently held up in Australian customs with about 1000 lbs of other stuff being shipped from Maryland to here. The illogical (and possibly lazy) side of me wanted to wait until I got my scale to get back on track, but I can proudly say I didn’t let that happen and even though I don’t know my current weight (which I have a feeling is probably quite a bit higher than the last time I stepped on a scale) I am back on track!!!!

Finding my motivation

This is a weird week for me. Things just seem to be conspiring to keep me from the gym. Silly things ... which clearly point to a lack of motivation. So, by things, I mean me. I am conspiring to keep myself from the gym. Not good, Hull!

Monday I couldn’t help that I’d left my ID at home (though Kevin later informed me that he found my ID and put it in my gym bag so I would have it). Today, however, I am letting my dead iPod postpone my visit to the treadmill.

Pathetic, right?

Honestly, I should be at the gym right now! Instead, I am writing about how I should be at the gym. Go figure. The iPod is plugged in and charging however! In 12 minutes I will unplug and head to the Rec Center.

There is just something about getting on the treadmill sans distraction that has me dragging ass. Clearly, I am also bored with the treadmill. Sounds like it’s time to change things up a bit. Now that the days are getting longer, I think it’s time to map out some routes in my neighborhood. Spring Break is next week and I won’t have access to the gym so it will be a good time to create some routes.

Here is a website a friend told me about that looks promising for this task: MapMyRun.com

Doing a quick search, I found pre-mapped routes right by my house! Literally - right past my house! Score! Do it twice and I’ve hit my 5 miles.



This one starts just two blocks from my house ... Woot!



Suddenly, I am super excited! Time to hit the gym!!!!

Mitigating the Damages

I have made several references to a legal term, "mitigating the damages," and how applicable it is in every day life. It is especially applicable in weight loss.

I first fully learned the term in my Contracts class last semester. It rests on the idea that you have it within your control to lessen the amount of damage someone causes you.

For example, a contractor is building your house and, as the first boards of the frame go up, you notice he is using balsa wood. It is up to you to stop the construction then, rather than waiting for the house to be complete. Were you to wait, the house would fall apart and the damages would involve the entire cost of the structure, rather than the cost of a few pieces of balsa. Honestly, you would only be awarded the damages completed before you saw the balsa wood. When we see something potentially wrong, it is our legal duty to stop it then instead of when it reaches maximum damage - to mitigate those damages, rather than profit from them.

Eating healthy involves mitigating a lot of damages for me.

Know you're going out for dinner that night and will be drinking Magic Hat #9 with your meal? Then you better save that 160 calories from lunch - eat an open-faced sandwich and skip the bread.

Did you have real eggs for breakfast? Want to have ice cream for dessert? Better skip the banana from breakfast.

But this morning I received a new twist on my idea from Women's Health (I am pretty sure I need a subscription to this magazine!). They suggest cutting a serving size of something bad in half and supplementing it with a healthy alternative. I love it!


BETTER FOOD: HEALTHY MIX-INS
Improve Food: Better By Half
Good junk food? Not really. But we do have advice on how to make that guilty pleasure a little bit healthier if you have to have it


Here is the link! Enjoy!

Waist not, want not

Motivation comes from many places.

For some, The Biggest Loser is their catalyst. For others, it's old photos from younger days. For me? A lot is suddenly coming from my boyfriend's waist.

Kevin's waist is 31 inches of solid muscle. While it's pretty to look at, when my mind chooses dark avenues of thought, it also makes me feel pretty bad about myself. Perhaps it's an archaic attitude and horribly old-fashioned of me, but shouldn't the boy be larger than the girl?

I remember a few months ago when Kevin accidentally put my pants on by mistake. He quickly yanked them off when he realized what happened, but I was overcome by shame.

As of this morning my waist is 33.25 inches around. That is measuring at the belly button. My girl parts make things below that a little larger. Anyway, a big goal for me is to have a smaller waist than my boyfriend. Considering I have lost almost 7 inches from my waist, I think it's doable - and I'm close!

A couple of months and I hope to be jokingly putting his pants on by accident.

Hot or not

Ok, so last night was the Barrister's Ball, affectionately known as "Law Prom" and I bought a great dress a few weeks ago just for the occasion. By last night, it was already too big in the top, but the rest fit well so I worked it.

I rarely wear such form-fitting clothes, but the gays in my life approved and said I looked hot.

I look at this picture and see good and bad. I don't really know what my body shape was prior to losing almost 20 pounds (because I never wore such form-fitting clothes). But I know I like what's going on with my waist and my collar bones, however, I can't stop staring at my gargantuan calves and thighs!

I really understand a lot more about the mentality of anorexics who, weighing 80 pounds, still look in the mirror and see themselves as "fat." It's happening so gradually that I am not necessarily taking note of all the progress - I just see the stuff I still want to change.

I need to take some "Biggest Loser" photos. I need to put on the black sports bra and leggings and take an honest photo of what's going on with my body. That way I have something to compare myself to as I continue this path. I probably won't post it until the end, but it will be good to have.

What do y'all think?

When I was at the gym last Friday, I popped over to the scale following my workout and checked the numbers.

Fully clothed, in the middle of the afternoon, I came in at 178.

Usually, Weigh Day involves me waking up, going to the bathroom, getting completely naked and then stepping on the scale.

Following Wednesday's workout, I did the same thing and weighed in at 177.

Today, I popped on the scale, again fully-clothed and following my workout, and checked the numbers: 176!

Since I am sure my clothes weigh a pound do I get to claim that I've lost 20 pounds???? I'll let you decide ...

Mother Hubbard will be living here

I found myself in a unique position this past week: My cupboards were bare. Completely. And I had to stock my kitchen from scratch.

I spent $187 and still things look empty. However, it has given me the chance to try out a theory.

A normal-sized fridge is too big for a 2-person household in my opinion. My plan is to buy just enough groceries to make meals lasting two weeks. I will make meal plans and corresponding grocery lists, then not go shopping again until that food is gone.

I hate throwing food away - I feel it is a sad, sad waste - and I think this plan will limit the wasted foods. It should also help me save money, something I am constantly concerned about doing.

Only a select number of door-items carry over: marinades, sauces, condiments.

I'll let you know how it goes!

The Color Purple

I spent my weekend painting my kitchen cabinets and while telling a friend about the interesting color choice I made, he commented on that particular color's effects on appetite.

I never thought of this, so I did a quick research jaunt online and found a few similar comments.

While blue is one of the most popular colors it is one of the least appetizing. Blue food is rare in nature. Food researchers say that when humans searched for food, they learned to avoid toxic or spoiled objects, which were often blue, black, or purple. When food dyed blue is served to study subjects, they lose appetite. (Source).

I didn't intentionally paint my cabinets a regal, bright and feminine color that, apparently, also helps suppress appetites, but hey - whatever works!

Fascinating.