I've got friends in low sizes :-)

One of my law school buddies, Megan, is a beautiful 5'8 with amazing shoulders and a stunning face structure. She recently had bangs cut and WOW - what a hottie.

About the time I started 50n50, she started focusing on losing some weight, too (though she didn't need to - she was in her healthy range - she just wanted to get back to her undergrad days). During the past year, we've shared recipes and swapped stories about our cooking trials and triumphs.

I'm happy to announce that Megan has lost 30 pounds since she started focusing on her weight!

She has gone down at least two pant sizes and last night was generous enough to offer up a bunch of her old pants to me - because I can now fit in a size 6! (The 6s are from Old Navy and Megan says they run big, but I've been wearing 10s most of the summer so I'm still excited with the 8s she gave me for fitting and was super ecstatic about the 6s!).

When I first met Megan - when she was wearing a 6/8 - I immediately put her on my list of "skinny friends." I don't know how or why I do that, but I put my skinny friends in a different category in my head - maybe I just assumed that they couldn't relate to certain aspects of my life because they were skinny. Do you do that with your friends?

Anyway, while trying on the clothes that Megan was wearing when I met her and labeled her skinny, a weird thought occurred to me. If I met myself today, would I put myself in the skinny category???

No Better vs. Know Better

Sigh.

Still not at my goal weight - and pretty disappointed in myself for GAINING WEIGHT this week. I should know better and have no excuse to for this "no better" situation.

I am completely to blame. I still am not being as vigilant with my calorie counting as I have been for the past year.

Part of my problem these days is that I am tired. I am tired of counting calories. However, my success to date is mainly because I've been counting every single calorie that I consume -and because I kept my calorie intake low! Even yesterday, I ate 1519 calories. My limit is 1300. It didn't help that I went out drinking Monday with former co-workers from the summer. That got a bit out of hand on several levels ... but drinking more than one drink is never a good idea when you're trying to lose weight.  (I blame the hangover for Tuesday's calories, but know that excuses are the root of the problem anyway).

What I find most frustrating is that I am so super close to my goal and I am throwing my own road blocks into my path. Honestly, a couple more weeks of vigilance and I will be there. I can't let myself lose sight of my goals here - not when I am this close. I know better!

Shape shifting

I never really thought about what I would look like after losing 50 pounds. Ok, that's not 100% truthful, there were times over the years when I thought about looking like Gweneth Paltrow ... but that will take way more than losing 50 pounds. I think I'll have to grow at least 5 inches ...

Anyway, I never seriously thought about what I would look like after losing so much weight. I was too busy actually losing the weight to give it much thought. But as I stand upon the precipice of actually claiming that 50-pound loss, I can't help but marvel at the changes in my body shape, both the good and the not-so-different.

Before I start nit-picking, I need to say that I am very happy with the overall changes in my body. I am just surprised by the things that have taken longer to change - and the things that have changed drastically.

1. My boobs are gone - and I miss them. Honestly, I woke up one day and they had pulled an Elvis (left the building). They weren't the first to go (if one more person says "Well, they are always the first to go," I'll scream), they pulled their disappearing act this summer. I went from a 40 DDD (yes, triple D) down to a 34/36 C.

I used to dream of being a 34 C, but that old adage about being careful what you wish for is true. When I was bigger, I thought my breasts were my best feature. Boys loved them and they were the one claim to "sexy" that I had. Now that they are gone, I'm honestly having some identity issues.

2. My arms are getting into great shape. Either there was a lot of muscle hiding in my arm fat or my puny 10 pound curls each week are really paying off! I don't know much about how a woman's arms should measure using a tape measure, but it never occurred to me that losing 4.5 inches in each arm would make such a difference. It sounds like such a small number.

3. My abs are taking forever to form! Sure, I've lost 12 inches from my stomach, but there is still quite a it of work needed down there. I have at least one more inch of pure fat sitting on my abs and it drives me crazy.

I never had an overly large stomach. It was always proportionate to my body. In fact, I would go so far as to describe it as "flat-ish." I mean, it was a flat for a girl who had a 40-inch waist, if that makes sense. But it was smaller than my boobs and my butt, so I wasn't self conscious about it.

I have this silly dream of getting my bellybutton pierced  as my big reward for getting healthy. I know it's silly, juvenile, immature, out of style even ... but it really means a lot to me. Growing up, belly piercings were all the rage with the pretty, skinny girls in high school. All of the cheerleaders had a little jewel peaking out from their cropped tops and I was sooooo jealous! So, for me and me alone, I plan to pierce my bellybutton. It's my way of acknowledging how far I've come.

4. What the heck, butt? I always knew I carried a lot of junk in my trunk, but I thought it would empty as my stomach got smaller. I've lost 10 inches from my butt/hips and while that's awesome and makes me very proud, I still have quite a rump going on!

I used to pride myself in my hour-glass-ish figure. Big butt, big boobs, smaller stomach - everything was proportionate. But now, it's big butt, small boobs and smaller waist. I'm bottom-heavy for the first time ever and not pleased.

Lately, I've been targeting my butt and thighs in my workouts. I call myself a "body sculptor" - but I get the feeling I'm going to need a bigger chisel to get this booty into shape.

5. Stupid calves. I've been saying it from the beginning: I hate my calves. They have always been huge and they are still huge and I hate, hate, hate them. The fact that I have lost 2.25 inches from them is good, but not good enough. I don't know what they should measure, but I am tired of shopping for boots and finding it impossible to pull them up over my gargantuan calves!

Looking at a recent "article" from a Women's Health email, "Shop your shape," I noticed my body has changed from "curvy" to "pear" or (dare I say it?) "athletic." But I'm not athletic - am I? As much grief as I just gave my booty, it's not that much bigger than my chest - at least I don't think I look like the drawing above. But I find it really difficult to describe myself as "athletic." That means a lot more has changed than just my body shape. And maybe it has ... but, I still feel like the girl I was for 26 years - the one who avoided horizontals, bright colors and corduroy. But am I still that girl? When my mind catches up to my body in changes, I'll let you know.

Nat-Hell-a

Shirt courtesy of Lindsy in S. Korea!!!

I just threw away a half-full jar of Nutella. I had to.
The stupid thing kept calling out to me - and I literally couldn't keep my fingers out of it. And I had to take severe action, because at 100 calories a tbsp, I just can't take the calories!

Even now, I hear it whispering my name from the bowels of my trash can. I know it's in there. I know it's still good to eat since the lid is securely on ... and I know it will taste damn good when I dip my finger into the chocolate and hazelnut gooey goodness and then lick it off like it's the last thing I will ever put in my mouth and I want to savor the moment.

I need help. I'm in Nat-Hell-a.

Numbers never lie

Yesterday was my monthly measurement day and I had pretty high hopes. I recently bought a pair of size 8 pants! And they are too big in the waist now.
Sadly, the numbers didn't seem to show that. If there is one thing I've learned by watching The Biggest Loser, however, it's that it is harder to lose weight as you get smaller. You burn less calories when you weigh less - so to lose weight you have to work that much more. Which is kind of funny: Your reward for losing weight is the need to work harder to keep losing weight.

So is that why am I losing these last 5 pounds so darn slowly? Nope. I can't exactly blame the not losing weight on my weight loss (did you follow that reasoning?). In my situation, it's the fact that I'm not as vigilant these days in my calorie-counting. And that's all there is to it.

Thanks to Sparkpeople, I can look back at my calorie expenditures during the last few months.

Do you see the trend? September and October have been all over the board.  Why? Because I gave myself permission to relax. At first I was going to write about this as a bad thing, but after thinking about it all day, I've changed my mind. I'm not quite sure what to think of this. I'm still losing weight - just not exactly at a pound a week.

I love the freedom of eating a piece of pizza (just one is plenty!) when I'm just too tired to cook fresh vegetables or forgot to thaw that day's meat. I love sharing some fries with Kevin when we go to a bar to watch the Cowboys play. I never wanted to be that snobby eater who turns her nose up at normal America life - as long as I balance it. One piece of pizza is about 250 calories - and it's plenty filling with a salad and glass of milk. Heck, even fries aren't evil so long as they don't accompany a big, greasy cheeseburger once a week.

That's the point, right? This journey hasn't been about deprivation and complete denial. It's been about learning to eat foods in reasonable quantities and balance the good with the bad so that I can live a healthy, happy life.

But here's the question: Am I ready? Numbers never lie ...


_____
My Measurements
Weight: 146.2 pounds ... overall loss of 48.8 pounds (SOOOO CLOSE!)
Waist: 28 inches ... no change from last month
Hips: 38 inches ... no change from last month
Thigh: 19.5 inches ... 0.5 inches smaller than last month
Calf: 15 inches ... no change from last month
Arms: 11 inches ... 0.5 inches smaller than last month

Last Month's Measurements:
Waist: 28 
Hips: 38 
Thigh: 19.75
Calves: 15
Upper Arm: 11.5

Starting Points:
Weight: 195 lbs
Waist: 40 inches
Hips: 47.25 inches
Thigh: 28.5 inches
Upper Arm: 15.5 inches
Calf: 17.25 inches
Push ups: 4
Crunches: 15

Because I can

There is a lot in my life that I find myself doing these days - because I can.

I needed coffee for breakfast the next day so I walked the mile up to World Market to buy a pound - because I can.
I went on a last minute hike in the Ozark Mountains this past weekend - because I can.
I ate three pieces of pizza following that 3-mile hike (burning 900 calories) in the Ozark Mountains - because I can.
And I'm looking into joining the military - because I can.

I have always been fascinated by those who serve in our armed forces. Their disciple, strength and sacrifice is awe-inspiring to me. I have a little experience with military life after several years as a journalist in military communities.

Joining the military was always a fleeting thought in the back of my head - a wistful dream that was quickly dismissed for obvious reasons: I was overweight, out of shape, etc. etc.

As I face a terrible job market, feel a strong desire to be a part of something much bigger than myself, and see the calendar quickly nearing my graduation date, I keep finding my thoughts falling on the idea of the Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps. (You're probably familiar with the tv show.) JAG officers are attorneys in the military and each branch has a JAG Corps.

I am most interested in the Air Force or the Navy, so far. I've talked with both (I've talked with all but the Coast Guard so far) and love what they offer. This isn't a decision that I am making lightly, but I'm thrilled it's a decision I can make at all. In the long run, I may choose not to join, but for the first time in my life I don't have to dismiss the thought as soon as I have it.  Losing this weight has truly opened my eyes to the new possibilities life is offering to me.

I plan on taking full advantage of these opportunities and become all I can be. Because I can.

Got Milk?

My grandmother hated milk. Absolutely hated it! While she was in the hospital the last year of her life, the nurses would bring her Ensure and as they walked out of the room, she promptly poured it into the nearest plant.

Why does this matter? Because I maintain that her hatred of milk led to her death.

First, she fell and broke her shoulder. My grandfather didn't have the strength to take care of her Because of this, she went into a nursing home for a few weeks. She was bummed, a bit depressed, but there was a light at the end of the tunnel.  Until, three days before she was set to go home, she fell out of the bed and broke her hip. With that, and the long months of rehab and recovery ahead, she also broke her spirit.

Things began to rapidly decline and she passed away after choking on a drink of water that went down the wrong tube (and led to eventual pneumonia). Sure, it's a very bizarre story and would not stand up under the proximate cause standard in a court of law: But I maintain that my grandmother's brittle bones killed her. And the cause of this is that she didn't drink enough milk in her 20s.

This is why I am now adding calcium to my list of nutritional concerns. And once I started looking at how much I'm consuming, my eyes totally bugged out all Roger-Rabbit-style.

According to Sparkpeople.com, I should be consuming between 100-150 units of Calcium. For the past week, I've consumed: 76, 68, 111, 181, 42, 105. A couple of weeks ago, there were days when I only consumed calium amounts in the teens! And my calories were way over my usual limit on those days. Is this a possible factor in the munchies that were clearly affecting me? C'est possible!

Since one cup of milk is 30% of the calcium units needed, it makes sense that this should become a staple in my diet (I know, common sense considering all we've learned from the "Got Milk" campaign).  Why hasn't it? Because even nonfat milk is still 86 calories. But thanks to the Tip of the Week and my new fascination with calcium, I am making it a point to drink more milk. Sure, I eat string cheese everyday and have a cone from McDonalds (10% of our needed calcium!), but there is no reason I can't prioritize milk into my calorie budget.

Hmm, there is always the Chocolate Milk Diet ... I don't know about drinking a glass of chocolate milk three times a day, but once a day- since it's so good for me - isn't much of a sacrifice. Hehe.

Tip of the Week

I know it's only Monday, but there is no way any article can make me happier than this tip. I'm calling it the tip of the week, but to be honest, it might warrant tip of the year!

DID YOU KNOW: Calcium helps your body metabolize fat more efficiently by increasing the rate at which it gets rid of fat as waste (yes, that kind). Read a bit about the study that showed this here.

This means that milk after your pizza (or donut, or  fries, or hamburger, etc.) can help mitigate the damage caused by those foods!!!


Natalie Note: I wonder if ice cream counts as the calcium-rich food or the fatty food? Since I went for McDonald's reduced fat ice cream after eating crinkle-cut fries and a piece of buffalo pizza (Seriously, just one! I'm very proud of this - only 225 calories) during the Cowboys game yesterday, I'd like to think I put this theory to work.

Keep reading the Women's Health "article" for even more tips of increasing the rate you metabolize foods!

This one was also pretty eye-opening to me: "Knocking back the equivalent of just two mixed drinks (or two glasses of wine or two bottles of beer) puts the brakes on fat burning by a whopping 73 percent." WHOA. Good thing I just stuck to coffee (with milk - more calcium!) during the game!

I'm also going to add green tea to my afternoon regimen. This will be nice as the weather gets colder.  Right now I have a box of Chai tea in my study carrel at school, but it can easily be replaced with green tea. This is just one benefit to drinking green tea, by the way. It also has amazing powers to strengthen your immune system - something we can all use as we head into the winter season!

Grocery IQ

So, as broke as I am - I am not good about looking at the cost of every single thing I buy at the grocery store. I have my routine foods that I buy for lunches and such and so I just grab them and go.

But sometimes my eye lands on something and I see insanity.

Like the baby carrots I was always buying. Did you know that they are pretty much regular carrots just made to look pretty and cost more? So, I switched to buying regular carrots and chopping them up each morning.

Yesterday, I grabbed a 2 lb. bag of apples, like usual. But this time I grabbed the "honey crisp" variety because they are soooo yummy. Didn't even think about the cost.

Um that bag cost $13.50!!!!

So, I am now on a mission to watch what I eat from an entirely new perspective. While my grocery costs aren't astronomical, it can't hurt to taker a closer look at the cost of my usual foods and think of ways to tighten the wallet while tightening my belt!

 

Cereal killer strikes

Last night was rough - and I don't really know why. I wasn't feeling depressed, per se, but I wasn't feeling jovial either. I was in a funk and found myself in a losing battle against an old nemesis: Cereal.

I know, it sounds lame, but I love cereal. A lot. When I first moved out of my mom's house, the first thing I did was buy crappy, sugary cereal and stock my cabinets. When I broke up with my ex, I existed on Gatorade, cigarettes and Froot Loops for months. They made me "happy." Cereal was a favorite dinner after a long day of covering grass fires. Cereal was a favorite snack when there was "nothing to eat" in the house. But I had no idea I had a problem with cereal.

I stopped buying cereal months ago, for no other reason than I replaced cereal with oatmeal and have been quite happy. It wasn't really a conscious decision to remove anything from my diet. It was more a decision to put good, healthy, nutrient-packed foods into my diet, you know? But when oatmeal got boring, Kevin started buying cereal.

First, he bought some sugary cereal that's existence on this planet is merely to annoy moms and inflame ADD. Mmm you gotta love Honey Grahams.

Seriously, I ate a tiny handful as a little snack and woke up with an actual craving the next day! I looked at the nutrtion information and thoroughly tore the cereal to shreds. There was nothing of substance in it!

Round Two saw Kevin bringing Kix into the ring. Honestly, they aren't too terrible. The serving size is huge (1.25 cups!) and the sugar isn't bad. They make a great mid-morning snack when you feel all munchy because it takes awhile to shovel that much cereal into your mouth. I've been taking them with me to school for the past few days and usually eat have the baggy for my mid-morning snack and the other half on the way home. It's been doing wonders for my terrible habit of snacking.

But eating so much cereal lately has clearly awakened the sleeping giant that is my cereal addiction.

I spent the evening at Kevin's last night and got that munch feeling that hits while I'm studying and don't want to be. I raided the cabinet and found 9 different cereals! Did I grab a handful of the Fiber One? Of course not, I went straight to the Lucky Charms. And the Chocolate Cheerios. And the Chocolate Cap'n Crunch. I did try (and loved!) the Blueberry Special K, but with so many really good bad options around me, eating something healthy, or even just not eating anything, just didn't seem a valid option. I was in the throws of my addiction, lost in a sugar high of epic proportions.

I think I ate about 5 cups of cereal - at least. No milk, just hand to mouth shoveling of sugar into my body. I gained two pounds from it and am now nursing a major sugar hangover.

My name is Natalie and I have an addiction. It's been 11 hours since I last ate cereal ...

Linking and Thinking

There have been a lot of wonderful "articles" and such popping up in my email lately. So much so, that I'm a bit overwhelmed trying to keep track of the great ideas, advice and lessons!


Here are a few I think are worth sharing:

Whittle while you work

Get sleek at your seat: This is our kind of on-the-job training! Daniel Loigerot, a pilates instructor in New York City, designed these moves to help you tone all over in about 10 minutes using a resistance band and chair.

9 Power Food Pairings

According to Women's Health, healthy eating starts with these dynamic duos.

(Natalie Note: I'm having tuna and hummus salad with red peppers for lunch today!)

The Rules of Pizza

From Eat This, Not That: As crazy as Americans are for pizza, few ever dare to make it at home. That's truly a shame, because the pizza we turn to is overpriced, awash in empty calories, and ultimately not all that delicious. Anyone can do better in their home by combining a handful of fresh ingredients and following a few simple steps. And believe it or not, pizza made in the right way can make for a truly well-balanced meal.

Hooray for Hummus

A few weeks ago I volunteered to serve food at a dinner benefiting the local humane society. At the end of the night, they were about to throw away a bucket of hummus so I intervened and took it home. Let me make this clear: By bucket, I don't mean a little tub. I mean a big honkin' gallon of hummus escorted me home and took up a quarter of my refrigerator for the next week!

I love hummus. Which is a good thing, considering how much of it I've had to eat lately. It's a great protein-packed food that I grew up eating (Mom served her homemade hummus with lemon juice. SO GOOD!). I've had to take that love and be creative. So, just call me Bubba Hummus (like Bubba Gump, get it???) and enjoy the fruits of my creativity ... here are the recipes I created in an effort to use all that hummus. (I did, too!!!)

Baked Hummus: These cookie-like biscuits taste super awesome. But are a bit tricky on the mind. Because they look so much like peanut butter cookies, my brain kept expecting that taste when I bit into them. Otherwise, they are great on toasted pita.

Nutritional Info: Servings Per Recipe: 18; Calories: 51.1; Total Fat: 2.7 g; Cholesterol: 0.0 mg; Sodium: 132.4 mg; Total Carbs: 5.0 g; Dietary Fiber: 1.7 g; Protein: 2.3 g

Hummus Soup: This is a GREAT base for a protein-happy soup. Seriously, it's a favorite of mine for Meatless Monday. But I think it would be amazing with lamb, beef cubes or chicken also.

Nutritional Info: Servings Per Recipe: 6; Calories: 226.2; Total Fat: 9.5 g; Cholesterol: 1.7 mg; Sodium: 810.1 mg; Total Carbs: 27.9 g; Dietary Fiber: 7.4 g; Protein: 9.4 g

Tuna Hummus Salad: This has to be one of my new favorite lunches. I bought little 1/2 cup freezer bowls and divvied up some of the hummus that way. I take a cup out at night, let it thaw while I sleep and mix it with a can of tuna and all the goodies I can think to add and have the yummiest, low-calorie, high-protein tuna salad ever.
And check out this spin-off I created just this week: Tuna Hummus Stuffed Peppers

Nutritional Info: Servings Per Recipe: 2; Calories: 172.4; Total Fat: 6.6 g; Cholesterol: 30.0 mg; Sodium: 622.0 mg; Total Carbs: 11.3 g; Dietary Fiber: 4.3 g; Protein: 20.1 g

Hummus and Spinach Stuffed Chicken: Out of every recipe I made, this is definitely my favorite. The hummus and peanuts combine to make a wonderful nutty crunch perfectly balanced with the spinach. I am not a fan of chicken, but this is so good even I crave it! Oh, and it has about a day's worth of protein in it too!

Nutritional Info: Servings Per Recipe: 4; Calories: 348.3; Total Fat: 8.3 g; Cholesterol: 136.8 mg; Sodium: 303.4 mg; Total Carbs: 7.1 g; Dietary Fiber: 3.3 g; Protein: 59.3 g

Running on Empty

"I think I was spitting blood."

"No, it just tastes like that."

Add this to the list of conversations I never want to have in the first hour I'm awake ... Who am I kidding. That's on the list of conversations I never want to have again - EVER!

It all came from a HORRIBLE morning run today.

I didn't get my training run in yesterday, so when Kevin mentioned he was going to run a quick mile this morning, I decided to do the same. We left the house at the same time, but went in different directions: Kevin running to the left and me to the right (there is a nasty hill to the left!). I wanted to push my pace, but I knew I couldn't keep up with him.

So, I ran faster than I ever have.

I didn't even make it a full mile before I had to walk. Even my head was in a weird place. Honestly, I thought I was on one street when I stopped, but it turned out to be another. Breathing was hard, I was spitting out phlegm (but not blood apparently) with every other step and my head was pounding.

No more morning running for me! At least not unless I am MUCH more hydrated. It was awful. The walk home seemed to take ages even though it was only .33 miles. I was dizzy, nauseated, and my head began to REALLY pound. I've been coughing ever since and my lungs feel like they were raked across a cheese grater.  When I got home, I just laid on the couch and shook while Kevin got me water.

And I think that was the problem: I was running on empty. Though I'd had my usual two cups of water before heading out, it was not enough to fuel my run.

Running is awful for me if I'm not well hydrated. While training for my 5k, the hardest runs were on days when I didn't drink as much water as I normally do. Add to that the physical activity and you see the problem. Breathing was hard, my mouth would go all cotton-y and I would have to spit every few minutes (but it didn't taste like blood!).

I started buying powdered Gatorade to mix up before my runs and the difference was amazing. The spitting stopped almost immediately and the cotton-mouth disappeared too. My muscles felt better during and after. Running first thing in the morning however, means my body is less hydrated (not to mention caffeinated) and able to take on the physical exertion.

While morning runs may not be the best idea for me ... coffee totally is. Please, excuse me.....