What the what?!

Ok - I am convinced that my scale is broken.  Oh, and so is Josh's scale.  Because they both say the SAME weight...and it's been a WEEK!!!!  No weight loss in a week!  GRRRR.  ARRRGGGH.  My previous post of the drop in 0.8 lbs was apparently just wishful thinking (which is what I figured since it was my 3rd weigh in that morning in approximately 5 minutes, in my attempt to force the scale into giving me a better reading) - because the rest of the week my weight has ben 172.8 and 172.6 today (Josh's scale). 

On the plus side - my clothes are fitting fabulously!  My jeans are falling off of me.  But the scale will NOT budge.  I even drank over 12 glasses of water yesterday to try to get it to budge this morning - nothing.  LAMENESS!!!!  So frustrating.

No idea what is going on, and it's starting to chip away at my resolve to eat like a good girl.  Especially because today is "Birthday Donuts" day at work.  Yes, there are currently boxes and boxes of delicious donuts in the office kitchen...all waiting for consumption by eager mouths and salivary glands.  Alas, I am fighting the temptation.  I will NOT give in to donut madness.  I will NOT cover myself in donut deliciousness and proceed to nibble away at myself throughout the day.  I will enjoy my oatmeal breakfast, chicken and green bean lunch, and my snack of carbMASTER yogurt.  And it will be even more delicious.  Because, tomorrow dammit, the scale will FRICKEN MOVE!!!!!  

Note the empty boxes.  Oh and the pretty view from the office kitchen!

Oh, and tonight I'm treating myself and going out for sushi.  Yes, it's NOT technically allowed, but here is how I'm justifying it:

A) Sushi is fish, which is good for you and contain essential amino acids and healthy fats.

B) Today is a "carb day" so I am allowed rice.  (Granted, only 1/2 C...it should be brown...and it should be consumed before 3pm today - ehhhh....).

C) Instead of having two pieces of fruit today, I am forgoing fruit in favor of the carbs in the sushi.  Oh, and the carbs in the tempura batter from the tempura roll I will be gorging on (photos to come later).

D) I probably should have planned this out better and forgone the oatmeal for breakfast in favor of something less carby, so make room for the carbs at dinner tonight...but OH WELL.  It is what it is!

E) I'm estimating on the calories (based on what my dear sparkpeople food diary says) for the rolls, and am staying within my calorie alotment.

F) I don't know why I started an F, I really don't have anything else to add.  But, here's an "F" anyway!



Updated photo of me at 172ish.



To help me stick to my plan and stay on track, I'm going to creat my menu plan for the rest of the week...JUST SEVEN MORE DAYS IN PHASE II!!!! 

BTW - I've figured out how to help prevent apathy towards sticking to the plan...anytime I feel like I'm looking GOOD and feeling proud of m weight loss - I'm going to take a picture of myself.  Inevitably, I am able to determine (from the photo) that I have a VERY long way to go (see photo left - I thought I looked AMAZING...I obviously have a LONG way to go).

So far, it's NOT looking good for my 5 lb weight loss by next week.  Eeeep!  Once again - it is what it is.  :)  I can only put in the work.  I cannot control the results (to a point).  I recently googled "weight loss stalling on 17 day diet" and after reading the following posting, I feel MUCH better about the weight loss stall: http://tksinclair.com/?p=343

Exercise.  I know - I should REALLY be exercising.  I think I'm very close to working up to it.  I find that the sunshine is a GREAT way to motivate me to get moving.  It looks pretty outside, and so many people are active and running around.  I want to do it too!  So, here is the tentative plan: on Monday, I'm going to bring my work out clothes to work.  And during my lunch break, I'm going to go for a walk.  And if I feel like it, I'm going to start my 20 minutes of 30/30 interval running (Galloway method: http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/walk_breaks.html). 

No pressure.  But, the weather should be nice, and I have no excuse to take a 30 minute lunch break and get out of the office (I usually eat at my desk).  Hopefully this will move the weight loss along better.  On Tuesday, I'm going to bring my work out gear to work again, and I'm going to do the SAME thing.  And then, Tuesday night, I'm going to do a few strength training exercises as prescribed by Sparkpeople (http://www.sparkpeople.com/myspark/fitness2.asp).  And I'm going to do the same on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday with strength training on Sat (walking/running every day; strength training T/Th/Sat).

In fact, I think I might go for a walk/run tomorrow!  Just to get the blood flowing.  It's supposed to be a beautiful day.  I will see if I can locate the leashes/harnesses for Josh's dogs and I will take them out into the neighborhood for a jaunt - they will really like that.  YAY!  I'm feeling PUMPED!

On Sunday, Josh and I might go to the movies for father's day.  In which case, I will definitely be consuming popcorn.  And I will somehow have to figure out how to justify the astronomical calories for that one...

PHASE 1 Results!

Ok - I promised them.  The before and the after.  I am mortified by the before, but it is what it is, right?

Ok....here they go.  I apologize for the poor quality of the "before"s.  My camera battery was dead and I had to use my cell camera - which bites. But, you get the gist of the photos....I made sure to wear the exact same thing in the photos so you can compare them.  I apologize that they're not at the same distance/angle.

BEFORE (May 14, 2012)....

Front view (05.14.12)

Side view (05.14.12)

AFTER (June 4, 2012)....

Front view (06.04.12)

Side view (06.04.12)

After 17 days of following the diet:

Here are the stats....

Total weight change: -9.2
Inches
Thigh: -1"
Hips: -1.75"
Waist: -4.5"
Chest/Breasts: -2.5"/-.75"
Arm: -.5"
Total Inches Lost: 11"

I would say it's a victory!  Today was my "cheat day" - decided to take a cheat day so that I don't lose my bananas.  Back on track and starting Phase II tomorrow...

Breakfast is oatmeal, blueberries, agave syrup, and milk.

Lunch is a kefir smoothie with strawberries and cherries.

Dinner is going to be...crap, I have no idea...oh yeah - meatloaf with yak meat.  :)

We shall see what the next 17 days brings us!  CHEERS!

ponderings.

I am quite pleased with my weight loss thus far.  This program has me feeling good about myself (not taking into the account that I desperately want to climb into a tub of donuts and eat my way out).  But, as I was walking to my car this morning it hit me - am I losing all this weight because I'm doing this plan, eating clean, avoiding fruit after 2pm, etc.?  Or, am I losing this weight because I'm eating between 950-1300 calories/day?  Would I lose the weight if I stayed within my calorie range, but ate whatever I wanted?

I've been on this weight loss journey for a long time - seriously for about a year.  I've struggled with my weight all my life, but most of the time just wallow in the self pity that is my giant ass instead of doing something about it.  When I have done something about it, it's been short lived.

I graduated from college in 2003 at my heaviest (at the time) of about 185.  I started Weight Watchers in June, 2003 and by October, 2003, I was down to 158 (the lowest I've been as an adult over the age of 21).  Twenty seven pounds in 4 months.  Those 4 months were pretty hard!  At no point during the Weight Watchers journey did I exercise.  I loathe exercise.

My weight then fluctuated up and down from 158 to 185 and hovered around the 180 range for the most part.  I did get down to approximately 170 in late 2005.  When I was planning my wedding to the man I did not want to marry and could not imagine spending the rest of my life with in early 2006, I (surprisingly!) put on about 25 pounds in less than 7 months ballooning up to 195 in September, 2006 - when I walked down the aisle and married a man I was not in love with.

After the wedding, my weight stabilized again and I got back down to 175ish.  In April of 2008 I decided to divorce the man I was married to because I was miserable.  And so was he.  So, I moved out of his house, and moved into my mother's house.  I tried to mend my broken heart, drown my shame, and quell my fears of being the stinky cat lady (only without cats - severely allergic) with raspberry filled powdered donuts, diet Mt. Dew, and Funyuns.  Massive amounts.  My weight jumped up to the low 180s.

I was also training for my first half marathon at the time and was convinced that all my running earned excessive amounts of junk food and double orders of cheeseburgers and fries after long (10+ mile) runs.  Much to my surprise, and dismay, all my hard exercise was not effective and my weight did not really drop during my training.  It stayed the same (thankfully).

After my marathon in October, 2008 (1 month after my divorce was finalized), I stopped running.  My weight started dropping (due to new found happiness?  a sense of pride and inner strength?  Or possibly a smaller appetite because I was no longer working out?) and dropped down to about 170-ish.

However, within about 5 months my weight crept back up and I was hovering around the 188-ish mark, yet again.  So, I did what any sane and healthy person does.  I joined a gym, signed up for a triathlon, and signed up for a half marathon in San Francisco.

After personal training for 8 weeks, trying to stick to Weight Watchers (yet again - but failing!), I managed to lose inches, but only about 6 pounds.  I stuck to my running plan, and started dating a vegan.  Which meant a lot of nights without meals (not the type of person to admit I'm hungry or that I need food with other people (at least those I am not really close with) - because there's nothing sexy about a girl who eats or needs food - duh!)  So, thanks to my running/training schedule for the half marathon and my new "diet plan" of not eating, and filling up on iced non-fat lattes (vegan boy would scoff at me but there's no way in hell I was giving up my g'damn lattes), I got down to about 168/170-ish.

Then completed the half marathon.  And I stopped running, again.  And I broke up with vegan boy.  And I was in grad school.  And then in 2010, I met Josh.  And I fell head over hells in love.  And when I'm in love, I eat.  Eat.  Eat.  Eat.  And I enjoyed myself.  Josh and I laughed, and ate, and had so much fun together!  And by July, 2010 I had jumped up from 172 (my weight when I first met Josh) to 192.  Twenty pounds in 6 months - almost 4 pounds a month.  EEEP!

So, I joined a competition at work for "The Biggest Loser".  And I didn't lose any weight - I didn't follow my diet plan.  Then, over the next few months, Josh became less and less attracted to me.  He was no longer physically warm or interested in sex.

So, I had a breakdown in December.  I want to be married and I want a family.  Josh was not interested in marriage or children with me.  And if the love of my life doesn't even want to touch me, and definitely doesn't want to marry me, or have children with me - then I am in trouble.

On New Year's eve, I cried for 3 hours and wrote a letter to myself - promising that I would lose the weight.  That 2011 was going to be my year!  I would lose at least 50 pounds and I would become irresistible.  Josh would be attracted to me again - he would want me physically, and realize that I am the one he wants to spend forever with.  2011 was going to be the year he proposed.  And by 2012, I would be married and pregnant.

I promised myself.  I made a goal list.  In January, 2011, joined another "Biggest Loser" competition at work, and I signed up for another half marathon.  I would exercise, love running again, and lose the weight!

I stumbled and made it through, and stumbled again.  And by March, 2011, I had given up.  In May, 2011, I decided again to pick myself up and try again.  I begrudgingly joined another Biggest Loser competition, and decided to make it work this time.  From May, 2011 to October, 2011 I went from 192 to 174ish.  I was very excited!

I ran my 2nd half marathon and bested my PR by 15 minutes!  I stuck to my plan (somewhat) and after the holidays, I had only gained about 6 pounds.  :)  2011 had not gone as planned.  Although Josh's attraction toward me did increase (yay!), and I had lost weight...2011 was not the year I had planned....No engagement ring.  No marriage plans.  No children.  But it was a start!  And in 2012, I was still committed!  My journey continued on.

I stuck to the plan (trying to eat between 1200 and 1500 calories/day) for the most part.  From January, 2012 to March, 2012 I got back down from 181 to 173.  The weight slowly crept up and when I started this plan 17 days ago, I was back up to 182.  So, in 17 days I have dropped 9+ pounds following this clean eating plan.

When I followed my calorie range (for the most part - allowed myself a cheat day once a week) - it took me two months to get down the 9+ pounds.

So, extremely LONG story short...it must be the clean eating that is leading to the weight loss at this pace.  Because following just a calorie requirement didn't result in a loss that was so quick.  However, I am eating less calories than I was when I was just doing the calorie thing (1200-1500, plus a cheat day every day).  

So, after this experiment - maybe I'll try following the 950-1300 calorie range.  The only thing is clean eating allows me to eat A LOT.  If I ate whatever I wanted, I would reach the 950 calories probably by lunch!  :(

It would be an interesting experiment though...comparing apples to apples (or apple juice).

Onward!

One down...three more to go!

Happy Day World!

I edited the format of the blog, but I am a blogging neophyte so I'm still learning how to put everything together.  Can't figure out how to change the format of the Recipe page so that every recipe is like a new post.  Oh well - I'm sure you can deal with things as they are.  I only have two recipes up - but will put up more as I can think of them.

There are two other bread sticks hiding under the eggs.

I'm down an additional 1.2 pounds from Saturday's weigh in.  I imagine this would have been a significant amount more if I had NOT cheated this last weekend.  But, I did cheat - so it was 1.2 pounds for a total of 8.2 pounds lost on this journey.

I'm pretty proud of myself.

B - Kefir smoothie with strawberries
L - Chicken salad over greens
Snack - Yogurt
D - Cauliflower bread sticks with 2 eggs and veggies (Brussels sprouts and carrots)
Snack2 - Sugar free caramel pudding

SKINNY JENN - HERE I COME!!!  Are you ready for me? 

And we're off!! Well...almost...

It's Sunday evening.  Tomorrow is the big day.  I have to admit, I'm both excited and terrified.  I'm excited about the challenge that lays ahead, about how healthy I'm going to be, about how good I'm going to feel, and how much more energy I am going to have.  I'm terrified about cravings, being hungry, failing, and not being able to maintain the momentum...and not losing weight.

This last week has been somewhat of a week of food debauchery for myself.  I've been trying to get in the last of all the things I normally crave - to try to get it out of my system (the craving/desire), and to essentially give myself as much of it as possible to hopefully break my desire and cravings for INSERT FOOD HERE from this point forward.  I think it's working.  I told Josh the other night that I really just wanted a salad.  Good sign - that I'm craving real and actual food.

I think to be successful on this lifestyle change, I have to have a perspective change.  My body does not need very much food to survive - definitely not as much as I would like to consume.  My body is a machine and it needs nutrients to thrive and work efficiently.  And those nutrients come compacted in whole foods like vegetables, fruits, and lean meats.  I am a tiny girl (height-wise, definitely NOT girth-wise).  I'm only 5'2" (and a quarter if you ask the nurse who measured me at my physical last week).  The thing about being short is that I don't have a lot of body to feed.  So, I really don't need that much food.  I think once I can accept that it might be easier for me to eat less.

My tongue, taste buds, and fat cells are screaming "NOOOOO!!!!" right now because of my above statement. They disagree and would like more food, please and thank you - and none of that healthy stuff, please and thank you.

I think they will have to have a perspective change as well.

So, here we are...on the eve of the big change.  Tomorrow morning Josh and I will both weigh in.  And tomorrow, after work, I will take my measurements (not doing it in the morning b/c I am at Josh's and he doesn't have tape measure so I'll have to wait to get home to do this).  I will also take a "BEFORE" photo when I get home (I forgot my camera at home and my cell phone sucks to take photos).  So the BEFORE photo will be the first day of the change.

So, what's on the menu for tomorrow?

For breakfast, I have a kefir strawberry smoothie planned.  Have beautiful yummy strawberries that smell so good and are a wonderful bright red.  Also having iced coffee (unsweetened) with acidophilus milk.  For lunch, I have a large salad made of greens (about 3-4 cups), yellow and red bell pepper (about half of each), 2 carrots, and slices of cucumber.  My dressing is olive oil and vinegar.  And I have grilled 2 chicken breasts (although I will only be eating one for lunch - the other is to keep at work for when I get hungry).  Two hard boiled eggs for a snack, along with veggies to crunch and munch on.  Dinner is going to be taco style lettuce wraps with ground low fat turkey, veggies, and butter lettuce.  Green tea is to be consumed with every meal and the mornings is to start with a glass of warm water and lemon.

The challenge is getting my exercise in!  I am going to work on getting back into running, I think.  It burns a lot of calories, and is a challenge for me.  I'm going to try to keep myself focused on little goals (instead of going all out and training for a large event like a half or full marathon, and then crapping out afterwards b/c I'm so sick of running at that point).  So, I'm going to work on little things like a) improving my 5K time; b) working towards improving my speed; c) maybe graduate from the Galloway walk/run program to a full run program (still deciding on this one).  Since I've been out of the running loop since November (over SIX months ago!), I'm going to start with a 30/30 combo for 20 minutes every day - that means alternating running and walking, every 30 seconds, for 20 minutes.  Then in two weeks, I may kick it up to 30 minutes, and so on...(right in time for Phase 2 of the plan).

The weather has been exceptionally warm lately (like upper 80s/lower 90s) - exceptionally warm for Portland, OR, that is.  So, getting my exercise in tomorrow is going to be quite challenging b/c it's going to be brutally hot.  Also, I have an acupuncture appointment after work, so I'll be running around like a crazy person - work, traffic, acupuncture, traffic, home, running, dinner...it'll probably be around 8 before I finally sit down to eat.  So, I'm going to be grumpy, and famished.  And hot.  But I will persevere because I will feel SO good after I complete day one!

I will post tomorrow, after I eat dinner and sit down, to let you know how the first day went.

So, dear friends, here's to the first day of the rest of my life!

Intros

Hello blogging world!  I'm Jenn.  I'm 31 and I'm over 60 pounds overweight.  I'm a sometime runner, although I'm not a fan of running (hence the sometime), downhill skier in the winter, animal lover (always), fan of books and learning, and a most-of-the-time couch potato.  I have been on Weight Watchers, eDiets, calorie counting, anti-inflammatory diets, South Beach, juice fasts, etc.  I've been successful on some diets, but every time I tell myself I'm going to make it a lifetime change...I fall back into old habits...and get my flabby butt exactly back to where it was before.

I struggle, like most women, with body hatred.  Don't get me wrong - I have glimmers of "DAMN, I look good!" moments, but I am quick to remind myself that I'm probably delusional as a result of too much sugar, or not enough coffee.  You see - every time I have a "DAMN..." moment, I inevitably locate a picture of myself on that day...in that outfit...and realize that I was horribly mistaken.  I did not look good at all!

I'm tired of fearing the camera because I have to take photos at certain angles, or behind items, in order to be photographed.  I'm tired of avoiding events because I feel too gross to be in public.  I'm tired of avoiding clothes because they accentuate my (INSERT BODY PART HERE).  I'm tired of being tired!

In December, 2010, I wrote a letter to myself.  I told myself I was DONE being fat.  I was DONE missing out on life because of my size.  I was going to pull my life together and I was going to make changes.  2011 was going to be the year I lost 60 pounds.  I SWORE that 2011 was going to be the year I stuck to it!  I even signed up for a half marathon in January, 2011 (the marathon was in October, I signed up in January) to motivate myself.  I was going to start exercising every day, eat healthy, etc.

My resolve lasted until February, 2011.  And then it faltered.  And then I tried again in May, 2011.  And I managed to lose almost 20 pounds by the half marathon (October, 2011).  This was my 3rd major running event (2nd half marathon) and after every single other event I stopped running...until I started training for the next event (about 6-12 months later).  So, I also resolved to NOT stop running - I had worked SO hard (SO INCREDIBLY HARD - I cannot even tell you) to get to the fitness point I had reached.  I really did not want to let it go.  I took 2 weeks off after my running event (which is what I allowed myself to do), and then I went for a 45 minute run on a Saturday...and then a 30 minute run on Tuesday...and so on.  That lasted about 2 weeks.

By December, 2012 - I had gained almost 10 pounds.  So, once again, in December, 2011 (a year later), I made another commitment to myself.  2012 was going to be the year!  In January, I got back into plan (the same one I had done in 2011).  By March, 2012 I had lost the 10 pounds!  And then I gained it all back in the last 2 months.

So, my dear friends, here I am again.

I'm so tired of all my failures!  AAAAACK!!!!  I just want it to stick!  I want to stop feeling like I'm constantly trying, constantly failing, and playing the cycle over and over and over again.

This is especially important to me at this point in my life because I am thinking of starting a family soon.  And I want to have healthy babies.  In order to have healthy babies, I need to be healthy.  And I also don't want to be a fat pregnant woman.  I want to be a beautiful, sexy, radiating mom-to-be.  I want to be the type of pregnant woman who you can't tell is pregnant until you see them from the front, or side.  I want to gain the appropriate weight while I'm pregnant, and then lose it breastfeeding and being an active mama.

So, in my quest to change my lifestyle, and become a healthier, happier, sexier HOT DAMN woman (and future mama)...I'm delving into the experiment of the 17 Day Diet.

And, I have asked my dear boyfriend, Josh, to join in the fun!  That way readers can get a male and female perspective and experience.  I do have to say that Josh will be doing an altered version of the diet - but he will keep track of what he's eating/not, etc. so you can see how his meal planning differs from the plan by Dr. Mike Moreno. 

Why the 17 Day Diet, you ask?  Josh is a proponent for low carb diets.  I lost the most weight when I ate low-carb on my weight loss journeys.  I am also very interested in clean eating - little to no food processing, eating as closely to nature as possible, etc.  So, I came across the book in my online perusing.  And I got it, and told Josh about it, and here we are!

We will be blogging our experience, our progress, or lack thereof, and everything along the way! 

For those of you who don't know what the 17 Day Diet is, check this out: http://www.everydiet.org/diet/17-day-diet.  I am including this link, instead of the link for the 17 Day Diet, because I think that link is obnoxious.  The actual website seriously makes me NOT want to do the plan.  So, I wanted to provide a link that shows pros and cons.  I cannot speak to the diet pros and cons, yet, as I am not on it yet - but will keep you posted.

Contrary to the name of the plan, you don't lose all your weight in 17 days.  The plan has you go through three 17 day cycles (ACCELERATE; ACTIVATE; ACHIEVE).  You repeat these three cycles until you reach your goal weight.  Then you move on to the 4th, and FINAL cycle, which you will be on for the rest of your life.  The first cycle has you on a very low carb eating plan - lean meats, lots of veggies, two low-sugar fruits, probiotics.  As the cycles go on, you can add more foods.  The plan has you exercising 17 minutes a day during the first and second phases.  The third phase exercise increases to 45 minutes, daily.

The goal is to start the plan on Monday, May 14th.  Today is the 9th.

Thank you for joining us on this journey!