But the point is…blogging about losing weight stopped being fun for me.

I still have the same goals and I feel just as determined to reach them. I just know now that I don’t need a blog to get there. Today I am 13lbs lighter than I was this time last year. It might not seem like much but it is to me and I can only hope that I will be another 13lbs lighter this day next year. I certainly owe part of that to having this blog.

This past year I have ‘met’ so many of you that have given me strength and many many laughs. I am so grateful for that, you have really been amazing to watch and read about.Thanks for all the support this past year. I’m sure some days I will wish I could share a story or an accomplishment with you but in general I know it is time to close this chapter.

Thanks again everybody and good luck on your goals. Happy holidays!

Some was funny and superficial stress like one lady’s story about having to find an appropriate gift for the crossing guard at her daughter’s school whilst others’ stories took on a more serious and sad tone. Stories of loneliness and missing loved ones. I got into my car feeling very grateful for my own set of ‘troubles’ and feeling better equipped to deal with what I may consider stressful. It also helped that I had an awesome weigh in!

Starting Weight (Jan 2009): 201lbs
Total lost: 12bs
Today’s Weight: 189lbs

This week: -2.2lbs

I am thrilled with my 2.2lb loss this week. I really feel like I earned it. I tracked everything I ate and I got my 10,000 steps everyday-scroll down if you don’t believe me! I also hit my first 5lbs lost milestone since joining Weight Watchers here in California.

Tonight I have a holiday party for Al’s job. This is the only holiday party we will be attending this year so I have already decided that I am going to eat whatever food they are serving and not stress about it. I am looking forward to having a fun time with Al and some of our friends in the area. Tomorrow morning I get to start a brand new week for my weigh in next Tuesday-sounds perfect to me!

If you have been following MizFit on Twitter you may have noticed this tweet earlier today:

“Wanna be in Jackie Warner’s new tv show? Info in comment #130 here http://short.to/zei8 pretty cool & u can still enter 2 win DVD!”

I love Jackie Warner and the old show, “Workout” so I went on over to comment #130 to find out what she was getting up to next.

Here’s what I found:

Now Casting: “Thintervention with Jackie Warner” (Bravo)

Have you spent too long struggling with your weight? Have you tried to change your eating habits and stick to a workout routine but have yet to succeed? Are you sick and tired of feeling sick and tired? If so—Jackie Warner, star of BRAVO’s hit series “Workout”—wants to help you change your life once and for all in her new BRAVO series, “Thintervention with Jackie Warner” (working title).

Our casting team is looking for people to participate in our new weight loss series that focuses on REAL people with REAL issues.

Thintervention with Jackie Warner gives you access to internationally recognized trainer, Jackie Warner, who will personalize your diet and exercise plan to reach goals that are realistic for you while you continue to live your everyday life.

In addition to receiving personal training with Jackie, you will also have access to a counselor who can help address the core reasons behind your weight issues and frustrations. The combined benefits of the incredible Jackie Warner and the bonus of a counselor are the perfect combination to help you CHANGE YOUR LIFE!

If you are ready to transform your life and show the world what you’re made of, please send the following information to mwacasting@gmail.com: (i) your name; (ii) a contact telephone number; (iii) your email address; and (iv) a JPEG formatted photo.

All applicants must meet eligibility requirements, which include, without limitation, being at least 21 years old as of January 1, 2010, a legal resident of the U.S., and living in or within 50 miles of Los Angeles County California, among other requirements as determined by Producers. Please see the Application for more details.

After reading this I was like, “YES!!!! I WANNA DO IT!” I meet all of the requirements listed and I would just love to workout with Jackie or any of her staff!

Then I remembered: IT.IS.A.TV.SHOW! And I sure as hell don’t want to be on a TV show. Having a blog is one thing…being on a TV show?! WHOLE OTHER THING! I probably wouldn’t be interesting enough for TV producers anyways!

Got my 10,000 yesterday! And well on my way for today...

Plan for weekend…tacos with a friend of Al’s tonight. Been saving up points to make sure I have enough! Hike and picnic lunch tomorrow and that’s about it. I just plan to stay well on track so I can have a rocking loss on Tuesday at my Weigh In.

HAPPY WEEKEND-SEE YA MONDAY! ]]> http://www.fatfitnessfood.com/2009/12/200th-post-and-thintervention/feed/ 4 http://www.fatfitnessfood.com/2009/12/constant-comparisons/ http://www.fatfitnessfood.com/2009/12/constant-comparisons/#comments Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:57:35 +0000 FatFitnessFood http://www.fatfitnessfood.com/?p=437 Maybe this is just me…but I thought I would throw this out here and see if anyone else is as crazy as I am. Of late, I have noticed that my thoughts are consumed with constant comparisons. Oftentimes I notice myself feeling bad about my current performance, at anything really…and comparing how I used to be/look/feel/do with whatever it might be.

This is not a case of keeping up with the Jones’. I am not walking on the treadmill looking at the girl next to me wishing I was running like her. It’s more a case of keeping up with my former self. I am walking on the treadmill thinking, “Just a few months ago I was running 5K everyday, what can’t I do that now?!” or I am in the mall thinking, “Last time I bought from this store I was a 10 so why is the 10 not fitting me now.” Even yesterday I got my 10,000 steps in (if you haven’t been following, I’m on a 10,000 step mission for Dec), but all I could think about was how I didn’t even get close to Tuesday’s 17,000 steps.

Yesterday's 10,000 in all their glory!

I set 10,000 as my goal, I reached my goal…why can’t I be happy with that? It seems that I am only feeling good about my achievements if they are bigger and better than before. And let me tell you getting to 10,000 steps yesterday was hard. I was tired, not in a great mood, certainly not in the mood for exercise and I was really busy. I finished some chores at 9pm but I was still only at 7500 steps, so despite being exhausted I went for a walk to get to 10,000 steps at 9 at night. That is something I should feel proud of at any weight, size or age. But I went to bed thinking, “No where near as good as yesterday.”

What is the point of making goals if I don’t even feel good when I achieve them?

Another big factor in all these comparisons is that I am back living in Southern California after having been gone for a couple of years. That might not seem like a big deal but when I lived here before I was a good 40lbs lighter. I gained all of my weight whilst I was gone. This means a few things…

• I don’t want to reconnect with friends in the area because I don’t want them to see me like this
• I can no longer shop at some of the stores I used to shop at because they just don’t fit anymore
• I’m not fit enough to do the hikes, bike rides and runs I used to

But mostly I just despise the toll it is taking on my confidence because I am just constantly walking around feeling like crap for not being as thin/healthy/attractive/fit/in-shape/active as I was when I lived here previously. In a weird way it is like my healthy past is coming back to haunt me!

As soon as I became conscious of how self deprecating my thoughts are, it really is alarming. Since a talk with the husband about this a couple of days ago I have been trying not to think or speak negatively about myself. But thus far it is not really working.

These constant comparisons do have one redeeming factor though. If you have been following this week you will know that my motivation has been through the roof. Sure it might be self hate fuelled motivation but the fact is that I never want to feel like this again so I am doing everything I can to work my way out of it.

Getting back to my confident self will have to come later.

That's right! 1 day...17,000 steps!

Unfortunately it is back to zero this morning! So another 10,000 coming right up!

I gained. But don’t worry it wasn’t that bad, just 0.8lbs. And I am happy with that.

I actually feel great today. My motivation is still soaring and I am just letting that momentum translate into a very successful today and a very successful week.

What does matter is the following two items!

A) I got my 10,000 steps in yesterday which included a 30 minute gym workout.

Yay!

B) Today the theme of my Weight Watcher meeting was “food swap.” We each talked about items that we can’t live without in an effort to share some great information with each other. So in that spirit I am sharing a couple of my new favorites with you. You all probably know about these already but I DID NOT! I am super excited to have found them!

These guys are 1 point!

Last night I made turkey burgers with these guys and it was perfect! First off I am still in shock that they are 1 point and second of all I am in overshock that they are 100% whole wheat! If these are not in your pantry… GO.OUT.AND.GET.THEM.NOW!!! You will love them.

Another great find I had at the grocery store a couple of weeks back are these sweet potato spears. They are basically sweet potatoes pre-cut for perfect sweet potato oven fries. Can you say “easy side dish?!” Seriously 20 minutes in the oven and these little guys are easy peasy healthy. Just 2.5 points for a bag  and 1 of your 5 a day. Addicted!

Pre-cut veggies are always more expensive but sometimes the convenient option is the only one that will keep you on track.

Please please please share that one item that you can’t live without in the comments or on your blog (make sure you comment & let me know so I can read it)! I am sure we are all missing out on some great healthy helpers!

2.5 points of fuel before the gym- I use only a teaspoon of PB.

I have been up since 7:30am but I didn’t start counting my steps until 10am when I slapped on my step counter ready for the gym.

0 steps at 10am, now at noon 5400! Sweet

Our new gym is much larger than I have seen at any other apartment community. It has at least 10 treadmills,  plenty of weights machines and 3 full sets of free weights so you basically never have to wait for anything. I love that. Plus it has a dedicated stretch/abs area that most small gyms lack.

Its on the second floor so it gets flooded with sunlight

One of my favorite features is that the treadmills have both iPod docks and TVs so you can choose which ever you are feeling like at any particular moment. Say for example you are watching a little Emeril…

Gotta love watching food shows when working out!

…and the pace is just not fast enough then you can instantly switch to your favorite most upbeat song to keep the energy level up! Mine happens to be Miley Cyrus, Fly on the Wall. Yes incredibly embarrassing since I am not even close to being a tween or even a teen anymore but still it works every time!

I am definitely going to be taking advantage of the great facilities I have here for no extra cost. I always feel great about not having to drive to the gym also. Somehow that always felt wastful and ironic to me.

On top of my warm-up, stretching and 3 sets of an arm circuit I did 30 minutes of brisk walking on the treadmill, just about 2 miles.

I snapped his sweaty shot on the walk back to the apartment!

I was so hungry by this point that I made a bake potato before I showered! Sometimes you just gotta eat NOW!

Plan for the rest of the day:

• look-up 3 new dinner recipes for the week
• look-up 1 new breakfast recipe
• plan meals for the week
• get my other 5000 steps
• vacuum and mop

We got to take her for a walk on Thankgiving morning whilst her parents were prepping dinner.

We went to the park to play on the swing!

I even got to give her a bath!

Yes I ate, certainly more than I would ever want to on my second week back at Weight Watchers, but not everything I could have and that is what is important here. I made better choices when I had a choice and when it was out of my control I gave up control and made peace with it. I’m sure there will be no big loss at Weight Watchers on Tuesday but that’s OK. I did my best and I have a plan for December

For December I am starting the famed Smiley Face Sticker Method!

I know there are a few of you out there who like to give yourself a sticker for various accomplishments relating to health habits. I have decided that I am going to try it.

Blue = 10,000 steps

Yellow = Ate within planned points

Red = Gym workout

Green = To do list complete

My plan for december is to get 10,000 steps everyday, work out at the gym 3 times per week, track meticulously therefore eating within my weekly points and be productive every day. I am absolutely 100% determined to go out of 2009 with a bang!

We have four weeks at home before we are travelling for Christmas. Those four weeks are going to be my strongest four weeks of the year. Plus, they are going to set me up for an awesome healthy 2010. I am sure of it.

I didn’t do much shopping this weekend because we were travelling but I did make one great purchase that I am very excited about. A kitchenaid stand mixer. I have owned one before but because of voltage differences I had to get rid of it when I moved to Ireland. But I missed it so. Today I got a brand new one and I am ecstatic about it. Last time I had red, this time I got black to match my new black appliances.

I am super excited to bake some healthy breakfast treats for myself!

In all a really fun weekend. I feel organized and excited about the last month off 2009. I started this year off losing and by golly I will finish it losing weight! My motivation level is through the roof!

I weighed in this morning and I am happy to report a loss of 3.8 lbs for my first week back on plan.

Starting Weight (Jan 2009): 201lbs

This week: -3.8lbs

Total lost: 10.6lbs

I am delighted by this loss for the week but please forgive me for what I am about to say next… When I see total weight loss at 10.6lbs it still makes me feel sad and ashamed that I was at 20lbs lost just a few months ago. It is hard to see how far I have come when all I see is how far I have regressed. I just hate that I have undid so much hard work. I know I know, I need to put it behind me. I promise that is the last time I will mention it and that is the last time I will 10lbs until I am pregnant!

Anyways, without doubt a successful week on plan. Today there will a more indulgent meal. But not a whole day of eating poorly…just one meal thats a treat. I always use a treat meal on Weigh In Day, it keeps my cravings down during the rest of the week.

For the upcoming week my goals are:

• Get 10,000 steps per day, even though I am travelling from Tomorrow through Saturday
• Bring healthy snacks for the road trip
• Track and stay within points every day.

I think these are realistic and attainable goals for the week. Wish me luck!

I started the weekend off with a hot breakfast yesterday morning…

Two egg whites (1 yolk) with a pinch of cheese, 2 turkey sausage links and a sweet juicy orange.

Yum…It feels fantastic to be excited about healthy food again. These past few weeks have been so filled with all of my favorite “bad” foods, I am totally uplifted to be blogging about food I can actually feel proud of again. It tasted scrummy too with makes it doubly fantastic!

We took a drive along Pacific Coast Highway yesterday afternoon to reaquaint ourselves with all of the nearby beach towns. We caught the sun setting at Sunset beach so it was perfect. Don’t you just love admiring other people’s expensive beach houses?

Felt nice to kick my shoes off and walk in the sand again.

Last night we went to see the musical Spring Awakening. I consider myself to be a big musical lover but I have to say, I totally did not get why it is such a big hit. The performances were great from all the individuals but I thought the plot was weak and predictable and there were certainly no showstopper numbers. Just my opinion! Any Spring Awakening lovers out there?

So today whilst Al watched the Redskins play, I did some chores and made a pot of no point vegetable soup for our lunch. It was perfect. I put some garlic in this time which I never do and it made all the difference. And since the soup was no point I was able to spare a few points for a dollop of sour cream and a small bread roll. That is definitely one great tip for a lunch- make the soup with only vegetables and stock-then you can really make a meal out of it by adding a little bread!

After lunch we went for a beautiful hike. After a dreary summer in Ireland it really is feeling magical to be outside now. Somehow being outside always makes it easier for me to stay on track with food. Anyone else like that? So here’s a few pics from the Hike.

Don't be fooled by the easy looking 2.5 miles it was full of hills!

The sun was just starting to get low in the sky so it made for a really scenic afternoon. I have to say though, I kind of feel like I am ruining this picture! Oh, to be thin again soon...

Here's one of the long hills we had to make it up! We decided we would run up it!

Phew...Trying to catch my breath! I just about made it! Gotta love that view when you get up there. Worth the sweat!

I loved the thrill of running that first hill so I took off for the next one! Al followed behind taking pictures!

I really ran that one too! Gosh it was so steep!

Yay! I made it!

There was some amazing cactus plants at the top of that hill.

The hillside was just covered in them! Pretty! I love cactus and succulents.

This weekend was everything I would dream of when I was in Ireland. We got to enjoy the great weather, get outdoors, eat healthy and mostly HAVE FUN! I have a week of healthy eating under my belt, a couple of different work outs, a few blog posts under my belt and boy does it feel great to be back to normal again!