December Update

Well, I have achieved goals # 6 and 7 !!  (see goal list below)  Can you believe it?

Christmas is only 5 days away and I plan on enjoying the festivities without weighing and measuring every ounce but afterward I will get right back into this new disciplined life I have found.  I am thinking that maintenance will take just as much work as losing... There are too many examples out there of people who thought they could stop!  Maintaining success will come from following a plan having discipline just like achieving success came from following a plan and having discipline.

I will be spending a lot of time looking at my "plans/guidelines" list and tweaking them to reflect a maintenance goal.  I will post my new plan by the end of January.  I will also be looking for more new goals to add to list! 

WEIGHT LOSS STATUS...

Started: June 3, 2009  268.0 lbs 39.58 bmi "obese" (body fat 44% "poor")
Today: Dec 20, 2010  142 lbs 20.97 bmi "normal" (body fat 18.8% "superior")

126 lbs lost!

GOALS REVIEW...
1st goal: (lose 65lbs) 203 lbs 29.98 bmi "overweight" ACHIEVED Jan 17, 2010
2nd goal: (lose 99lbs) 169 lbs 24.96 bmi "healthy" ACHIEVED Jun 9, 2010
3rd goal: Achieve "Very Good/Fit" body fat % (22%-<26%) ACHIEVED Jul 16, 2010
4th goal: (lose 111 lbs) 157 lbs 23.18 bmi (Curves 100 lb Club) ACHIEVED Sep 6, 2010
5th goal: Achieve "Excellent" body fat % (<22%) ACHIEVED Oct 16, 2010
6th goal: (lose 121 lbs) 147 lbs 21.71 bmi ACHIEVED Dec 5, 2010

7th goal: Achieve "Superior" body fat % (<19%) ACHIEVED Dec 13, 2010

8th goal: Join the National Weight Control Registry by Dec 2011 

PLANS/GUIDELINES...
1. Never Skip Breakfast! (well-balanced & trying for 1/3 of my daily calories before noon)
2. take good nutritional supplements every day
3. eat 5-9 servings of fruits and veggies per day or more :)
4. eat at least 25g of fiber per day (try to get above 50g)
5. continue Curves 3 times per week
6. Water Only, when out to eat... and min of 64 oz water each day... can you get to 128 oz?
7. Daily monitoring myself with FitClick.com
8. Follow Curves Weight Management calorie phases (max out phase 3!)
9. Daily calories are never less than 1200 (except for prayer & fasting days)
10. Spend no more than 7 consecutive days at less than 1500 calories.
11. Limit eating after 7:00pm (or within 3 hrs of bedtime)
12. Be accountable to someone (person or group) and report status monthly.

How Leptin Hormone Effects Metabolism / Why Calorie Shifting Works!

I just read an interview conducted by one of my favorite exercise/nutrition/motivation authors, Tom Venuto.  He interviewed Joel Marion who release a wellness system called "Cheat Your Way Thin."

I found the interview to be so EXCITING (in a "diet nerd" sort of way, lol).  Joel explains some of the science regarding hormones and metabolism and how strategically shifting our daily calorie intake makes losing fat so much easier than using traditional restrictive calorie diets.

As I was reading, it struck me over and over again that this was explaining the science behind why the Curves Weight Management Phases works!  It also explains some of why, at the beginning of my journey, I was able to lose for so long without using shifting strategies.

I have included a short excerpt from the interview below, but there is so much more info in the entire interview...

(NOTE:  The link I am sharing of course has links to sites where you can purchase stuff from these guys.  Although I have purchased The Body Fat Solution (by Tom Venuto), I have not purchased anything else from Tom (just subscribe to his free e-mails).  Also, this is the first (that I can remember) hearing of Joel Marion and have not read anything by or about him until now.)
link opens in a new tab...
FULL INTERVIEW BETWEEN TOM and JOEL

This is an excerpt from the interview where Joel is asked to define the hormone LEPTIN in SIMPLE TERMS... (my comment in red)

Leptin is awesome (or at least when you know how to manipulate it, it is). Get on it’s “bad side”, however, and you’re pretty much doomed to be fat.

In the simplest terms, leptin is a hormone that communicates your nutritional status to the rest of your body. From there, your body then makes decisions on what to do with things like fat burning and metabolism, based on the messages it’s receiving from our friend leptin.

High leptin levels = heightened fat burning and metabolism

Low leptin levels = decreased fat burning and metabolism

There’s a little more to it than that, but you asked for simple terms.

Leptin has also been deemed the “anti-starvation” hormone, which is essentially is its major function in the body, to prevent, or at least dramatically slow the negative adaptations (from a survival standpoint) when food is scarce or when energy intake drops substantially (i.e. starvation).

Great for our hunter and gather ancestors, terrible for the dieter.

And while dieting certainly isn’t as extreme as starvation, it really is nothing more than a lesser degree of exactly that, carry slightly lessened, but still very troubling consequences for the dieter.

Getting into some of the research on leptin, research has shown that after only 7 days of calorie restriction (sounds like Curves PHASE 1), leptin drops on average 50% — putting you at roughly 50% of your fat burning potential. That’s after only ONE week. And as long as you continue to fail to provide your body with the energy it’s hoping to receive, adaptations get worse, leptin falls harder, and metabolism takes an even greater hit.

The good news is, it only takes one day of “overfeeding” or “cheating” to bring leptin levels back to baseline and restore things like plummeted thyroid hormones, fat burning enzymes, a manageable (not insatiable) appetite, and metabolism overall.

The problem with overfeeding, however, is that if you fail to properly set up the rest of the diet in an extremely strategic manner around a cheat day or overfeed day, overfeed days can backfire and lead to a one-step-forward one-step-back phenomenon. This is something we cover heavily in (Joel's Cheat Your Way Thin program) —the ideal way to set up the other 6 days each week, based on a plethora of research, to ensure that each cheat day accelerates, not detracts, from progress.

FULL INTERVIEW BETWEEN TOM and JOEL

Let me know what you think of the interview!

November Update

Yay!  I reached another goal since last month's update.  My Body Fat % is now in the excellent range.  Very cool.

We are planning a trip to see family over Thanksgiving and I know my calories will probably be higher than usual.  I have been keeping fiber and water intake very high and I am preparing mentally for the return to "normal" as soon as we get home.  Last year my low weight before Thanksgiving was 214.2.  Weigh-in Sunday after Thanksgiving was 216.8.  By Wednesday after Thanksgiving I hit a new low of 213.6.  So, I know that even if/when there is a gain while I'm away, it won't prevent me from reaching my goal by the end of the year.  The period of "caloric abundance" may even help! :)

My concerns about being away from my routine is more social than health related.  Even when I am not in "restricted calorie" mode, I still like to track my food... mostly out of curiosity and to have the data for analysis later.  I know it annoys some people to see my dedication to this.  I am trying to figure out the balance between keeping my food diary, body measurement stats and exercise journal while on vacation and not irritating everyone around me. (?)

WEIGHT LOSS STATUS...

Started: June 3, 2009  268.0 lbs 39.58 bmi "obese" (body fat 44% "poor")
Today: Nov 16, 2010  148.2 lbs 21.88 bmi "normal" (body fat 20.9% "excellent")

119.8 lbs down

Only 1.2 lbs 'til goal #6 :)

GOALS REVIEW...
1st goal: (lose 65lbs) 203 lbs 29.98 bmi "overweight" ACHIEVED Jan 17, 2010
2nd goal: (lose 99lbs) 169 lbs 24.96 bmi "healthy" ACHIEVED Jun 9, 2010
3rd goal: Achieve "Very Good/Fit" body fat % (22%-<26%) ACHIEVED Jul 16, 2010
4th goal: (lose 111 lbs) 157 lbs 23.18 bmi (Curves 100 lb Club) ACHIEVED Sep 6, 2010
5th goal: Achieve "Excellent" body fat % (<22%) ACHIEVED Oct 16, 2010
6th goal: (lose 121 lbs) 147 lbs 21.71 bmi by Dec 2010
7th goal: Achieve "Superior" body fat % (<19%)
8th goal: Join the National Weight Control Registry by Dec 2011 

PLANS/GUIDELINES...
1. Never Skip Breakfast! (well-balanced & trying for 1/3 of my daily calories before noon)
2. take good nutritional supplements every day
3. eat 5-9 servings of fruits and veggies per day or more :)
4. eat at least 25g of fiber per day (try to get above 50g)
5. continue Curves 3 times per week
6. Water Only, when out to eat... and min of 64 oz water each day... can you get to 128 oz?
7. Daily monitoring myself with FitClick.com
8. Follow Curves Weight Management calorie phases (max out phase 3!)
9. Daily calories are never less than 1200 (except for prayer & fasting days)
10. Spend no more than 7 consecutive days at less than 1500 calories.
11. Limit eating after 7:00pm (or within 3 hrs of bedtime)
12. Be accountable to someone (person or group) and report status monthly.

Convenience Store Diet

Did you hear or read the story about the college nutrition professor who went on a 2-month "Convenience Store Diet" and lost weight?

Story Highlights...

• Nutrition professor's "convenience store diet" helped him shed 27 pounds (went from an "overweight" BMI designation to "Normal")
• Haub limited himself to 1,800 calories and two-thirds come from junk food
• Haub said it's too early to draw any conclusions about diet

Full Story at CNN

You can see the full details of Prof Haubs Diet Experiments on Facebook.

I read the full story and crunched some numbers from his Facebook postings.  I was really interested in body composition.  How much fat vs. muscle did he lose?

According to the data on Facebook...

Starting... 200.8 lbs     33.4% fat = 67.07 lbs     lean = 133.73 lbs
Ending.....174.2 lbs     24.9% fat = 43.38 lbs     lean = 130.82 lbs


Lost..........26.6 lbs       8.5% fat     23.69 fat lbs     2.91 lean lbs   


That means that 89% of the weight he lost was fat lbs!  I was impressed by that number.  That is better than mine.

Things to take away from this...

• He kept a detailed account of everything he ate (food journal)
• He stayed at healthy target calorie deficit for the entire time (not 'cheating' or 'starvation')
• He took vitamin supplements everyday
• He drank a protein shake everyday
• He ate vegetables everyday
• 1/3 of his daily calories were NOT junk food

This follows what I advise most people to do when they want to start making healthy lifestyle changes...
you don't necessarily have to change everything you eat to begin making changes.
Eat what you like... don't change a thing... just weigh and measure every bite accurately and RECORD IT!  Restrict your portions/calories to a healthy DEFICIT.

This is how I started... and when found that I was still hungry at the end of the day or just wanted more food I began to learn how to make (higher fiber, lower fat) choices that would be more filling AND allow bigger portions for the same calories.

If you love junk food, you can still lose weight!  You just have to keep track of the calories!!!

See Tom Venuto's thoughts on this.

Stages of Change

James O. Prochaska, Ph.D. along with J. O. Norcross and J. C. Diclemente are the originators of the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change sometimes called the "Stages of Change."

These are the 6 stages that the model identifies...

Precontemplation - Contemplation - Preparation - Action - Maintenance - Termination

I first read about these stages after I had already entered into stage 4 (action). I was fascinated by how well the descriptions of the earlier stages really matched with my thinking in the months before my healthy lifestyle changes began.  It was reassuring to see research that so well explained the process I had been going through and it gave me some structure and confidence in defining my plan and goals.

I was in Precontemplation for years. I believe I was in Contemplation from November of 2008 until April or May of 2009. That is probably when I entered the Preparation stage. Of course Action stage started for me on June 3, 2009. I believe I am currently in a transition from Action to Maintenance. My Maintenance stage may last for the rest of my life as I don't know if I can ever say that I would be totally 'cured' of my food issues. Achieving Termination stage would be a true miracle because it would mean that I could maintain a healthy lifestyle without any real effort or planning... it would be ingrained in me... my very nature!

The description of the changes are taken from the book Changing for Good.

Precontemplation - "People at this stage usually have no intention of changing their behavior, and typically deny having a problem. Although their families, friends, neighbors, doctors, or co-workers can see the problem quite clearly, the typical precontemplator can't."

Precontemplators resist change. They may change if there is enough constant external pressure, but once the pressure is removed, they quickly revert. Precontemplators are often demoralized and don't want to think about their problem because they feel that the situation is hopeless. "There is certain comfort in recognizing that demoralization is a natural feeling that accompanies this stage-and in realizing that if you take yourself systematically through all the stages of change, you can change."

Contemplation - "I want to stop feeling so stuck. Those simple words are typical of contemplators. In the contemplation stage, people acknowledge that they have a problem and begin to think seriously about solving it. Contemplators struggle to understand their problem, see its causes, and begin to wonder about possible solutions."

However, while people in this stage may have vague plans to make changes, they are often not ready to take action yet. Many people remain in the contemplation stage for years.

Preparation - "Most people in the preparation stage are planning to make changes within the next month. An important first step is to make their intention public. "But although those in the preparation stage are committed to action, and may appear ready, they have not necessarily resolved their ambivalence. They may still need to convince themselves that this is the best step.

This last-minute resolution is necessary. People who cut the preparation stage short lower their chances of success. It is important to develop a firm, detailed scheme for action to carry you through.

Action - "The action stage is the one in which people most overtly modify their behavior and surroundings. They stop smoking, remove all desserts from the house, pour the last beer down the drain, or confront their fears. In short, they make the move for which they have been preparing.

Action is the most obviously busy period, and the one that requires the greatest commitment of time and energy. Changes made during the action stage are more visible to others than those made during other stages."

It is important to realize that, while the action stage is the one that usually receives the most amount of recognition, it is not the only stage during which you can make progress toward overcoming your problem.

Maintenance - "In the maintenance stage, you consolidate the gains you made in the action stage and work to prevent relapses.

This stage is a long, ongoing, and critically important process. We all know someone who lost many pounds on a diet, but regained them all in a few months. Successful maintenance requires active alertness.

Termination - "The termination stage is the ultimate goal. Here, your former addiction or problem will no longer present any temptation or threat. You will not need to make any further effort and will exit the cycle of change.

However, some experts believe that certain problems cannot be terminated but only kept at bay.

Prochaska, J.O., Norcross, J.C., Diclemente, C.C. (1994). Changing for Good. New York: Avon Books.

James Prochaska founded pro-change behavior systems, inc. where you can find more information about the Transtheoretical Model.

Other commentaries on this research...
Promoting Health Behavior Change. ERIC Digest.
Stages of Readiness for Change - University of Minnesota

The Vitamin C Controversy

In addition to Vitamin C I get from my daily multi-vitamins and food, I take an additional 2000mg (2g) via chewable C everyday.  This practice is controversial and I wanted to share some of the links that have brought me to the conclusion that more Vitamin C is better for me.

Beware!  The information in these links challenges the 'conventional wisdom' about Vitamin C dosage and the government's recommendation of 75 mg per day...

"The Vitamin C Fanatics Were Right All Along"

"Are There Safer Ways to Kill Cancer Cells?"

"New antioxidant vitamin "RDAs" better, but not good enough"

Will Overloading on Vitamin C Give Me Kidney Stones?

The Vitamin C Foundation

 Vitamin C Foundation recommended RDA

Surefire Cures for the Common Cold or Flu

Liquid Calories ("Inspired Shakes" might be worth it!)

From the beginning of my journey, one of the first changes I made was to eliminate most (if not all) calories from fluids.  Here is some of my rationale...

• calories in drinks are usually 'empty' (no nutritional value)
• the act of chewing is satisfying 
• I tend to gulp when I drink and not savor like I do when I eat solid food
• I relate drinking with 'thirst' not with 'hunger'

I have had an occasional smoothie.  And I did sample the soda/pop (not diet) at the World of Coke in Atlanta during our vacation... but that is pretty much it.

I just read an article by a FitClick friend that might change my mind about the occasional 'liquid treat' or even meal.  I wanted to share it...
"Inspired Shakes" by Paula.

Recipe for Healthy Homemade Instant Oatmeal

Single Serve Oatmeal w/ blueberries Preparation time:   1 mins Cooking time:   1 mins Makes 1 serving

1/4  cup Quick Oats 1/4  tsp. Ground Cinnamon 1/4  tsp. Brown Sugar-packed 1  packet Stevia in the Raw 1  dash Sea Salt 1/4  cup Frozen Blueberries 1  cup Water 3  dashes Ground Allspice

Start a tea kettle with tap water on a stove burner. Combine oats, cinnamon, brown sugar, stevia, salt and all-spice in a microwave safe bowl. (These ingredients could be pre-measured and stored in zip top bags as 'instant oatmeal packs') Add 1/2 cup of cold tap water to dry ingredients and microwave on high for 1 minute. (make sure that the bowl is big enough and watch carefully for spill over) Remove from microwave and stir. Add frozen blueberries and up to 1/2 cup very hot/boiling water for desired consistency. Stir and Serve. use this nutrition info if you substitute 1/2 oz raisins for the blueberries

Move to Blogger

I have just put all of my journal entries and fitness updates from the past 18 months into my new Blog here.  The early entries were from the Healthy Lifestyles Yahoo Group at New Song Community Church.  More recent entries were blogged at FitClick.com.  I have been thinking about a way to consolidate all my journaling for easier reference and Blogger just might be the answer! :)

I am still very active at FitClick and will probably duplicate blog entries there as well unless I find a good way to link to this blog from there.

October Update & Speaking at Curves

*************Posted_on_the_wall_at_my_Curves*******************

SPEAKING THIS WEEK...
The owner of my Curves has asked me to come and speak about my weight-loss journey this Thursday at 7 pm.  Anyone and everyone is invited and welcome to attend whether you are a member at Curves or not.  I will be sharing some of my back story and plan to address some emotional and spiritual barriers to success.  Of course we will also talk about practical diet and exercise tips.  Please come if you can!
Curves - 2nd floor Mt. Lebanon Shops
Mt. Lebanon Blvd.
Thursday October 21
7 pm

September's Storm Damage
In last month's update I told you about the storm we had and the power outage.  Our school district canceled school for one day because of the danger to the children walking to school around all the downed power lines.  The high-school stadium was without power so the scheduled "home" game was hosted by another nearby district.  We were without power to our house for 50 hours.  The whole event was quite an adventure and had the entire community working together to get back to 'normal.'

PHASE 3 REVELATIONS...
On Sept 28th I started a 1-month phase of metabolic recovery/weight maintenance.  The goal is to get my daily calories over 2000 (while still eating balanced and healthy) and slowly allow myself to gain 3 lbs.  After a 3 lb gain, spend a day or 2 at restricted (1200-1499) calories until those 3 lbs are recovered.  Then back to over 2000 calories for another slow 3 lb gain or until Oct 28th (30 days).  In the Curves Weight Management Plan this is called "Phase 3."  This is the first time that I am FULLY allowing myself to do Phase3 as prescribed.  I always chickened out in the past and cut it short when I saw a small gain or got impatient to return to weight-loss-mode.  This time I committed myself to really maxing out the process and testing its potential to boost the fat loss on my next Phase1&2 cycle.  Here are the stats so far... It took me 16 days to gain 3 lbs over my previous low of 153.6.  I then spent 2 days at about 1300 cals and reached a new low of 152.2.  Now I am on day 21 and weighed-in this morning at 153.6.
Average daily calories over the first 20 days of this Phase3:  2122.
So my weight is exactly the same today as it was at my September update and I am really excited about what I have been learning!  I am planning a blog entry that will document the results of the entire 30 days.

NATIONAL WEIGHT CONTROL REGISTRY...
I have added a 7th Goal to my goal list below.  "Join the National Weight Control Registry (NWCR) by Dec 2011"  The NWCR is tracking over 5000 individauls who have lost significant amounts of weight and kept it off for long periods of time.  Recruitment into the registry is ongoing.  I am adding this goal for extra incentive to maintain my weight loss!

WEIGHT LOSS STATUS...

Started: June 3, 2009  268.0 lbs 39.58 bmi "obese" (body fat 44% "poor")
Today: Oct 18, 2010  153.6 lbs 22.68 bmi "normal" (body fat 22.9% "very good")

114.4 lbs down

still only 6.6 lbs 'til goal #5 :)

GOALS REVIEW...
1st goal: (lose 65lbs) 203 lbs 29.98 bmi "overweight" ACHIEVED Jan 17, 2010
2nd goal: (lose 99lbs) 169 lbs 24.96 bmi "healthy" ACHIEVED Jun 9, 2010
3rd goal: Achieve "Very Good/Fit" body fat % (22%-<26%) ACHEIVED Jul 16, 2010
4th goal: (lose 111 lbs) 157 lbs 23.18 bmi (Curves 100 lb Club) ACHEIVED Sep 6, 2010
5th goal: (lose 121lbs) 147 lbs 21.71 bmi by Dec 2010
6th goal: Achieve "Excellent" body fat % (<22%)
7th goal: Join the National Weight Control Registry by Dec 2011 

PLANS/GUIDELINES...
1. Never Skip Breakfast! (well-balanced & trying for 1/3 of my daily calories before noon)
2. take good nutritional supplements every day
3. eat 5-9 servings of fruits and veggies per day or more :)
4. eat at least 25g of fiber per day (try to get above 50g)
5. continue Curves 3 times per week
6. Water Only, when out to eat... and min of 64 oz water each day... can you get to 128 oz?
7. Daily monitoring myself with FitClick.com
8. Follow Curves Weight Management calorie phases (max out phase 3!)
9. Daily calories are never less than 1200 (except for prayer & fasting days)
10. Spend no more than 7 consecutive days at less than 1500 calories.
11. Limit eating after 7:00pm (or within 3 hrs of bedtime)
12. Be accountable to someone (person or group) and report status monthly.

Phase 3 (Maintenance) Mindset

Today I need to remind myself of some basics.  I need to see the bigger picture and remember that the finish line is months away and that this is not a sprint but a steady march with a strategy to get there.  So I write this to put my mind in the right place.

I weigh myself every morning.  This is a good thing for me.  When the number is a little lower than yesterday there is a mini party in my dressing room :).  If it isn't lower I don't go into a major depression or anything.  I understand that it can't go down everyday.  The line on the weight loss chart is not smooth and steady.  It is jagged, with spikes and plateaus.  But I get used to the anticipation every morning that it might be just a little lower today :).

Enter PHASE 3.  When I do phase 3, I increase my calories everyday to eliminate the calorie deficit, get my body used to 'normal' caloric intake and kick up my metabolism.  Phase 3 is the key to continued successful fat loss and ultimately successful weight maintenance.  This is wonderful and it is fun to add a little bit more to my eating plan!

The problem is in that morning weigh-in time.  Changing my mind from anticipating a possible weight loss to wanting a maintenance number or even a slight gain is difficult.  So begins my selftalk:  "It is good to maintain, it is good to maintain, it is good to maintain."

By Christmas I hope to reach my goal weight and focus on body composition (body fat % vs lean mass).  At that point I will, hopefully, be building more in muscle weight than losing in fat weight.  If the number on the scale goes up but the body fat % goes down, THAT should be cause for the mini celebrations!

I am beginning NOW to change my mindset!

"It is good to maintain, it is good to maintain, it is good to maintain."

September Update - Curves 100 lb Club!

Time for a status update!  Life is a little crazy today because of a violent storm that ripped through my neighborhood yesterday afternoon.  Hundreds of line poles and trees snapped all over town making havoc out of rush hour traffic.  No phones or electricity and, of course, no internet.  (My Thursday morning Samba class at Curves was canceled!)  We still have water and the hot water heater seems to be working.  I can also get the stove to work with a match :)  Some of the power has been restored around town but my street is still out.  Reports say power may be back today... maybe not 'til Sunday.  So I have trekked out of the 'disaster' area to find modern conveniences... like FitClick :)

With fall and the return of my kids to school my daily routines have stabilized and weight loss (which had slowed tremendously over the summer) is getting back on track.  In fact, I reached goal number 4 and now qualify for the "100 Pound Club" at Curves!  WooHoo!

While reviewing my plans/guidelines this month I realized that feeling accountable to someone and having a regular status report is a major element in my success.  I have added this as #12 in my guideline list at the end of the blog.

Stuff I am loving right now...

** Curves Weight Management Group at FitClick... because the CurvesComplete site is going away, lots of Curves ladies have been coming to FitClick.  This new group of active FitClick users has boosted my enthusiasm!  Thanks to all my new friends and fellow 'curvies' for adding a new dimension to my journey!

** JIF Natural Peanut Butter... I had given up peanut butter entirely because of the hydrogenated oils.  My quest to boost my calories from good fat brought me to walnuts as I mentioned in my August update.  Still looking for more options I started looking into natural versions of peanut butter and found mixed reviews online.  On my next grocery trip I read every natural peanut butter label.  Jif Natural uses molasses instead of honey and the label indicated that it doesn't separate or need refrigeration (2 big problems with most natural peanut butters).  I brought it home to try it and absolutely LOVE IT!  My kids love it too... bonus!  It is now my 'X factor' for making sure I get enough fat in my daily diet.  At the end of each day I calculate how many grams it will take to bring my fat number up high enough and then enjoy peanut butter heaven with no guilt :)

** My 'Everything' Salad... almost daily I enjoy this huge salad which has evolved into what some people think is a insane combination of ingredients.  It is balanced, filling and satisfying.  There are 10 ingredients: leaf spinach, tuna (small can), yellow bell peppers, red onions, tomato, black beans (1/4 cup), raisins (1/2 oz), walnuts (1/2 oz), 1 diced small apple & fat free Italian dressing (2T).  I don't get tired of it.  In fact, on days that I don't have it, I miss it and crave it!

WEIGHT LOSS STAUTS...

Started: June 3 2009  268.0 lbs 39.58 bmi "obese" (body fat 44% "poor")
Today: Sept 23 2010  153.6 lbs 22.68 bmi "normal" (body fat 23.0% "very good")

114.4 lbs down!

only 6.6 lbs 'til goal #5 :)

GOALS REVIEW...
1st goal (lose 65lbs) 203 lbs 29.98 bmi "overweight" ACHIEVED Jan 17, 2010
2nd goal (lose 99lbs) 169 lbs 24.96 bmi "healthy" ACHIEVED Jun 9, 2010
3rd goal achieve "Very Good/Fit" body fat % (22%-<26%) ACHEIVED Jul 16, 2010
4th goal (lose 111 lbs) 157 lbs 23.18 bmi (Curves 100 lb Club) ACHEIVED Sep 6, 2010

5th goal (lose 121lbs) 147 lbs 21.71 bmi by Dec 2010

6th goal achieve "Excellent" body fat % (<22%)

PLANS/GUIDELINES...

1. Never Skip Breakfast! (well-balanced & trying for 1/3 of my daily calories before noon)
2. take good nutritional supplements every day
3. eat 5-9 servings of fruits and veggies per day
4. eat at least 25g of fiber per day (try to get above 50g)
5. continue Curves 3 times per week
6. Water only when out to eat... and min of 64 oz water each day... can you get to 128 oz?
7. Daily monitoring myself with FitClick.com
8. Follow Curves Weight Management calorie phases
9. Daily calories are never less than 1200 (except for prayer & fasting days)
10. Spend no more than 7 consecutive days at less than 1500 calories.
11. Limit eating after 7:00pm (or within 3 hrs of bedtime)
12. Be accountable to someone (person or group) and report status monthly

August Update & Summer Reflections

Summer is almost over... the kids go back to school on Monday... it is bitter-sweet.  We had a great time this summer and part of me doesn't want it to end but I am looking forward to getting back into regular work, eat, exercise routine.  The kids will benefit from a return to the normal routine as well.  Matthew goes to the high-school this year and his year has already started with 2 weeks of band camp under his belt and he has already been in 2 band performances.

The summer has been a real challenge to my eating and will power.  I have lost very little since my last update but at least I have lost.  There were several bounces up on the scale due to the lack of routine in July and August.  12 days on vacation, Christening party, church picnic, Kennywood, Red Robin fries, etc... you get the picture.  After each bounce up, returning to my normal plan allowed me to recover in time for the next bounce.  I am glad to have hit a new low today :)

I am only 3 lbs away from goal #4 below but at the rate I am losing, it might take a while.  I am so close to my goal now that I realize each pound is a major achievement.  Losing 1 lb now is like losing 10 lbs when I first started.

Stuff I am loving right now...
     *  Walnuts... I needed to add more good fat to my diet and I am really enjoying them.  I add 1/2 oz to my daily salad.  It adds a new dimension to the flavors.
     *  Chewable Vitamin C... I was reading about research on vitamin C and prevention of flu, colds, cancer and other ailments... The Vitamin C Fanatics Were Right All Along.  So I went on a search for a good supplement and found Nature Made Chewable Vitamin C at Wal*Mart.  This brand has no artificial sweeteners.  I am going to have the kids take it with me and maybe we can avoid some back-to-school bugs.  I like it chewable because I swallow so many supplements already it is nice to be able to chew these... they are yummy too, sort of a treat to eat :)

Weight loss status...

Started June 3 2009  268.0 lbs 39.58 bmi "obese" (body fat 44% "poor")
Today   August 26 2010  160.2 lbs 23.66 bmi "normal" (body fat 24.9% "very good")

107.8 lbs down!

GOALS REVIEW...
1st goal (lose 65lbs) 203 lbs 29.98 bmi "overweight" ACHIEVED Jan 17, 2010
2nd goal (lose 99lbs) 169 lbs 24.96 bmi "healthy" ACHIEVED Jun 9, 2010
3rd goal achieve "Very Good/Fit" body fat % (22%-<26%) ACHEIVED Jul 16, 2010

4th goal (lose 111 lbs) 157 lbs 23.18 bmi (qualify for the 100 lb Club at Curves) by fall 2010

5th goal (lose 121lbs) 147 lbs 21.71 bmi by Dec 2010

6th goal achieve "Excellent" body fat % (<22%)

PLANS/GUIDELINES...

1. Never Skip Breakfast! (well-balanced & trying for 1/3 of my daily calories before noon)
2. take good nutritional supplements every day
3. eat 5-9 servings of fruits and veggies per day
4. eat at least 25 g of fiber per day
5. continue Curves 3 times per week
6. Water only when out to eat... and minimum of 64 oz water each day... can you get to 128 oz?
7. Daily monitoring myself with FitClick.com
8. Follow Curves Weight Management calorie phases
9. Daily calories are never less than 1200
10. Spend no more than 7 consecutive days at less than 1500 calories.
11. Limit eating after 7:00pm (or within 3 hrs of bedtime)

(This list does not apply when fasting for reasons of a Spiritual nature!)

July Update & Body Fat is "Very Good"

According to the numbers, I have had a really good month.  It surprises me a little because I can go for days with little change (and sometimes some gains) before I have a breakthrough.  The overall trend is in a good direction so the plan must be working. :)

I achieved "Goal 5" today.  My body fat % is now in the "Very Good" range :)

I have added some new items to my "plan" (9 & 10 at the end of the post).  I am more and more convinced from my experiences and research that IF I am eating a really healthy, well-balanced diet where my Carb/Prot/Fat ratios are good, the sodium is under control, the added sugars are low and fiber is high THEN relatively more calories are better than less.  One new guideline is "daily calories are never less than 1200."  The corollary to this is "Never spend more than 7 consecutive days at less than 1500 calories."  For these guidelines I am using my "adjusted" calories number.  This is the number after I have subtracted any "free" calories.  I use the Weight Watchers and Curves "Free Foods" lists to determine my free calories.

As I cycle through the phases I am using these calorie ranges...

Phase 1 = 1200 - 1500 adjusted calories/day
7 days at Phase 1

Phase 2 = 1500 - 1950 adjusted calories/day (aim for at least 1600)
23 days at Phase 2

Phase 3 = 1950 - 2500 adjusted calories/day (aim for at least 2100)
30 days at Phase 3

If I gain 3 lbs during Phase 3 (doesn't happen often) then I switch to Phase 1 (or 2) just for a day or two to recover and then switch back to finish Phase 3.

Stuff I am loving right now...
     *  Went to Red Robin during their "Training/Preview" week.  Of course I researched exactly what I would order (on their website) before I got there :)  Mmmmmm it was delicious AND FREE :)
     *  Schwebel's "Lite" Whole Wheat Bread (also a Giant Eagle brand version)... 35 calories per slice!  I am enjoying a slice of toast with my egg every morning :)
     *  Aldi's Fit & Active Turkey Bacon... 30 calories per slice.  I have 2 of these every morning as well :) 
     *  I am loving many things Aldis right now.  I am trying to switch as much of my grocery list to the Aldi's brands as I can.  Our cat is loving the food (dry & canned) and I am finding that most of the products are as good or better than the brands I am switching from.
     *  Nutrition Label/Ingredients List reading... I know, I know, sounds boring... BUT look for the words "partially hydrogenated" or "hydrogenated"... it is amazing how often you find it... It means that there are TRANS FATS in the food... even if Trans Fats is listed as 0 per serving.  RDA says we should have less than 2 g of Trans Fat per day.... many experts say we should have 0.00 g per day.

Weight loss status...

Started June 3 2009  268.0 lbs 39.58 bmi "obese" (body fat 44% "poor")
Today   July 16 2010  161.6 lbs 23.86 bmi "normal" (body fat 25.9% "very good")

106.4 lbs down!

GOALS REVIEW (updated)...
1st goal (lose 65lbs) 203 lbs 29.98 bmi "overweight" ACHIEVED Jan 17, 2010
2nd goal (lose 99lbs) 169 lbs 24.96 bmi "healthy" ACHIEVED Jun 9, 2010
3rd goal (lose 111 lbs) 157 lbs 23.18 bmi (qualify for the 100 lb Club at Curves) by fall 2010
4th goal (lose 121lbs) 147 lbs 21.71 bmi by Dec 2010
5th goal achieve "Very Good/Fit" body fat % (22%-<26%) ACHEIVED Jul 16, 2010
6th goal achieve "Excellent" body fat % (<22%)

PLANS/GUIDELINES... (UPDATED)

1. Never Skip Breakfast! (well-balanced & trying for 1/3 of my daily calories before noon)
2. take good nutritional supplements every day
3. eat 5-9 servings of fruits and veggies per day
4. eat at least 25 g of fiber per day
5. continue Curves 3 times per week
6. Water only when out to eat... and minimum of 64 oz water each day... can you get to 128 oz?
7. Daily monitoring myself with FitClick.com
8. Follow Curves Weight Management calorie phases
9. Daily calories are never less than 1200
10. Spend no more than 7 consecutive days at less than 1500 calories.
11. Limit eating after 7:00pm (or within 3 hrs of bedtime)

(This list does not apply when fasting for reasons of a Spiritual nature!)

Any friends wanting to hold me accountable to my guidelines, or if you are just curious about what I eat... I log all my food at FitClick.com.  You can friend me there and make a "Watch List" to view my food & exercise entries.

June Update & "Normal" BMI Acheived!

I am doing my June update today because this morning I reached goal #2 !!!  I am very excited because now my BMI is finally in the 'normal/healthy' range :) YAY!

I am still following my plan and it really feels like it is becoming a life-style... It is over a year now of making small (and some big) changes a little at a time.  I think the length of time this is taking me is really key to helping the changes be permanent.

I have mentioned this before but I am still getting used to how my body's response to calorie restrictions has changed.  For a long time (over 10 months), I simply restricted calories (as much as I wanted to) and I lost weight.  The equation was simple... eat less=lose weight, eat more=gain weight.  Now when I restrict calories too much, I gain weight.  The challenge for the last couple months has been to get calories up while still keeping sugar, sodium, saturated fat & complex carbs under control.  I am learning a new balance.

As I posted before, I have purged my closet.  This was an emotional experience.  I knew it would be hard but even I am a little surprised at my mental reaction and how long it is taking me to feel OK with the release.  The mental aspects of this whole experience are the biggest challenge.

Stuff I am loving right now...
     *  Subway Orchard Chicken Salad... yum yum :)
     *  Aldi's frozen berries... really good, all natural,
            much less expensive than other stores. (I eat lots of berries)
     *  SoBe lifewater zero has new 'energy' flavors with B-complex vitamins :)
     *  Vitamin Water has zero calorie flavors with NO SODIUM :)
     *  Making homemade chicken quesadilla... Oh my, how yummy!
     *  Making homemade oatmeal instead of using instant packets.
            a fraction of the cost & less than 100 calories per serving
            & less sugar, sodium & no artificial nastiness.

Here is my oatmeal recipe (I might double this recipe for higher calorie days)...
     1/4 cup  quick oats
     1/4 tsp  dark brown sugar
     1/4 tsp  cinnamon
     several dashes all-spice
     1/8 tsp  sea salt
     1 pkt     Stevia in the Raw (or Truvia or Purevia)
     1 cup     water
     1/4 cup  frozen blueberries
Combine oats, sugar, cinnamon, all-spice, salt, stevia & 1/2 cup water in a microwave cup/bowl.  Microwave 1 minute (watch for boil over).  Remove from microwave.  Add blueberries.  Stir.  Add up to 1/2 cup very hot/boiling water while stirring for desired thickness.

Here is the nutrition info...  
(compare to an instant oatmeal packet)

Calories 98            Calories from Fat  20
                                       % Daily Value
Total Fat                    2g     3%
   Saturated Fat           0g     0%
   Trans Fat                 0g     
Cholesterol                0mg     0%
Sodium                  16mg      1%
Total Carbohydrate     20g     7%
   Dietary Fiber            3g     12%
   Sugars                    5g     
Protein                       3g      6%
Vitamin A                (IU) 2     0%
Vitamin C                   1mg     2%
Calcium                      9mg     1%
Iron                           1mg     6%

Weight loss status...

Started June 3 2009  268.0 lbs 39.58 bmi "obese" (body fat 44% "poor")
Today   June 9 2010  169.0 lbs 24.96 bmi "normal" (body fat 27.8% "good")

99 lbs down!

GOALS REVIEW (updated)...
1st goal (lose 65lbs) 203 lbs 29.98 bmi "overweight" ACHIEVED Jan 17, 2010
2nd goal (lose 99lbs) 169 lbs 24.96 bmi "healthy" ACHIEVED Jun 9, 2010
3rd goal (lose 111 lbs) 157 lbs 23.18 bmi (qualify for the 100 lb Club at Curves) by fall 2010
4th goal (lose 121lbs) 147 lbs 21.71 bmi by Dec 2010
5th goal achieve "Very Good/Fit" body fat % (22%-26%)
6th goal achieve "Excellent" body fat % (<22%)

PLANS/GUIDELINES...

1. Never Skip Breakfast! (well-balanced & trying for 1/3 of my daily calories before noon)
2. take good nutritional supplements every day
3. eat 5-9 servings of fruits and veggies per day
4. eat at least 25 g of fiber per day
5. continue Curves 3 times per week
6. Water only when out to eat... and minimum of 64 oz water each day
7. Daily monitoring myself with Fitclick.com
8. Follow Curves Weight Management calorie phases
9. no eating after 7:00pm (with a few exceptions)

Letting Go

I finally went shopping and have clothes that fit and enough of them that I don't feel like I am wearing the same thing everyday :)

I needed to make room in my overstuffed closet to house these new items.  The problem then becomes my hoarding tendencies (Mom's voice in my head), my fear of change and not wanting to letting go of the past.  This kind of problem can be huge for me, because if I get "stuck" on something like this I know it adversely effects all other aspects of my life.

On Monday my mother-in-law, Patty, helped me sort through every item of clothing that I have accumulated in my adult life.  Close to 20 years of wardrobe that is now 8-12 sizes too big.  TRASH - GOODWILL - CONSIGN... three 'piles' that we carefully sorted into.  We ended up with 5 large trash bags for Goodwill, 4 large trash bags for the garbage man, and a small hall closet full of nicer items to be taken to the consignment shop.

Most people think this must be a thrilling process for me.  I think I might be crazy because it is really hard and even painful for me to release so much of my past (it feels like part of me) all at once.  I am forcing myself to do it though.  Even though it feels painful, I know it is good for me.  I could end up drowning in the physical accumulations of my life if I don't release it.  I have released the extra body fat and now I must release the clothes as well.  I must make room for the new me and the new clothes.  That means letting go of the baggage.  Letting go of all the "fat" clothes is really a metaphore for letting go of emotional baggage.

Adjustments that Work (or are all calories created equal?)

I am working on coming up with the right "formula" for me.  I believe the Curves Weight Management calorie phases is the correct starting point but I am more comfortable tracking my nutrition on FitClick than exclusively using the exchanges and menus in the Curves book.  I am using some of the recipes in the book but I am just tracking them in the FitClick food journal instead of using the Curves exchange system.

What I am learning is that because of my difference in tracking method, I actually need to eat a little more that I thought.  Curves makes it clear that it can be adverse to your health, metabolism, and weight loss to eat less than 1200 calories in a day.  When you do plan to consume only 1200 calories, you should do so for no more that 7 days straight (phase 1).  After that, bumping calories up to at least 1500 calories per day should protect muscle and metabolism while still losing weight (phase 2).  I found that following these guidelines with my method of tracking calories I would plateau and/or have slight gains in phase 2.  Not good.  This probably indicates that my metabolism is slowing.

After attending the Weight Management class and further study of the book, I realized that I was not taking their "Free" foods into account.  I analyzed my last month of food and found an average of 143 calories of "Free" food per day with some days getting above 250 calories of "Free" food.  When I subtract the "Free" calories from my tracked calories, the adjusted calories are way too low.  So when I thought I was eating at a Phase 1 calorie level I was actually under eating.  When I thought I was at Phase 2, I was actually eating closer to Phase 1.  I spent 11 days with my "adjusted" calories under 1500 (too long!).  During the first 5 days I lost 3.2 lbs and over the next 6 days I gained one pound back.

On day 12 I started adjusting for the "Free" calories and spent 4 days with adjusted calories over 1500.  After those 4 days I lost the gained pound plus another 0.8.

That brings me to today.  This will be my 5th day adjusting my calories by taking "Free" foods into account.  I am currently in Phase 2 and am trying to get my adjusted calories between 1500 and 1600.  In about 2 weeks I plan to switch to Phase 3 for up to a month when I will try to get my adjusted calories between 2000 and 2500.  Then back to Phase 1.

Are all calories created equal?  I am not a nutritionist, so I don't know all the science.  My experience so far has taught me that when I am eating lots of super healthy ("free") foods that I should err on the side of a few more calories than a few less.

May Update & Curves Weight Management Plan

As I mentioned in the last post, weight loss had slowed down for me in April.  As this happened I responded by cutting more calories and exercise more.  Then I would gain weight!  Argh!  Over a couple of weeks this was the pattern.  I got my daily calories to less than 1000 per day and was actually gaining weight.

My trainer at Curves thought that my metabolism was slowing down and my body was going into 'starvation mode' in response to my continual low caloric intake.  She convinced me to try to eat 2000 calories that day and continue at at least 2000 calories until my metabolism was 'reset.'

That day I got my calories up to 1868.  When I stepped on my scale the next morning I dropped .8 lbs!  That day I ate 2020 calories and next morning was down another 1.4 lbs.  That day 2035 calories, next morning dropped 1.8 lbs.  I continued to eat at least 2000 per day for a total of 14 days.  By the end of those 2 weeks I stopped dropping the pounds but didn't gain any back.

This was enough to convince me to follow the Curves Weight Management Plan calorie shifting guidelines.  I am doing "Phase 1" right now which has me eating 1200 calories per day for 7 days.  Then "Phase 2" will be 1500 calories per day for 23 days.  Finally back to "Phase 3" which is 2000-2500 calories per day for 14-30 days.  Then cycle back to Phase 1 and continue this pattern until I reach my goal.  This should prevent unwanted plateaus and keep my metabolism up.

When I reach my goal, I can live at Phase 3 full time and only temporarily shift to Phase 1 if I gain 3 lbs.

I know that the thought of keeping track of calories like this might be overwhelming to some of you but I have been journaling my food for almost a year now and I am really used to it.  Following these guidelines isn't adding any new difficulty to what I have been doing.  Though, I believe it is giving me healthier boundaries.

At every Phase I am trying to get the really good food that I have been learning to love and crave :)...  lean meats, bright colored veggies, non-fat yogurt, berries, legumes, etc.

I attended Women of Faith (as most of you know) and had a great time, with no weight gain.  This was during Phase 3 calories so that was a good thing!  I loved eating at Chipotle's for dinner on Friday and was even able to find a delicious and healthy dinner on the Cracker Barrel menu on Saturday.  I had their "North Atlantic Haddock" with carrots and green beans.  It was really good!  As I am writing about it, my mouth is watering :)  This is a far cry from what I used to get at the Cracker Barrel:  Chicken & Dumplings with more Dumplings and Corn on the side... LOL.  It is no mystery as to why I was obese :)

On Friday night at Women of Faith I got to meet Mandisa.  It turned out to be pretty emotional for me because of how God used her testimony in my mental/emotional/spiritual transformation.  Generally I am not big on meeting celebrities or getting autographs but this was truly a special experience for me :)

I also want to mention that I had lunch at Panera with Debbie Evans on Monday.  I had a wonderful time with Debbie!  And was able to eat a yummy lunch that was healthy and within my calorie guidelines (even during Phase 1!).  I really recommend that whenever you plan to dine out, check out the restaurants nutrition info online first.  It really helps to have your plan before you even enter the restaurant :)  Panera's online nutrition tool is really cool.

Weight loss status...

Started June 3       268.0 lbs 39.58 bmi "obese" (body fat 44% "poor")
Today   May 14      174.0 lbs 25.69 bmi "overweight" (body fat 28.9% "fair")

94 lbs down!
(only 5 lbs until goal #2)

GOALS REVIEW (updated)...
1st goal (lose 65lbs) 203 lbs 29.98 bmi "overweight" ACHIEVED Jan 17, 2010
2nd goal (lose 99lbs) 169 lbs 24.96 bmi "healthy" by July 2010
3rd goal (lose 111 lbs) 157 lbs 23.18 bmi (qualify for the 100 lb Club at Curves)
4th goal (lose 121lbs) 147 lbs 21.71 bmi by Dec 2010
5th goal achieve "Very Good/Fit" body fat % (22%-26%)

PLANS/GUIDELINES (added the calorie phases)...

1. Never Skip Breakfast! (well-balanced & trying for 1/3 of my daily calories before noon)
2. take good nutritional supplements every day
3. eat 5-9 servings of fruits and veggies per day
4. eat at least 25 g of fiber per day
5. continue Curves 3 times per week
6. Water only when out to eat... and minimum of 64 oz water each day
7. Daily monitoring myself with Fitclick.com
8. Follow Curves WMP calorie phases
9. no eating after 7:00pm (with a few exceptions)

Breaking a Plateau

During most of April I experienced a slow down of my weight loss.  And spent a period of over 2 weeks with no loss and even some gain, in spite of the fact that I kept lowering my calories and increasing my exercise.  It was maddening.  Arrg!

My trainer at Curves thought that my metabolism was slowing down and my body was going into "starvation mode" as a response to my low caloric intake (I was regularly getting less than 1000 per day) and she encouraged me to up my calories to at least 2000 for an extended period of time.  I knew it was a good idea but it was still scary for me because on the surface it appears to be counterintuituve.

That day I got my calories to 1868 .  At my next morning weigh-in I dropped .8 lbs.  I ate 2020 calories that day and next morning weigh-in I dropped 1.4 lbs.  Then I ate 2035, next morning dropped 1.8 lbs.  This kind of pattern has continued for a week.

I plan on continuing to aim for 2000 (maybe more) for another week (total of 14 days maybe longer).  Then I plan to cycle down to 1200 for 7 days, 1500 for 23 days and then back to 2000 or more for 14-30 days.  This is the pattern for Curves Weight Management plan and I hope that it will prevent a plateau from happening again.

NOTE:  The extra calories I am getting are just more of the same really good healthy choices that I make at the lower calorie levels.  I am just increasing the quantity of that good stuff... lean meat, bright colored veggies, lots of non-fat yogurt, berries, etc.

April Update

Finally, I am getting to my monthly update!  It seems like a long time since the March update and life has been busy.

We received a full diagnosis of Jeff's mass and it appears to be very good.  It is an "extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma."  This basically means ~cancer made of cartilage cells found outside of the skeleton~
It is a very rare tumor that does not respond to chemo or radiation.  It also has a very low rate of returning.  Jeff has to return to the doctor every 3 months for the next 2 years and he needs a leg MRI and chest CAT every 6 months for 2 years.  He must also report any strange lumps or bumps immediately.  This is all very good news.

I gave my testimony at a T.O.P.S. meeting, as planned, on March 18.  It went well.  My weight loss story is based on the ongoing release of my will and my many "issues" to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.  So my speech was as much about my Christian testimony as the nuts and bolts of how I lost the weight.  That part of it made it a Spiritual battle and believe me, Satan really tried to keep me from doing it.  Ha ha!  Satan looses again :)

Weight loss seems to have slowed down a bit.  Not sure if it is slowing down because I am getting closer to my goals or if it is just a temporary thing.  It is hard not to get discouraged when I seem to be doing everything right but don't have the results I expect.  I am not giving up though.  I want these changes to be for a lifetime so in the long run it really doesn't matter how long it takes to get to the goal weights.  Slow progress is still progress :)

I have been trying to add legumes to my regular eating routines.  This has been challenging and fun as I try to think of ways to include them in my existing recipes and finding new meals to try.

We still have tickets to Women of Faith!!  If you are interested in going (or know someone who is) let me know as soon as possible.  It is going to be a great time!

Weight loss status...

Started June 3       268.0 lbs 39.58 bmi "obese" (body fat 44% "poor")
Today   April 23     180.2 lbs 26.61 bmi "overweight" (body fat 30.5% "fair")

87.8 lbs down!
(less than 12 lbs from goal #2)

GOALS REVIEW (updated)...
1st goal (lose 65lbs) 203 lbs 29.98 bmi "overweight" ACHIEVED Jan 17, 2010
2nd goal (lose 99lbs) 169 lbs 24.96 bmi "healthy" by July 2010
3rd goal (lose 111 lbs) 157 lbs 23.18 bmi (qualify for the 100 lb Club at Curves)
4th goal (lose 121lbs) 147 lbs 21.71 bmi by Dec 2010
5th goal achieve "Very Good" body fat % (22%-26%)

PLANS/GUIDELINES...

1. Never Skip Breakfast! (well-balanced & trying for 1/3 of my daily calories before noon)
2. take good nutritional supplements every day
3. eat 5-9 servings of fruits and veggies per day
4. eat at least 25 g of fiber per day
5. continue Curves 3 times per week
6. Water only when out to eat... and minimum of 64 oz water each day
7. Daily monitoring myself with Fitclick.com (maintaining a healthy calorie deficit)
8. no eating after 7:00pm (with a few exceptions)

Speaking Tonight and other important thoughts

My husband, Jeff, is in the hospital.  He had a mass removed from his thigh yesterday and it turned out to be malignant.  We are waiting for results from pathology which will take 5 to 10 days.  Meanwhile Jeff is recovering from the surgery and will hopefully be home tomorrow (Friday) or Saturday.  His treatment will include radiation to the leg area where the mass was removed.  Any other treatment plan will depend on the results of the pathology report and tests which they are running to determine if and where the cancer may have spread.  On the positive side, his surgery went really well and his recovery is progressing faster than expected.  He is up and walking with a cane.  Physical Therapy had him on the stairs and so far his pain is very low.

As you can imagine, with the unexpected diagnoses,  my stress levels are a little higher than usual :)

I am going to fight against the stress and worry and try to continue to take care of myself and "work the plan" in the midst of the battle.

It is time for my monthly update so here goes...

The plan is still working and I continue to make slow steady progress towards my goals.

Tonight I give my testimony and tell my weight loss story to a group of women at a T.O.P.S. meeting.  Janene McDaniels invited me to share months ago and tonight is the scheduled date.  I refuse to let Satan win this battle and silence what God has put on my heart to share!  I have been organizing my thoughts and blogging them.  It is heavy on Jesus and I pray I can be a testimony to His greatness and not my willpower.

Katie has joined me at FitClick in daily updates and food & exercise logging.  I love "meeting" Katie there and hope I am helping her as she is helping me.  It is almost like playing a game as we rack up fitclick "points" and encourage each other's progress :)

I bought a couple new pairs of pants since my last update and also new bras (lol!).  When I went shopping I went to my favorite store, Avenue.  It is a plus store and I have shopped at plus stores and "women's" departments for over 20 years.  Well, I tried on their smallest size, and it was too big!  I had a bittersweet feeling of sadness/joy as I left the store and headed to the misses department of Kohl's.

I purchased a body fat monitor.  It is similar to the one that Curves uses at my monthly weigh and measure.  As I get closer to my weight loss goals I am keeping a close watch on my body fat % (not to be confused with bmi) to make sure that the majority of my weight loss is fat and not lean mass.  When I started at Curves they measured my BF% at 44% - "Poor".  Today it is 32% - "Fair" just a point below "Poor".  "Very Good" for my age would be 22-26%.  This is another long term goal I would like to achieve.

Weight loss status...

Started June 3       268.0 lbs 39.58 bmi "obese"
Today   March 18   185.8 lbs 27.44 bmi "overweight"

82.2 lbs down!
(less than 17 lbs from goal #2)

GOALS REVIEW (updated)...
1st goal (lose 65lbs) 203 lbs 29.98 bmi "overweight" ACHIEVED Jan 17, 2010
2nd goal (lose 99lbs) 169 lbs 24.96 bmi "healthy" by July 2010
3rd goal (lose 111 lbs) 157 lbs 23.18 bmi (qualify for the 100 lb Club at Curves)
4th goal (lose 121lbs) 147 lbs 21.71 bmi by Dec 2010

These are my PLANS/GUIDELINES (just some tweaks to the existing list)...

1. Never Skip Breakfast! (well-balanced & trying for 1/3 of my daily calories before noon)
2. take good nutritional supplements every day
3. eat 5-9 servings of fruits and veggies per day
4. eat at least 25 g of fiber per day
5. continue Curves 3 times per week
6. Water only when out to eat... and minimum of 64 oz water each day
7. Daily monitoring myself with Fitclick.com (maintaining a healthy calorie deficit)
8. no eating after 7:00pm (with a few exceptions)

MY STORY - PART 3: Having a Plan and the Tools to carry it out...

As my thinking became healthier, a desire grew within me to start making healthy changes in my life.  Before I even had any specific goals, I just wanted to start living better and making daily choices that were more in line with the new beliefs that were replacing my old (unhealthy) beliefs.  A desire was growing in me to start some sort of exercising.  This was crazy, because never before in my life could I say that exercise was something I desired to do!  I also had an overall desire to start making changes in my eating.

I didn’t want to make huge changes that I would do for a day or two or maybe even a week and then give up.  I wanted to make small incremental changes that I could live with and that fit my personality.  I needed to understand myself and learn what factors tend to help me succeed at a task.  What things tend to get me off track?  What are my strengths and weaknesses?  What are my default eating patterns?  My list goes something like this…

· I am task oriented.  To-do lists are my friend (when I am disciplined enough to make them)
· I need accountability.  What gets checked gets done.
· I love games and challenges and tend to be competitive.
· I have an “all-or-nothing” personality and tend to see things in black and white.
· I view eating as a social activity and when alone I tend to skip meals or practice mindless eating or eat without a good plan.
· When eating in social environments I tend to overeat, especially if served family style/buffet.
· I love spending time alone and sometimes resist spending time with others.  But time spent with friends really energizes me.
· I love to work on computers and like to use them to simplify and organize my daily tasks.
· I enjoy Facebook and email and other forms of online communication.

This list could go on and on but you get the idea.

I knew instinctively that I would ultimately fail in the long run if I made changes that didn’t work with my personality, take into account my weaknesses and that I could not live with “for the rest of my life.”  As I set up small changes and new guidelines for myself, I would ask myself the question, “can you do this for the rest of your life?”  If the answer was, “no” then I needed to evaluate it again.

I asked my husband if I could join Curves.  My thinking was it was 3 times a week, for about 30 minutes.  That fit in with my personality and I thought it might be just the structured kind of exercise program that I could stay committed to.  He looked at me like I was crazy (we are not the exercising types) and told me that we couldn’t afford it.  I agreed and went on thinking of what other kind of exercise plan would work for me.

Meanwhile, a Healthy Lifestyles support group was starting up at my church that would use Yahoo! Groups to share goals, tips and encouragement.  I decided that it could offer some of the accountability I needed so I joined on June 3, 2009.  This was my opening report:
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As I begin to emerge from a grieving process (that has actually been going on longer than I knew) I see that I need more balance in my life that includes looking out for my physical well being.

One of my issues is "unplanned" fasts because life just gets too busy to stop and eat. Then I end up eating too much when food becomes "available." Long term changes involve eating at closer intervals and learning better portion control. This actually sounds really hard to me... small, more frequent meals?... not how I think about food at all.

I don't want to "crash and burn" so I am starting slow and plan to add more changes to my habits as we progress...

1. Eliminate beverages at restaurants... water only. and more water throughout the day.

2. Long walk (2-3 times a week). I Plan on starting this with my kids when school lets out (June 15).

3. 5 servings of fruits/veggies each day (replacing other choices). Using this discipline to begin to change the way I think about frequency and portions.

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On that day I started to keep an online food journal.

On my birthday (6/11), my husband surprised me with a 2-month gift certificate to Curves.  He said that if I didn’t miss any workouts for 2 months, we could talk about signing me up for a full year membership.  Well, I didn’t miss any and I did sign up for the year.

By June 14th this was my “plan”…
1. Eat 5 servings of fruits and veggies per day
2. Try Curves for the next 2 months and maybe longer after I see how it goes
3. Walk with the kids 1 or 2 times per week all summer
4. Drink water only when out to eat... and more water throughout the day
5. Keep daily food journal and weight log

At this point I started to define my goals.  My start weight was 268 lbs.  “obese”  I determined that for my height 203 lbs is my upper end of “overweight” and 169 lbs is my upper end of “normal weight.”  I made achieving Overweight and Normal weight my long-term goals but not my real focus.  I really wanted to focus on the daily plan and my short-term successes and not get bogged down with how far I had to go.

By August I added another item to my plan: “no eating after 7:00 pm.”  And because the kids were back in school and Curves was working out wonderfully, I dropped the walking.

Every month since then I have reported my progress to my church accountability group and evaluated my plan.  What is working?  What isn’t working?  What have I learned that can help make my plan better?  The list changes a little bit each month.

On January 17th I weighed in at 203 lbs and achieved my first “long-term” goal of dropping my BMI designation from “Obese” to “Overweight.”

This is my current “plan”…
1. Never Skip Breakfast! (Have a good portion of your daily calories here)
2. Take good nutritional supplements every day
3. Eat 5-9 servings of fruits and veggies per day
4. Eat at least 25 grams of fiber per day
5. Continue Curves at least 3 times per week
6. Water only when out to eat... and minimum of 64 oz water each day
7. Maintain daily food journal and weight log (keep a healthy calorie deficit)
8. No eating after 7:00pm (with a few exceptions)

Today I weighed in at 186 lbs and I’m 17 lbs away from my 2nd long-term goal of dropping my BMI into the “Normal” range.

MY STORY - PART 2: Success Starts in the Mind!

I was not ready or able to begin making healthy changes in my life until I started to understand how my thinking was effecting my behavior, my attitude and my choices.  What do you believe about yourself, your abilities, your future, your limitations?  These beliefs create your reality.  Even if you have a belief that is incorrect, that belief will still determine your behavior... probably in ways that are unhealthy.  The process of discovering what you really believe may not be easy.  Many of our beliefs are subconscious, developed over our lifetimes because of our experiences.

When my mother died I began a grieving process that was inevitably one of the healthiest experiences of my life.  Nine months after her death I began to emerge from the depression with new insight into myself and a desire to start making changes.  All of the credit is due to Jesus Christ.  My relationship with Him sustained me and challenged me through the entire process and continues to.

Here are just 3 of the beliefs that I had to confess to (and be truly honest with myself about them) so that I could be free to make effective changes in my behavior...
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UNHEALTHY BELIEF:  Everyone around me is dying... I am losing everyone.  Death for me is imminent too.
SOURCE:  Grief & depression from the losses of my family members overwhelmed me with a subconscious dread and a nagging feeling of futility.
DISCOVERY:  Allowing all the stages of the grieving process to complete gave me insight into this.
WHAT GOD SAYS:  My life is in His hands.  Only He knows the measure of my days.  He gives me his power and protection daily.  I need to give Him my best everyday.
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UNHEALTHY BELIEF:  I believe being fat is safe.  I am safe from unwanted male attention/abuse if I shield myself behind layers of body fat.
SOURCE:  Experienced sexual abuse as a child; assault as a college student; plus other life experiences.
DISCOVERY:  While listening to the testimony of Mandisa at a Women of Faith event.  I was stirred in my soul with the realization that some of the issues she was sharing were mine as well.
WHAT GOD SAYS:  The LORD is my protection and shield.  Placing any other thing into God's role is idolatry.  (I was making my body or body "shape" my god by relying on it for protection)
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UNHEALTHY BELIEF:  I don't have the willpower or the desire to stick to any healthy changes for very long.  Plus I am way too far gone.  Even if I loose 50 pounds, I'll still be obese!
SOURCE:  Seeing others try and fail.  Laziness.  Fear of failure.
DISCOVERY:  I believed this consciously and would even say it out loud as well and in my "self talk."  The discovery was more in realizing what God thinks of this attitude.
WHAT GOD SAYS:  The fruit of the Spirit is love:  joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control.  If the Spirit of God is living in me, then I have access to all these qualities everyday and at every meal :)  Through Christ is the self-control to handle food cravings.  Through Christ is the faithfulness to keep up with an exercise regimen.  Through Christ is the patience to persist (with joy) through the slow process... even it takes months or years!
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I had and I am sure that I still have many more unhealthy and untrue beliefs.  Discovering them and learning how to free myself from them is an ongoing process.

Even as I was becoming aware of and dealing with these issues of the mind, God was starting to provide me with tools that I have used to help me to begin to reach my goals.  That is the subject of my next entry :)

MY STORY - PART 1: Living with Loss - it's ok

Yesterday would have been my brother's 44th birthday.  He was killed by an "incompetent" driver going the wrong way on an expressway 6 years ago.  The accident left his wife a widow and her and their 3 children injured (the oldest son was paralyzed from the waist down, the rest recovered from bruises and broken bones).  The loss, sorrow, grief, devastation... it was almost unbearable.

For my parents, I don't think they ever really recovered from the shock.  Don't get me wrong... we went on and we coped, with strength from God and our church family, but they were wounded people and it made them different (maybe in some ways better... you know how adversity can develop our character?).

Three years after the accident, my father died suddenly.  He was 75 years old and his body was tired but he was still vital and working and his death was a shock to me and the whole family.  My mother's health had been failing because of long term effects of cancer treatment she had in the 1970's.  So for a year after my father died, I was my mom's partner and helper, with her finances, doctor visits... everything.  She was an intensely independent woman, keeping a job for as long as possible and running most of her own errands but as her body failed her, she relied more and more on me and others.  For the last few months of her life, she sought out doctors to try some "heroic" measures to repair damage the radiation had left in her body but in the end she was too weak and the damage was overwhelming.  She died just short of 68 yrs old; 13 months after her husband.

With the loss of my parents I felt the loss of my brother over and over again.  Without my brother who shared the most memories with me of our parents and their legacy, I became very grateful for my husband, mother-in-law, sister-in-law, children, nieces, nephews, friends... everyone who held me up and loved me and shared in my loss.  These people where gifts from God and His provision for me through it all.

My grieving process took on new intensity after my mother died.  For 4 years I was "strong" for my parents and kept my mind busy with concern for them, being the dutiful daughter and supporting them.  As I managed the dwindling details of my parent's affairs I found more mental time and energy to see my needs for true grieving and taking stock of my life and my future. 

What in the world does any of this have to do with nutrition or exercise?  Well, this part of the story of my life led to the keys to the mental breakthrough that allowed me to have the success that I am experiencing in my physical body.  Nine months after my mother's death I hit a point of emotional and intellectual readiness that I have never experienced before.

I needed to write this down today.  My head is swirling with emotions.  Obviously some sad, lonely and bittersweet emotions that you have when you take stock of your losses.  But other emotions too.  Hopeful. Excitement.  Anticipation.  Joy.  Knowing that God has brought me through... and He will bring me through the next chapter and beyond.  In a conversation with a friend today, we put it this way:  Only in Christ Jesus can you find amazing joy in the midst of devastating sorrow.