Monday, November 26, 2012

Minimal damage

Today is my weekly weigh in and (drum roll please) I am up 1 lb!  Not too shabby.  I am still 7.8 lbs below my LDW, so I am holding well.

I am hoping that clean eating and my twice weekly IF will see me to my lowest of 191, and maybe even into the 80s.  I have more than a month to the next holiday meal.  I am still working on the menu and keeping it Paleo!

I am getting comfy in my 14s, but I would like to see a 12 on the tag.  I have a couple of 14s that are running small, so once I can get into those, a 12 will be on the horizon.

I checked out the schedule for the Level 10 Crossfit box here in Oroville, and they have the Ramp Up class starting on January 7th.  I will be making an introductory appointment in a couple of weeks (like with drug dealers, the first one is always free), so that my fitness level can be assessed and see if I can do the exercises.  I don't know if they have a fitness level below "unmovable rock", but we'll see.  I am still scared, but am more scared of getting super obese again.  Now that I am into a Large and a 16, I don't want to head back to XL (or worse the 3X I was in).

I am getting stronger.  I like to do deep knee bends, and now I find that while in the squat, I can jump, and I mean JUMP up.  The only downer is that my saggy belly is pulling at the skin/muscles underneath.  I have a Dr. appt at the end of December, and am hoping we can work out a way to make the saggy skin a "medical condition", making it cheaper to be removed.  If not, I am not going to stress it.  I am thin enough now to wear girdles (you have to be thin to wear a girdle, you'd think they were for fat people, but no, they are for thin people with just a bit of loose fat.  Stupid and weird).  Anyway, I am going to have to get one (a girdle) that goes from torso to thighs.  I want to be able to give my all to exercising, and if parts and pieces are pulling and hurting, then I am not going to do well.   On the plus side, I will look sleeker, nice..

Christmas is on the horizon, and I know what I am getting, Fila Skele toes shoes. We picked them up at Big 5 for the Black Friday price of....$30!  Yes, $30!!  I know, I should be wearing Vibrams Five Fingers, like all the awesome Paleoistas, but, just to test drive toe shoes at the bargain price of $30 is just too hard to pass up.  If I find that I am liking/loving the toe shoes, I will move up to the Vibrams (plus, they have cuter styles).  All that's left to get are some toes socks to go with my toe shoes.  Big 5, again has them for $6.99 a pair (that's what I pay for a pack of 10 socks at Wally World!), but Amazon and Fila both want more than $10 a pair (SAY WHAT!!!!).  I am having a hard time wrapping my head around how expensive good health is!!! 

2013 here I come!  Hopefully 5 lbs lighter and ready to fight!

Sunday, November 25, 2012

The Holidays are here, and I am not going to GAIN!!!

The holidays can be tough for those of us who are trying to lose weight.  Lots of sweets, breads, and high carb veggies.  By making our meals Paleo, they are indulgent, but not wildly out of control.  Over at my other blog Primal and Paleo, Parenting and Passion, I posted our Paleo/Primal menu that I served Thanksgiving.

My best thought on the posting was "Sometimes you've got to bend, but you don't have to break."  That can be used with any situation.  Just because Auntie Betty brought her 5 ton brick angel food cake, doesn't mean you have to eat it.  If Auntie Betty is a grown up, she will understand that you are trying to eat more healthy and/or trying to lose weight, and not be offended.  If she does get offended, then she needs to grow up!  If you are of the mindset that her feelings will be hurt beyond repair, have a bite (that's one BITE not one PIECE).  Pick your battles wisely.  The war will fight on another day.

Now that Thanksgiving is past (for the Americans), most everyone has another couple of holidays to go, Christmas/Hanukkah and, of course, New Years, and we must make it through those with minimal damage.  Stick to your guns, again, bend, don't break.  If you are hosting, then it's tons easier since you control the menu, if you are a guest, be proactive and either A) bring a few side dishes you can eat and share:  B)  speak to the host/ess and explain that you are dieting, and need just plain ol' veggies.  The bonus in all of this is that meat is meat, and you can have a palm sized portion (try to get the inner portion that doesn't have a lot of salt and oil on it), whether you are having more turkey, roast duck, ham, or some sort of beef, all can be enjoyed (yes even the duck and ham) with limited damage, if you keep your portions reasonable.

Never fear Uncle Ted's hairy eyeball on you when he sees you pass on the gravy and pie.  Just smile, and give him a wink.  He'll be so confused that when he starts complaining to Auntie Betty, he'll just sound goofy!

New Years brings it's own problems.  Personally, if I imbibe, I stick to one or two Margaritas, but, we still have Littles, so we don't go out.  Again, bend, but don't break.  Just about everyone puts out a veggie platter, eat those celery sticks with abandon!  Sip your drink (soda water is always good!), and take your place in the center of the crowd, all of whom will admire (and be jealous) of your amazing weight loss! 

Holidays are a time to see those loved ones you haven't seen in a while.  To catch up, to love and laugh.  Food has become the center piece, but you can change that.  Make people the center of enjoyment! 

Happy holidays!

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Moving Forward

As time moves on, I have been thinking about moving forward.  With 130 lbs gone, I am feeling confident and happy with the results. 

I am hoping now to lose the rest of the weight with healthy Paleo eating.  I have confidence in knowing my own boundries.  Making choices of when to eat and what to eat has become habit.  There are plenty of times that I think "oh, that doughnut on TV looks delicious!", but that's as far as it goes.  Is it delicious?  Absolutely!  Soft, gooey, sweet, but not for me. 

I like feeling secure enough in myself.  If I am at a place that I have no choices, I just default to fasting and grabbing an Iced Tea.  Where?  Taco Bell has nothing I can eat!  Incredible, but true.  Chinese food is another.  Wonderful stuff, but nothing that I can eat, bummer.  I do love Walnut Prawns (mmmmm mayonaisse), but not for me.  I have discussed this with the family, because our tradition is to have Chinese on Christmas Eve.  This year Christmas Eve is on a Monday, as usual "closed" day for Chinese restaurants, so the fam may be out of luck this year.  I will see if a popular local restaurant will be open, but I doubt it.

I am also very calm and secure in my food choices for the holidays.  Thanksgiving and Christmas are very Paleo friendly!  With just a few adjustments, I can even serve stuffing and pie.  The Colonel has asked for a Paleo ized  apple pie.  Again, other than the amount of needed sugar, and changing up the crust, apple pie is fairly Paleo (OK, not really, but I am not a fan of pie anyway!)  So I will be researching apple pie, or just default to a coco/almond flour pie crust.

This road had been long, but so fruitful!  I am thankful to God the Father.  I am thankful to my husband.  I am thankful that I have finally matured enough to walk this path!

Everyday, I  go on the hCG Forum and read stories and questions from those who are trying hCG for the first time.  Some just want to lose 20 ish pounds, some just 10 or so, but it's the men and women who want to move out of being morbidly obese that I am truly interested in.  Being 200, 300, 400 lbs and more.  I am always hopeful for them, and try to be as supportive as possible, with a bit of tough love.  It is so hard to buck the system, the same system that says they must lose weight, but will not give them the correct tools to do so.

What really makes me sad is the young people, who just want to be like their friends.  Being able to suck down pizza and hamburgers with fries, and not be fat.  I try to encourage Paleo/Primal eating, or even just take bread out of their diet.  It isn't fair, but then again, neither is life in general.

I see people my age (45) who are embarrassed to eat out in front of others, because of the restrictive nature of the hCG protocol or P/P eating protocol.  They don't want to explain.  They don't want to listen to someone who has NEVER been fat (and I mean FAT) who says that hCG is dangerous, and they have a "friend" who lost 10 lbs just ate 3 meals a day, with two fruit snacks.  And if their "friend" could do it, so could you...  What a crock!

It takes time for the obese person to figure out their issues with food.  Every person has their own triggers.  Every person reacts differently.  Not every fat person sits around eating candy bars.  Some load up on "healthy" foods like whole wheat bread and tortillas.  They eat salad 6 times a day, with fat free dressing.  They limit portions.  They follow the USDA guidelines.  They workout 5 times a week for an hour each time.  They stay fat.  They get fatter.  They are at a loss as to what they are doing wrong.  I was "they" not too long ago.  I spoke to the doctors, who all told me that following the guidelines the USDA put forth are the way to go.  hCG won't work.  Paleo eating is dangerous, and you need to eat whole grains.  Did you know that Lucky Charms are "whole grains"?  So are Cocoa Puffs.  So are frosted Mini Wheats.  So are Trix.  So are Apple Jacks, Cheerios, Cap't Crunch.  With your "whole grain" breakfast, you should have a slice of whole wheat toast with "heart smart" margarine, a glass of orange juice, and non fat milk on your cereal.  If you are deep in the arms of the USDA, that all seems perfectly reasonable.  Once you learn and educate yourself, you realize that's just a recipe for having high cholesterol and becoming (or adding to) obese.  Yes, the true "heart attack on a plate". 

It is hard to change.  Sometimes it's baby steps.  Sometimes it's radical.  All the time it's being able to think for yourself.  As a recovering fatty, I have tried it all, and invented other ways of losing weight.  Here's what I know:  Following the "advice" of nutritional "experts" can lead to health problems, obesity, and eventually death.  This is all experts whether it be conventional wisdom, vegetarians/vegan or even Paleo/Primal.  You have to tailor a way of eating that works for you.  You have to understand how the body uses food for energy.  In other words, you have to learn to eat to live.  Our society lives to eat, drink and be merry, and to follow up the Klingon axiom, for tomorrow we all (will, not may) die.

For those of us who have been down Obesity Road, we are just making ourselves suffer a long and painful death, and are committing suicide by fork.  Once we learn there are reasons to live besides making ourselves feel better with food, we can truly live a life that only has food to keep us alive, and can truly celebrate life!

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Normal is Normal

Over these last 9 months I have learned so much.  I have learned about food, weight loss, even myself.  Who know that I could have such stick-to-it-tiveness (I don't think that's a word...it is now!)?  Even now, everything I eat, planning my families meals, the things I do, have all become normal.  Now, the very thought of getting food from a box seems abnormal!

If we stop to eat on the road, I know that I have to go into whatever restaurant we're at, why?  Because I have to have my food a certain way.  I expect this to take a couple of minutes, and let everyone else order first.  I always start by apologizing, and thanking the server for their time, that way, they will try a bit harder to give me what I am PAYING for.  But, this is normal.

Yesterday, I was feeling a bit blue, and didn't feel like doing anything.  What is normal now for me "not doing anything"?  Going out for a neighborhood walk!  Out I went.  Alone, just me and my flashlight (and cell phone, of course).  I added an extra block or two, I walked at a quicker pace, and even contemplated jogging (not yet, but soon).  My new normal is that I can wear shorts and not have them ride up my thighs!  My new normal is my thighs not rubbing together.

There are still so many things that I have to learn being thinner.  Little weird things pop up everyday.  Big weird things pop up too.  Weird to me is how I look and see some things that aren't normal for a fat woman.  I am not that fat woman, yeah, I am overweight, but not FAT anymore.  I am still trying to see this, and probably never will, but I am adjusting to my new normal.



Saturday, November 3, 2012

Sick, losing, and 14s

Managed to catch another cold!  Maybe I am making up for lost time.  This one is the sore throat and runny nose, blah!
On the plus side, I am still losing weight.  Down another 1.4 lbs!  Paleo usually picks up where hCG leaves off.  I have lost as much this week on Paleo, as I did on hCG.  Hopefully, it will hold out for a bit longer, I am just 7 lbs from my goal.
I went to the Thrift store yesterday, to get some more 16s (my current size) and pick up a couple of 14s (my intended size).  One of the 14s FIT!  It was probably mislabeled, but I'll take what I can get, LOL.  Only one of the 16s didn't fit, Gitano's run smaller, I guess. 
Time to start cycling thru the 18s.  I am keeping my Levi's for sure, as they too run small (and they are straight legged 505s, the choice of Rusty's everywhere!). 
I actually need to invest in some tops that aren't junkie tee-shirts.  I did get a dress, that was a large, and surprisingly it fit.  I am constantly shocked that I am getting smaller.  I shouldn't be shocked, common sense alone should be convincing enough.  I don't know, maybe I am expecting to jump on the scale and see 300 plus pounds again.
My eldest son treated me and his brothers to Carl's Jr. for lunch.  Carl's offers a low carb Six Dollar Burger, which is just a regular 1/4lb cheese burger on lettuce instead of a bun.  I asked for bacon on mine and the boys (The Puddin' had a chicken sandwich), but forgot to lose the cheese on mine.  It's funny, the cheese doesn't really melt, it just kinda glues itself to the meat.  I picked off as much as I could.  I don't think that I have any tolerance issues to dairy (not that that cheese was even threatened with milk), but I don't really care one way or another, so why have the extra useless calories and all that processing.

Sick or not, the Littles are making Thanksgiving napkin holders at Home Depot (check your local HD, they usually do FREE crafts on the first Saturday of every month!).  Last month, they made little wooden fire trucks that were just too cute!  If you have small kids (I think 10 is the cut off age), I would encourage you to check it out!

Off to shower, even sick, a Mommy's work is never done!