syllabelle

So much has changed in my life! I got sidetracked by…life…and had to readjust my priorities.

 I suppose the only thing that is the same is that I’m still at my job. Since my last post, I broke up with my boyfriend, moved into my own apartment, and started the long process of trying to “find” myself. I feel like I’ve changed so much, and now I’m working hard to make sure the outside me reflects the inside me.

 I joined a gym last year, and was going three or four times a week. On Mondays I was going to Belly Dancing classes, which, for the record, is a great workout. I slowly lost my motivation to go to the gym, and at the time I was living with a friend, and it was easier to sit around the house than it was to go to the gym after a long day in the office.

 One thing I loved about going to the gym was the weekly weigh-in, and monthly measurement check for my record sheet. I loved seeing those numbers slowly creep down. It made all the time sweating on the ellipticals, treadmills, bicycles, and other equipment, worth it. I did learn that my body builds muscle mass fairly quickly, so while the number on the scale wasn’t falling as rapdily as I wanted it to, I was able to see by the measuring tape that my body was replacing fat with muscle.

I’d like to say that I’ll be returning to the gym on a regular basis, but now that I’ve moved, it’s a little too far out of my way. So, last week I decided to take a new approach, and returned to Atkins diet.

I know there are pros and cons to every program, but I know that Atkins works for me. I lost a lot of weight on it before, and now that I’m living on my own, it will be a lot easier for me to control what I eat. Every night I cook myself dinner for that night, and breakfast and lunch for the next day.

I quit drinking soft drinks and eating french fries last year, and that is one thing I’ve been able to maintain (with a few slips on the french fries, but I’m totally over the soft drinks.) I drink a LOT of water, and always keep a bottle of water on my desk at work. I look at it as a sort of magic liquid that helps my body flush out fat and toxins.

In a week I’ve lost 18 pounds, pretty effortlessly. I was pretty shocked by that number, but I know that’s how Atkins starts, and that later I’ll have to put a little more thought and effort into making it work for me. I’m ready for that.

I’ve got a nice apartment with a big living room and wood floors, so when I am able to buy a DVD player, I’ll be able to use the excercise/fitness DVD’s that I’ve accumulated over the last few years. Also, my neighbors and friends and I have made a promise to each other that when the weather warms up, we’ll go walking together in the evenings. We’ve all got weight issues, and not a lot of time to hit the gym, but I think if we help keep each other motivated, we’ll be able to stick to the walking.

I can’t promise I’ll be here at BuddySlim every day, but this site was a great tool for me before, and helped keep me on track, and I haven’t forgotten that. I’ll be here as often as I can.

Happy 2008 everyone!

It’s been two weeks since I’ve been here! I can’t believe two weeks passed that quickly. I have been so busy with my job, and with responsibilities at home. After returning from my mini-vacation, I struggled with getting back on track. I was still eating 95% OP, but I indulging a little too much. We’ve been eating a lot of meals out with friends, and homemade meals with my boyfriends grandmother (and other membrs of his family.) Home cooked meals are the most difficult for me, because there usually isn’t any other choice. If there is fried chicken, you eat fried chicken. I have managed to make the best possible choice, and managed to not gain any weight.

rn

I weighed this morning, and was happy to notice that I’ve dropped another two pounds. I won’t get my hopes up, but it looks like I might have broken through my mini-plateau.

rn

Honestly, though, I really would hope so. I’ve been putting in 1/4 mile and 1/3 mile trips on my elliptical, and that is enough to make ANYBODY lose weight. (The machine is, not necessarily the distance. I’m a beginner, cut me a little slack!  haha.)

rn

I bought a DVD called “Pilates For Any Body.” The exercises start with a warm up, and go through abdominals, lower body, upper body, and end with a cool-down. I’ve always disliked pilates, basically because of a bad first experience. However, this DVD changes my mind, and I have to say that I think I like it! I feel great today, like I got a great workout. My legs, especially, are very sore. (I had bad cramps in my calves and thighs all night…I probably need to up my potassium intake a bit.)

rn

I think I’m going to start doing a little light weight lifting. Doing the pilates DVD showed me just how out of shape my upper body is, I have almost no strength in my arms. (If you do any pilates, you’ll know what I mean when I say The Bridge was almost the death of me!) I’m such a wimp!!!

rn

Anyway, it’s Tuesday, but I don’t have a Two-Fer this week. I’m just getting my momentum back, and I don’t want to get frustrated with my (perceived) lack of progress.

rn

I’ve got a lot of catching up to do, I’ve obvioiusly missed a lot in my absence. I hope all is well.

rn

~Stephanie

My fiance and I took a weekend trip to the Dallas/Fort Worth area to see family and friends, and to also do a little bit of business. My dad took us out to eat on Saturday evening, and I absolutely broke all the rules! I had fajitas…and I ate about 4 flour tortillas. I ate chips and queso…a LOT of that. Then, to cap things off we had dessert. We split a dessert that is a big (HUGE) ball of vanilla ice cream, rolled in coconut and nuts, then topped with whipped cream and a cherry, then drizzled with brandy sauce onto a sizzling plate. It was so rich and sweet and fattening…but it was my first SERIOUS splurge since I started this little plan.

rn

I gave myself permission to eat what I ate. This was a celebration, I get to see my grandmother about once every couple of years, and it felt like a party. I splurged on Saturday, then Sunday it was “Business as usual.”

rn

I can report that I’ve gained 3 pounds, but I have a feeling it’s water weight. (I forgot to take my blood pressure medication which includes a diuretic that helps me keep from swelling up like a toad in a pond.) In a couple of days I’ll be able to tell if it’s from the water weight or not. To be honest, I’m not too worried about it. I had hit a plateau, and to get over these little humps in the past I’ve had to gain a pound or two…and then it just comes off. (Dunno why that works.)

rn

I was finally able to go pick up my Elliptical, and I’m so psyched to use it tonight! It’s soooo nice…and a GREAT buy on eBay. While we were visiting some friends, she saw the machine in our truck, asked me what it was, and then asked “Would you like another piece of equipment?” I said I’d love it…and she gave me a brand-new (or “gently used”) Ab-Doer machine, and four instructional videos to go with it. I have read a bit about them online, and it seems like the machine is a bit of a gimmick with a 10-day/2 inches promise…but hey, it was FREE!

rn

Anyway, back to life as usual. Although, I could sure use a nap. *yawn*

rn

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

I’d like to start by saying thank you for all the supportive comments on yesterdays entry. It was a bruise to my ego to be so worn out after only a mile, but what I really needed to do was lower my expectations a bit. I am still a beginner in the “fitness” department, and I can’t think of myself as anything more than a beginner. As long as I keep reminding myself that “Hey, I’m just starting!”…I really have nothing to be disappointed about.

rn

I did go ahead and get back on the treadmill last night. I pushed through 1.25 miles in 30 minutes. I skipped the “mountain” and set the speed and elevation manually. I like to start out slowly, but I like to increase my speed faster than the treadmill is programmed to do. I also like to stay at a higher rate of speed for longer than the treadmill is programmed. After 30 minutes, I felt like I could have kept going, but I wanted to keep it at 30 minutes for now. I feel a lot better about this walk than I do the walk from Sunday night. (Maybe because I didn’t expect so much out of myself?)

rn

I do have to report that I didn’t reach the goal I set last week. I wanted to lose 1% of my body weight, and I didn’t lose anything. Fortunately, I didn’t gain anything either, so I can report that I maintained. I’m a tiny bit disappointed, but frankly, I ate 100% on plan all week, drank more than enough water, and put in more cardio than I have since I started, so I know I am doing what I need to do. Up until now, my weight has been dropping pretty quickly, and I had a feeling this was going to happen.

rn

I am not discouraged in the least. In fact, I’m more motivated now to push past this little mini-plateau. No matter what happens, I’m pressing on.

rn

I’ve been thinking all morning about what I should add to my “Two-fer Tuesday” goals. I’ve made so many small changes that have really added up, so I know the small changes are just as important as big changes.

rn

So, I think I need to start getting more sleep  and try exercising in the morning. Mornings are tough for me, so the thought of getting up an extra 45 minutes (or so) early just makes me want to yawn. However, I think that if I start going to bed a couple of hours earlier than I usually do (12:30-1:00 a.m.)…then getting up at 6:00 instead of 6:45 should be no problem. I could at least try it, and if after a week or so I decide that I’m just not ready for that change, then I’ll try it again in a couple of months. (That sounds like I’m already making an excuse to quit…but I really am going to give it 100% effort.)

rn

Have I ever mentioned that I LOVE BUDDYSLIM!?!?! I really do. I love this place. I look forward to reading everyone’s blogs, and seeing your progress. I never knew how much motivation I could get from just reading about other people on a weight loss journey, too. It’s so encouraging to connect this way, and I’m so glad I found this place.

If I ever needed a reminder of how far I have to go, I certainly got one yesterday evening. I decided that I was going to quit “playing around” on my new treadmill, and get serious. Meaning, I was going to quit doing these little 10 minute walks where I just break a sweat, and then step off, and cool down. So at 10:00, when the news came on, I stepped on the treadmill. I programmed it for “mountain”, and set off. The incline was only at 1.5, and the speed starts at 1.7 mph. I set it for 35 minutes, and then started walking.

rn

At 5 minutes I started breathing hard. At 10 minutes I was sweating. At 15 minutes my legs were burning. I was determined not to quit, and at 20 minutes (and 2.7 mph) I caught my second wind, and was just cruising for about 5 minutes. At 25 minutes, the speed began to decrease, and I felt like I had hit my stride. At 30 minutes I realized I was almost at a mile, and as the speed began to decrease even more, I realized that that last little bit was just going to creep by. At 35 minutes, I had walked 1.15 miles, and was sweating like crazy! When I stepped off the treadmill, my legs were shaky, and my heart was racing.

rn

The point of all that?

rn

I’m sooo out of shape! I can do 100 crunches with no problem, but I can’t walk a mile in under 30 minutes. Actually, to be fair, the “mountain” starts out VERY slowly (1.7 mph), speeds up periodically, has a peak speed of 2.7 mph, and then slows back down to 1.7 at the end of the walk. I think tomorrow evening, I’ll try the walk at 2.7 for the entire walk, and see if that feels any better (and gets me any farther.)

rn

I’ve got complete confidence in my ability to feed myself nutritious foods, and to stay under my calorie limit for the day, and to quit eating by my cutoff time, but my body disappoints me. I don’t (mentally) feel like I’m doing anything too extreme, but my body sure disagrees with my head! I’m sure that in six months or a year from now I’ll look back at this and laugh at myself for being whipped after one measly mile, but right now I feel like…a fat person! *sigh*

rn

I’m just wondering if the walkers and runners on BuddySlim remember what it was like to struggle through a mile. I most definately am not losing my motivation or determination, but I’d love to hear some of those “I remember those days!” stories.

rn

(And to think I THOUGHT I wanted to get the Turbo Jam series! That would probably make me keel over and die on the spot! haha!)

rn

Happy Monday to everybody, hope you had a great weekend.

It feels good to make good choices. When my fiance eats a big, cheesy, yummy-smelling cheeseburger and I eat my chicken salad like a good girl, it gives me this smug sense of satisfaction to know that I made a good choice. Although I’d love to have him join me in this journey. So…

rn

I gave him a challenge. He’s going to weigh in the morning (the 28th). Then he’s going to cut out ALL sodas and sweetened drinks for the next 10 days. On Monday, August 7, he’ll weigh again, and we’ll see how much weight he’s lost. I lost 6 pounds when I quit, and it’s what gave me the jump-start and made me feel great about losing weight.

rn

I’m excited to see what his results are, and I feel confident that he’s going to impress himself. I think that if he could lose several pounds over a few days, that he will feel motivated to join me, and keep up his progress. (I’m a sneaky one, eh?)

rn

Anyway, I’ve been adding a little bit of abdominal exercises in the late evenings, just before bed. My belly is soft and (I hate this word) flabby, but I do have some abdominal muscles under there. I can whip out 4 reps of 25 crunches with no problem. My obliques are a little weak, and can do 2 reps of 20 on each side before I start feeling as if death is imminent. (Yeah, I exaggerate a little.)

rn

I still (STILL!!) haven’t gotten my elliptical, so I’ve been having to use the stepper. Don’t get me wrong, I love that I have equipment, but I get a little burned out using the same thing every day. And my new treadmill…it’s in the garage…unused. Shame! It likely won’t get used any time before Sunday, either. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays are my busiest days.

rn

Speaking of Saturday. I’m going this Saturday to the YMCA to see about joining. I love working out at home, but I think it would be really fun and highly motivating to do some classes with a group. We’re on a pretty tight budget right now, so I’m hoping that they have some decent rates. Maybe a family plan would save us some money in the long run.

rn

Just one hour until it’s time to go home, and I’m so ready. For some reason this day has seemed exceptionally long. Tomorrow is Friday though…and Fridays FLY BY! This week is almost over! YAY!

rn

On a personal note (I’m going to rant for a minute. And I’m going to hide it just in case he reads over my shoulder.) (Scroll over the text to read it.)

rn

I’m on my period and my breasts feel 10 times their normal size. My cramps are horrible, and ibuprofen isn’t doing a damn thing for me. I’m cranky and bitchy and moody, and I don’t want my fiance to even TOUCH me…and he says I’m just trying to be a bitch. At this point I’d trade him in for an armless and legless man…as long as he had a HEART! Men have no compassion. Grrrr!

rn

When I get off, I think I’m going to go home and take a nap for an hour. I think I deserve it.

rn

Happy Thursday Ladies!

rn

It’s that time of week again when I pick two new things that will help me reach my goals. I’m so happy to have reached my first mini-goal!!! I uploaded new pictures of myself, and the only difference I can really see is that I’m SO MUCH HAPPIER. I know that 20 pounds isn’t a HUGE number…but it’s proof (to myself) that I can set a goal and reach it. I did go ahead and set a new 20 pounds mini-goal but I’m also going to start something new.

rn

I was doing a little bit of research online about weight loss, and how to set good goals for yourself. Of course it wouldn’t be wise to say “I vow to lose 50 pounds in 2 months!” but “I vow to lose 50 pounds!” is reasonable. I can’t remember now who it was here on BuddySlim that was talking about a 10% goal, and I thought that was a GREAT goal. I then saw someone online that does a weekly “1% Challenge.” Losing 1% of my weight a week is COMPLETELY reasonable!

rn

So I’m going to try a 1% Challenge this week. I started yesterday, and I’ll know by next Tuesday if I’ve reached my goal. If that works out…I’m going to keep going with a weekly 1% Challenge.

rn

I’m also going to start eating more vegetables. I say…three servings of vegetables a day. I’m doing ok with fruit…but I have a harder time with vegetables.rn

rn

I was a little nervous about how to celebrate my birthday. Usually I’d have a big dinner, and a huge cake with Butter Cream icing, and lots of vanilla ice cream. I decided that it was a special occasion and I was going to splurge a little. I started off with a big salad with FF Ranch dressing, and a slice of fresh pineapple cut up into it (yum!) Then I ate a “palm-sized” piece of grilled steak, steamed broccoli with a tiny bit of cheese, steamed squash, and I had about 1/3 of a dinner roll (with honey butter spread *drools*). I finished the meal with a small piece of carrot cake and about 1 oz of soft-serve vanilla ice cream. Altogether the meal was about 800 calories. I didn’t even try to count fat/protein/carbs etc…because I knew it was a splurge, and I just wanted to keep the day within my calorie range.

rn

I think I did well, considering. Next year maybe I’ll celebrate my birthday at an all-you-can-eat Seafood buffet, and I’ll slide my size-10 butt into a booth and splurge my little heart out. hehe

rn

Have a great Tuesday everyone! 

The first really good thing is that I reached my first mini-goal over the weekend! YAY!!!! It felt SO GOOD to step on the scale and see that number…and know that there are 20 pounds gone from my body that will NEVER be back!

rn

I technically started this journey on June 10th, so I’m at 44 days. I know I’m losing a little faster than I should, but the first 6 or 8 pounds was totally water weight. I used to have edema in my ankles SO BAD! I’ve got normal ankles now, and only occasionally do I have any edema at all. So…although I’ve lost 20 pounds, I don’t need a speech about “slow down, you’re going too fast”…because I’m really not.

rn

The second really good thing is…TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY! I’m 32 today. I used to think I’d never make it past 21. I was just such an unhappy little soul…but every year I just keep plucking on, and I’ve got my chin up and a smile on my face.

rn

I did go this weekend and get a haircut, and I bought some new clothes. I had my fiance take pictures this morning, and I’ll try to get those posted tonight. I may still look the same to most people, but inside…I feel like a million bucks.

rn

I’m setting a new 20-pound mini-goal…and then I think I’ll put my weight ticker on my signature. One of my birthday presents is going to help me get to my goal faster…my fiance got me a treadmill!!! It’s really nice. It’s a used one, but it’s got variable speeds and inclines, and so you can do the whole “Country stroll”, “Mountain Hike” thing. wOot! We haven’t set it up yet, so I haven’t gotten a chance to use it. It’s starting to look like I’ll be using it in the garage…with no a/c! (*sweat*)

rn

I had an appointment with my new Dr. this morning. He put me on some meds to help lower my heart rate, and it’s supposed to help with some heart palpatations I’ve been having. He also put me on a birth control pill that will cause me to only have a period once every 3 months. (*happy dance!*) I’m going to cross my fingers that it doesn’t cause me to gain weight…but if it does I’ll just have to work THAT MUCH HARDER!

rn

Anyway, I hope everyone had a great weekend. Happy Monday!

I don’t know how I missed it, but somehow or another I never saw the Handbook on the Home page. I downloaded it this morning, and I’ve been reading it. I started the first section, and the first group of questions had me thinking about my feelings about weight and weight loss in general. I am so grateful for BuddySlim because I don’t have a strong support system at home. As a matter of fact, sometimes I feel as if I am being sabotaged at home, and I just have to keep saying no and maintaining “unwavering and absolute dedication” to this lifestyle change.

rn

I haven’t yet reached a point where anyone has said “Are you losing weight?”…but I know it’s coming. I’m just happy to be changing my body and my attitude about why and how to lose weight. I don’t need external validation to know that I’m doing something good. The weight that I’m losing is lowering my BMI bit by bit, and decreasing my chances for diabetes, and helping me lower my high blood pressure.

rn

I tell everyone I know about BuddySlim, but I think people have to be in the right place before they decide to take a step like joining a website to help them lose weight. The first thought is “Why do I need a website to help me lose weight?”…but after you’ve been here a while the thought is “How did I lose weight before BuddySlim?”

rn

New pictures coming soon. I don’t care if nobody else can see my loss…I know it’s gone, and I’ll be able to see the difference.

rn

Have a great weekend everybody, stay cool and DRINK LOTS OF WATER!

rn

-Stephanie

I’ve read a lot about food diaries, and how they can be helpful. I thought “What a pain in the butt!” …but I decided yesterday that being fat is a bigger pain in the butt than keeping track of what I eat.

rn

So today I went and bought a “composition book” and in black permanent marker I wrote “food diary” on the front of it (so I wouldn’t change my mind, and turn it into a personal diary.) Then in the back I put some nutritional information from some of the fast food places I eat. I was able to find at least one meal at each place that I can eat without going over the number of calories I allow myself per day. I printed the Nutritional chart from some of the places, and hand wrote info for others. I mentioned before that we don’t eat at home very often, so I have to be creative.

rn

I also bought some fresh fruit…apples. And I bought a couple of packages of those little “100 Calorie Snacks” for those times at lunch when I am feeling deprived, and the vending machine starts sounding good. (Like when my co-worker starts eating a Hershey’s chocolate bar and I can smell the chocolate from across the room.)

rn

I feel like I’m arming myself for a battle against fat, and that I’m learning more and more about what my best weapons are.

rn

Anyway, I’m a little concerned because my weight is suddenly dropping rapidly. The only thing I’m doing different is that I’ve actually stopped eating after 7:30 or 8:00. I’m already almost at a 20 pound loss, and I was at 15 pounds just yesterday! I probably shouldn’t complain, because I know there will be times later when I will PRAY for even a pound to drop, but it just bothers me a little. I want to do this the RIGHT way, so that I never ever EVER have to go through this again.

rn

We’re going to a cookout tomorrow evening, and I’m debating whether or not to bring something to eat for myself. I have eaten with these friends before, and she’s a GREAT cook…and he knows how to use a grill…and I just don’t want to over eat. Actually, now that I think about it, I’ll eat an apple before I go, and drink a big glass of water. If I’m already feeling full, then I won’t be tempted to overeat.

rn

It’s almost midnight, and time for me to sleep. Goodbye Thursday, HELLO Friday!