Challenge Accepted!

It has been about a year since I've updated this blog; after all, I lost about 45lbs, fit into a size 8, so now all I have to do is try and maintain that, right?

I still walk, work out a bit, do my sit-ups and push-ups daily, plus I keep eating half, so maintenance has been pretty good. But really, what is to keep me going? Do I just keep at this pace now?

Well, no, I guess. At least that was the solution from my friend, Sheila. Her degree is in nutrition, and she was not happy when she stepped on the scale at the doctor's two weeks ago and weighed in 7lbs heavier than she had been. Not that is a lot, mind you, but she is rather slender, and, as she pointed out, that could easily become 14 lbs by next year, 21 the year after that . . . see where we are going here?

In her infinite wisdom, Sheila decided to set up a 30-day body challenge. There are two goals - workout time over the course of the 30 days, and inches/weight lost in that time frame. She knew I would go for it (and we did a $10 buy in, winners split the pot!) and as it turns out, so is one other friend! So we are all vying for at least $15. I'm game!

The funny thing is, for these two women, *I* an the competition - I'm the one they have to beat - because they saw me lose 45 already, keep it off, and really start toning pretty well! They know I already have a workout and eating plan that works, so they are very funny in their sabotage attempts!

Whether I win or lose is moot - I win for health reasons regardless. It is the challenge with friends that makes it fun! And it gives me another "goal" to work toward, something that had been lacking over the past year.

Sheila says that she already has a new idea for the next 30 day challenge in June - a sit-up challenge. Hmmm . . . I didn't know I was doing another one . . . I guess sit-ups, here I come!

The big reveal

So you don't know who I am or what I look like. I am a 5'10" wife and mother of three kids. Here is me, with my hubby at Disneyland, one year ago:

Note the poochie-out belly and the double chin. This pic is what did it, this and one taken at a picnic just a few days before. You can hide a belly in the winter, but never the double chin; and bellies, back-fat, double chins all make a hideous appearance come summer. Something had to be done.

I started this blog at the behest of my hubby who noticed my "eating half" diet and also noticed it was starting to work. I didn't think it would work, so I kept my mouth shut (haha - no pun intended) until other people started asking me if I was losing weight. Then I fessed up. This blog details some of my ups, downs, and tips inbetween, but eventually you have to get to that place where you made it - either stop focusing on losing weight, or hit your mark. What is nice about the getting half diet, I do it even when I'm not thinking about it - it has become a total life style change; it's not a diet.

So you've seen the numbers; care to see pics of the "after"? Here is me holding up a pair of size 16 pants - the ones I thought I looked "good" in (let me cry a little here at that idea):

You can see me behind it - almost like half a person! And that is kind the truth; those big pants are size 16s, behind it I am wearing size 8s - my size in high school:

The shirt is a bit drapy, so I had to tuck it in funny, but you can see the belly, hips, legs, and my no-longer double chin!

Want to see more?

See? It can be done! No expensive meal plans, no expensive gyms, no gimmicks. Just cut your food in half and start walking! If it works for me, it can work for you! Good luck on your journey! :)

So a funny thing Happened on the way to the Target . . .

Actually, it was in Target.

Let me preface this by saying I don't own a scale. I can't stand them - never have. To have my life dictated by the number on that scale just doesn't work for me. Needless to say, when it comes time to then lose weight, knowing my current weight or how close I am to my target is a bit tricky.

I only use scales when I happen to find them. Otherwise, I use the fit of my clothes to see how well I am doing. Not exactly scientific, but when I have to hold up my "skinny" pants as I walk around a store, I KNOW that progress has been made. And that was me last Saturday, holdin' up my skinny pants. I felt so good I bought a candy bar and actually ate most (about 1/4 of it went to my daughter - not quite half but she is keeping me mostly on the straight and narrow!)

The only problem was, I didn't know where I was at. My doctor said to really stop at 170. That number seems HUGE to me, especially when I was 130 in high school, but I grew 2 more inches in college and the doctor says that 170 is my lowest healthy weight.

So imagine my surprise when I see a lone scale out of its box on a endcap selling a myriad of scales. "Come, test me out!" It calls to me, and I look around furtively. I don't want anyone else to see me getting on that scale - not for the number, but for using a product I'm not purchasing. It's like stealing knowledge.

I even kick off my sandals (every ounce I could spare was gone) and stepped on. 170.

I think I am going to hyperventilate. I hop off and head towards the front of the store to finish my shopping, but my head will not let me accept that number - it was too easy. I have to go back and confirm. I race back to the endcap, put the scale on the ground again, kick off my shoes again, and step on. 170. Oh. My. Goodness.

My moment of zen.

I have a friend who is a nutritionist, and she says that I could be about 5% of that on either side and still be OK, which again still seems a big number, but that means I could probably be down to 160-165 and still be OK. Lower than that, closer to 150, is really too low.

Either way, I have that moment of zen; that moment where I can sit back and say "I did it." No lingering 5 pounds left. No, " I need to fit into a size 8" - nope. I'm done, if I want. I made it.

The funny part is, lately I only exercise sporadically - some weeks I hit the 3x a week on the head, with some bonus push-ups, sit-ups, and extra walking thrown in. Some weeks I'm lucky if I get one walk in. And I haven't been the best eater - still only half, but half of a lot of junk is still a lot of junk. The thing that has kept it working is that 1/2 number. If I mess up exercise one week, my eating only 1/2 saves me. If I get some good workouts in, then yay me, I lose more that week. Out of all my sporadic workouts and lazy exercising, eating half has kept the weight loss train going.

I think I am going to get those size 8 jeans I've been saving and pull them out for a Mother's day dinner this weekend. It is also my birthday - next week - so Happy Birthday to me - this loss is the best gift. And I think I will use that birthday money to buy some new clothes.

Size 8s.

Trick yourself into losing some!

Ok, so we all know that I am a sucker for junk food, and had to play mind games with myself to actually change my eating habits to lose weight. Hitting the treadmill didn't hurt either. However, Girl Scout Cookie time hit last month, and I have not one, but TWO girl scouts. And as a leader, I have a garage full of cookies. A GARAGE FULL. Oh, my poor, poor willpower.

But I was still good. I made a joke to a friend that I usually eat a whole box, so I still get HALF (haha). Needless to say, I was a bit nervous when I had to head back to the dr for the full body checkup. Would the scale tell just how many cookies I had eaten the past few weeks?

NO - it didn't! I PWNED that scale. Not really, I lost all of a 1/10 of a pound, but since I didn't gain any, I consider it a win. So how in the heck did I still lose some weight while snacking on those cookies? A few little tricks:

1. I still only get junk for dessert. If I want a snack, it is a small serving of fruit, nuts, or cereal. I can have all the water and diet soda I want with it, and if you don't believe, just try your fave diet soda and some pistachios and TELL ME that is NOT as good as a junk foodie dessert. It is almost as good as chocolate, and thus passes muster.

2. Once a day, I can have a couple squares of dark chocolate with my fruit. Mmmmm . . . chocolate.

3. Still only half a plate at meals. That is the LAW. Get out the knife and cut that food in HALF.

4. Get rid of the ground beef and use ground turkey. This has saved me this month, as we usually eat pasta (or chili or shepherd's pie) at least once a week. Plus it has a tendency to be cheaper at the meat counter. I never realized how many calories and how much fat I save by this one switch. And since I'm not a huge hamburger fan anyway, it was an easy fix. According the kids, the best baked spaghetti I have made this far was made with the turkey. I consider that a pretty good win. AND my arteries are thanking me as well.

5. Take two girl scout cookies out for the box, put them on a plate, close the box, put it back in the cabinet, go to the other room, sit with plate, and eat only those cookies. Don't say you will stop at two, because you SO won't. Those cookies are like crack.

6. Try to drink some skim milk with breakfast. I notice I ALWAYS feel more full if I do that, even if I hardly eat any calories for breakfast. Milk sticks.

7. Make more pudding, jello, and fresh fruit desserts. Have them in the fridge ready to go - that way you don't grab the junk just becuase it's faster. Make pudding and jello cups with small mugs and cover with plastic wrap. Keep them and the cool whip in the front at eye level so they are the first thing you see when you open that fridge to snack. Keep the milk and fruit there too, so when you want to snack, it will remind you: "Oh, I can have fruit and cool whip!" or "Oh yeah, I can have some cereal with that milk!" This helps get you out of the mindset that junk is easy to grab. Yeah, that donut is sitting right there, and you can have half with a glass of milk for breakfast, but for a snack, that pudding in the fridge is just as easy to grab and eat.

8. And as always, whether it's a snack, a meal, or whatever - you only get HALF. Save the other half for later. m m m m. . . later . . .

Your arteries will thank you. :)

2 Pounds!

This sounds like I lost another 2 pounds, right? Wrong. I didn't.

If you have been following this blog, you know I wasn't happy with my weight. I am 5' 10", so I can get away with some extra weight, but that double chin was KILLING me - you just can't hide a double chin!

But, I don't think I've given any hard numbers yet on what I weighed and where I'm at. So here goes:
I was a good size 16 and couldn't hide it anymore. I went to the Dr back in March of 09 for a check up and weighed in at 210. That is more than I weighed when I was pregnant! I was horrified, and since this happened on the tail end of some other, not so pleasant life experiences, I decided at that moment, on that Dr scale, I had to do something. So I started taking half.

June of 09 - this was a weight loss goal marker as we were going to Vegas (baby!) for a convention, and I wanted to look better by the pool and fit into a nice dress. I picked one up at Ross of all places - size 12. And it FIT, and FIT well! (Weird downside to losing weight - when you look better in clothes, suddenly you want to go shopping more often. I nearly dropped $150 on dresses one afternoon while shopping with my mother in law!) The convention was great and everyone commented on how good I looked (they had all seen the heavier me last year). It felt great.

Late summer 09 I hit a small set back as my daughter was ill and exercise was the LAST thing on my mind, but I did keep up on the eating half part, so if I wasn't losing weight, at least I wasn't gaining any. In October 09, everyone got sick. We caught H1N1 or Swine flu or Influenza A or whatever the flu was that knocks you on your back for 3 weeks straight. It is amazing how much weight you can lose when you only drink water and eat soup once or twice a day! At the end of October we had a birthday party to attend, and the hostess, who had not seen me since June, asked where the other half of me was. Score one for major illnesses!

Then on Halloween, I wore a wig as part of my costume, and a more distant relative didn't recognize me. That' when I really started to realize the change. Score one for wigs! Still a size 12, but now I was wearing my hubby's belts to keep them up.

Thanksgiving - the start of the scare - so much food! Half of a lot is still a lot! Thanksgiving night my mom said she had a lot of her "skinny" jeans to give away, mostly size 10 and 11 (juniors, really?!), but some 8s. The 12s and 14s were too big, and I did manage to squeeze into that size 8. Now we are getting serious.

Fast forward to Jan '10. I have to see the Dr about my hormone pills, and he asks if there is other questions I have. I decided to tell him about my weight loss and I need to know where to stop. He gets me on the scale. I almost can't look. This is it, the real validation. I had stepped on a scale at a store, but I was fully clothed and didn't want to trust its accuracy, but this was the real deal. I closed my eyes stepped on, took a deep breath and looked.

177.

177.

UNDER 200?! UNDER 180?! I had not been under 180 in 14 years. 14 YEARS!

I lost 33 pounds, still ate chocolate, didn't kill myself working out, and I did it. So then, when do I stop? 165? 160? The good dr punched some numbers into his computer and said, "You are spot on." I thought he meant my 165 number I threw out and said, "So, 165 is my target?" (12 pounds! within 12 pounds of my target!) And he said, "No." (?) "No, you are spot on right now. Your target is 170-175. I will let you lose 7 more pounds total, but then you need to stop, or you start falling into the "too thin" category. So let's stop at 170."

Spot on? I did it? I am 2 pound from my true target, but could stop now? I am crying as I write this.

We set the goals, hope for the best, but don't expect much when it comes to weight. It is a daily battle, and when we feel battle worn we turn to food to alleviate out stresses. I knew some weight was coming off, but the numbers weren't there. Do I fit into a 12?great. A 10? Awesome. But to know those numbers, to know I did it and lost that weight, that I am a healthy weight, 7 pounds from getting "too thin?"

Priceless.

Drum Roll Please . . .

Ladies and Gentlemen, I fit my not-so-fat-a$$ into a SIZE 8 this weekend!

Are you kidding me? Did I read that tag correctly?

My mother had several pairs of jeans that she wore once or twice when she lost weight for a cruise, and now wanted to gift them to me - the ones that fit, of course. Most of the jeans were size 11/12, which I will take - that is 2-3 sizes down from where I was in March of this year, and that is an accomplishment and a half (get it?).

So when she pulled out the 8s, she said "just try them. Call them incentive jeans." I didn't think they would go up over my knees, let alone my butt, but there they were, buttoned AND zipped. I couldn't bend over, and I think I lost circulation in my legs for a bit, but those suckers were ON.

I put them in the take home pile. Incentive jeans, indeed.

The long haul

So, it has been MONTHS since I have been able to find a minute to myself - between kids, job, house, hubby, and homeschooling, exercise just falls by the wayside. However, I have had the presence of mind to keep on the eating plan (getting half of everything you could want to eat is not a bad deal) but more importantly, trying to still eat healthier. That means getting back on healthier snacks, and my old stand-by: cereal.


We had about 2 months of chaos and business, and I started snacking more than I was comfortable with. Then we were sick for pretty much the MONTH of October (good for the diet, not for the exercise). THEN stinking Halloween came around - what is up with days marching along whilst I not pay attention?! More snacking - at least those were bite-sized. And I began to worry.

So this past week, right after my "time of the month" was over (that of course, was my miserable excuse for snacking), I got back on my band wagon. I have been walking at least once a week while the kids are at sports (it's about a mile and 1/2 around the park), and still doing sit ups and push ups about every other day. But getting back on the wagon means getting ON, and so back to my treadmill. I only got one extra day this week, but that is one day more than last week! Plus I did arms on BOTH days, and boy, I couldn't lift them AT ALL by Wednesday! Wow, that felt good!

So today, it was Special K chocolate for snacks. Right now this is a fave, as it is extra crunchy and has chocolate! How can I go wrong with that combo? And I am happy with the exercise - not a huge amount, but I am doing SOMETHING, which is always better than nothing. And the good news - the pants are still falling off my hips! I really need to invest in a belt, but my hubby has two, and since he only has ONE waist, I just wear the second one! Utility for the win!

While I would love to get more exercise in, I will be happy with what I CAN do, and not lament what I can't. Meanwhile, I will stick with the half-eating, as that seems to be working wonders. I am in my skinny jeans, and they are starting to get baggy. Oh my, do I see a shopping trip in my future? I hope so . . .