Is there anything worse than putting on a pair of freshly washed jeans, HOPING to God you'll realize that you HAVE lost weight as soon as you look in the mirror and notice a complete (or at least partial) absence of muffin-top? I really thought I'd throw on my jeans today and see a huge difference in comfort level and appearance, given that I've noticed some changes in other clothes... but OH NO, I could barely squeeze into them! Well, I have them on and they look fine but they aren't hanging off my butt in a way that others notice and say, "WOW! You really look like you've lost weight!" (Notice how concerned I am with what others think. Clearly this is Something I Should Work On.)
Last night I went out with a friend to the George Brown College Chef School restaurant (that's not what it is called) and for a relatively paltry sum, I enjoyed three de-LUSH-ious courses plus two tasty glasses of wine. Fine except I had always planned my cheat days for Saturdays and now they're are leaking into other days of the week. Not good! So while I enjoyed the meal, I feel a tad bloated today and hence, my jeans experiment failed. Miserably.
Whew! I feel better now. Thanks for listening.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Monday, January 21, 2008
How long have I been doing this?
Last week was HELL, simply put. Work has been tiring, in a normal early-January kind of way. I was out most nights and didn't fit in many workouts. Plus I taught Reiki on Saturday. So my best laid plans for working out and eating according to the GI diet were laid to rest for a few days!
Still, I do feel a difference in my pants and my muffin top feels less muffin-y. I feel encouraged that the diet has been helping. My workouts need some oomph however. My goal for this week is 2 weight workouts and 2 cardios. I would love to go out for a run but it's minus 50 or something and I just don't have that kind of determination/stupidity.
On the plus side... the trip to Panama has been booked for early March! So now my goal is to look bikini-ready for then. I have a feeling this will keep me going during these dark, dreary winter days. Although I noticed yesterday that it was still light out at 5pm... are we starting to see some (day)light at the end of this tunnel?
Still, I do feel a difference in my pants and my muffin top feels less muffin-y. I feel encouraged that the diet has been helping. My workouts need some oomph however. My goal for this week is 2 weight workouts and 2 cardios. I would love to go out for a run but it's minus 50 or something and I just don't have that kind of determination/stupidity.
On the plus side... the trip to Panama has been booked for early March! So now my goal is to look bikini-ready for then. I have a feeling this will keep me going during these dark, dreary winter days. Although I noticed yesterday that it was still light out at 5pm... are we starting to see some (day)light at the end of this tunnel?
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Oh, what a week...
Blah, blah, blah... isn't January just the most awful month of all? The weather is dreary, the sunlight is scant and work is INSANELY busy for me. I didn't deal well with the stress of last week and ended up eating larger portions of the meals on the GI Diet. On the positive side, I probably ate better than I would have had I not been on some sort of plan. I only worked out 3 times. I'm hopeful for this week but today (Tuesday) is turning out to be a tad on the trying side. I would LOVE to go home and pour myself a massive glass of wine and put back a plate of comfort food but I must... stay... on... track....
Yesterday I did well with my eating, but then last night I went to a baptism and afterwards B's friends ordered a massive amount of Indian food from Lahore Tikka. I LOVE Lahore Tikka and the idea of saying no to their scrumptious butter chicken was too much to bear. I downed a plate of food and a glass of wine and life felt good... until I got home and felt guilty, if not a bit nauseated.
I think the hardest thing for me is planning, or lack thereof. "Failing to plan is planning to fail, " as the saying goes. It's so true. I didn't make a plan for after the baptism, I was hungry and I ate. So I have another outing later in the week. Rather than just go whole hog at the restaurant, I'm going to eat well all day, limit myself to one glass of wine, and stick with souvlaki and veggies and potatoes. Skip the rice AND potatoes. On Saturday I'm teaching Reiki, so I'll bring snacks and a lunch instead of wandering into the health food store for a $7 bag of organic root vegetable chips. Saturday night I'm going out for a few drinks, but it's my cheat day so that's fine by me.
A thought: do I deserve a cheat day if I cheat a little all week? Wait... don't answer that.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Hmmm... Is this working?
So after a week on the diet, I don't feel I've lost any chub. I know it's better to be sticking to a healthy eating plan regardless, but it would be nice to walk into work to exclamations of, "Hey! Did you lose weight over the holidays??" (I'm not sure what I was expecting after a week.)
One problem I'm having is that I'm eating a little too much of the green-light carbs. I'm allowed to have 2/3 cup of basmati rice and I'm probably having closer to a cup. I'm allowed 10 almonds and I have 20. That sort of thing. I think my biggest problem is not knowing what a serving size is. I also don't like being hungry; I get panicky like my limbs are going to fall off if my tummy grumbles or something.
Off to the gym after work with my trainer. I get to see the newly renovated version of the disaster zone I was training in before the holidays. Hoepfully there are lots of fellow chubs around to make me feel better.
One problem I'm having is that I'm eating a little too much of the green-light carbs. I'm allowed to have 2/3 cup of basmati rice and I'm probably having closer to a cup. I'm allowed 10 almonds and I have 20. That sort of thing. I think my biggest problem is not knowing what a serving size is. I also don't like being hungry; I get panicky like my limbs are going to fall off if my tummy grumbles or something.
Off to the gym after work with my trainer. I get to see the newly renovated version of the disaster zone I was training in before the holidays. Hoepfully there are lots of fellow chubs around to make me feel better.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Ah, Saturday. Cheat Day.
Similar to Tim Ferriss' decision to make Saturday his "cheat day," B and I are doing the same. I promise that if I stop dropping weight, I'll cut this little indulgence out. However, if I still lose weight I'll treat this day off from the GI Diet as a little piece of my old eating ways, if only to maintain some sanity. A life without beer, pizza, sushi, forever? I don't think so!
How did I spend my Saturday? B and I joined some friends for brunch at Sunset Grill on Yonge, where I enjoyed some scrambled eggs, potatoes, some thick toast and a few cups of coffee. Of course the best part of brunch is the ridiculous conversation, not the food, but I enjoyed eating what I wanted.
Then B and I jetted off to Vaughn Mills mall, the mega mall just north of Toronto. We were looking for The Deals, which we found. I got a great top at Holts Last Call (Elie Tahari top, almost 85% off... only way I could ever afford it); a puffy coat at Lacoste for CHEAP; a toque and gloves to go with the coat at Adidas; and a sweet pair of Nikes since B says my other running shoes are embarrassingly grandma-like. I was very happy with the excursion. B got a new pair of Nikes and some nice John Varvatos jeans.
But of course we got a bit hungry at the mall so we enjoyed a Teen Burger combo from A&W; a small gelato from La Paloma; and that night we munched on some soy sauce-soaked sushi and sparkling wine. After that day was over, woke up ready to get back on track!!
Sunday is the day B takes me through a butt kicking workout in his gym downstairs... today we'll be doing a Colorado experiment-style weight session. I bet I'll be feeling it for a few days. Hopefully the major soreness will be gone before my workout with my trainer on Tuesday.
Back to work after 2 weeks off tomorrow. I feel a bit anxious about getting back to my daily commute, early mornings and long days. Hopefully being on this "plan" will help me maintain some sanity.
Later...
B and I went to the gym. I can't honestly say my CE-type workout was a success (yet.) Despite a couple of months of working out, I've slacked and I'm probably not in the shape I should be in to do this type of intense workout. My form needs a bit of work. B tried his best to button his lip but I could tell he thinks this is going to lead to injury or worse... actually, I guess there's nothing worse than injury that could come from doing this aside from B and I getting into fights about my experiment. The 5 up/5 down cadence is HARD. My breathing needs some serious work. My hamstrings are so weak that I can't even do the exercises with good form with no weight. I can't lift my leg higher than 90 degrees!! How did this happen?
We both decided that 3 weeks is enough time to see if this can be done. After that I'll go back to my regular workouts.
B made me do these ridiculous jumping exercises. I look like a dork.
5 seconds up and 5 seconds down is so difficult. This isn't a posed pic.
How did I spend my Saturday? B and I joined some friends for brunch at Sunset Grill on Yonge, where I enjoyed some scrambled eggs, potatoes, some thick toast and a few cups of coffee. Of course the best part of brunch is the ridiculous conversation, not the food, but I enjoyed eating what I wanted.
Then B and I jetted off to Vaughn Mills mall, the mega mall just north of Toronto. We were looking for The Deals, which we found. I got a great top at Holts Last Call (Elie Tahari top, almost 85% off... only way I could ever afford it); a puffy coat at Lacoste for CHEAP; a toque and gloves to go with the coat at Adidas; and a sweet pair of Nikes since B says my other running shoes are embarrassingly grandma-like. I was very happy with the excursion. B got a new pair of Nikes and some nice John Varvatos jeans.
But of course we got a bit hungry at the mall so we enjoyed a Teen Burger combo from A&W; a small gelato from La Paloma; and that night we munched on some soy sauce-soaked sushi and sparkling wine. After that day was over, woke up ready to get back on track!!
Sunday is the day B takes me through a butt kicking workout in his gym downstairs... today we'll be doing a Colorado experiment-style weight session. I bet I'll be feeling it for a few days. Hopefully the major soreness will be gone before my workout with my trainer on Tuesday.
Back to work after 2 weeks off tomorrow. I feel a bit anxious about getting back to my daily commute, early mornings and long days. Hopefully being on this "plan" will help me maintain some sanity.
Later...
B and I went to the gym. I can't honestly say my CE-type workout was a success (yet.) Despite a couple of months of working out, I've slacked and I'm probably not in the shape I should be in to do this type of intense workout. My form needs a bit of work. B tried his best to button his lip but I could tell he thinks this is going to lead to injury or worse... actually, I guess there's nothing worse than injury that could come from doing this aside from B and I getting into fights about my experiment. The 5 up/5 down cadence is HARD. My breathing needs some serious work. My hamstrings are so weak that I can't even do the exercises with good form with no weight. I can't lift my leg higher than 90 degrees!! How did this happen?
We both decided that 3 weeks is enough time to see if this can be done. After that I'll go back to my regular workouts.
B made me do these ridiculous jumping exercises. I look like a dork.
5 seconds up and 5 seconds down is so difficult. This isn't a posed pic.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
2 days down...
I just finished my first 2 days on the GI Diet. I know the author says I shouldn't be hungry, but I was... probably due to the incredibly large amounts of food I was consuming prior to the diet. Do stomachs shrink like they say they do? Well already I feel like I can get by on a bit less. Yes!
One down note - yesterday I had a KILLER headache. Not sure whether it was from less calories, or exerting myself during the 5 seconds up/5 seconds down weightlifting method required for the Colorado Experiment. I remember reading how important it is to breathe to avoid the headache so I guess that's something I have to work on.
For breakfasts I ate oatmeal with berries; lunch was open-faced sandwiches, and tonite I made a recipe out of the GI Diet cookbook - citrus poached fish. Very tasty. Plus some new potatoes, veggies and a caesar salad made with a tahini dressing. I was happy to find it since I usually forgo caesar salads due to the dairy.
For workouts I did weights yesterday and yoga today. I actually went to the gym but the damn place was still closed for renovations and I was SO ANGRY that I huffed and stamped out. I can be such a baby sometimes. But then I went for a massage this afternoon and life was good once again.
So thought I would post my "before" measurements, in inches:
Neck: 12.25 (I felt a neck measurement was more of a man thing, but B felt it was important since I "have fat there," at which point he grabbed my double chin... grrr...
Bust: 37 (hopefully this number stays the same. I really don't want tubes instead of boobs)
Right bicep relaxed: 10 flexed: 10.75
Left bicep relaxed: 10 flexed: 10 (we are both confused as to how this is possible)
Waist: 34 (Mercy!)
Hips: 39 (Jaysus!)
Right thigh: 22.5 Left thigh 22
So there you have it.
One down note - yesterday I had a KILLER headache. Not sure whether it was from less calories, or exerting myself during the 5 seconds up/5 seconds down weightlifting method required for the Colorado Experiment. I remember reading how important it is to breathe to avoid the headache so I guess that's something I have to work on.
For breakfasts I ate oatmeal with berries; lunch was open-faced sandwiches, and tonite I made a recipe out of the GI Diet cookbook - citrus poached fish. Very tasty. Plus some new potatoes, veggies and a caesar salad made with a tahini dressing. I was happy to find it since I usually forgo caesar salads due to the dairy.
For workouts I did weights yesterday and yoga today. I actually went to the gym but the damn place was still closed for renovations and I was SO ANGRY that I huffed and stamped out. I can be such a baby sometimes. But then I went for a massage this afternoon and life was good once again.
So thought I would post my "before" measurements, in inches:
Neck: 12.25 (I felt a neck measurement was more of a man thing, but B felt it was important since I "have fat there," at which point he grabbed my double chin... grrr...
Bust: 37 (hopefully this number stays the same. I really don't want tubes instead of boobs)
Right bicep relaxed: 10 flexed: 10.75
Left bicep relaxed: 10 flexed: 10 (we are both confused as to how this is possible)
Waist: 34 (Mercy!)
Hips: 39 (Jaysus!)
Right thigh: 22.5 Left thigh 22
So there you have it.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
New Year, New Butt
First of all, I apologize since it's been EONS since I've posted anything. Guess I got a tad overwhelmed/busy/stressed/forgot about my blog, etc. Then I went home for the holidays, where I did some serious relaxing, eating and drinking high calorie beverages. In the last few months I have put on serious poundage, which I have recently complained about in my column in the Cape Breton Post http://www.capebretonpost.com/index.cfm?sid=91472&sc=150.
The ironic thing is I started working out in earnest in September and followed this diet the gym nutritionist gave me (the candida diet) and I lost some weight. I looked good, I had more energy and my clothes fit better. But for anyone who has been on the candida diet, it is brutally strict - no wheat, no sugar, very little fruit, absolutely no alcohol, no caffeine. Read: NO FUN. Sure I lost weight, but who can maintain that forever?? Not me. So I went off the candida diet and my weight ballooned, almost like my body said, "Screw that, if she's going to pull that shit again I'm gonna hold on to some fat!" And I am one porky gal now.
I've always had weight problems. I was a chunky kid and now am a chunky adult. I'm not huge by any stretch. I hide my gains well and still wear my old jeans, more or less. But my weight goes up and down depending upon my level of motivation, interest in some new diet, level of stress, etc. I have done Weight Watchers (and even attained "Lifetime Status," whereupon I left.) I did Dr. Bernstein and lost a ton of weight and even kept it off for a year, but found it a tad pricey. I followed lots of diet books but find that unless I have some sort of accountability, I lose interest. So I decided that this blog would be my accountability!
I'm going to post my progress several times a week... my weight loss, inches lost, what I'm eating, what is challenging me, etc. As well, I'm going to post some pics. I know this won't be as scientifically rigorous as some might like, I may not post my worst pics, but this is the best I can do. It's embarrassing to - literally - let it all hang out! And until Jenny Craig or WW pays me, I ain't strippin' down to my skivvies for before and after shots.
My boyfriend B is a photographer so he took some shots of me... looking AWFUL. My Week 1 photos are terrible. He wanted me to pose in my underwear... there was no way that was happening... so I put on his stretchy hockey pants and a t-shirt.
The diet (sorry, I know diet is a bad word) is the GI Diet. Here is some more information: http://www.gidiet.com. I got the idea for this plan from a very good blog by Tim Ferriss where he talked about following a "slow carb" diet (similar in many ways to the GI Diet). Anyway, he also did an exercise plan based on the Colorado Experiment http://www.bodybuildingfanatic.com/coloradoexperiment.htm where he put on a lot of muscle working out in a particular way for a relatively short period of time. I don't want to look like a 5'1 She-Hulk, but I'll take some bulk if it means increasing my strength and definition. So I am going to follow the GI Diet and do weight training according to this experiment. My goal is to get my body weight to 118-120 pounds but lose inches and gain muscle. Right now I weigh about 127 pounds and don't have a lot of muscle. So folks, I will keep you posted.
The ironic thing is I started working out in earnest in September and followed this diet the gym nutritionist gave me (the candida diet) and I lost some weight. I looked good, I had more energy and my clothes fit better. But for anyone who has been on the candida diet, it is brutally strict - no wheat, no sugar, very little fruit, absolutely no alcohol, no caffeine. Read: NO FUN. Sure I lost weight, but who can maintain that forever?? Not me. So I went off the candida diet and my weight ballooned, almost like my body said, "Screw that, if she's going to pull that shit again I'm gonna hold on to some fat!" And I am one porky gal now.
I've always had weight problems. I was a chunky kid and now am a chunky adult. I'm not huge by any stretch. I hide my gains well and still wear my old jeans, more or less. But my weight goes up and down depending upon my level of motivation, interest in some new diet, level of stress, etc. I have done Weight Watchers (and even attained "Lifetime Status," whereupon I left.) I did Dr. Bernstein and lost a ton of weight and even kept it off for a year, but found it a tad pricey. I followed lots of diet books but find that unless I have some sort of accountability, I lose interest. So I decided that this blog would be my accountability!
I'm going to post my progress several times a week... my weight loss, inches lost, what I'm eating, what is challenging me, etc. As well, I'm going to post some pics. I know this won't be as scientifically rigorous as some might like, I may not post my worst pics, but this is the best I can do. It's embarrassing to - literally - let it all hang out! And until Jenny Craig or WW pays me, I ain't strippin' down to my skivvies for before and after shots.
My boyfriend B is a photographer so he took some shots of me... looking AWFUL. My Week 1 photos are terrible. He wanted me to pose in my underwear... there was no way that was happening... so I put on his stretchy hockey pants and a t-shirt.
The diet (sorry, I know diet is a bad word) is the GI Diet. Here is some more information: http://www.gidiet.com. I got the idea for this plan from a very good blog by Tim Ferriss where he talked about following a "slow carb" diet (similar in many ways to the GI Diet). Anyway, he also did an exercise plan based on the Colorado Experiment http://www.bodybuildingfanatic.com/coloradoexperiment.htm where he put on a lot of muscle working out in a particular way for a relatively short period of time. I don't want to look like a 5'1 She-Hulk, but I'll take some bulk if it means increasing my strength and definition. So I am going to follow the GI Diet and do weight training according to this experiment. My goal is to get my body weight to 118-120 pounds but lose inches and gain muscle. Right now I weigh about 127 pounds and don't have a lot of muscle. So folks, I will keep you posted.
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