Size Does Matter!

This is such a HUGE transition for me...to be happy with inches lost and not focusing on what that damn scale says.  I think it's tough for any woman to see that scale not translate the time and effort you have been putting into a healthier lifestyle.  I know for me personally it has been the most challenging and frustrating part about my weight loss journey.  I haven't been seeing the numbers go down on the scale so I am trying really hard not to let that get me down.

The Thinner Winner competition at my gym just ended and I only lost 2 lbs.  I admit I ate badly for a week due to our little mini getaway to Catalina, 10th Anniversary, Bday, Valentine's, etc.  February is incredibly hard to stay on track for me.  I did well...until we left for Catalina. LOL

However, I tried to maintain a strict diet of eliminating grains, dairy, sugar, alcohol and processed foods.  I basically ate meat, veggies, fruit, eggs and nuts.  My diet remained consistent for approximately 6 weeks so I was happy about that. When the Thinner Winner competition started, I had already lost 7 lbs from just eating healthy and starting up my regular workout regimen again.  As usual, I go into a hiatus during the holidays in which I eat, drink and be merry.  Heck, I do it every year.  This isn't news to anyone I know.  So I was happy to lose the "water weight" and I was ready to lose a whole lot more!

Thinner Winner began on Martin Luther King Jr Day (January 20th) and the workout program was 2-3x a week with a trainer for 6 weeks.  I was devoted to my workouts and the wonderful ladies and trainers that helped motivate me to get my bootie back into shape. It felt good to get stronger, my clothes were fitting better and I was just happier in general. I didn't weigh myself the whole 6 weeks. I just knew what that scale would do to my psyche.

So when it was time to do the final weigh-in last week (February 26th), it totally crushed my ego.  The scale just doesn't reflect the hard work I've put into this whole journey so far.  2 lbs???  F that.  I tried sooooo hard and that's it???

Breathe in, breathe out.  Shake it off, Meg...

I had to do a lot of that on Wednesday.  Probably didn't help that Aunt Flo decided to come visit that morning either.  LOL.

Anyway, I was feeling down about it.  I started not caring about what I ate.  Chocolate?  OK, give me some.  Ice cream?  Yeah, I'll take some of that too.  Fried chicken?  Hell yes, give me 3.

Emotional eater?  YES I AM. 

I had to "reboot" my emotional and mental being.  I literally sat down and read pages and pages of articles regarding health and fitness trying to get back in the "game". 

I'm stilllllll trying...

I started a month-long bootcamp yesterday.  M-F @ 10 am and Saturdays @ 9 am with Bradford, a trainer who has really helped me get to where I am today.  (Thank you Bradford!!!)  I am feeling quite a bit stronger and I love that I can push myself beyond limits I certainly didn't think I could overcome.  I am definitely feeling thankful for that.  

My goals are changing.  Instead of focusing on the numbers on the scale, I am going to set personal records for myself and get leaner, meaner (is that even possible?  HA!), stronger.  I want to be able to do a Crossfit competition someday! Maybe an adventure race...a triathlon?  My list of goals is endless.

Anyway, the whole point of this entry is that even though the numbers on the scale don't reflect the hard work I've been putting into losing the weight.  I AM LOSING INCHES!!!

http://exercise.about.com/od/weightloss/a/losinginches.htm

Measured myself officially again today to see my progress. I am pretty happy with the results actually.  Some significant changes for sure.  See for yourself...

Body Part 12/1/2014 1/1/2014 1/31/2014 3/4/2014 4/14/2014 Waist 34 35 1/2 33 1/2 31 1/2 Naval 37 38     36 1/2 33 1/2 Under Bra 33 33 1/2 33 31 Arm 11 1/2 11 1/2 12 1/2 12 Thigh 24 1/2 25 1/2 23     21 Hips 42 42 1/2 39 38 Calves 14 14 14 1/2 14 3/4

Which diet to do this time?

Yes, I said the forbidden word again...DIET. Realistically, I would like to say that I could continue eating healthy on a regular basis, as a "lifestyle".  But I don't live like that.  I enjoy food too much to give up anything permanently. I can go for weeks, even months, without certain things (sugar, dairy, grains, etc).  I can even try to go for a year without some things.  I've done it before, well kind of.  I omitted soda from my diet for 3 years.  I just didn't care for it.  Then again, I was drinking a lot of alcohol at that time. I'll save that explanation for another day.  LOL

Anyway, I have several more days left until the next Biggest Loser competition begins.  Last diet I did was Paleo aka the Caveman Diet.  I lasted 6 weeks and as much as I liked it and appreciated losing 15 lbs during that time, I just don't know if that's something I want to go through again.  First off, it's expensive.  I don't normally eat red meat.  I eat a lot of chicken and seafood (fish, shrimp, tuna, crabs & lobster) if I'm lucky. But I find that I NEED red meat when I'm eating Paleo.  You kind of feel ravenous for a period of time and you just want to eat a lot.  Considering it's so limited to veggies, meat, eggs and fruit...I felt like I needed something different (other than chicken) to continue Paleo.  You end up eating a lot of the same stuff.  Makes it kind of boring to eat eggs everyday.  But it also forces you to find new recipes to keep you going.  My point is that meat is expensive!  Secondly, even though I liked many different Paleo recipes (my family did too), it's a LOT of work trying to make things.  My kitchen ends up looking like a bomb went off at every meal.  Yes, you heard that right.  EVERY MEAL.  Don't get me wrong, I like cooking.  But I would rather not have to cook every single meal.  It's much more convenient to grab a yogurt out of the fridge or pour myself a bowl of cereal for breakfast than having to cook eggs and bacon.  Not to mention all the veggies you end up cutting just to make the meals more filling.  Which in turn creates MORE mess.  Which leads to cleaning. MORE cleaning.  Eh.

Another reason I am not really wanting to do Paleo is that even though I lost 15 lbs in the 6 weeks I attempted it.  It is not something I can see myself doing for a looooooooooong period of time.  Like I said, it's too limiting.  No dairy.  No (refined) sugar.  No refined anything. No grains.  No processed foods.  No beans.  No alcohol (sometimes this becomes a NEED).  No Thrifty's chocolate malted crunch ice cream!!  This is also a NEED.  Who can live like that for life??!?!  I know I certainly can't. 

I'm trying to be realistic here.  I know I love my sugar.  I can go without it for days, weeks, months (3 months being the longest when I did the South Beach Diet a few years back).  Ideally I would like to be able to enjoy some of the finer things in food.  You know, sugar, dairy, grains, beans...yes, even beans.  I want to be able to make it last longer than a few months.  You know, make it a lifestyle.  Is that even possible???

I met someone recently that told me about the S Diet. It's a few simple rules. 

"There are just three rules and one exception:

• No Snacks
• No Sweets
• No Seconds

Except (sometimes) on days that start with "S"

That's it." 

Why in quotes? Because I copied it straight from their website.  The rules are really that simple. 

So that means, I can eat what I want (as long as I don't go crazy) on Saturdays, Sundays and special days like holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, etc.  I like the idea of not having to say no to every single meal offered to me at parties, at restaurants, at other people's houses.  I like the idea of not having to omit anything from my diet. 

Ofcourse this all piqued my interest enough to buy the book.  I literally held it in my hands this morning and thought to myself how cool it would be to read it all in one day. 

Suffice to say...it's still sitting on the table.  Untouched...all day. 

Tonight might be the night! 

The research begins...

Back to Reality...

First off, I would like to say...DANG, I have not written in this blog in like forever! I have no idea what happened.  I really wanted to keep up with this thing but it just didn't happen.  Oh well. 

I just came to a realization today that since school has ended in June, we have only spent a few weeks at home.  The week after school got out, we went to San Diego to visit my sistah Charmaine for 8 days, spent 9 days at home and then took off for 26 days on our ROAD TRIP!!!  So that means, I have spent over a month eating out and eating everything in sight.  We literally ate like Kings and Queens, enjoying dessert almost after every meal.  Granted, I enjoyed every minute of it.  It was definitely worth the 15 lbs I gained during vacation. (Honestly, I haven't even weighed myself yet.  I am guessing that's the # since my pants don't fit. Tell-tale sign.)

But the fun must end someday and that someday is now here. 

Booooooo.  Hissssssss...

I would much rather be on vacation enjoying anything and everything I can shove in my mouth.  Heck, I do that during the holidays anyway.  However, this yo-yo dieting is wreaking havoc on my poor body.  Eating healthy for a few months then gorging myself for a few months after...it's a vicious cycle.  It's such a love/hate relationship with food. People hate the word "DIET".  I, on the other hand, use it without remorse.  I diet.  Plain and simple. 

To think, I just won one of the pots of a Biggest Loser contest back in May.  It's only August and I've already gained it all back.  Sad! 

I have no one to blame but myself.  I'm all about "Life is short.  Enjoy it."  But I am also all about fitting in my clothes.  LOL.  Which unfortunately for me, my fat pants are now becoming too tight.  These are usually my WINTER pants and it's right smack in the middle of summer.  Blah.

So today was my last hurrah.  I was trying to start my new weight loss journey today but I wanted to rebel and go against the norm.  Didn't wanna start on the first day of the month, I will start on the 2nd.  So there.

The next Biggest Loser contest begins Sunday, August 11th.  I thought about eating everything in sight before then (and who knows, I might still do that!  LOL) but my mental state needs to be in GO mode now.  Otherwise it will be that much harder when that Sunday rolls around.  I love doing contests.  It's such a great motivating factor.  I like money.  Who doesn't?  I like money even more when I WIN it.  I also like the camaraderie with all the wonderful ladies that are there with you every day TRYING.  The support we have for each other is phenomenal and it's truly a positive experience.

Anyway, wish me luck!  My belly & thighs needs this. 



And oh yeah, pictures to follow.  Eek!

Size 6 is now PLUS SIZE?

In response to "Plus Size Bodies, What Is Wrong With Them Anyway?"