My Makeover Year

Weight Loss: End of Week 9

noreply@blogger.com (MMY) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 17:17:00 +0000

Good news to report. Down 3 lbs. from last week to 237. No idea why though. I'm still not on track. I need to get focused!

Goals for March

noreply@blogger.com (MMY) — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 07:08:00 +0000

It's time to get re-focused on losing weight. I'm putting off dealing with some of the clothes issues, like cleaning out my closet, until I get things back under control with my diet. So here's what's up for the month:

Lose 8 pounds, getting to 232.
Write the "Dear Me" letter outlined in the Structure House plan.
Read through the Structure House book again.
30 minutes on the exercise bike every day.

Weight Loss: End of Week 8

noreply@blogger.com (MMY) — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 07:06:00 +0000

Ugh! I hate to even post this. I put two pounds back on. Shouldn't be surprised as I've been very lazy, not exercising and not watching what I eat. So I end February only one pound lighter than I started. Let's just wipe this month away and start fresh for March.

Weight Loss: End of Week 7

noreply@blogger.com (MMY) — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 18:29:00 +0000

No change from last Sunday's weigh-in--still at 238. I had a cold this week and even though I didn't eat a lot, I did indulge in a lot of prepped foods and comfort foods so it should be no surprise that I didn't lose more. I also felt too crappy to move much. I'm giving myself one more day to be lazy and slow, then tomorrow it's back to it.

BMI Progress

noreply@blogger.com (MMY) — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 20:08:00 +0000

Just out of curiosity, I ran new calculations today on my BMI. When I started this blog and my weight loss journey on Jan. 1, my BMI was 42.9. Using today's weight of 237, my BMI has gone down to 40.7, a reduction of more than two points. I'm still a looooong way from a healthy BMI of 24.9 or less, and almost 11 points away from getting out of the "obese" category, but at least there's progress!

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Weight Loss: End of Week 6

noreply@blogger.com (MMY) — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 04:52:00 +0000

I'm shocked! Another two pounds gone! And I still haven't really gotten my act together again to eat the way I should and get as much exercise as I should. But obviously, something is working. I'm at 238 now. Five more pounds to reach my goal for the month! Yeah!

First Rewards!

noreply@blogger.com (MMY) — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 03:27:00 +0000

Yesterday I went shopping for my reward to mark my first 10-lb. loss. I checked out a new jewelry store in town that I'd noticed advertising great prices on handmade earrings and other jewelry. I found these two pairs for just $11.

This photo doesn't really do them justice. The ones on the left have really beautiful blue stones and the ones on the right have hand-blown black-and-white glass beads. It's been ages since I treated myself to any new jewelry so I'm very pleased with these.

Weight Loss: End of Week 5

noreply@blogger.com (MMY) — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 16:52:00 +0000

I did nothing to deserve it, but nevertheless I lost another pound this week. I'm down to 240 and have officially earned my first reward! My waist measurement is sticking at 46". I guess I'm going to have to get moving in order to get that to budge.

I feel a bit more motivated now, so maybe I can get back on track and get going on losing those additional 7 pounds to meet my February goal.

Weight Loss: End of Week 4

noreply@blogger.com (MMY) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 17:13:00 +0000

Well, the official weigh-in this morning was the same as yesterday's unofficial one. I'm at 241, down 9 pounds from when I started 4 weeks ago. So I've fallen one pound short of my January goal, but I still have to be pleased with the 9-pound loss. This is a good start.

As for my other January goals, results were mixed. I've fallen off the exercising bandwagon in the last couple weeks--need to get back on track with that without delay! And I didn't get into cleaning out my closet and taking inventory at all. I did sort through all my jewelry last night, weed out a few things to give away, toss some broken things, and polish up some other things before putting it back neatly in my jewelry box and on my earring rack. So at least that's some progress.

My goals for February are as follows:

Lose 8 pounds, bringing me to 233.
Once again, 30 minutes a day of exercise!
Clean out my closet.
Whiten my teeth.

We Have Winners!

noreply@blogger.com (MMY) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 07:34:00 +0000

The two winners of the Avenue Sweater Giveaway are Natalija and Cherry Pal. I've notified both via e-mail and will send out the sweaters as soon as I receive their mailing addresses.

Thanks to all who left comments to enter the giveaway. I hope you'll continue to visit!

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The Unpredictability of Losing Weight

noreply@blogger.com (MMY) — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 17:21:00 +0000

Losing weight is an interesting thing (read: frustrating, maddening, unreliable). For three weeks I stayed on track, being ever so careful to keep my calorie count between 1200 and 1300 per day. For two of those three weeks, I lost weight. The third week, not at all. Then this past week--I went a little crazy. I've eaten pepperoni pizza (a lot of it), fast-food burritos, chocolate, a milkshake even! I didn't exercise at all. wAnd when this morning I did an unofficial weigh-in, I was stunned to see that I was down another two pounds. How is that possible????

OK, so now I have to get a grip. I am one pound away from meeting my January goal and I've got one more day to do it in. So the plan for today is to go back to 1200 calories, do two 30-minute sessions on the exercise bike, and drink lots of water. I'm not sure that will be enough to kill that pound, but it's the best (reasonable) way to go.

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Last Chance to Enter Sweater Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (MMY) — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 17:00:00 +0000

Today is your last chance to enter (or enter again) the Avenue Sweater Giveaway. I'll be picking the two random winners tonight at 11:00 pm PST. Contest rules are here.

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Weight Loss: End of Week 3

noreply@blogger.com (MMY) — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 16:29:00 +0000

Well, the word for the day is "zero." I didn't lose anything this week and I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. Although I stayed on the food plan most of the week, I did go off of it on Tuesday and for dinners on Friday and Saturday. I also exercised only about two days this week. Lazy, lazy, lazy! I've only got one more week to get to my 10-lb. goal for the week so I better crank it up this week and get it right!

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Don't Miss Out on the Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (MMY) — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 15:21:00 +0000

The Great Avenue Sweater Giveaway is still going on. You have until January 31 to enter. Don't miss out!

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The Day After

noreply@blogger.com (MMY) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 18:21:00 +0000

OK, I did some celebrating yesterday. I decided the day before that the diet was going to go on a one-day hiatus for the Inauguration because I was invited to a party and I wanted to feel free to partake. And I did. I had a great time, ate a small slice or two of pizza (I can't remember which!), two helpings of salad with dressing, a piece of cake, one glass of champagne, and coffee with half-and-half. I enjoyed it all. And thankfully, when I weighed myself this morning, I found that I was still down at least a pound from where I was on Sunday morning. So no damage done!

And speaking of the Inauguration, I think Michelle Obama and Jill Biden looked fantastic in both their daytime and nightime outfits. These women have style! They will be a great inspiration in that way, as well as in many other ways.

What a great day! I'm still feeling a little buzzed by it all, but I'm ready to get back on track and back to work.

Weight Loss: End of Week 2

noreply@blogger.com (MMY) — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 16:39:00 +0000

I'm down another 2 pounds, to 243. I only exercised three days this week, and I think I could have done better if I'd gotten in my 30 minutes all seven days. I'm still doing well with the eating plan, however. So the plan for this week is to get back to exercising every day. I really want to hit my 10-lb. milestone and get a reward!

Back to Tracking

noreply@blogger.com (MMY) — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 19:21:00 +0000

Although I'm continuing to stay on my diet and I'm sure I've lost more weight so far this week, I have slacked off of tracking my eating and activities over the last few days. Part of the reason is that my eating has gotten kind of repetitive so I know how many calories are involved and I can pretty much track it in my head. Part of it is also that the work has gotten busy and there's some family stress going on that's taking a lot of time and attention. I've gotten lazier about measuring things, and I know that can lead to bigger and bigger portions without noticing. I've also failed to get my 30 minute of exercise for the last three days.

So this morning I decided I needed to get back on track. I measured things and wrote them down for breakfast. I'm tracking my activities and I'm going straight to my exercise back when I finish this post.

The tracking is always something I struggle with on any diet. But I'm doing so well so far that I really don't want to blow it. I think I could hit my first 10-lb. milestone within a week or so. So I'll track it if it kills me! This time I will not fail!

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Great Avenue Sweater Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (MMY) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 17:49:00 +0000

In celebration of the start of my makeover journey, I'm giving away two brand new Avenue sweaters in the size I'm leaving behind (22/24). Both sweaters are in the style shown here, but one is olive green and the other is a medium grey. These sweaters are soft and lightweight and will carry you nicely through winter into the spring.

I'll award one sweater to each of two winners, chosen at random on January 31. To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment. You can enter multiple times by commenting on more than one post (only on posts dated 1/13 through 1/31), but your first comment must be on this post. Be sure to leave your e-mail address in each comment so I can contact you if you win to get your mailing address.

Enter often! I hope to read lots of great comments from you, and hopefully you'll soon have a lovely new sweater to begin your makeover with!

Jewelry and Purses and Shoes, Oh My!

noreply@blogger.com (MMY) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 16:00:00 +0000

I think now that I've actually moved a few steps along my weight loss path, it's time to set up some rewards for myself. Here's what I'm planning on treating myself to for every weight loss milestone I reach:

Every 10 lbs. lost: A new pair of earrings or other piece of jewelry
Every 25 lbs. lost: A new purse
Every 40 lbs. lost: A new pair of shoes

Of course, "new" may just mean "new to me," since I'm trying to keep my budget in check. But I want my rewards to reflect that I'm trying to re-do more than just my weight--I'd like to change my whole style. New clothes will have to be purchased along the way anyway, but accessories are an easy thing to forget about. Making them my rewards will help ensure I pay attention to the whole picture.

And as for the ultimate reward, when I reach my goal weight of 130? I think I'll just think on that one for a while, 'cause it's going to have to be something really fabulous. Any suggestions?

Weight Loss: End of Week 1

noreply@blogger.com (MMY) — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 17:04:00 +0000

Great results this week! I'm down a total of 5 pounds for the week and 1.5 inches from my original waist measurement (end of December). There were two days that I got busy and forgot to exercise, and a couple nights that I felt a little hungry/bored and restless and had a small, healthy snack. But overall, I found the Structure House plan pretty easy to manage. And I'm very happy with my progress so far. On to Week 2!

I've added a weight loss slider at the bottom of the page to track my weight loss progress. Can't wait to see those little hearts move!

What I'm Reading

noreply@blogger.com (MMY) — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 19:26:00 +0000

I won a copy of The Budget Fashionista recently in a contest on their web site. It really seems to be loaded with tips for putting together a good wardrobe on a tight budget.

I haven't gotten very far into it so far, so I'll put off doing a full review until later. But I like the way it starts--with information on putting together a budget. It seems like a book that really helps you to avoid those impulse purchases that never work out and end up just taking up space in the closet. I think this is just the kind of guide to building a wardrobe that I've been needing!

Can Someone Please Explain This to Me?

noreply@blogger.com (MMY) — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 19:10:00 +0000

The Budget Fashionista has a post noting the layoff of fashion writer Lynn Yaeger from the Village Voice, where she's worked for some thirty years. The post includes a photo of Yaeger, who is apparently one of the best-known writers in the fashion business. I ask you: should I really be taking fashion advice from this woman?

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Comments Enabled

noreply@blogger.com (MMY) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 15:51:00 +0000

A reader from my other blog let me know that she had a problem leaving a comment here. I think I've fixed the settings so that comments are enabled, but if you're still having a problem with comments, please e-mail me to let me know (mymakeoveryear at gmail dot com).

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Down 2 Pounds and 1 Inch!

noreply@blogger.com (MMY) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 17:57:00 +0000

I intended to only weigh myself once a week but curiosity got the better of me this morning and I got on the scale. Down 2 pounds! Then I followed up by measuring my waist. I was down 1 inch from where I was on 12/28. I'm very pleased. Both the exercise bike and the diet are working!

Day One: Yes!

noreply@blogger.com (MMY) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 18:34:00 +0000

I stayed on the Structure House program all day yesterday! My total calorie count for the day was 1138. I had actually planned on eating slightly over 1200 calories but at the end of dinner, I just wasn't hungry enough to eat the pineapple I'd planned on. I got in my 30 minutes of exercise too. The only thing that I could have improved on was drinking water. That's always a hard one for me. But I feel really good about what I ate, and about the fact that when I was getting hungry in the afternoon and was tempted to snack, I did other things instead (gardening, went out to a bookstore). In the evening, when I'm usually most tempted to snack, I just read the paper, clipped coupons, and organized my coupon holder (while watching TV, of course). Because I didn't eat dinner until around 7 pm I wasn't really even thinking about snacking in the evening.

I think this plan may be really good for me. So many diets now emphasize healthy snacking, but I think for me the whole snacking process may be a bad idea. I think it may feel really freeing to break that habit.

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