Operation: Fit in my Pants

training update: weeks 1 through 4

2010-03-22T09:11:00.007-04:00

So...since I'm 4 weeks into training for the 10-miler, I figured that now would be an appropriate time to update. Actually...I've been meaning to update for a while, but haven't had time, but oh well. Better late than never.

The first two weeks were fantastic! I was able to run outside for 3 of my 6 training runs (doing the remaining ones on the elliptical trainer), which was not bad considering it was February and there was still tons of snow on the ground! The running wasn't hard. I already knew I could run three miles (I ran a 5K without any training over Thanksgiving weekend), so they weren't daunting.

The cross-training days were pretty much what I normally do. I'm using Jackie Warner's video for the strength sessions (she has a 40-min workout for the Strength and Stretch days and a 15-min workout for the day I run), and Jillian Michael's Burn Fat, Boost Metabolism for cross training days.

All in all? Yay!

Weeks 3 and 4 was when reality set in. Actually...week 3 wasn't too bad. We travelled up to Philly, so Autumn and I ran our long run (4 miles) together...on the treadmill, no less! But, when we returned home on Sunday, I wasn't in any mood to get a workout in, so I missed my first one of the training. I didn't worry too much though, since it was only one workout.

And then I got the stomach bug...so I didn't workout Tuesday. And then E got the stomach bug...so I didn't work out Wednesday. And since the time change has made it pitch black until 7AM, I moved moved my Tues/Wed workouts to Thurs/Friday. And then John went out of town (NCAA Tourney), so I didn't work out Saturday or Sunday. (Although, yesterday I did take the girls to an Ice Skating party. The 6 laps we completed were a killer arm workout preventing the girls from falling.)
Luckily for me, this was a "Step Back" week with short runs (2 miles) so that we can push forward with mileage this week. So I'm hoping that I didn't miss too much. I did get up this morning and did my 40 minutes of cross-training (elliptical intervals -- I was a sweaty mess after).

I am worried about how I'm going to run now that it's dark again in the morning. I think Wednesday's run will have to be indoors...and I'll be able to finagle a run on Friday (I'm working from home home) and Sunday. But it's kind of stressing me out. Any thoughts/suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

ready to run

2010-02-22T12:18:00.004-05:00

So, as I mentioned on my other blog, I just signed up for the Broad Street Run, a 10-mile race! I'll be running the race with a good friend of mine...which I'm really excited about.

The whole running part of it? Not so much.

You see, try as I might, I'm not a big fan of running. When I was younger, it was an ends to a means...I *had* to do it as part of soccer practice. When I got older, I preferred the gym to running. I did run the Cherry Blossom 10-miler almost 10(!) years ago...but I upped my mileage way to fast, got shin splints, and immediately stopped running after I ran my race.

So, why run it now? Part of the reason is having a friend doing it with me. She asked...how could I say no? Autumn and I have done tons together...planned our weddings, been pregnant, and taken fun vacations (including Ireland!). This is just one more thing we can ~~bitch~~ talk about.

But another part is that I'm kind of in an exercise rut. I've got my workout DVDs and I still do the elliptical...but I've basically been doing the same thing for a year now. Training for this race will be something new to shake things up.

We're going to be using Hal Higdon's training plan for the race. Hopefully, this will help me avoid the injury (and burnout) I had with the Cherry Blossom. Besides, it calls for running only 3 times a week. So yay for less running!

Today was Day 1, which was strength training. Tomorrow is my first running day. But since it's still pitch black when I get up to workout (5:30AM) and the sidewalks in my 'hood are still snow covered, I'm going to do this one on my elliptical. At least initially, I'll be doing the shorter runs during the week on the elliptical and the long run outside.

So wish me luck! I'm *definitely* going to need it!

a little inspiration

2009-06-26T11:46:00.002-04:00

It's no secret that I'm a big fan of Jillian Michaels. Her 30 Day Shred consistently kicks my heiny and her two videos are super tough (and I feel like *such* a badass when I finish them...a badass who can't lift her arms abover her head, but a badass nonetheless). She's featured in SELF magazine this month, and the article that on her was a very interesting read.

In the article, she is quoted as saying,

"[Being selfless] is not a good example to set for your kids. Would you treat your kids the way you treat yourself? Would you deprive them of playtime and adequate sleep? Would you not make their doctor's appointments? Would you pick them apart and tell them they are ugly? No!"

I was so struck by this statement...and how it applies to so many moms. We so often put ourselves at the bottom of the priority list and not only is it bad for our health, but also a bad lesson to teach our children. I've definitely gotten much better about this...I used to feel guilty if I worked out on the weekend because it was time away from the kids. But this really does put so much in perspective for me.

What do you think?

roller coaster ride

2009-06-19T13:35:00.001-04:00

Here's my Google 15 weight tracker for the last two weeks. Notice how it starts to sneaks up over the weekend, goes waaaaay up on that Monday morning weigh-in and then slowly returns to normal...only to do the same thing again the next Monday?

Guess I tend to indulge a little over the weekend, huh?

a banana a day

2009-04-24T13:43:00.003-04:00

I work out first thing in the morning. I mean it ... I even lay my clothes out the night before so they are ready to go (thus reducing the time it takes me to work out and increases my amount of sleep). Since I work out so early, I never really ate anything before that. I didn't want to sit around and wait to digest anything and add preciousl minutes to my morning workout routine.

However, after my 13 Day Shred FAIL, I read this article. I figured that since I usually have a banana on my drive into work (and then eat my breakfast at my desk)...I could experiment with eating my banana first thing in the morning and see what happens.

First of all, contrary to my fears, I haven't gotten nauseous eating immediately prior to a work out. No cramps either. So that's been great. But what's more is that my body fat % on my scale has eeked ever so slightly down over the past week or so. Now I know this could be attributed to a wide range of factors (new workout routine, better eating habits, etc.)...but I'm definitely going to continue with the eating first thing in the morning.

thirteen day shred update

2009-04-20T20:59:00.004-04:00

So...at the end of March/beginning of April, I did the Thirteen Day Shred, where I did Level 3 of Jillian's 30 Day Shred for 13 days in a row. For almost two weeks, I faithfully completed the workout. (Yeah...it's been over a week since I actually did this...sue me for the late update.)

The results were pretty undramatic. I lost no weight (though my eating habits might have contributed). According to my fancy-schmancy scale, I lost no body fat. I saw no results on my body. However, I did progress actually doing the workout. By the time I finished up, the only modifications I was doing was for the pike situps and the walking pushups, which was cool.

The other thing I noticed was that I feel that I lost a bit of cardio endurance. A day after I completed my little challenge, I got on the elliptical trainer and I was *dying*. And, on Friday, I went back to the Level 2 Shred workout (by far my favorite) and I really did "gargle my heart" (which Jillian told me she was trying to do). So, while I see the benefits of strength training...I'm not ready to fully give up cardio either.

Finally, I am so.damn.sick of the Level 3 workout. I found myself resisting working out...not because I was tired or sore, but because I was just bored with doing it. I feel like I could recite to you everything she says before she says it.

So, what now? I actually ended up buying three new DVDs...Jillian's Burn Fat, Boost Metabolism and No More Trouble Spots and The Biggest Loser Weight Loss Yoga. BFBM is a 45-minute cardio-based circuit workout. NMTS is 45-minutes of weight-based circuits. I've done the BFBM and it was KILLER...but fun!

My goal is to alternate the Jillian DVDs with elliptical sessions, and do the Yoga DVD on Sundays (or when I couldn't get in a workout in the morning). I'll also throw in the Shred workouts when I need a shorter workout.

I can give little mini-reviews of the DVDs if any one is interested, too.

easter surprise

2009-04-13T13:54:00.002-04:00

Who knew that consuming approximately 7 pounds of ham, along with some Easter candy, and loads of other delicious foods would cause a marked overnight weight gain?

Apparently, when I remarked "I feel like I gained 5 pounds today" it was because I had, in fact, gained 5 pounds.

the advantages of working out at home

2009-04-07T12:56:00.005-04:00

There are many great things about working out at home. No commuting time to the gym. No worries about the weather or the lack of daylight. But perhaps the best reason of all is that, by forgoing being seen in public, you can look as strange as you want to.

This is how I roll:

I just got a new haircut that involves face-framing layers and bangs. So my hair is pulled into a incredibly pathetic looking ponytail and I have a headband to keep all the wispy pieces back.
Since Level 3 of The Shred involves a lot of planks and pushups, I don't like to wear baggie shirts cause they ride up and get in the way. But most of my shirts *are* baggie. So I take a ponytail holder and pull them tight (a la a Hooters girl).
I wear workout shorts...therefore my legs are visible. My pale-as-a-ghost, rarely shaven legs.
After working out in my running shoes for too long, I finally broke down and bought a pair of cross-trainers this weekend. Well, they said they were cross-trainers. From their appearance at first glance, it looks like I stole some geriatric walking shoes off a resident of the local nursing home. Not pretty.

Maybe I'll post a picture of my getup for you to get the full visual. Although...in all honesty I think I'd probably be just as embarrased for you to see me like that as I would to post a bathing suit shot. It really is that bad.

In other news, this weekend was a total bust, food-wise (hello buffalo chicken wings, among other yummy splurges!) and I'm seeing it in the scale. My Google 15 moving average has been on a steady incline for the last week or so, as has my daily weigh-in. So tomorrow, I'm definitely heading to my WW meeting to weigh in and refocus again. I definitely need to get back on track, especially with Easter and all the yummy food surrounding this holiday will entail.

cool new tool

2009-04-04T08:07:00.000-04:00

As I've mentioned before, I'm an everyday weigher. Though my official weigh-in day is Wednesday, I pretty much step on the scale every morning. I like to think doing so helps keep me on track. We've also established that I love me some weight loss graphs.

The homepage I use iGoogle. iGoogle allows you to customize your page with all sorts of RSS feeds. I have all the blogs I read in Google Reader, CNN and MSNBC headlines, People headlines, and the "Dinner Tonight" recipe of the day from Cooking light, along with Google Maps and a clock and a calendar. And now I also have The Google 15. It rocks!

Basically, you enter your weight every single day, and the Google 15 calculates your "Moving Average" for your weight. According to the makers of the Google 15,

"The Google 15 encourages you to get on the scale every day by calculating a moving average from your daily weight. We then plot this average alongside your daily scale weight and a goal weight that you set--this gives you a better idea of your weight trend by masking most of the day to day noise that variances in water weight introduce."

So basically, if you suddenly gain 3 pounds overnight...you shouldn't sound the alarms because your weight trend is still holding steady.

I took a screenshot so you could see what I mean. (I also erased the "tens" column of my weight so you couldn't see my actual weight...not that you were curious or anything.) As you can see, I'm kind of a "go crazy on the weekends kind of girl" as noted by my trip to get Mexican food and having weekend guests where I didn't track my points. But what you can also see is that, despite the inevitable weight gain, overall I'm maintaining a weight slightly under my "goal" weight (though it is trending ever-so-slightly higher).

It really has helped keep things in perspective. Those "Whoa Nelly!" mornings that suddenly jump up are really not-so-bad when you look at them in the big picture.

Plus, it's a graph...what's not to love about some hard-core graphing?

the thriteen day shred

2009-03-31T21:37:00.002-04:00

So, a while back I ordered the 30 Day Shred with Jillian Michaels. The DVD was supposed to be done for 30 days straight as you moved from Level 1 up to Level 3. Doing so would "shred" your body.

Except I didn't follow the plan.

I'm one of those die-hard cardio queens that has a hard time giving up the uber-sweaty lure of the ellipitical for weight-lifting. So, for the past few months, I've been aiming to do 3 days of cardio and 3 days of Jillian. And all was going pretty well.

In my recent meanderings around the blogosphere, I saw there was a group of bloggers who actually did the 30 Day Shred as intended (10 days straight at each level)...and the results were amazing! So, I figured that I'd try to do the program in earnest. Since I was already doing the program consistently at Level 2, I figured I would pop up to Level 3 for 2 weeks and see what happens.

Whoa nelly! Level 3 is an ass-kicker. While it's not as hard, cardio-wise...the moves in it are killer. Walking planks...travelling push-ups...jumping lunges...I like my pain in one place, thankyouverymuch. I'm a little concerned on how I'm going to keep this up for 11 more days in a row, but we'll see. I'll keep you posted.

slacker mama eats...bulkogi

2009-03-06T11:54:00.004-05:00

On Sunday night, we had Bulkogi for dinner. It's a Korean dish that we've been having in my family for years. Even my uber-picky sister ate this dish. The girls eat this...John loves it. Not only that, it's really easy to make, even on a weeknight! And because it uses flank steak, it's pretty economical *and* lean.

Score!

I just typed it up for my cousin, Marguerite, so I figured I'd let you in on a delish new dish to try...

Bulkogi
This is enough marinade for one flank steak...double/triple depending on how many you are cooking.

1/3 c soy sauce
2 green onions, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T sugar
2 T vinegar, sake or sherry wine (I use vinegar)
1 T sesame oil
3 (or more dashes) cayenne pepper

Mix marinade and pour over a scored flank steak (I dump it in a ziploc baggie). Let marinade overnight or for at least a few hours.

Grill the steak to your desired doneness. Allow to rest and slice against the grain.

Boil the marinade for at least 3 minutes. Use this as a sauce for the steak.

We served this with Joy of Cooking's basmatti rice pilaf (which is super easy and delish) and green beans.

Bon apetit!

a mama at rest tends to stay at rest

2009-03-04T10:24:00.005-05:00

Two weeks ago, I was frantically prepping for our Disney world trip. There was work to finish up, laundry to do, clothes to ~~buy~~ fold, and a family to pack. With all of that going on, I managed to fit in a meager 3 work outs that week. Last week, with being at and returning to Disney, I ended up working out a whopping ZERO times.

So, this week, I'm back to working out. I hauled myself onto the elliptical Sunday, Monday (a measly 15 minutes thanks to an early-rising, uber cranky A), and today. And yesterday, I had the pleasure of getting my ass kicked by Jillian.

What makes me so mad is...why oh why is it so easy to fall out of a good habit, like working out? Prior to Disney, I was working out 5 to 6 times a week, no problem. Right now, I have to beg, plead and cajole myself to get out of bed and JUST DO IT. It's not even like I took soooooo much time off...just a week or so. But nonetheless, I'm just so daunted and a little sore by getting back onto the horse.

Other good habits that I'm trying to restart this week are journalling (this "doing it in my head" stuff doesn't count) and drinking water. Even though WW lets you count all non-alcholic beverages in your 6-a-day total, I don't. And my poor little beverage count is at 1, maybe 2 a day.

So there you have it. Excercise. Journal. Water. Exciting times around these parts.

the disney effect

2009-02-27T10:15:00.003-05:00

I'm not gonna lie, I was worried about what my weigh-in would be like this week. We went to Disney for a few days, and I didn't know how that would work.

On the one hand, I tried to make the best choices I could food-wise (e.g., fruit for snacks) ... but I definitely indulged (mmmm...fried calamari, beer, wine!).

On the one hand, I didn't work out while I was there ... but I did a lot of walking (often carrying a kid).

Turns out, I needn't have worried. On my weigh-in day, I was up a pound or two, but by today, I've returned to normal. So, yay! I'm still maintaining.

The only thing that has suffered in the last week or two is working out. Before the trip, I was frenzied mess of planning and packing and skipped a few workouts. Post trip, I just could not drag myself out of bed. So, I need to get back on track with that ... pronto!

Finally, my eagle-eyed friend, Jenn, noticed in my collage of Disney pictures that I was wearing shorts.

The requesite picture in front of Cinderella's castle.
Not so successful. And can you Photoshop a tan on my legs, please?

For those of you that know me...I have held a very staunch anti-short stance for many years. I did buy a pair of shorts last summer, and bought this pair for Disney...since my usual warm weather uniform of a skirt looks funny with sneakers.

So, I've definitely turned over a new clothing leaf. Though, it's debatable if those can be considered shorts since they pretty much come down to my knee. I think all that's left on my list of clothes I won't wear are tube tops and bikinis. And we can all agree that no one needs to see me in those any time soon!

What about you? Is there an article of clothing (like shorts) that you refuse to wear?

slacker mama eats...at chili's

2009-02-13T10:52:00.002-05:00

Since I'm not posting on a regular basis about my weekly weigh-ins, I figured I'd start posting a few tips and tricks that I use to help me lose and maintain my weight. I'll be titling these Slacker Mama Eats...so be on the look out!

So last night, the pantry at the Slacker Mama house was looking a little bare, so we headed out for a mid-week treat of eating "someplace special" which is what the girls call eating anywhere but home. Don't think I'm not offended.

Anyway, we had planned to try the new restaurant that opened up the street from us...but there was a 45 minute wait. So we headed across the way to Chili's. Now, I'm not a big fan of that genre of restaurants (TGIF, Ruby Tuesdays, etc), but if I had to choose one Chili's is definitely my favorite. Their burgers are really quite tasty. But, alas, on the Thursday before Valentine's day weekend and a week before I will possibly be wearing summer clothes and a bathing suit, I was not going to splurge on the Big Mouth Burger.

John suggested the Nachos...and while I really didn't want them, I begrudingly agreed since I couldn't turn down those puppy dog eyes. Big mistake. When I got home, I found that a plate of the nachos contained a whopping 1370 calories and 103 grams of fat. I estimated that I ate 1/3 of them...which came in at a mind-boggling 9 Points! That's my normal alottment for dinner! Luckily, John was just as horrified at that as I was, so that will be in our menu choices from now on. (I did notice that the Chips and Salsa would be a reasonable appitizer (that all Slackers would like)...it's about 10 points for the whole basket of chips!)

For dinner itself, I chose the Guitless Grill Buffalo Chicken sandwich. It came with steamed veggies and parmesean. I thought it would be OK...but it was really, really tasty. And it was 8 points total, which is even less points than I would have estimated. This will definitely be my go-to meal from now on when we end up at Chili's.

So there you have it: Pass on the nachos! Get the Guitless Grill Buffalo Chicken Sandwich and (if you absolutely have to have an app) the Chips and Salsa.

epiphany on the elliptical

2009-02-05T20:45:00.004-05:00

The other morning I was watching a TiVo-ed episode of What Not to Wear while working out on the elliptical machine. The mom wore oversized clothes and looked totally frumpy...but she argued that's because she was a mom and her needs would always be secondary to that of her daughters.

I almost fell off the machine from rolling my eyes so much. Yes, kids come first, I thought to myself. But to the exclusion of anything for yourself? Isn't that a bit martyr-ish?

Then I realized that I was the pot calling the kettle black. I mean, I own four pairs of casual pants that fit me. I have a closet full of pants that are way too big...and yet sometime in desperation I wear them...or I wear sweats on my work-from-home days. I have two bras that fit...used to be three except somehow I gouged a *gigantic* hole in one so we're down to two. I have gift cards in my wallet that go unused despite me really needing new clothes and cosmetics.

Though I was bemoaning this woman for not taking a flipping afternoon to herself to go shopping...I haven't done that since I honestly can't remember. The last few times I've been shopping have been with the girls in tow...even when I bought my fancy schmancy jeans.

So this weekend I'm doing it. Shopping by myself. Hilarity, I'm sure, will ensue.

crossroads

2009-01-23T16:36:00.004-05:00

So, I'm at a bit of a crossroads right now with two things: what to do with this blog...and what to do with my weight.

First of all, the blog. I really do credit posting my weigh-ins and the support from the commenters as to part of the success I've had over the past year. But, these days it seems a bit weird posting a weekly update. I mean, I'm maintaining. There are going to be up weeks and there are going to be down weeks...it's life. I feel weird posting 0.6 lb gains and 0.8 lb losses because then I feel the need to justify them and there really isn't a reason anymore. Then I thought I'd still post my oh-so-witty commentary on weightloss and what not, but since I'm suffering from a little writer's block as it is...that really isn't happening.

So...I don't know what to do. Should I just stop posting and and call it a day? Post every now and again when I feel like it? Or shoudl I continue with the normal posting including wednesday Weigh-ins because you need to know exactly what I weigh at all times?

The second thing is that I'm thinking of losing a few more pounds. Nothing drastic, mind you...just the 3 or 4 to get me back to my pre-E WW goal weight. I'm not going to lie...I really didn't consider that weight as goal when I started because I thought 25 pound was going to be tough enough -- almost 30 would have been damn near impossible. But, now that I'm here, I'm wondering if I should go for it.

It's the million dollar question, isn't it? What weight should you be happy with? I feel much better about myself than I did a year ago (or even 4 months ago)...but on the other hand...I still look in the mirror (or try something on) and think that there's room for improvement.

So I just don't know...what do you think?

bling bling

2009-01-09T15:28:00.002-05:00

I was IM-ing with a good friend of mine the other day (Hi, Autumn!) when she asked me if I ever got my diamond earrings for winning the weight loss bet with John. I realized that I never posted a followup on that story here. And since I'm making fun of him over on the other blog...it seems only fitting that I also also say something nice about John, too.

Without further ado...here is what I won for losing the weight!

Need a close-up of those bee-you-tiful diamond earrings?

I actually got them right before my birthday, but I wanted to hold off and post about them when I hit 25 pounds. Except that it took over a month for that to happen. So I forgot. But let me tell you...I actually haven't taken them off since I got them, I love them that much. And they really do stand to serve as a reminder of the hard work it took for me to get here.

The only issue is that both E and A stare at them lovingly and say, "Mama, I love your earrings." I think keeping those two away from the Piercing Pagoda (and out of my jewelry box) is going to get harder and harder really soon.

1 for 4

2009-01-08T21:41:00.003-05:00

Last weekend, the family and I headed to Reston Town Center for some lunch and a movie. Since we had a bit of time, we checked out the post-holiday sales at a few stores.

I'm not going to lie, my need for pants that actually fit me has reached MAJOR EMERGENCY status. I own exactly three pairs of pants that fit: my fancy-schmancy Citizens, my pair of "almost-skinny" jeans from BR and a pair of Lucky's from right after E was born. Notice a trend? Yeah...they are *all* denim. I really had nothing casual that weren't jeans.

We had a little time before the movie, so I ducked into BR. I grabbed a pair of cords and a pair of khackis from the sale rack in the same size as my jeans. I didn't have time to try them on because of the movie (and my kids were running around like wild banshees). After the movie, we stopped in JCrew where I found a pair of cords on final sale, and I picked up a pair of Favorite Fit chinos (the namesake of this blog) in the size below.

When I finally got home and tried them on...only 1 damn pair fit. One. The Banana pants were waaaaaay too tight on my ass. The Favorite Fits just fit weird...they were kind of tight on my ass too...but then weirdly baggy in the thigh. The only pair that fit were the cords (thankfully...since they weren't returnable).

I'm just so annoyed because I really have no idea what to do. In theory, all of the pants should have fit *fine*. But they don't. And I know for a fact that going up a size will be waaay to big (at least for the Favorite Fits). I guess I need to take some time and try on a bunch of different fits and see what looks best now.

You know, in all of my free time. Sigh.

wednesday weigh-in: -0.6 lbs

2009-01-07T20:33:00.002-05:00

Woo hoo! However minute it was, I ended up losing a little bit this week. This is after a fantastic dinner for New Year's Eve, having con queso dip *twice* and trips to my two favorite Mexican joints (Rio and El Tio).

How'd I do it? Well, I think it was journaling the whole week...no matter how ugly it was. And, strangely enough, there was a bit of portion control going on. Usually I make one big batch of queso. But I actually halved the recipe...which provided instant portion control (because we would have eaten it all in one sitting otherwise).

The other biggie was exercise. So far, I've worked out 6 times in the New Year. That's my New Year's resolution -- working out 5-6 times a week. An ideal week would be 3 cardio sessions (30-45 minutes) on the elliptical and 3 sessions of 30 Day Shred (and maybe a bit more cardio if I can)...however, I know that life as a working mom means that I'll have to settle for less. But I'm going to try my best. So far, so good.

The funny thing is, to accomplish this, I'm going to have to make some lifestyle changes. I work out in the wee hours of the morning...so I have to be in bed earlier, which means less time just vegging in front of the TV or computer. It's been interesting so far -- I've had a very hard time getting to sleep earlier -- but I know it'll be worth it.

blech

2009-01-04T17:57:00.002-05:00

After Week of Gluttony, I thought I was back on track. However, dinner on New Year's Eve (my first day of the week, journal-wise) put me slightly behind the 8 ball so to speak with regard to points. I was able to keep it relatively under control despite some not-so-great food options (like eating at favorite Mexican restaurants twice this weekend) by journaling the harsh realities AND exercising. But today, I decided to make the rest of the con queso dip we had on New Year's Day. And the Slackers -- all four of us -- were like pigs at a trough chowing down.

Luckily the lounge pants I'm wearing are elastic waist...or else I'd end up having to undo a button or something.

week of gluttony

2008-12-31T14:07:00.002-05:00

I realized that I never posted a weigh-in last week...even though I made the effort to go to Weight Watchers on Monday and weighed in on Wednesday with a slight loss. Obviously, I was a bit busy with it being Christmas Eve and having kids and family and all that going on.

That weigh-in on Wednesday morning was the highlight of what can only be called The Week of Gluttony. It was a week-long eating extravaganza that included a Christmas Eve buffet, a delicious Christmas morning breakfast with monkey bread and bacon, a 10-pound roast for Christmas dinner, a pasta dinner with friends, and a baby shower (with cake!) for my sister, as well as the usual suspects of cookies and fudge, beer and wine and absolutely no working out (except for a stroll here and there).

Last night, I polished off the last of the fudge and cleared the fridge out of any leftovers. This morning, I got up and headed into my WW meeting where I found I was up 2 pounds. Yikes! But...the meeting was great this morning (reflecting back on this past year), I'm back tracking my points today, and we've got a reasonably healthy dinner planned for tonight.

And, even if I end up gaining again this week, it'll take me nowhere near where I was this time last year. And for that I'm very thankful (and incredibly proud!).

wednesday weigh-in: +0.2 lbs

2008-12-17T13:08:00.003-05:00

So my first week of the rest of my life was fairly successful. I'll admit I'm suprised I did not gain more than 0.2 since I did have a Christmas party on Saturday night and I haven't found the motivation to work out in the past month or so. I guess that's a mindset I do have to work on...that one bad night (or week or month even) does not mean that I'm going to gain the 25 pounds back. Sure, I might gain some weight...but as long as I refocus when things start creeping up, I can work to get it back off.

In other big news, I became a Lifetime Member at Weight Watchers today. For those of you not in the know ... after you reach your goal at WW, you have 6 weeks of maintenance. At the end of your 6 weeks of maintenance, as long as you are 2 pounds over your goal or below, you become a Lifetime Member. It basically means I don't have to pay for meetings (as long as I don't go 2 pounds over my goal weight).

And, I do plan on attending meetings for the forseeable future. As I mentioned before...I'm a total meetings nerd. I really do think they are part of the key for me being successful. Something about making the time for me to do something for myself really does help. It gives me a chance to learn something, get encouragement, and re-focus every week. I've tried to do WW on my own and online...and I've never had the success I do going to the meetings.

Well, it's clear that I've drank the (0 point) WW kool-aid. But I am excited to finally reach this last milestone.

wednesday weigh-in: -0.6 lbs

2008-12-10T10:17:00.004-05:00

YAY YAY YAY! It only took me It is 344 days (or 11 months 9 days or 49 weeks ... depending on how you look at it)...but I finally lost 25 pounds! This took a lot longer than I thought it would, but I'm so excited that I succeeded!

And you want to know what 25 pounds looks like? Well... here's a before and after shot. The before was taken in November 2007; the after was taken last week.

I have to admit...I was dumbfounded by this. I mean, last year when I decided I ~~wanted~~ needed to lose the weight, I didn't think I looked great. But I really didn't think I would look *that* different with 25 pounds gone. I was wrong. Really wrong.

So what's up next? The long and arduous task of maintenance. And focusing on exercising more (especially with weight training). And buying pants. Because the pants that I struggled so hard to get into don't fit me right now. And (hopefully) they never will again.

wednesday weigh-in: -0.6 lbs

2008-12-03T20:43:00.005-05:00

Knock me over with a feather...I lost weight after Thanksgiving! I was a little stunned when I read the scale this morning, especially after Monday's weigh-in was *not* good. However, I really did have some good strategies to keep things in check.

On Thanksgiving, my mother-in-law and I walked in a 5K Turkey Trot. Being active on Thanksgiving made up some of the bad.
I only had one plate of Thanksgiving food. The only seconds I had was a spinach and artichoke casserole. I also didn't get any food that didn't really interest me (like stuffing).
Though I didn't journal much this weekend, I estimated in my head and kept within range the other days. I assumed most of my flex points were gone by Thursday. So, I made healthy choices elsewhere. Like fish tacos with grilled mahi-mahi at the Tex-Mex place...and Subway for lunch on the way home.

Another thing that kept me from going hog-wild on Thursday? I ate Thanksgiving dinner in my new fancy schmancy jeans. I'm not going to lie...wearing the very symbol of all that I strived for made me think twice about what I was (and was not) going to eat.

And, speaking of those jeans...here are some pictures! I apologize for the haggard appearance of me and the girls. It's been a rough re-entry to the real world this week!

Not sure what I'm doing here...I didn't get much warning that John was taking the picture

A saw me and wanted to get in on the action

Who needs Jillian when you are lifting 2 30+ pound weights!?!?

Awww...

all the cool kids are doing it

2008-12-02T11:50:00.001-05:00

Tina Fey lost 30 pounds on Weight Watchers.

Hey...we're both funny brunettes who went to UVA and used to be chunky. Do you think she'd be my new best friend? I'm sure Alice would get along swimmingly with A and E!