Scale Mistress: A quest for the single digit size

Angry Fat Girl

2008-10-13T22:18:00.006-04:00

Yo. Yo. Yo.

No, I'm not trying to be hip. This is the sound of my dieting life.

I've been up and down so many times, I feel like one of those blow up punching things we had as kids that you could punch and would come right back up again. They usually had Bozo's face on them...which is also apropos.

Long story short...if you haven't been here before... I, like a million others, struggle with my weight. (I know you are SHOCKED). Last year, I went on a very drastic low fat/low cal/low carb diet and dropped 40 lbs in 4 months. It was a beautiful, albeit, somewhat stupid thing. I went from a 12 to a 6 in the blink of an eye.

But realistic it was not because the bad habits crept back and now...a year later, I'm back in that size 12.

And I am pissed!

I hate how I look in my clothes...God forbid out of them.

I'm angry that I let it get to this point. But I suppose that getting here is the thing that will get me to jump or limp into action.

Just exactly what that action is...is indeed the question.

Low carb has worked in the past (but is often inconvenient).
WW has worked in the past (but I just cannot to the points thing again).

So, as I set out on the next leg of this journey...AGAIN, I'm setting smaller goals.

This week, I'm giving up sugar, white flour, and the worst high carb culprits. No pasta, no white bread, no potatoes.

Beyond that...I'm just going to try and eat healthy and see how it goes.

I have some new favorite blogs that I'm reading. Check them out on the right. I'm feeling especially inspired by Pasta Queen and love the Habit-a-Week Challenge over at Escape from Obesity.

Join me on the journey. And stay tuned for less of me.

Exercise or else

2008-07-28T19:30:00.004-04:00

The funny thing about writing a blog, is that if you write that you will do something, well, then gosh darn it, you better do it. So out of fear of being ridiculed by those folks nice enough to have read my last post...

Yes.

I did it.

I got up early today and exercised. (can I get a "woo hoo" from the crowd?)

Granted, it wasn't a lot. But I did manage to squeeze in 20 minutes of vigorous kick boxing this morning before racing into the shower. (still waitin' on that "woo hoo").

It was one of those workouts-on-demand on cable and to be honest, I wasn't all that thrilled with it because the "instructor" was more than a tad annoying but...Gotta start somewhere, right?

I will try something else tomorrow.

Stay tuned for less of me.

Making slow and steady progress on Weight Watchers

2008-07-26T20:01:00.005-04:00

First a thanks to Miz Fit for the little kick in the butt this week for not updating in a while.

It wasn't intentional. I swear.

I'm a little frustrated with the slow pace of Weight Watchers despite knowing that it's better to lose it this way.

Five weeks in and I've lost 5 pounds. (Hurray for me ???)

The funny thing about weight loss programs though is that in order for them to work, you have to work them. Profound, I know.

Some days I'm better at it than others. I find it impossible to stay on program every day and I know that I am my own worst enemy if I fail to write stuff down.

Some slip ups are obvious....like the piece of cheesecake I HAD to have to celebrate my friend's birthday. What kind of friend would I be to go to Cheesecake Factory with him and not have "something"...right? Yea, Yea, I know.

In the immortal words of Bugs Bunny... "what a maroon!"

Other slip ups are not so obvious or maybe just unavoidable. Weekends are just deadly for me lately as I have found myself in social situations where food I shouldn't be eating in ANY quantity has found itself in my gullet. And of course, I'm instantly sorry and kicking myself clear into the next day.

But aside from the obvious and not so obvious stated above, my biggest challenge continues to be...exercise. It's not the how, or even the what (since, like most everyone I know, I have a plethora of bands, balls, weights and dvds to get the job done). Instead it's just the WHEN?

Every day, my alarm clock goes off at 5:30. Every day I have the intention of getting up and doing some form of exercise before I have to start getting myself and two 7 year olds ready to start the day. And more times than not, I find myself hitting the snooze enough times to make those intentions worthless.

So if any of you have any great suggestions of how I can get over this hurdle, please speak up. I KNOW that if I can figure out a way to make exercise a regular and permanent part of my daily routine, that the weight will melt away.

Stay tuned for less of me.

Watching the Scale Go Down-Week 2 on Weight Watchers

2008-07-04T15:07:00.008-04:00

This week, I lost another 1.5 pounds for my second week on Weight Watchers. Slow and steady wins the race.

This week I was a little concerned though. My regular routine was disrupted by having to attend two days of training in NYC. I knew this was going to mean having to make some hard food choices since these things are never an opportunity to eat well...just to eat whatever is handy. I did better than I thought I would, though. I skipped the bagels they provided in the morning and the cookies they set out in the afternoon. Ate breakfast before I left and made sure I had some fruit handy. But maybe because it was weighing so heavily (no pun intended ) on my mind, I felt like I was STARVING the whole day. It could be because my day started so much earlier. I had to eat breakfast at 6:30 before leaving the house to catch the train instead of my usual 8:30 (at my desk) And I'm certain that I drank a lot more coffee than I usually do (It was not what you'd call a "sit on the edge of your seat" kind of training so I needed a little help.) The good news is that it forced me to do a lot more walking that I typically do in my suburban life.

I've been wearing a pedometer lately so I can tell you that from my house to the World Trade Center where I got off the train... it was 1700 steps. But between walking to the building where my training was down near Wall Street and getting a little turned around on the first day trying to find the entrance to the train on the way back...I logged over 10,000 steps each day.

I guess that's one of the pitfalls of living a "get-in-your-car-to-go-everywhere" kind of life. When we lived in the city, I wouldn't have given it a second thought to walk anywhere. Now, it's a different story completely.

I also found this week that if I'm really good about eating the right things, drinking water and overall, staying on plan 95% of the time, then when I'm faced with those situations that cause me to stray, I don't have to feel like I just sabotaged my entire week.

This week could have been MUCH worse if I had just given in to temptation and convenience. But I am really proud of my restraint in choosing bananas over cookies and a hot pretzel (in the train station on the way home) over a Haagen Daz ice cream pop.

Happy 4th of July and stay tuned for less of me.

First Weigh In on Weight Watchers

2008-06-25T22:21:00.004-04:00

I went to my first weigh in tonight and I'm proud to say I am down 1.8 pounds. I was really hoping it would be more. Every other time I've done Weight Watchers there's been this great jump start at the first weigh in.

I know. I know. One to two pounds a week is the best way to lose.

But I was pretty sure this first week was going to be more.

WAIT. What am I whining about? I followed the plan and it worked! Right??

So what did I do right and what could I have done better? I used WW's eTools to track everything I ate. It's a great tool and recording everything is truly key to keeping track of everything that goes in my mouth. I also found a great tool for looking up anything I don't find in the WW database. Check out www.nutritiondata.com to look up any food you can think of.

Write it down. It'll make a difference.

The goal this week is to get a little more exercise and see if I can step it up for next week.

Stay tuned for less of me.

Surviving McDonald's on Weight Watchers

2008-06-22T14:45:00.004-04:00

Every dieter I know struggles with how to get through the weekends. I do ok through the Monday to Friday routine of eating at pretty much the same time every day. But with two small children at home, the weekends are typically a whirlwind of errands and social/ family engagements. Eating on the run and feeding the kids wherever we happen to be that will cause the least amount of drama often means choosing things that I would never choose if I was by myself.

Today...one daughter had a birthday party to attend so I promised the other one that we would do something together (of her choosing). This included lunch out and a trip to the park. So of course she picked McDonald's for lunch which sent me into a mild panic over how many points I would have to spend on lunch.

Much to my surprise, McDonald's is not the enemy. I chose the Southwest salad with grilled chicken and Balsamic dressing which I later learned was only 7 points. Slightly more than I might have normally spent on lunch but certainly not the off the chart point count that, say, a quarter pounder with cheese might have been. McDonald's is even nice enough to provide a handy little chart of nutritional content for the most popular items and a link to their web site to check out anything else on the menu. If you are curious, check it out here. Similar charts exist for Wendy's and Burger King.

It's not always easy to make the healthiest of food choices when out. And don't get me wrong. I am NOT suggesting that we should all run out and eat fast food every day and still expect to lose weight. But what I am saying is that on Weight Watchers, you can eat anywhere and still stay on plan.

Stay tuned for less of me.

A New Dieting Path

2008-06-20T23:12:00.005-04:00

Yes, it's been a while.

Have you wondered where I've been?

Standing in front of the fridge stuffing my face is the obvious answer. But wait...I'm jumping ahead. Let me back up and get the new folks up to speed.

Once upon a time, a beautiful but plump girl went on a diet. OK, she went on a lot of diets and had a fair amount of success on each and every one. Until she grew bored and slipped back into old habits. And before long she was slipping back into the larger sizes in her closet.

Then one day, she went on a low carb/ low fat diet (yes, it is a contradiction for those doing the math). The diet (which shall not be named) was somewhat controversial but Scalemistress lost nearly 40 pounds in 4 months. Which all the experts will tell you is too much too soon. But she didn't care because she went from a size 12 to a size 6 in time for a big family vacation.

That was 10 months ago. And in these past 10 months I have struggled to regain (pardon the pun) the glory of being that single digit size that I was so happy to obtain last summer. And also in these 10 months, I have tried to resume some healthier eating habits and exercise more. But ultimately, all I've achieved is gaining back nearly 30 of the original 40 pound loss.

It's horribly depressing.

What to do. What to do.

Well I tried a few things on my own. but if there's anything I know for sure about all of the diets out there, it's that they all work...if you work them.

Some universal truths to dieting are:
Write it all down
Drink a lot of water
Move more

What you put in your mouth may vary but those things are always true. And one more truth for me is I work them best when I don't do it alone.

So when a few of my co-workers decided to do Weight Watchers, I battled the inner demons. You know the ones. The voices in my head that said "But Scalemistress, you've been swearing by the low carb life for so long. Are you switching teams? Are you going over the dark side?"

But I know that Weight Watchers works. It's worked for me before. Just like low carb worked for me before. The bigger question is...what will work for me now?

So yea.... I took the plunge. I joined Weight Watchers....again. Went to a meeting. Stepped on the scale. And now I'm two days into counting points...again. So far so good. I'll step back on that scale each Wednesday....in between stepping on the one at home more than a dozen times before then.

So join me in this next chapter on my weight loss journey.

And stay tuned for less of me.

When Dieting Boredom Sets In

2008-02-07T20:44:00.000-05:00

What do you do when boredom sets in? And I don't mean just plain old "I'm tired of eating salads" boredom...I mean sheer unadulterated "why the hell should I bother" boredom.

I've been following a controlled carb diet for nearly a year and admittedly, I weigh 10% less right now than I did at this same time last year. So despite the fact that I have gained back some of the weight I initially lost last summer, I think I can safely say that this way of eating really does work for me.

But I'm so darn tired of thinking about it all the time.

Why wasn't I born with that ability to just eat whatever my heart's desire was instead of having to plan and think and all that other nonsense that goes along with dieting?

ah..."to sleep, perchance to dream."

or more accurately... "SNAP OUT OF IT."

OK, I'm back now.

Perhaps it is that I've been playing around with the same 6 pounds for about 2 months now. It would be SO easy just to say "screw it" and go back to eating a big bowl of ice cream every night but then I'd have to face those size 8 pants in my closet just mocking me.

Rationally, of course I know that stalls are temporary and that I just have to stick with it...not cheat and this too shall pass. The goal of the moment is to drop these stinkin' 10 pounds by April 4th. That will be the one year mark of starting on this low carb journey. If I can lose those 10 pounds (or more) by then...then I can mark the anniversary 30 pounds lighter. That's only 2 months away... 10 pounds in 2 months. I can do that

If I can just get past the boredom.

Surviving Temptation in a High Carb World

2008-01-31T12:36:00.000-05:00

Today's tip: Don't give in to eating peer pressure.

Yesterday, the women I work with all decided that we needed to go out for ice cream at lunch.

Uh-oh. Visions of creamy chocolate ice cream danced in my head.

I considered not going but I haven't been at this job long and didn't want to be standoffish. So, I decided to go with them and only get something if they had anything sugar free.

Of course they didn't. Plenty of "low fat" choices but nothing sugar free. UGH!

I got coffee instead (with Splenda!). And I'm damned proud of myself for it.

I decided that the idea of those size 8 pants in my closet was more exciting than the scoop of chocolate and peanut butter ice cream.

And that thrill carried me for the rest of the day.

The road not taken would have been me kicking myself for the rest of the day.

This tasted much better!

Who Doesn't Love a Good Contest

2008-01-27T16:00:00.001-05:00

I know what you are thinking.

Not a peep from Scalemistress in a month and now twice in one day??

Well, I had to pop in and tell you about a great find I stumbled on today.

Amber, over at That Bead Girl's Weight Loss Project, has a great contest going on right now. Prizes include The Biggest Loser workout dvds, Jillian Michael's DVDs or a year long subscription to some great diet and health magazines. If you remember, I am a big fan of the Biggest Loser DVDs. I have the 2nd one and I actually use it. Shocking but true!

Check out the complete rules and enter for a chance to win one of these fabulous prizes. I have entered so of course I hope that I win but I'm willing to share the love.

We can all use a little motivation. (Some more than others).

And who doesn't like to win stuff.

Listen to Your Instincts

2008-01-27T11:15:00.000-05:00

Yes, it's true. It's been a solid month since I posted anything here. And I'm a little embarrassed about the reasons.

Basically, I'm a slacker.

And when you are a slacker, it's all about making excuses, isn't it?

The good news is that the scale has remained steady for the past month. But the bad news is that it's at a number I'm not happy with. Big surprise, right?

(As a little side note, I think the only thing that has kept the weight gain from being more than it is...is that I've actually been exercising fairly regularly this month. Do with that information what you will)

After I got done with my little pity party, I did what I always do. I started reading and researching...looking for some new answer to the question of my increasing waistline. And for a few days, I got sucked in by the lure of the glycemic index. With what I know about my own body chemistry it all seemed to make a lot of sense to me. Eat things that keep your blood sugar constant. I was all ready to drink the proverbial sugar free Kool-Aid.

But as I started studying the food lists and the glycemic index itself, I had a REALLY hard time wrapping my brain around the concept of being able to eat foods that I have not eaten in nearly a year (bread? pasta? bananas?).

I tried REALLY hard to talk myself into it. I went so far as to make a grocery list of things that would now have a home in my refrigerator.

And in the meantime, I kept looking for web sites and blog entries that would convince me that this was the right weight loss plan for me. There's an awful lot of promotion for a low GI way of eating but I wasn't finding the proof I needed. If you look hard enough, you can find anyone who will say anything. It's a matter of, who do you trust? Then I found this article on Regina Wilshire's blog and I came to my senses. So while I think that there might be some value to the glycemic index for people suffering from diabetes, I don't think its going to be any great shakes for me as a weight loss plan.

Now, what was I going to do???

Enter the voice of reason (aka my husband).

Last night as I rambled on about my findings and struggling with the part of me looking for answers and the part of me feeling more than a twinge of doubt about a new plan... he says,

"Why aren't you just doing what you know has worked before?"

DUH.

Good point.

How many times have we talked ourselves into something that our instincts knew was just plain wrong? It's like those driving directions you print out that has that one turn on them that seems to head you in the wrong direction. You KNOW it doesn't seem right but you follow it anyway because it says it...plain as day...right there on the page...that you should go THAT way. Only to find out down the road that you should have followed your instincts and stayed on the path you were on.

Well, I've obviously lost my way a bit the past few months. And while the damage is not horrible ...not irreparable... it does need to be addressed immediately.

A controlled carb plan works for me. Why did I consider straying? It wasn't that the plan wasn't working. It was that I wasn't working the plan.

AH.

Profound, huh?

This little exercise was the good kick in the pants that I needed. Today it was back to Induction for me. By the end of the week, I will have my confidence back!

Stay tuned for less of me.

I Don't Need No Stinkin' Resolutions

2007-12-27T19:12:00.000-05:00

The season of eating with reckless abandon is coming to end (thank goodness) and I've decided to get a jump start on the New Year. Rather than waiting for New Year's Eve to come up with some lame resolution like:

This year I'm going to lose weight. (who doesn't say that EVERY freakin' year?) or

This year I'm going to exercise every day. (as if THAT's ever going to happen?)

Nope. This year, I'm starting NOW (did you hear me?)

I know that I am not alone if I say that I let the holidays get the best of me. Or, that I have paid the price. Too much sugar and starchy things...(but mostly sugar) has added 10 pounds to my "post cruise" self. So before those 10 become 20, I'm shaking myself out of my sugary haze and starting fresh. (again).

I briefly considered signing up for one of the membership based diet sites like eDiets or South Beach but in the end, I couldn't bring myself to plunk down any amount of money on my credit card (which is still smokin from the battle scars of December in a dual faith household). There's just too much FREE information out there to support the diet plan of your dreams.

Yesterday, I just jumped right in with both feet determined to use my knowledge for good. I'm relying on what I know has worked for me in the past and the daily scouring of my fellow bloggers wisdom. For tracking, I went back to Spark People to log my food and exercise. (It's FREE, FREE, FREE)

It's Day 2 and I already just plain feel better. Sluggishness...BE GONE!

And soon those 10 pounds will be too... and maybe a few of their friends as well.

I am back! Stay tuned for less of me.

Addictive Eating

2007-12-04T18:29:00.000-05:00

I used to be a smoker. I was never a heavy smoker...just slightly more than a social smoker. About 10 years ago I quit…cold turkey. A fact which annoys my husband who still smokes. It’s not that he is upset that I quit but more that he doesn’t understand how I can just up and stop…just like…THAT.

And as I think back on it, it really was easier for me than most. I came down with a horrible case of bronchitis and just couldn’t bring myself to smoke while breathing was such a painful experience. Then, once I was feeling better…well, it just seemed silly to go back. But every trigger was a difficult one in the beginning. So it went like this…

Today I’m not going to smoke on the walk from my apartment to the subway. (OK, I can do that)

Next, I’m not going to smoke on the walk from the subway to my office. DONE.

Throughout the day it was more of the same until several days had gone by and I hadn’t smoked at all. So when these urges passed, I started to truly consider myself a “non-smoker” But it was a daily process…and it wasn’t as easy as I’m now making it sound.

OK, so why am I bringing this up?

It occurred to me yesterday in a moment of quiet contemplation (and kicking myself for whatever I ate that I shouldn’t have) that eating…while necessary to sustain life, is also an addictive behavior.

I need food to live…but do I need cookies? Not really.

What about the peanuts? Hmmm…no.

So why is it that some people are able to eat just what they need and the rest of us eat what we need plus what a small third world nation needs too?

How do I take that “one addictive habit at a time” mentality that I used to quit smoking and apply it to not eating except that which I need to sustain a healthy life?

And why was it so much easier to take weight off in the time leading up to last summer’s cruise than it is now? I obviously know HOW to eat the right things. Yet, somehow, without realizing it...I somehow find myself eating things I shouldn't more often than I'd like to admit.

Perhaps instead of one day at a time, I should apply the one bite at a time theory.

:SIGH:

I’m looking for answers so chime in if you’ve got some and… stay tuned for less of me.

Vitamins as a Key to Dieting Success

2007-11-16T10:50:00.000-05:00

Life has been a little hectic lately. Was laid off from one job...found and accepted an offer at another...and in the midst of it all I tossed a lot of dieting caution to the wind. I guess I was of the mindset that "damnit, I have too much on my mind to worry about every morsel that goes in my mouth."

How'd that work for you, Scalemistress?

I suffered the consequences, of course. Too much sugar (i.e the dreaded Oreos) and random eating led to quickly (and I mean REALLY quickly as if by magic) gaining 7 or 8 pounds.

Happily the crisis was averted. Got a new job. Stress eating immediately stopped and I'm back on track. This week, as I settled into my last week at the job I've held for nearly 8 years, I took off 4 of those extra pounds. Hurray for me.

In the process, I had one of those A-HA moments...

My daily vitamin regimen is this: a multivitamin, 600 mg Calcium and 200mcg of Chromium Picolinate. But there are days where I was forgetting to take them and on those days I noticed that my tendency to make some bad food choices increased. However, when I did remember to take them... I found I was less likely to do any random eating or make bad snack choices. Personally, I think it is the Chromium Picolinate. I started taking it back in July when I read about it's effect (in some) on appetite suppression and the effective processing of insulin. Turns out that this appears to be true for me (YMMV).

Who knew?

I'm happily back on track so stay tuned for less of me.

It All Counts

2007-10-22T09:55:00.000-04:00

Creep. Creep. Creep.

That's the sound of extra pounds magically appearing when I have banished them from my body.

UGH.

Admittedly, I have been struggling the past month or so with staying on track but today the scale jumped into the 150's as if by magic.

OK, maybe not magic.

Have I been careful about what I put in my mouth? NO.
Have I consistently tracked what I'm eating? No.
Have I been exercising regularly? No.
Have I been sneaking an Oreo here and there? Sadly...Yes.

So who is to blame but me? No one.

Which got me thinking about those universal truths about dieting.
If you don't write it down it doesn't count.
If no one sees you eat it, it doesn't count.
If you eat standing up it doesn't count.
If you just have a "taste" it doesn't count.
If you eat it straight out of the box/jar/container it doesn't count.

IT ALL COUNTS.
Even if you are standing at the counter. Or eat if off your child's plate so it doesn't go to waste. Or in this case it just goes to "waist"

It counts on the scale whether someone saw you eat it or not.

It counts if you eat the Oreo out of the bag in the fridge...especially when you dip your hand in there repeatedly during the day.

It counts if you just put the spoon straight into the jar of peanut butter or (worse) the pint of ice cream.

And it counts if you eat those nuts by the handful...or two or three.

Am I alone in this or have a struck a nerve?

So before my weight takes off like a runaway train, I'm going to start with a few new universals.

This week, I will eliminate those "special foods" that I know are a trigger for me to over do it. Peanuts, Peanut Butter and of course, the dreaded Oreos. (This week's shopping trip will include cookies for my kids that I can stay away from.) I know that if I can just stay away from those three things, then I will have a successful week and get back on track.

And that is really what it is all about. Staying on track and accepting the fact that I am not perfect and will occasionally have to kick myself in the head to be reminded of that. My new favorite blog over at Cranky Fitness, had this to say about that. She's a scream so check it out.

What are your trigger foods? And what do you do to stay away from them?

Holiday Shopping? Already??

2007-10-19T16:23:00.000-04:00

We took the kids to the mall last night to get their Halloween costumes and I was mortified to see the beginnings of Christmas decorations going up.

Call me Scrooge if you want. But I’m just not ready.

Problem is I don’t think I’m ever ready. I have grand ambitions of getting the holiday shopping done early but every year I find myself running around in those days before Christmas for that “one last thing.” The fact that we are a dual faith household doesn’t really help matters. Especially this year because Chanukah falls at the beginning of December.

I have a friend who prides herself at having all her shopping done by early December. In fact I think she takes great joy at going shopping on Black Friday and doing it all in one fell swoop and then reminding me of it all December long.

So this year, I am bound and determined to spend as little time in the mall as possible and NOT be still searching for the perfect gift on December 24^th.

In fact, nothing would please me more than to stay completely out of the mall this year.

Enter Couponchief.com. OK, so maybe it’s true that I’m a sucker for a good deal but this site is great because it has all those deals in one place from retailers that we know and trust. In fact, I was really surprised by the sheer volume of choices. All offers have promo codes that carry the offer with you to the checkout.

I have to get working on a list but I found some incredible deals from places like KB Toys, Target and Best Buy. Some of the coupons are for particular items (like $15 off a digital camera) or a percentage off the total. And others are for free shipping which can certainly make a big difference to some between the convenience of shopping online and saving the shipping by picking it up in a store.

Hey, I might actually be excited about the holiday shopping now that I think about it.

Hmmm… let’s see, I can cover all the kids with coupons from KB Toys, a digital picture frame for mom at Best Buy, and maybe I can coax new clothes out of my husband using the DKNY coupon. Gotta get a new wardrobe for my new single digit size, right?

Shopping in my pjs? Saving money? No fighting for a parking spot?

What could be better than that?

Seeking Answers to Life's Questions

2007-10-14T20:34:00.000-04:00

The quest to keep my weight down continues so I look for answers wherever I can find them. I started reading Protein Power this week. A few weeks ago I read their follow up book and isn't that so like me to do things backwards. Anyway, I saw enough interesting information in their lifetime plan to want to go back and read the original weight loss plan.

It's a good book and if you are currently low carbing it or thinking about it and want to take a slightly different approach than Atkins, then check out what Drs Michael and Mary Dan Eades have to say on the topic.

I'm only a third of the way through the book so far and some it is stuff I already knew from other low carb sources but what I've found most interesting is the formulas they've put together to determine personal weight goals and protein levels. For instance, based on some simple measurements, formulas and charts, I was able to figure out my body fat percentage, lean body weight, Ideal body weight range and the minimum grams of protein MY body needs.

The good news is that according to Drs Eades, my ideal body weight range is 131-142 which seems far more reasonable than other charts I've seen that do not take into consideration body measurements and age. I feel that range is not only completely doable but reasonable to maintain. It was those charts that had me convinced that I needed to be 125 pounds that had me saying "who are they kidding?"

Once I finish the book, I will work at their plan for a while and see how I do. If you've done Protein Power and have any pearls of wisdom, please share.

In other self-help news... I've been under a tremendous amount of stress lately with an impending layoff hanging over my head. I'm not pleased with how my employer has handled the whole situation and as of yet, I still do not know exactly when my relationship with them will be "severed" However, in the past week, I've had some internal opportunities presented to me, have gone on some great interviews outside the company and have gotten several promising calls from recruiters.

The problem in all of this is that I just don't do change well. Specifically change that involves key elements that are out of my hands. I'm no good at sitting and waiting for the "proverbial" phone to ring. (perhaps it is why I was never much good at dating.) Which is exactly what I am forced to do lately...wait for the severance letter, wait for my phone to ring with invitations to interview and bottom line....WAIT to see where the chips will fall.

There are too many variables in the equation and sometimes I just feel paralyzed while I wait for ANY of the pieces to fall into place. I hate not having control of the situation.

A former boss, knowing my situation and knowing me well enough to know how I was handling it lent me her copy of Who Moved My Cheese? A book not only had I not read but really had no intention of ever reading. It seemed at first glance to be one of those hokey self help books that was all theory with no basis in reality.

But the kicker here is that because of who gave it to me and because I KNOW she will ask me about it on Monday... I felt compelled to read it so as not to look foolish or ungrateful for the suggestion. So if YOU haven't read it, please do. It will take you about an hour to finish. And if you've ever had trouble navigation change, you will find some useful guidance in its pages.

The bottom line is that my life is fraught with change lately and I have to find a way to cope with that change and not stress about every little piece of it. I can only change what I have the power to change...the rest is navigating the maze.

Zen moment officially over.

A Workout for the Exercise Challenged

2007-10-07T17:24:00.000-04:00

I hate to exercise. And I resent that losing weight and keeping it off just about REQUIRES me to do some form of exercise.

I have a Fitness Flyer which I've tried to be diligent about getting on for 20 minutes a day. But given the chance, I will find just about any excuse to not exercise.

And I've tried taking exercise videos out of the library with the sincere hope that I'll find one that I really like where the cheeky host doesn't grate on my nerves in the first five minutes. Not an easy task. All those skinny, perky former cheerleaders who never struggled a day in their lives to maintain a single digit size....and the class participants with the same MO is enough to make me want to strangle each and everyone of them. UGH.

Last month, Claire, over at Burning the Scale, posted a blog entry about a promotion that Wrigley was doing in conjunction with the Biggest Loser. The Gumisgood.com web site wanted to know how gum had helped you in your weight loss efforts. Well, this was right up my alley since chewing gum has been one of the constants in my efforts. Keeps me from the vending machine.

So I signed up, told them my little story and in response, they sent me a gift of a water bottle, a pedometer, 5 packs of gum and a Biggest Loser workout DVD. Pretty cool, huh?

But remember...I hate to exercise.

But it was free. So first I took it out of the plastic...then it sat on my nightstand for 3 or 4 days.

Well, today I finally decided to give it a try. And I was REALLY pleasantly surprised.

Instead of the usual one-size-fits-all workout that is usually on things like this, there are 9 different segments to choose from. The opening menu allows you to chose which segments you want so your workout, not only doesn't have to be the same every day but you don't have to spend your time forwarding between segments in the middle of a workout.

The segments are:
Warm Up (5 min)
Low Intensity Cardio (15 min)
Boot Camp (15 min)
Functional Flexibility (10 min)
Cool Down (5 min)

You can also choose a High Intensity Cardio (10 min) or Power Sculpt (10 min)..one for Men...one for Women.

For my first time out, I chose the Warm up, Boot Camp and the Cool Down. (After I had done 15 minutes on the Flyer).

Best part of the whole thing? Bob Harper (the trainer) didn't annoy me. And the participants on the video were former Biggest Loser contestants. NO skinny perky cheerleader types. Real people. Real sizes. Very refreshing.

I'll try it again tomorrow with a different mix. And perhaps I'm on to something. We'll see.

Stay tuned for less of me.

Dedicated to all the Moms out there

2007-10-06T18:08:00.000-04:00

I had to share this because it is just about the funniest thing I've seen in a long time. And we could all use a chuckle, couldn't we?

All the Moms out there will find this especially poignant.

Kimkins under new ownership? Who is she kidding?

2007-10-04T20:10:00.000-04:00

I guess being banned doesn't preclude me from still receiving the Kimkins "newsletter."

But color me surprised to read the following:

Dear Kimkins Members,

Kimkins is now under new ownership. The website will continue business as usual and the planned site upgrades are almost complete.

The Kimkins Affiliate program is growing rapidly and we thank our affiliates for their enthusiastic support. Kimkins will soon welcome their 1000th affiliate!

Exciting new support resources will be announced very soon for Kimkins members. I will be an adviser and members who want to ask weight loss questions can email me at AskKimmer@gmail.com.

Thanks to everyone who has written incredible emails & PMs of support and understanding.

Kimmer

Under new ownership? Who does she think she's kidding? Sounds like someone's running scared from the Better Business Bureau, the fraud investigation and the pending lawsuit. It's pretty transparent to me that Heidi Diaz is trying to distance herself and her liability in the Kimkins scam. And I'm guessing that whoever the "new ownership" is, the checks are still going into Heidi's bank account.

Wake up "sheeple" (a favorite quote from radio host Mark Maron)! And wake up Heidi! You're not fooling anyone.

Off-Topic Tuesday Are you the Religion you think you are?

2007-10-02T11:07:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Off-Topic Tuesday where I take a little break from all this talk of diet, exercise and dress size to talk about anything else that comes to mind.

First a disclaimer... I am not a religious person by any stretch of the imagination but I am fascinated by the devotion that others have. I was raised Jewish but my family isn't devout either. Like many American Jews, the concepts surrounding Judaism are often more cultural than spiritual. My husband is Protestant, my mother-in-law was a missionary in Africa, and my best friends are Catholic.

With that said, I obviously am surrounded by a variety of religions and the pomp and circumstance that goes with them.

So a few times a year, the concept of religion comes to the front of my brain. typically when all the big holidays converge. Easter/Passover, Hanukkah/Christmas and at Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year).

A few weeks ago (around Rosh Hashanah), a friend of mine sent me an email wishing me L'shanah Tovah, the typical greeting at the new year which means "a good year" but is a shortened version of L'shanah tovah tikatev v'taihatem", which means "May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year." (Don't be impressed that I knew that..I had to look it up for accuracy on jewfaq.org...how pathetic is that?) Anyway, because gmail always has those content relevant links surrounding emails, on this one, there was a link to Beliefnet.

And here's my question. Do we believe what we believe because it is what we were born into or because it is truly what we believe? In other words, are you the religion you think you are?

Beliefnet has a handy quiz to help you figure it out. So in my quest for higher meaning, I took the quiz to see if perhaps they would match me up with a religion or set of beliefs that I didn't realize were the ones I really held true. The quiz covers your concepts of God, afterlife, prayer, confession but also covers those topics that make some people squirm like divorce, abortion and homosexuality.

Twenty questions later, the results ranked my beliefs by percentage against 26 different faiths.

And after all that... it seems that what I believe matched 100% with Reform Judaism, the Religion and sect I was born into. Followed by, of all things: Liberal Quaker at 91% (I kid you not) and Unitarian Universalism at 86%.

OK, so the quiz is obviously a little skewed since I didn't answer those questions skewed around Jesus in any way that might have mistaken me for Christian. I guess that's where I lost the 9 percentage points on the Liberal Quaker scale. But it was an interesting exercise and it gave me the opportunity to not only explore my own faith (such as it is) but others as well.

If you don't have the opportunity to learn about other faiths in your every day life, I encourage you to do so on Beliefnet. I think the world might be a better place if we all understood each other a little better.

Thanks for tuning in to Off-Topic Tuesday. Now back to your regularly scheduled blogging.

I'm in Good Company

2007-10-01T22:28:00.000-04:00

It's true, my friends. The Kimkins site has officially banned me. :)

I guess they saw my post here yesterday and didn't really like what I had to say about the Kimkins plan and my suggestions (or rather Princess' suggestions) on what you could do with your 60 bucks instead.

My screen names are slightly different from there to here but it wouldn't take more than a few clicks to figure it out. Nonetheless, someone is likely trolling Technorati.

Funny thing is that only way I found out, is when I checked my stat counter today, there was a link from the Kimkins site. When I clicked on the link to see where they came from...I got this:

You don't have access
You don't have access to forums, chat or private messages
Go to Homepage Reason : TOS VIOLATION

The whole thing really makes me giggle. Given all the others who've been banned, I feel like I'm in good company.

Random Low Carb Things

2007-09-30T15:22:00.000-04:00

In preparation for a serious jump start, I've been doing a lot of reading and reflecting on what my next move will be. Translated: trying to give myself a good swift kick in the ass. I'm reading one of the Protein Power books and seeking the guidance of other low carb mavens. Atkins has always been the yardstick that I measure low carb programs but there are obviously so many programs out there so I'm looking for THE ONE that is the best for me...long term.

Many of you know that I started this low carb thing on Kimkins and the current controversy still has my head spinning. But here's a few items to chew on:

If you are thinking of starting on Kimkins...Don't waste your money. There are too many questions about the safety of the program and the integrity of Kimmer. If you haven't already read more than you can handle on this topic, check out what former Kimkins moderator, Becky has to say at Winning Weight Loss.

Looking for somewhere else to spend your sixty bucks.? Try these suggestions from Princess at Once Upon a Diet.

If you are looking for the sense of community that was the big draw for many on the Kimkins site... join us over at Jimmy Moore's forum at low carb discussion. No drama. No criticism. You'll find answers to your low carb questions, team challenges and lots of free support from all the best the low carb community has to offer.

In fact, going back to the aforementioned kick in the ass... I've joined up over at lowcarbdiscussion.com with the Smokin Aces team for a Biggest Loser type challenge. So far there are three teams and I'm really excited to get started on this 8 week challenge. It will be my first since leaving the Kimkins forums but many of the people are the same. We start on Monday so I'll keep you posted on the progress. If nothing else it will keep me honest and hold me accountable.

I promise to start writing more frequently again. In fact, I'm thinking of starting a new feature called "Off-Topic Tuesday" so I can get some other random things off my chest and not feel like One-Note-Nellie on this whole diet thing.

In the meantime, stay tuned for less of me.

Scalemistress the Slacker

2007-09-16T16:27:00.001-04:00

First let me just say that I have no one to blame but myself. But I have indeed become a slacker.

I have not been as diligent as I know I should be and I've let the Oreos in my fridge entice me. I haven't resorted to sandwiches or french fries so I suppose I have something to redeem my slacker tendencies but still...

So the good news is that I went shopping yesterday. I needed some new clothes for a job interview and I'm happy to report that despite my slacker tendencies I'm still maintaining my single digit status and was able to buy some great pants in a size 8. That said, greedy me, would still like to be a 6. And I really would like to shed another 15 pounds to do it. But more importantly, I don't want to let my slacker tendencies slide me right into those double digit sizes.

I think what I really need is some driving force to keep me motivated. A while back I wrote about event driven goals. And the cruise was certainly that for me. But now I don't have that one THING to drive me towards.

Anyone have any ideas?

On other fronts, I do have a job interview tomorrow that I'm really excited about. I hope the job is everything it appears to be and gets me out of my current situation. I've become somewhat addicted to the job boards which could explain some of my slacker tendencies. (or maybe I'm just grasping at straws.)

More than anything I'd say that I'm distracted. Distracted by a job that I'm growing to hate at a company that has been laying people off seemingly at random. Distracted by our financial woes which seem at any moment to throw us into the pit of despair and distracted by a general sense of discontent at the lack of power I have over the previous two.

:sigh:

OK. Pity Party is now over.

Stay tuned for less of me.

8 things about me

2007-09-07T18:25:00.000-04:00

Before my trip, Melodie Gale at Short Girls tagged me for 8 things about me. Seems like the whole low carb community has been tagged lately so I will not be tagging anyone else in this... for now.

But here goes...

I have lived nearly all of my life in the New York Metropolitan area (with a brief exception of 4 years in college in Buffalo). And as a result, I have a secret admiration for those who are courageous enough to pick themselves up and leave everything they know to go and live somewhere else.

I'm an amateur genealogist (because I obviously need MORE reasons to be on the computer). I have successfully traced a branch of my husband's family back to the 1300s and King Edward III. I always knew my husband was a prince, but I had no idea....

I love planning events and entertaining in my home. I have worked as an event planner and planned both my 10 and 20 year HS reunion (yes, I'm that old!)

As a kid, I desperately wanted to be a dancer...more specifically, I wanted to be an Ernest Flatt Dancer. They were the dance troop on the old Carol Burnett show. (I'm sure that no one remembers them but me!)

I've never eaten a PB&J sandwich. Really. Peanut Butter, yes. But not with Jelly. In fact, I don't think I had a Peanut butter sandwich until I was in my 20s. (I think I drank coffee before I had a PB sandwich!) My mom doesn't like peanut butter, so she never fed it to me either. But as sacrilegious as it might be, the thought of those two flavors together just doesn't inspire me to run out and make one..... But I do make them for my kids.

I consider myself a pretty staunch Democrat and I take voting very seriously... at more than just the national level. I've always voted but the current administration and 9/11 changed everything regarding my trust in my leaders.

I love to do needlepoint and cross stitch but I'm terrible about finishing projects. As a result I have at least two unfinished projects in a bag in the closet. I just get to that point where you put the finishing detail work on it and I get bored. I'm going to work on that.

I'm a bit of a gadget geek. While other women long for a piece of jewelry or an expensive pair of shoes...I drool over the latest iPhone, digital camera or handheld. (although I do have a bit of a weakness for handbags...but I think if I bring one more home, my husband will divorce me.)

So I guess that's it. 8 random things about me. Do you all feel like know me better now?