Wow, I'm actually updating on time! What a surprise!
This week was, to put it bluntly, full of fail. I was pretty bad about pretty much everything. I'm pretty bad at eating properly on the weekends to start, and last weekend was 3 days. So Monday was off. Tuesday was on track until evening when I totally jumped off the cliff and had a bunch of sugar because I was feeling really gross and needed some chocolaty comforts. Wednesday was better, I don't recall any specific problems, other than me skipping breakfast, which is bad. I did that Thursday too, and also ate a less then ideal lunch (chili, which is low carb... but I ate the tortilla I got with it). Friday was cheat day. I successfully went all out this week, and it hasn't quite been 48 hours yet so my body may not have stabilized and the numbers below may be a little off. I'll weigh myself again tomorrow night to check.
I have found a solution, though not a perfect one, for my breakfast issue. Jon and I both found that by the beginning of this week, we were pretty sick of eggs. The idea of eating them made us both rather just not eat breakfast at all. So we went to the grocery store Thursday night and bought a few things. For me, quick and easy in the morning: protein shakes. For him, a bunch of lettuce and some frozen meatballs, so he can have a meatball salad before he goes to work. While the protein shakes work great for getting protein in the morning, there is a slight problem. To my knowledge, they all have sugar. Does anyone know of a brand of premixed protein shake that is sugar free? I say premixed because I know about the powders, but if I have to do anything other then grab it out of the fridge and go, I won't do it consistently.
I will probably eventually become sick of protein shakes, but then I can always switch back to eggs in some form or another.
In terms of lunches, I think it may have to wait until I have my own kitchen to truly do. I have been recommended lentils and leftovers. Right now, Jon and I don't cook enough in the evenings to have leftovers, and given that neither of us particularly like to spend longer than we have to in the kitchen of this house, stewing lentils anytime while we are living here is unlikely.
I do have a few ideas for quick microwaveable lunches that I may try out when I am at the house in Novato this week. Reports on those next week.
For now...
The Numbers
I had worried that I would either be completely stable or have backtracked this week. Neither happened.
Weight: 182.2
TI: 154
That's down another pound (not much, but given that I weigh myself in the same condition at the same time every week, thats a real pound, not just water weight) and down an inch and a half, I'm pretty sure from my midsection. So yay. Week of fail, but still with a tiny bit of progress. This is probably going to take a while.
PS. Next weeks measurements and post will be delayed, because I am going up to Oregon next weekend to see my friends in Salem. :)
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Beginning of Week 2
I've come to realize over the past week that there are some things about this diet and my corresponding stay-on-track plan that are fairly easy, and other parts that are a lot harder than I thought.
Eating on diet hasn't been that hard. Eating STRICTLY on diet has been. I manage to keep my meals within diet restrictions pretty easily, though I think I've widened the rules to South Beach Diet (allows for dairy) rather than sticking strictly to 4-hour-body. Sorry, I really can't give up cheese. But anyway, I do manage to stay away from most not-diet foods. Beverages are a different matter. I've had fruit juice, and some non-diet soda... and a whole lot of sweetened soy milk in coffee. So...not the most champion of records, but not too awful.
The problem arises when I get lazy, like I did this weekend. I ate out a bunch, or I didn't really eat. I did try to stick to diet when eating out, it's not too hard if you get a salad. I ordered delivery from an indian place, and that was on diet too. I did seriously cheat once and get a mint chocolate milkshake, but I was at Ghirardelli Square with friends, cut me some slack. I guess my worry is that by not eating and skipping meals, and then also by eating meals that are on-diet but not what I usually eat, that I'm somehow undermining the plan. Not really sure what to do, I'm not a very routine person. I've never had a real routine in my life. Every day is different. I think subconciously I feel trapped in routines, and so I constantly break myself out of them. I'm not a habitual person, so while that gives me no habits to break, I can't form them either.
That's probably part of why I haven't been writing here. It's a routine thing that I just can't stick to. The rest of the problem lies in me not thinking I have much to say on the subject. For example, that PAGG post I've been promising. I haven't started it. I haven't started it because it's all in the book. What I should be telling you is to go read the book if you're curious. It's all in there and I'll only be spouting exactly what it already says. Just know that there are 4 pills, I take 3 of them before every meal, and then switch one out for the remaining one at bedtime. I'm not very good at taking them at every meal, but I do get one dose in a day at least.
Despite all this, I did have some marginal success last week, in terms of losing some weight/ inches. Most would consider it healthy weight loss, and I'm not going to complain, but really it just makes it seem to me like I need to try a lot harder or else I'll get stuck. We'll see what happens this week. I'll try to be a bit better, have my cheat day be an out of the way large number of calories more (it wasn't this last week), do my best to stay away from sugar of any sort... We'll see how that goes, given that my period is this week, and it's here with a vengeance.
Anyway
The Numbers
I weighed myself at the same time that I weighed myself last week, Sunday right after I woke up.
Weight: 183.4
Total Inches: 155.5
Thats down 3lbs and 2 inches (I think from my arms). Woo! Hopefully, it'll be the same or better this week.
At the very least, new post with new numbers on Monday.
Eating on diet hasn't been that hard. Eating STRICTLY on diet has been. I manage to keep my meals within diet restrictions pretty easily, though I think I've widened the rules to South Beach Diet (allows for dairy) rather than sticking strictly to 4-hour-body. Sorry, I really can't give up cheese. But anyway, I do manage to stay away from most not-diet foods. Beverages are a different matter. I've had fruit juice, and some non-diet soda... and a whole lot of sweetened soy milk in coffee. So...not the most champion of records, but not too awful.
The problem arises when I get lazy, like I did this weekend. I ate out a bunch, or I didn't really eat. I did try to stick to diet when eating out, it's not too hard if you get a salad. I ordered delivery from an indian place, and that was on diet too. I did seriously cheat once and get a mint chocolate milkshake, but I was at Ghirardelli Square with friends, cut me some slack. I guess my worry is that by not eating and skipping meals, and then also by eating meals that are on-diet but not what I usually eat, that I'm somehow undermining the plan. Not really sure what to do, I'm not a very routine person. I've never had a real routine in my life. Every day is different. I think subconciously I feel trapped in routines, and so I constantly break myself out of them. I'm not a habitual person, so while that gives me no habits to break, I can't form them either.
That's probably part of why I haven't been writing here. It's a routine thing that I just can't stick to. The rest of the problem lies in me not thinking I have much to say on the subject. For example, that PAGG post I've been promising. I haven't started it. I haven't started it because it's all in the book. What I should be telling you is to go read the book if you're curious. It's all in there and I'll only be spouting exactly what it already says. Just know that there are 4 pills, I take 3 of them before every meal, and then switch one out for the remaining one at bedtime. I'm not very good at taking them at every meal, but I do get one dose in a day at least.
Despite all this, I did have some marginal success last week, in terms of losing some weight/ inches. Most would consider it healthy weight loss, and I'm not going to complain, but really it just makes it seem to me like I need to try a lot harder or else I'll get stuck. We'll see what happens this week. I'll try to be a bit better, have my cheat day be an out of the way large number of calories more (it wasn't this last week), do my best to stay away from sugar of any sort... We'll see how that goes, given that my period is this week, and it's here with a vengeance.
Anyway
The Numbers
I weighed myself at the same time that I weighed myself last week, Sunday right after I woke up.
Weight: 183.4
Total Inches: 155.5
Thats down 3lbs and 2 inches (I think from my arms). Woo! Hopefully, it'll be the same or better this week.
At the very least, new post with new numbers on Monday.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Day 3
Well, it is now the end of day 3 of being on the diet.
I can't say I feel like I've made much progress. The scales tell me nothing useful (and mostly make me feel like I haven't done anything). BUT I am not yet discouraged. If on my measurement day on Sunday nothing has changed, then I will be a sad panda. But not yet.
I weighed myself last night and had a moment of extreme dismay when the numbers were higher rather than lower. I comforted myself by rationalizing in the following ways:
1) Completely different time of day
2) Recent food consumption
3) Time of the month is soon.
I realized that it was kind of silly of me to start a diet on my PMS week, given that most of the measurements I can make right now will be complete lies. I tried to plan and left that out. Oh well, best to work around it.
In terms of eating correctly, I've had a hard time getting breakfast in within an hour of waking, because it takes me 40 minutes to get to work and 20 minutes to get ready, and getting up earlier isn't really a thing. I got up a bit earlier today and ate food at home before travelling to work. I was less hungry all day because of it. Clearly being awake 10 minutes earlier to eat breakfast is critical.
I've had a sort of rough time keeping away from snacks and such at work (damn you, infinite supply of Goldfish!), and containing my sweet tooth at home. Luckily, eating breakfast earlier quells the actual hunger associated with snacking, and my super awesome boyfriend (who is the best) has decided to join me on the diet so that candy and such can be properly out of my reach. For emergency sweet tooths we do have fudgesicles on hand, which are okay in moderation.
My next challenge (as soon as I see some results) is to try to figure out a better way to do lunches. I can't pay for Chipotle forever.
I went to Whole Foods today (and drove on the terrifyingly steep hills of Noe Valley in my 12 year old stick shift) and investigated some of the stuff they have. They have some legume soups that run about 2.60 a piece. I could eat those, though I had a lentil one for dinner this evening and I didn't really like it. I think I'd hate it after a few days at work. So I need a solution. Keep in mind that I am bad at night-before prep if it takes longer than a minute and a half, and I tend to get sick of mostly greens salads. Chipotle works great because I can add variety while eating essentially the same thing (plus there's guacamole! and steak!). The only problem is the accumulating price. I'm probably fine for the rest of January, but I can't keep it up past then probably. Any ideas?
In terms of taking the supplements (which I have yet to write up, I apologize) I manage it twice a day. At lunch and before bed. I have forgotten before breakfast and before dinner each day. I'm not quite sure how to address this. I'm bad at taking pills.
Another pattern I have noticed is that right around 2:30p every day I get really drowsy and fatigued. I don't know if this is the diet or something else, but for now, I am simply making a note of it.
In other news, I have decided to move cheat day to Friday. It makes a bit more sense with my schedule.
Onwards! (Numbers on Sunday, PAGG at...some point soon)
I can't say I feel like I've made much progress. The scales tell me nothing useful (and mostly make me feel like I haven't done anything). BUT I am not yet discouraged. If on my measurement day on Sunday nothing has changed, then I will be a sad panda. But not yet.
I weighed myself last night and had a moment of extreme dismay when the numbers were higher rather than lower. I comforted myself by rationalizing in the following ways:
1) Completely different time of day
2) Recent food consumption
3) Time of the month is soon.
I realized that it was kind of silly of me to start a diet on my PMS week, given that most of the measurements I can make right now will be complete lies. I tried to plan and left that out. Oh well, best to work around it.
In terms of eating correctly, I've had a hard time getting breakfast in within an hour of waking, because it takes me 40 minutes to get to work and 20 minutes to get ready, and getting up earlier isn't really a thing. I got up a bit earlier today and ate food at home before travelling to work. I was less hungry all day because of it. Clearly being awake 10 minutes earlier to eat breakfast is critical.
I've had a sort of rough time keeping away from snacks and such at work (damn you, infinite supply of Goldfish!), and containing my sweet tooth at home. Luckily, eating breakfast earlier quells the actual hunger associated with snacking, and my super awesome boyfriend (who is the best) has decided to join me on the diet so that candy and such can be properly out of my reach. For emergency sweet tooths we do have fudgesicles on hand, which are okay in moderation.
My next challenge (as soon as I see some results) is to try to figure out a better way to do lunches. I can't pay for Chipotle forever.
I went to Whole Foods today (and drove on the terrifyingly steep hills of Noe Valley in my 12 year old stick shift) and investigated some of the stuff they have. They have some legume soups that run about 2.60 a piece. I could eat those, though I had a lentil one for dinner this evening and I didn't really like it. I think I'd hate it after a few days at work. So I need a solution. Keep in mind that I am bad at night-before prep if it takes longer than a minute and a half, and I tend to get sick of mostly greens salads. Chipotle works great because I can add variety while eating essentially the same thing (plus there's guacamole! and steak!). The only problem is the accumulating price. I'm probably fine for the rest of January, but I can't keep it up past then probably. Any ideas?
In terms of taking the supplements (which I have yet to write up, I apologize) I manage it twice a day. At lunch and before bed. I have forgotten before breakfast and before dinner each day. I'm not quite sure how to address this. I'm bad at taking pills.
Another pattern I have noticed is that right around 2:30p every day I get really drowsy and fatigued. I don't know if this is the diet or something else, but for now, I am simply making a note of it.
In other news, I have decided to move cheat day to Friday. It makes a bit more sense with my schedule.
Onwards! (Numbers on Sunday, PAGG at...some point soon)
Friday, January 6, 2012
"Before"
The past few days have been filled with me preparing for tomorrow. Well, not filled, but I have been doing a few things to make sure I'm ready.
I bought my own scale and measuring tape (to track my progress), I started taking magnesium before bed each night (it boosts metabolism and helps with better sleep) and I experimented with the Chipotle diet for lunches. Last night I also took my first PAGG dose. More on this in a later post.
I have neglected to take pictures of all of my meals (usually forgetting dinner) but I have taken pictures of breakfast and lunch. I ate basically the same thing Thursday and Friday, the only difference being that Thursdays beverage was tea at breakfast, Fridays was coffee, and Thursday I had a regular sized bowl from Chipotle while Friday I had an "Extra Filling" salad. There wasn't too much of a difference other than there may have been more beans in the bowl. The bowl and the salad had almost exactly the same ingredients and tasted almost the same, but it didn't bother me to have the same thing two days in a row. Chipotle will always be delicious. And, if I really do get sick of steak salads, I can always switch to chicken or barbacoa. Or just veggies!
The Numbers
I have just measured myself, Sunday morning, before eating.
Sunday, Jan 8 10:15 am
Weight: 186.4
Total Inches: 157
and now... the dreaded "before" picture.
[picture removed for privacy]
I bought my own scale and measuring tape (to track my progress), I started taking magnesium before bed each night (it boosts metabolism and helps with better sleep) and I experimented with the Chipotle diet for lunches. Last night I also took my first PAGG dose. More on this in a later post.
I have neglected to take pictures of all of my meals (usually forgetting dinner) but I have taken pictures of breakfast and lunch. I ate basically the same thing Thursday and Friday, the only difference being that Thursdays beverage was tea at breakfast, Fridays was coffee, and Thursday I had a regular sized bowl from Chipotle while Friday I had an "Extra Filling" salad. There wasn't too much of a difference other than there may have been more beans in the bowl. The bowl and the salad had almost exactly the same ingredients and tasted almost the same, but it didn't bother me to have the same thing two days in a row. Chipotle will always be delicious. And, if I really do get sick of steak salads, I can always switch to chicken or barbacoa. Or just veggies!
 |
| Breakfast Thursday |
 |
| Lunch Friday |
The Numbers
I have just measured myself, Sunday morning, before eating.
Sunday, Jan 8 10:15 am
Weight: 186.4
Total Inches: 157
and now... the dreaded "before" picture.
[picture removed for privacy]
Yyyup, I'm gonna go with roughly 30% Body Fat on that one.
Tomorrow I begin. For reals.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
The Mission
So. I have been told by many many people since writing my Europe trip blog in August, that I should keep writing. My problem since is that I have had nothing to write about. The reason that blog worked so well for me was because it was about something specific.
After many months of debating, bemoaning the fact that I couldn't write another blog because I couldn't think of anything to write about and that didn't really have the motivation to stick to something random, here's a new blog. Now I bet you're wondering what this is all about.
This blog is about keeping me on track. This blog is about keeping me motivated and accountable. This blog is going to help me be awesome for Burning Man in August. This blog is going to help me undo what college did. That's right, this blog is going to help me lose weight.
Now before you all start telling me that I look fine and that I don't need to be doing anything of this sort, I'd like you all to go read this Cracked article. Please don't be any of those eight people.
It's taken me a couple days to really start to figure out what I'm going to do and how I'm going to do it, and I'm hoping that because I'm actually planning it out this time, I will be more successful.
I've been a serial diet-and-exercise plan starter, but never a finisher. The one time I really got anywhere was last summer, when I had little to no option BUT to be on a diet, since my parents were doing it too. I lost 15 lbs. I have gained 20 back. Clearly, I'm doing something wrong here. Admittedly it's the same thing that everybody else does wrong too, so I don't feel particularly bad about it. Since then, I'll have days where I'll decide to have a salad instead of pasta, where I'll think I'm going to start back on the diet and then only eat things that are "sort of" on diet, but were I being serious wouldn't count at all. I've had short periods of exercising when I'll decide: I'm going to do such and such a thing until this happens! It can even be the smallest thing, like doing as many sit ups as I can during my boyfriend's commute home, and I have still fallen off the wagon. So here I am, on the threshold of starting again and I know that I have to do something different.
I have to do something easy, something that lets me cheat and something that gives me results. I also need to make sure that I am motivated properly. I don't want something exercise heavy, because I know I won't do it. I don't want something with recipes, because I know I won't make them.
I spent a few days earlier this week poking around the FAQ on r/Loseit (the weight loss subreddit) and I came across The 4 Hour Body by Timothy Ferriss. It's a book. A New York Times Bestseller. It details a whole bunch of ways to make yourself better, including diet and exercise plans that sort of... cheat. The author literally spends his time trying to figure out the cheat codes to the human body, using himself as the guinea pig. He figured out how to eat like an obese person and still lose weight and gain muscle. The most intriguing rule of his diet: cheat days. You have to take them.
So, I've read some parts of the book (he forbids reading it cover to cover, and encourages reading what you need, when you need it) and almost all of the purely weight loss parts at this point. I'm intrigued, and I've decided to follow his rules, and see what happens.
The mission then, is as follows:
I need to lose 40 lbs. My goal is June 30th.
I'm going to start small. Protein and veggie only breakfasts, prepped the night before, cooked and eaten upon arrival at work. I have a plan for carb free, delicious lunches that will fill me up. Along with this I will also start taking the recommended supplements once a day at the recommended time. Eventually I will work my way up to eliminating "white carbs" (bread, pasta, tortillas...basically anything with flour or sugar) completely but the breakfasts and lunches are the first important step.
I am going to include cheat days from the beginning, because they will be a major part of my motivation. Whenever I get a craving for something, I will be able to say, "Not today, but on cheat day, yes."
I am going to take pictures of everything I eat. I am going to weigh myself every other day. I am going to do my measurements once a week, and a progress photo once a week. I'm saying these things and I hear myself forgetting, or finding myself in positions where I can't do whatever it is on whatever evening it is. But I'm not worried. I'm not giving them times of day (before bed being the only deadline) and now they have no homework to compete with.
I will post here with updates (probably very frequently at first, but they'll dwindle to weekly after a while I'm sure) and if you don't hear from me here for a week and a half, know that something is wrong and I have stopped. Please harass me! I want to do this. I have wanted to do this. I'm just EXTREMELY LAZY and easily distracted by the internet. Get me back on track by being the interesting internet that wants me to get up off my ass and go make sure I have breakfast for tomorrow, or make me cook the diet food I have rather than ordering Chinese (unless it's cheat day).
I start Monday. I am going to do a few experiments in photographing my food over the next couple days (to try and get in the habit) and I will post those. I will post starting measurements, weight and the "before" photo Sunday evening.
Please comment on this post if you're going to follow along. It will keep me accountable to know there are people watching.
After many months of debating, bemoaning the fact that I couldn't write another blog because I couldn't think of anything to write about and that didn't really have the motivation to stick to something random, here's a new blog. Now I bet you're wondering what this is all about.
This blog is about keeping me on track. This blog is about keeping me motivated and accountable. This blog is going to help me be awesome for Burning Man in August. This blog is going to help me undo what college did. That's right, this blog is going to help me lose weight.
Now before you all start telling me that I look fine and that I don't need to be doing anything of this sort, I'd like you all to go read this Cracked article. Please don't be any of those eight people.
It's taken me a couple days to really start to figure out what I'm going to do and how I'm going to do it, and I'm hoping that because I'm actually planning it out this time, I will be more successful.
I've been a serial diet-and-exercise plan starter, but never a finisher. The one time I really got anywhere was last summer, when I had little to no option BUT to be on a diet, since my parents were doing it too. I lost 15 lbs. I have gained 20 back. Clearly, I'm doing something wrong here. Admittedly it's the same thing that everybody else does wrong too, so I don't feel particularly bad about it. Since then, I'll have days where I'll decide to have a salad instead of pasta, where I'll think I'm going to start back on the diet and then only eat things that are "sort of" on diet, but were I being serious wouldn't count at all. I've had short periods of exercising when I'll decide: I'm going to do such and such a thing until this happens! It can even be the smallest thing, like doing as many sit ups as I can during my boyfriend's commute home, and I have still fallen off the wagon. So here I am, on the threshold of starting again and I know that I have to do something different.
I have to do something easy, something that lets me cheat and something that gives me results. I also need to make sure that I am motivated properly. I don't want something exercise heavy, because I know I won't do it. I don't want something with recipes, because I know I won't make them.
I spent a few days earlier this week poking around the FAQ on r/Loseit (the weight loss subreddit) and I came across The 4 Hour Body by Timothy Ferriss. It's a book. A New York Times Bestseller. It details a whole bunch of ways to make yourself better, including diet and exercise plans that sort of... cheat. The author literally spends his time trying to figure out the cheat codes to the human body, using himself as the guinea pig. He figured out how to eat like an obese person and still lose weight and gain muscle. The most intriguing rule of his diet: cheat days. You have to take them.
So, I've read some parts of the book (he forbids reading it cover to cover, and encourages reading what you need, when you need it) and almost all of the purely weight loss parts at this point. I'm intrigued, and I've decided to follow his rules, and see what happens.
The mission then, is as follows:
I need to lose 40 lbs. My goal is June 30th.
I'm going to start small. Protein and veggie only breakfasts, prepped the night before, cooked and eaten upon arrival at work. I have a plan for carb free, delicious lunches that will fill me up. Along with this I will also start taking the recommended supplements once a day at the recommended time. Eventually I will work my way up to eliminating "white carbs" (bread, pasta, tortillas...basically anything with flour or sugar) completely but the breakfasts and lunches are the first important step.
I am going to include cheat days from the beginning, because they will be a major part of my motivation. Whenever I get a craving for something, I will be able to say, "Not today, but on cheat day, yes."
I am going to take pictures of everything I eat. I am going to weigh myself every other day. I am going to do my measurements once a week, and a progress photo once a week. I'm saying these things and I hear myself forgetting, or finding myself in positions where I can't do whatever it is on whatever evening it is. But I'm not worried. I'm not giving them times of day (before bed being the only deadline) and now they have no homework to compete with.
I will post here with updates (probably very frequently at first, but they'll dwindle to weekly after a while I'm sure) and if you don't hear from me here for a week and a half, know that something is wrong and I have stopped. Please harass me! I want to do this. I have wanted to do this. I'm just EXTREMELY LAZY and easily distracted by the internet. Get me back on track by being the interesting internet that wants me to get up off my ass and go make sure I have breakfast for tomorrow, or make me cook the diet food I have rather than ordering Chinese (unless it's cheat day).
I start Monday. I am going to do a few experiments in photographing my food over the next couple days (to try and get in the habit) and I will post those. I will post starting measurements, weight and the "before" photo Sunday evening.
Please comment on this post if you're going to follow along. It will keep me accountable to know there are people watching.
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