Not from my weight loss goals, are you crazy? Lol no, actually I'm taking a break from the wonderful world of writing and editing my books to post a mini update. No weigh-ins this week, but not because I've been bad, but because sometimes a girl likes bigger results. I had over 1000 calories in my budget deficit last week by banking exercise calories alone since I still ate 1200-1400 daily regardless. Sometimes I like to bank those for a cheat day but it feels good not to spend them too. I only took Sunday off for my daily one hour of cardio. Sure, I do strength and flexibility but right now, my joints are very sensitive and I refuse to go overboard and set myself back with injury so I go really light outside of the cardio right now. I build strength very slowly with conditions like carpal tunnel getting in the way so I keep listening to my body for the right cues.
Always, I don't know who reads these-- ultimately this is a motivational tool for myself, but for anyone who is battling the bulge, keep it up! I may be more irritable from turning down foods but I'll be more lenient about that once I get out of weight loss mode and back to a more generous maintenance mode so I think of it as a hiatus that will mean I will REALLY enjoy the things I gave up to get results. I still intend to make healthier choices over all but hey, I'm a foodie and I can spot a shitty substitute a mile away. I'd rather have smaller portions of the real deal than a boatload of the sawdust version any day!
Monday, June 20, 2016
Tuesday, June 14, 2016
Still going...
More good news for me! Down another three pounds on this weigh in and now I'm 195! Small victories are great, but I'm working towards my next milestone at 180. From there it's 30 lbs to goal. 45 lbs is no small feat, but I can do it. I'm getting stronger, more confident and my diet is not punishing me. I am so glad to be on right track and know what to realistically expect. According to the app, at the rate I'm going, I can see my goal between September and November. It sounds so far away, but after five months of struggling so far, I'm know it is a trial. The hardest part is over, getting used to working through the pain and unused muscle. Now it's about dedication and motivation. I have found what works and even through discouraging times, I've kept going. I hope I can inspire even one other person to keep going. Be the best you that you can be inside and out. Health is the most important thing we have in life, never take it for granted.
Fibromyalgia and mental illness really threw me for a loop. I don't expect people to really get what it's like, but know that even treated, they are always a problem. I could do 500 crunches a day before I got sick and after that I could barely sit up in bed. I was the lightest weight and in great shape, 135 lbs and between meds that made me a zombie and the pain of movement, for the first time in my life I was not just overweight but obese. The stretch marks from the sudden weight gain were so dark purple that water in the shower stung them. I couldn't be touched and I couldn't look at myself. I still found happiness, don't get me wrong. I'm an artist so I took comfort in crafting and drawing and reading and writing but I didn't recognize what I saw in the mirror. It took years of learning how to manage the pain and anxiety without medication and once I figured that out, I decided the weight had to go too.
I won't lie, I want that banging beach body back, but even more than that, I want to be the healthiest I can be, even with conditions that make that harder. High impact is out of the question but rapid weight loss is just as bad for you as rapid weight gain. In order to really be healthy it takes patience and trial by fire. I know I can do this, and I swear I won't get discouraged by plateaus. They are just telling me that something needs to change not that I can't reach my very reasonable goal.
Fibromyalgia and mental illness really threw me for a loop. I don't expect people to really get what it's like, but know that even treated, they are always a problem. I could do 500 crunches a day before I got sick and after that I could barely sit up in bed. I was the lightest weight and in great shape, 135 lbs and between meds that made me a zombie and the pain of movement, for the first time in my life I was not just overweight but obese. The stretch marks from the sudden weight gain were so dark purple that water in the shower stung them. I couldn't be touched and I couldn't look at myself. I still found happiness, don't get me wrong. I'm an artist so I took comfort in crafting and drawing and reading and writing but I didn't recognize what I saw in the mirror. It took years of learning how to manage the pain and anxiety without medication and once I figured that out, I decided the weight had to go too.
I won't lie, I want that banging beach body back, but even more than that, I want to be the healthiest I can be, even with conditions that make that harder. High impact is out of the question but rapid weight loss is just as bad for you as rapid weight gain. In order to really be healthy it takes patience and trial by fire. I know I can do this, and I swear I won't get discouraged by plateaus. They are just telling me that something needs to change not that I can't reach my very reasonable goal.
Tuesday, June 7, 2016
Back to the future...
I disappeared for a bit out of sheer frustration with always being peppy and positive and not seeing any results. I threw a bit of a tantrum, stopped calorie counting one week, then went back to it, but stopped exercising that week, went back to it.... I didn't give up, I was just frustrated that I'd need to go to the doctor and find out how I could be doing so much and weight loss wasn't happening.
Well, finally I made a breakthrough. That scale said 198 and I broke through the 'less than 200' milestone in one angry week.
People say "don't punish yourself, make it fun" but that works for THEM. I'll tell you right now, I had to quit making it fun and really focus on not only calories, but what I was getting from them. Fat, carbs, protein, where do I go? Fats had to go up. I know it sounds counterintuitive but this was actually something my body might store on level Expert, but it sure as hell wasn't using, simply because I wasn't taking in the right kinds. Proteins? Get those up a LOT more. Tuna, eggs, cottage cheese are terrific sources and I fuel up big in the morning, then try to hit 80g before the day is out. Harder than you think without some kind of disgusting powder to shoot that up. Carbs... Look, carbs win. I hear people talking about some golden carb low of under 50 and I'm lucky if I can stay under 200. I gave up trying to eliminate them and just focused on the kinds of carbs. Fruit is really good for you, but it will destroy low carb diets. I wasn't willing to give up carbs so I focused on aiming for those complex carbs and reducing but not eliminating white bread consumption.
If your head is spinning and you're wondering if you can do it because it sounds so complicated, you're right , it is, but if people could figure out how to get healthier overnight, you wouldn't need personal trainers and Weight Watchers and these amazing apps they offer if it were easy. Our bodies were made to store fat because there was once a time when our ancestors might not get to eat for a while and if there is ever an apocalypse and your world of processed foods and conveniences disappears, your body still stands a chance of dealing with the inevitable shortage. You don't want your body staying skinny no matter what-- the people that deal with that have it as a side effect of being ill, some unlucky genetic inheritance or allergy. Allergy? Yes, or have you noticed that rather than our bodies adapting to processed foods and such, more often than not, you're seeing the opposite-- that some people are allergic to things like gluten and flours and so on. Yes, there are plenty of natural allergies and they do make up the bulk of that, but allergies didn't used to be such a widespread thing. Some are even caused by the fact your parents haven't ever had a natural diet and your genes say 'we don't need no stinking strawberries' or something.
I'm not one of those people that sneers at other people's consumption of processed foods, but there are some observations and studies that hold water and the truth is, if we're waiting to adapt to a life of excess, don't hold your breath.
Second, it is also possible to lose weight without exercise, but don't. Unless you like saggy, sickly skin and hate eating. If your life is sedentary or you only get exercise from your job, you'll be miserable with how little calories you have to stick to just to go that route. On days where I just throw in an hour of cardio or a long walk, my calorie budget gets more generous. You might think, hey, I'm just going to bank those because 3500 calories lost is a pound gone! True, but listen to your body. You will lose weight by always making budget too and if you keep eating like you're sedentary and think you can still bank calories when you're exercising, you're going to feel like crap. Also, guess what? Muscle is your friend! Even when you're like me and don't want to get chiseled, it is super important. If you find weight loss is slow but you're working your ass off, you're either facing a serious health issue or you're losing inches instead of weight because of all this muscle you're putting on. But don't worry! Unless you're pounding protein (and like 3 times what I mentioned I aim for) and training to be a body builder, it's lean muscle. Not only does lean muscle start to burn faster once it's optimized, but the weight of it being more than fat starts to help you start losing fat weight more than all the calorie deficit you can stomach.
It's so important-- don't starve yourself if you're a foodie. There are days where I have exercised more just so I can enjoy a bigger meal that day. Not a junkier one, just a more fulfilling one. There are days when I've had to forego exercise and eat less. Not my favorite. And days where I'm not up to eating or exercise? The worst (this involves being violently ill, not making terrible health choices).
I've learned a lot with research, trial and error, getting by on the skin of my teeth and challenging myself. Fad diets don't last. No one can promise you results and you might very well end up in my shoes where you didn't everything right and wasn't seeing weight loss. I don't measure inches though I probably should. I step on the scale maybe once a week or every two weeks because my goal isn't just about healthy choices but ditching the overweight range. I know the inches are changing but one thing I didn't want this to become was a numbers game. I let the apps do all that for me and take the information I need out of it to plan.
Yes, I made that milestone, but the fact is, I still have at least 50 lbs to go. It's going to suck, it's not going to be fun, but I tell you now, once I stopped being frustrated with food and made exercise a routine (unhappy or not) when I sit down to write or crochet or draw or design, my entire day has felt better. My focus, my energy, my outlook is vastly different, even when I get discouraged, my body is working better and handles it better. I already like my changing shape better. Things are shrinking and my favorite curves are poking through again. I will succeed and I will maintain and I will hate it sometimes but ultimately, I will love myself more because how my body works keeps making more sense.
Hate the process, love yourself, if that's what drives you. Don't let any program tell you there is only one way. on closing, even after you succeed... Don't be one of those douchebags that hated being fat so much that you become a fat-shaming piece of shit. Remember the struggle. Don't encourage unhealthy body issues by any means, but don't fucking make it your mission to be the food police. This process was personal and you never needed permission to love your own body. They don't either.
Well, finally I made a breakthrough. That scale said 198 and I broke through the 'less than 200' milestone in one angry week.
People say "don't punish yourself, make it fun" but that works for THEM. I'll tell you right now, I had to quit making it fun and really focus on not only calories, but what I was getting from them. Fat, carbs, protein, where do I go? Fats had to go up. I know it sounds counterintuitive but this was actually something my body might store on level Expert, but it sure as hell wasn't using, simply because I wasn't taking in the right kinds. Proteins? Get those up a LOT more. Tuna, eggs, cottage cheese are terrific sources and I fuel up big in the morning, then try to hit 80g before the day is out. Harder than you think without some kind of disgusting powder to shoot that up. Carbs... Look, carbs win. I hear people talking about some golden carb low of under 50 and I'm lucky if I can stay under 200. I gave up trying to eliminate them and just focused on the kinds of carbs. Fruit is really good for you, but it will destroy low carb diets. I wasn't willing to give up carbs so I focused on aiming for those complex carbs and reducing but not eliminating white bread consumption.
If your head is spinning and you're wondering if you can do it because it sounds so complicated, you're right , it is, but if people could figure out how to get healthier overnight, you wouldn't need personal trainers and Weight Watchers and these amazing apps they offer if it were easy. Our bodies were made to store fat because there was once a time when our ancestors might not get to eat for a while and if there is ever an apocalypse and your world of processed foods and conveniences disappears, your body still stands a chance of dealing with the inevitable shortage. You don't want your body staying skinny no matter what-- the people that deal with that have it as a side effect of being ill, some unlucky genetic inheritance or allergy. Allergy? Yes, or have you noticed that rather than our bodies adapting to processed foods and such, more often than not, you're seeing the opposite-- that some people are allergic to things like gluten and flours and so on. Yes, there are plenty of natural allergies and they do make up the bulk of that, but allergies didn't used to be such a widespread thing. Some are even caused by the fact your parents haven't ever had a natural diet and your genes say 'we don't need no stinking strawberries' or something.
I'm not one of those people that sneers at other people's consumption of processed foods, but there are some observations and studies that hold water and the truth is, if we're waiting to adapt to a life of excess, don't hold your breath.
Second, it is also possible to lose weight without exercise, but don't. Unless you like saggy, sickly skin and hate eating. If your life is sedentary or you only get exercise from your job, you'll be miserable with how little calories you have to stick to just to go that route. On days where I just throw in an hour of cardio or a long walk, my calorie budget gets more generous. You might think, hey, I'm just going to bank those because 3500 calories lost is a pound gone! True, but listen to your body. You will lose weight by always making budget too and if you keep eating like you're sedentary and think you can still bank calories when you're exercising, you're going to feel like crap. Also, guess what? Muscle is your friend! Even when you're like me and don't want to get chiseled, it is super important. If you find weight loss is slow but you're working your ass off, you're either facing a serious health issue or you're losing inches instead of weight because of all this muscle you're putting on. But don't worry! Unless you're pounding protein (and like 3 times what I mentioned I aim for) and training to be a body builder, it's lean muscle. Not only does lean muscle start to burn faster once it's optimized, but the weight of it being more than fat starts to help you start losing fat weight more than all the calorie deficit you can stomach.
It's so important-- don't starve yourself if you're a foodie. There are days where I have exercised more just so I can enjoy a bigger meal that day. Not a junkier one, just a more fulfilling one. There are days when I've had to forego exercise and eat less. Not my favorite. And days where I'm not up to eating or exercise? The worst (this involves being violently ill, not making terrible health choices).
I've learned a lot with research, trial and error, getting by on the skin of my teeth and challenging myself. Fad diets don't last. No one can promise you results and you might very well end up in my shoes where you didn't everything right and wasn't seeing weight loss. I don't measure inches though I probably should. I step on the scale maybe once a week or every two weeks because my goal isn't just about healthy choices but ditching the overweight range. I know the inches are changing but one thing I didn't want this to become was a numbers game. I let the apps do all that for me and take the information I need out of it to plan.
Yes, I made that milestone, but the fact is, I still have at least 50 lbs to go. It's going to suck, it's not going to be fun, but I tell you now, once I stopped being frustrated with food and made exercise a routine (unhappy or not) when I sit down to write or crochet or draw or design, my entire day has felt better. My focus, my energy, my outlook is vastly different, even when I get discouraged, my body is working better and handles it better. I already like my changing shape better. Things are shrinking and my favorite curves are poking through again. I will succeed and I will maintain and I will hate it sometimes but ultimately, I will love myself more because how my body works keeps making more sense.
Hate the process, love yourself, if that's what drives you. Don't let any program tell you there is only one way. on closing, even after you succeed... Don't be one of those douchebags that hated being fat so much that you become a fat-shaming piece of shit. Remember the struggle. Don't encourage unhealthy body issues by any means, but don't fucking make it your mission to be the food police. This process was personal and you never needed permission to love your own body. They don't either.
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